EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
The Great Jewel Robbery
(A Front Page Mystery Book 1)
(A Front Page Mystery Book 1)
by Elizabeth McKenna
The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna is currently on tour with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Mystery with a splash of romance …
Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.
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Excerpt
I opened the door to the hallway and then quickly shut it. “Jackson and Chad are out there,” I whispered.
Grace shouldered me out of the way and cracked the door open an inch. We watched the men walk down the hallway toward the stairs.
“Do you know what I’m thinking?” I asked.
She bit her lip. “It’s risky.”
“But it’s also the perfect opportunity.” I have never been an adrenaline junkie, but the danger and thrill of sneaking into someone’s room to discover their guilt or innocence had my nerves dancing an Irish jig—and I liked it.
“I’ll be horrified if we’re caught.”
I pulled the door wider, ignoring Grace’s fears. “We won’t be caught.”
We scurried to the door the men had been standing in front of and slowly opened it. Decorated in navy blue and gray, with dark wood furniture, it had a definite masculine feel. A quick scan revealed a travel bag open on the floor and no other personal items.
“Do you think this is Jackson’s or Chad’s room?” I whispered as I closed the door behind us.
“Chad is staying here?” Grace’s nose wrinkled. She wasn’t letting go of her grudge against him anytime soon.
“Yeah, he told me when we were on the roof last night.” I probably shouldn’t have reminded her of the incident because she made another displeased face.
She toed the edge of the open bag. “Unless they wrote their names in their underwear, I don’t know how we’ll tell.”
I giggled, imagining Jackson and Chad with Sharpie markers and their tighty whities. “I have an idea. Search the suitcase. I’m going to check out the bathroom.”
She grabbed my arm to stop me. “These boys aren’t masterminds, but do you think they’d be stupid enough to put the jewels in their suitcases? Wouldn’t they hide them somewhere else?”
I shrugged. “Remember what O’Mara said about dumb criminals? Besides, we have to begin somewhere.”
The bathroom wasn’t nearly as fancy as the one I had used across the hall, which for some reason pleased me. It had the same white marble but was smaller in size, and the shower had only three nozzles. I found the occupant’s shaving kit and examined the contents.
“It’s Jackson’s room.” I went to the doorway and held up a prescription bottle with his name on it. “What’s Reglan?”
Grace knelt in front of the suitcase with evident disgust as her hands patted down the contents. “I don’t know. What do the instructions say?”
“Take thirty minutes before meals and at bedtime.”
“Maybe he has heartburn?”
“Hmm. Stress can cause heartburn. Interesting.” I returned the pill bottle to his shaving kit and opened the drawers and cupboards. “There’s nothing in here.”
Grace’s gasp had me bolting into the bedroom. “What? Did you find something?”
“Only this.” She held up a small gun with two fingers.
My feet stuttered toward the safety of the bathroom as if the gun might take aim and fire all by itself. “Is it real?”
“I think so.” Her hand moved up and down. “It’s heavy.”
“What’s Jackson doing with a gun?”
Grace frowned at the deadly hunk of metal. “Protection for the club? I’m sure he gets all kinds of customers.”
“Put it back where you found it.” I shuddered. “I hate guns.”
With a nod, she slipped it into a side pocket of the suitcase. “Check the closet.”
I had just crossed the room when we heard faint voices in the hall. Grace’s eyes widened, and she pushed herself off the floor into a half-crouch. As the voices got louder, her eyes narrowed, and she shook her fist at me. I held up my hands in a not-my-fault gesture. I pointed at the closet, and she mimed “no.” I pointed at the full-length curtains because that’s where they always hid in the movies, and she looked as if her head might explode. I pointed at the bed, and she finally nodded. We jammed ourselves under it, and the door opened.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna is a fantastic book. I loved it from the first page of the book until the end.” ~ Baroness’ Book Trove
“A fun friendship book with an interesting cozy mystery and a hint of romance.” ~ Laura’s Interests
“I liked this book. Emma and Grace are likable, well-developed characters ... A great start to a new mystery series.” ~ Cassidy’s Bookshelves
“I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was a quick read and once I started the book, I didn’t want to stop until I figured out who the thief was. I definitely recommend this story to cozy mystery lovers ...” ~ Carla Loves To Read
“Well plotted, paced and written, this series is off to a grand start I want to delve into these characters deeper and get to know them better. For her first foray into the cozy mystery genre, Elizabeth McKenna done herself proud.” ~ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
“The Great Jewel Robbery is a good book to read at the beach or inside with the air conditioning on full blast (if you live in Florida like me). (It) has flirtatious men, tantalizing treats, luxurious amenities, stolen stones, suspicious suspects and two keen reporters.” ~ The Avid Reader
About the Author
Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and an ebook copy of The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna.
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