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Murder Can Haunt Your Handiwork (A Haunted Craft Fair Mystery) by Rose Pressey
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About Murder Can Haunt Your Handiwork
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A Gilded Age ghost helps psychic painter Celeste Cabot catch a killer ...
Rising up against the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore Estate is a magnificent mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, built as a summer home for George Washington Vanderbilt II—yes, of those Vanderbilts—during the Gilded Age. Nowadays, it’s the site of an annual craft fair. Unfortunately, it’s also about to become a crime scene . . .
Celeste is hard to miss as she pulls up with her pink and white Shasta trailer and adorable Chihuahua, Van Gogh—Van for short. But before she can show off her artwork at the fair, a tour guide is found strangled by a velvet rope barrier and a valuable painting goes missing. With a rogues’ gallery of sketchy suspects, Celeste welcomes the help of a pair of handsome detectives—and a ghost with a special interest in the case . . .
Includes tips and recipes!
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EXCERPT:
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1:
I motioned for my family to quicken their steps as we marched toward the parking area. With any luck, I’d convince them to go home. Not that I didn’t love my family, but with their natural knack of creating chaos, I felt I owed it to everyone to keep them away. I was staying behind because I’d signed up to be a part of the Fifth Annual Fall Biltmore Estate Craft Fair being held right on the grounds. I couldn’t have been happier about the upcoming event. If my family stayed, I knew something disastrous would happen. It would be like throwing a wet canvas tarp over my beautiful art.
I hoped to sell quite a few of my paintings while here.
Each time I signed Celeste Cabot to the bottom of a painting, my heart danced. I took pride in signing my name to each one, since now I was full-time painter. Recently, I’d quit my job at my Aunt Patsy’s diner back in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and decided to chase my dreams.
Never had I thought I’d have this opportunity. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I was giving it my best shot.
As soon as my family left, I’d head over to the perimeter of the estate, where the craft fair was to be held. Tomorrow was the first day, and I had a lot to do before the first customers arrived. Not only did my paintings have to be ready, but I had to finish last-minute tasks, too. There was a lot more to a craft fair than just providing the items to sell.
“Well, goodbye, everyone, it’s been a lot of fun.” I gestured, shooing them away.
“She’s being sarcastic now,” Stevie said.
“You’re right about that,” I said.
“Don’t be too mad at them, Celeste. They didn’t mean to do anything,” my mother said as she patted the backs of Stevie and Hank.
She was always defending them. That was partly why they acted this way. They were always getting into something, and my mother ignored their behavior. My father was either accidentally setting fire to something or injuring himself, sometimes both. Stevie and Hank always broke things, including their bones. The anarchy would never end. One by one, I hugged them all and said goodbye.
“Thanks for coming, you all. I’ll see you back at home,” I said.
“Oh, we’ll be back to help you later,” my mother said with a smile. “Your father needs to eat and take a nap.”
It was as if she were taking care of a toddler.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you going back to Gatlinburg now?” I asked with panic in my voice.
Suddenly my chest felt tighter. My surroundings spun ever so slightly. It was hard to inhale. They hopped in my mom’s blue Buick. My mother lowered the window.
“We’ll be around tomorrow, dear. We haven’t seen all of the estate, either. This is our vacation. See you.”
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About Rose Pressey
Rose Pressey is the USA Today bestselling author of the Haunted Craft Fair Mysteries and the Haunted Vintage Mystery Series. She enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. The paranormal has always captured her interest. The thought of finding answers to the unexplained fascinates her.
When she’s not writing about werewolves, vampires, and every other supernatural creature, she loves eating cupcakes with sprinkles, reading, spending time with family, and listening to oldies from the fifties. Yeah, she loves Elvis. She can’t help myself.
Rose lives in the beautiful commonwealth of Kentucky with her husband, son, and three sassy Chihuahuas.
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I love the surmise on this one. And the cover. Thanks for sharing!
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