I am so excited to have Kate Collins here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight, Excerpt and Giveaway.
Thanks Kate and Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for allowing me to join your Statue of Limitations Blog Tour!
Please take it away, Kate!
EXCERPT
My computer monitor flickered briefly, and the screen went black. The lights in the ceiling high above my desk made a buzzing sound and then they, too, went dark. The window beside my desk offered little help. The bright May sun had set fifteen minutes ago.
Muttering under my breath, I reached for my cell phone only to remember that I’d set it on the oak console table on the opposite side of the office. A bolt of lightning momentarily illuminated the room, enabling me to make my way around the old oak desk and across the wood floor to the table. At a sudden heavy thud from somewhere outside the room, I paused. Standing in the dark beside the table, I waited, listening.
Hearing nothing more, I did a quick mental inventory. My father, John Spencer, who owned Spencer’s Garden Center, and my youngest sister, Delphi, had left when the shop closed at eight. I’d turned on the CLOSED sign and bolted the door myself. Then, with no one around, I’d retreated to the office to write my blog — my way of releasing my pent-up frustrations. The store was completely empty, so what had caused the noise?
I located my phone, switched on the flashlight, and shined it at the open doorway. Thunder rumbled in the distance as I quietly peered out into the huge garden center.
The office where I worked was on the right side of the shop behind the L-shaped checkout counter. I could see that the cash register hadn’t been touched, the bolt on the big red doors was still thrown, nothing on any of the shelves had been disturbed, none of the outdoor wall decor was askew, and no windows had been broken. That was a relief. But I still had to track down the source of the noise.
Over a century ago the garden center had been a barn on the very northern edge of Sequoia, Michigan, the last building on Greene Street. Now, with a brand-new arched roof, big picture windows, a high-beamed ceiling, cream-colored shiplap walls, and a shiny oak floor, Spencer’s was one of the most attractive buildings along the mile stretch of tourist shops. I’d always loved being there — I had a natural green thumb — but I’d never expected to make it my life’s work.
Another thud turned me in the direction of the outdoor garden area, located on an acre lot behind the barn, and then I had my answer.
Statue of Limitations (A Goddess of Greene St. Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 28, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 149672433X
ISBN-13: 978-1496724335
Digital ASIN: B07R8QWPTN
In this delightful new series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mysteries, Athena Spencer comes back home to work with her crazy big Greek family at their garden center. But she never expected a return to her roots would mean protecting her family from murder.
After her divorce, Athena has returned to coastal Michigan to work in her family’s garden center and raise her son, while also caring for a mischievous wild raccoon and fending off her family’s annoying talent for nagging. Working alone at the garden center one night, Athena is startled by a handsome stranger who claims to be the rightful owner of a valuable statue her grandfather purchased at a recent estate sale.
But she has even bigger problems on her plate. The powerful Talbot family from whom her pappoús bought the statue is threatening to raze the shops on Greene Street’s “Little Greece” to make way for a condo. The recent death of the family’s patriarch already seemed suspicious, but now it’s clear that a murderer is in their midst. Athena will have to live up to her warrior goddess namesake to protect her family from a killer and save their community from ruin.
About Kate Collins
Kate Collins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mystery series. After publishing numerous historical romances, Kate penned the long-running mystery series, three books of which were made into Hallmark movies starring Brooke Shields. An Indiana native, Kate graduated from Purdue University with a master’s degree in education. When not growing roots at her computer, Kate loves to garden. Other passions include yoga, reading, spending time with family and friends, sampling great wines and fine dark chocolate, and enjoying every moment of life. Kate lives in Northwest Indiana and Key West, Florida. Visit her online at KateCollinsBooks.com.
Author Links
Website http://www.katecollinsbooks.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Collins/49648459004
Purchase Links – Kensington – Amazon – B and N – Kobo
Giveaway
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792999
Please follow the rest of the tour here, thanks:
https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/books-currently-on-tour/statue-of-limitations-a-goddess-of-greene-st-mystery-by-kate-collins
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