Book Line and Sinker
PRAISE FOR
Due or Die
“[A] terrific addition to an intelligent, fun, and lively series.”
—Miranda James, New York Times bestselling author of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries
“What a great read! I can’t wait to go back to the first title in this cozy, library-centered series. McKinlay has been a librarian, and her snappy story line, fun characters, and young library director with backbone make for a winning formula. Add a dog named Heathcliff and library programming suggestions—well, it’s quite a value-added package!”
—Library Journal
“McKinlay’s writing is well paced, her dialogue feels very authentic, and I found Due or Die almost impossible to put down.”
—CrimeSpree
Books Can Be Deceiving
“A sparkling setting, lovely characters, books, knitting, and chowder! What more could any reader ask?”
—Lorna Barrett, New York Times bestselling author of the Booktown Mysteries
“With a remote coastal setting as memorable as Manderley and a kindhearted, loyal librarian as the novel’s heroine, Books Can Be Deceiving is sure to charm cozy readers everywhere.”
—Ellery Adams, author of the Books by the Bay Mysteries
“Fast-paced and fun, Books Can Be Deceiving is the first in Jenn McKinlay’s appealing new mystery series featuring an endearing protagonist, delightful characters, a lovely New England setting, and a fascinating murder.”
—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries
PRAISE FOR JENN MCKINLAY’S CUPCAKE BAKERY MYSTERIES
Red Velvet Revenge
“With a rodeo, a road trip, and the delectable title, Red Velvet Revenge, the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers are back, lassoed into big trouble this time. You’re in for a real treat with Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery. I gobbled it right up.”
—Julie Hyzy, bestselling author of the Manor House Mysteries and White House Chef Mysteries
“Sure as shootin’, Red Velvet Revenge pops with fun and great twists. Wrangle up some time to enjoy the atmosphere of a real rodeo as well as family drama. It’s better than icing on the tastiest cupcake.”
—Avery Aames, author of Clobbered by Camembert
Death by the Dozen
“It’s the best yet, with great characters, and a terrific, tightly written plot.”
—Lesa’s Book Critiques
“Like a great fairy tale, McKinlay transports readers into the world of cupcakes and all things sweet and frosted, minus the calories. Although . . . there are some pretty yummy recipes at the end.”
—Cozy Corner
Buttercream Bump Off
“A charmingly entertaining story paired with a luscious assortment of cupcake recipes that, when combined, made for a deliciously thrilling mystery.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Another tasty entry, complete with cupcake recipes, into what is sure to grow into a perennial favorite series.”
—The Mystery Reader
“McKinlay’s descriptions of the cupcakes in Mel and Angie’s shop are guaranteed to make the reader salivate—fortunately the recipes are included in the back of the book. Engaging characters, hilarious situations, old movie quotes and, oh yes, a dead body in a hot tub make this a great read.”
—Romantic Times
Sprinkle with Murder
“A tender cozy full of warm and likable characters and a refreshingly sympathetic murder victim. Readers will look forward to more of McKinlay’s tasty concoctions.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sprinkle with Murder is one of the better recent cozy debuts, and a few cupcake recipes in the back are, well, icing on the cake.”
—The Mystery Reader
“McKinlay’s debut mystery flows as smoothly as Melanie Cooper’s buttercream frosting. Her characters are delicious, and the dash of romance is just the icing on the cake.”
—Sheila Connolly, author of Sour Apples
“Jenn McKinlay delivers all the ingredients for a winning read. Frost me another!”
—Cleo Coyle, national bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries
“A delicious new series featuring a spirited heroine, luscious cupcakes, and a clever murder. Jenn McKinlay has baked a sweet read.”
—Krista Davis, author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Jenn McKinlay
Cupcake Bakery Mysteries
SPRINKLE WITH MURDER
BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF
DEATH BY THE DOZEN
RED VELVET REVENGE
Library Lover’s Mysteries
BOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
DUE OR DIE
BOOK, LINE, AND SINKER
BOOK, LINE, AND SINKER
Jenn McKinlay
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.
BOOK, LINE, AND SINKER
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / December 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Jennifer McKinlay Orf.
“Readers Guide” by Jenn McKinlay copyright © 2012 by Jennifer McKinlay Orf.
Excerpt from Read It and Weep by Jenn McKinlay copyright © 2012 by Jennifer McKinlay Orf.
Cover illustration by Julia Green.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-61332-0
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, N
ew York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For Carole Towles and Sheila Levine, fabulous librarians and priceless gal pals, you inspire me every day in every way. Friends until the end and then some, ladies.
XO
Acknowledgments
As always, big thanks to my editor, Kate Seaver; assistant editor, Katherine Pelz; and to my agent, Jessica Faust. Your support and guidance and brilliant input mean the world to me.
To the pirates of my heart, Chris, Beckett and Wyatt, all I can say is “Arr!” Seriously, if I were shipwrecked, I’d pick you three to be with me because I know it would be a blast.
Love to my families, the McKinlays and the Orfs, and to all of my friends who read my books, come to the signings and listen to me when I talk way too much about writing, which is often.
To all of the librarians out there toiling in the stacks, thanks for all that you do to serve your patrons. You are a remarkable breed and the world is a better place for having you in it.
Contents
Praise for Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Jenn McKinlay
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
The Briar Creek Library Guide to Crafternoons
Readers Guide for The Great Gatsby
Lindsey’s Pattern for Her Cross-Stitch Sampler
Recipes
CHARLENE’S CUCUMBER CUPS STUFFED WITH FETA
BETH’S LEMON-ALMOND COOKIE TRUFFLES
Special Excerpt from READ IT AND WEEP
“Daisy Buchanan was an insipid, shallow, soulless woman,” Violet La Rue declared. “Jay should have found someone else.”
“But he loved her,” Nancy Peyton argued.
“Why?” Violet asked. She shuddered. “The woman was a horror.”
“She was old money,” Lindsey Norris said. “She was everything that the new money, like Jay Gatsby, aspired to be.”
It was lunchtime on Thursday at the Briar Creek Public Library, where the crafternoon group met every week to work on a craft, eat yummy food and talk about their latest read. Per usual, Violet and Nancy were the first to arrive.Lindsey was the director of the library, and this group had been one of her ideas to boost the popularity of the library in town.
“Buchanan was a bully. Remember when Daisy has that bruise?” Nancy asked. “What kind of man treats a woman like that?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve dated him, well, men just like him at any rate,” Beth Stanley said as she waddled into the room.
Beth was the children’s librarian and today she was dressed as a giant green caterpillar, the puffy underbelly of which seriously impeded her ability to walk. Dangling from one arm, she held a large basket of plastic fruit and foodstuffs.
Lindsey lowered the sampler she was attempting to cross-stitch and studied Beth.
“Don’t tell me, let me guess,” she said. “Today you read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
“What?” Mary Murphy exclaimed as she stepped over the tail end of Beth’s costume to enter the room. “I thought we were reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.”
“We are,” Nancy said. “Beth read the caterpillar book to her story time crowd.”
“Oh, phew, you had me worried there,” Mary said as she plopped into the chair beside Lindsey.
“Well, you might want to take a gander at some of the picture books,” Nancy said. Her look was sly. “You know, if you and Ian ever decide to have some babies.”
Mary tossed her long dark curls over her shoulder and sent Nancy a grin. “My husband is all the baby I can handle at the moment, thank you very much. Although things seem to be progressing nicely between Lindsey and Sully, so perhaps you’ll have some luck there.”
“Ouch!” Lindsey jammed her thumb into her mouth trying to ease the hurt from the round-tipped needle where it had jabbed her skin.
“Interesting,” Nancy said, giving Lindsey a piercing look.
“Food’s here,” Charlene La Rue announced as she stepped into the room, bearing a tray of mini bagel sandwiches paired with cucumber cups stuffed with feta and a carafe of lemonade.
Like her mother, Violet, Charlene was a tall, beautiful black woman with warm brown eyes and a smile that lit up the room. But while Violet had been a stage actress, Charlene was a local news anchor. Lindsey always marveled that she was able to balance her public life, be an exemplary wife and mother and still make time for their crafternoon Thursdays.
Nancy turned her attention away from Lindsey and tucked her cross-stitch needle into the corner of her canvas cloth. She leaned forward to help herself to the food on the tray Charlene was setting out on the table.
“How is Sully?” Violet asked. “I haven’t seen him in ages.”
Violet and Nancy were not only best friends, but also tag team buddies in the information-seeking game. Where one left off, the other stepped in.
“Did you know that The Great Gatsby is considered the greatest American novel?” Lindsey asked.
“There she goes, changing the subject,” Beth said.
She shimmied out of her caterpillar costume and hung it up on the coatrack. The static from the costume made her short spiky black hair stand up on end and she ran her fingers through it in a futile attempt to tame it. She grabbed her project bag from where she’d tucked it into her fruit basket and took the last remaining seat in the room.
“I am not,” Lindsey said. “I’m just keeping us on task. We’re supposed to work on a craft while we discuss our latest book, which is—”
“The Great Gatsby,” the rest of the ladies said together.
“We know,” Charlene said. “It’s just that you’ve been dating Sully for a few months now, so we’re curious. Can we assume it’s going well?”
Lindsey glanced at Mary for backup, thinking that since she was Sully’s sister, surely she wouldn’t want to hear about his love life, but no. She nodded at Lindsey encouragingly. Lindsey just shook her head. Her crafternoon buddies were incorrigible.
“Hey, that’s not your granny’s cross-stitch,” Beth declared, looking at the cross-stitch hoop in Lindsey’s lap. “I love that.”
“Well, we did say we were doing ‘subversive’ cross-stitch,” Lindsey said. She glanced at her sampler, which when she was done would read, “Books are my homeboys,” with a border of books on bookshelves going around it. She planned to hang it in her office, if she ever stopped stabbing herself in the thumb, because even with a round-tipped cross-stitch needle, it still hurt when it poked the skin.
“You need a thimble,” Violet said. “You’re a hazard with that needle.”
“I have an extra.” Mary reached into her bag and handed one to Lindsey.
“So what do yours say?” Lindsey asked the group.
“Mine says, ‘Bake your own damn cookies!’” Nancy said.
Lindsey laughed. Nancy was not just her crafternoon buddy but also her landlady. After sixty-odd years of living in Briar Creek, Nancy had come to be
known for her cookie-baking skills, which occasionally annoyed her as she had also become the go-to gal for cookie exchanges and bake sales.
Violet held up her cross-stitch, and in her best stage voice she read, “‘To be or not to be. That is not the question. The question is, what time is lunch?’”
Nancy snorted and gave Violet a high-five.
“I went with an old restaurant standby,” Mary said. “‘Kiss my grits.’”
Mary and her husband, Ian, owned the Blue Anchor Café, the only restaurant in town that just happened to serve the best clam chowder in New England.
“Love it,” Beth said. “Hang it by the cash register.”
“Mine is going in our master bathroom,” Charlene said. She held up a pretty cross-stitch with a half-finished border of red swirls. It read, “Cap on. Seat down. Or else.”
Mary cracked up and said, “If I pay you, will you make me one just like it?”
Lastly, Beth held up hers. It, too, had a pretty pink border and in the middle, it read, “#@&$!!”
“Oh no, you didn’t!” Charlene said with a delighted giggle.
“Yes, I did,” Beth said. “I wanted to drop in some really rough language, but I thought this was pithier and more imaginative.”
“I think Fitzgerald would approve,” Nancy said. “I do love his way with words. Do you remember how Nick describes Gatsby? ‘He smiled understandingly—much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.’”
“Lovely,” Mary said. “But you can’t help but feel that Gatsby will be disappointed.”
“Which brings us to the biggest question in the book: Do you think Daisy was guilty of the hit-and-run and Jay took the blame for her or no?” Beth asked.
A knock on the door frame interrupted the conversation. It was Ann Marie, a part-time worker for the library. She was somewhere in her forties, the mother of two rambunctious boys, and favored denim skirts and soft jersey shirts. As she explained it to Lindsey, keeping up with her boys took all of her energy so she did not own any clothing that required ironing. She wore narrow black-framed glasses and was growing out her short brown hair, which had hit the awkward stage of many lengths and was held in place by a handful of hairpins.