Blog Tour: BOOTY IN THE BACKSEAT by Karen C. Whalen

BOOTY IN THE BACKSEAT

Karen C. Whalen

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GENRE:  Cozy Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

High-heeled tow truck driver, Delaney Morran, is shocked to discover bags of money in the backseat of a Volvo she was hired to tow. She’s even more amazed to find a severed hand in one of the bags. She learns the car belongs to the aunt of her friend, Rory. The booty in the backseat, amounting to half a million dollars, raises questions, but more mysterious is the disappearance of Rory’s uncle. Spruce Ridge, Colorado is home to the rich and famous, and the uncle is a well-known movie producer. With that much money…and a severed body part…and the uncle gone AWOL…Rory fears a kidnapping. When his aunt finally admits to receiving a ransom demand but was warned against calling the police, Delaney agrees to help. Is the kidnapper a drug kingpin seen with the victim? His neighbor who has reckless parties? Someone connected to his new film? Or, perhaps the victim’s spouse trying to cover up the murder of her husband? When a dead body turns up next, and it’s not the kidnapped victim, Delaney has two crimes to solve.

 

 

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Excerpt Three:

 

My palms were sweating so I ran them down my jeans.

 

“Lance, how do you think this is going to go down?” I needed some reassurance.

 

“We need to see to it those two don’t act stupid.” His eyes scoped out the parking lot with people queuing up for the next bus.

 

“Act stupid? What do you mean?”

 

“Iceman could snatch those two along with the wad.” The gangster gazed straight ahead, immobile, looking calm, while I stifled the scream at the back of my throat, ready to explode from the tension.

 

“So, you think Iceman’s the kidnapper?”

 

“Don’t you?”

 

A Chevrolet Suburban, rear-wheel drive, stopped in front of us, obstructing our field of vision. An attractive blonde my mom’s age got out and strode in our direction. Wait, it was Mom.

 

Mom?

 

My mom? Good. God.

 

I shot out of my Fiat and ran towards her. As I approached, she grabbed both of my arms. “Laney, I’m so glad I spotted you. I have a real crisis on my hands. I need—”

 

“—Not now, Mom. Now’s not a good time.”

 

“When I saw your car, I just had to tell you—”

 

“—Mom, not now. Wait, how’d you notice my car?”

 

“I’d recognize your tiny silver Fiat anywhere.” She gave me an up and down look. “You all right?”

 

“No.” When I saw her blanch, I changed it to, “Yes, I’m fine. Mom, you need to leave.” I glanced over at the gangster in my Fiat. He was flailing his arms around, then stopped and patted his jacket, mouthing, “You need help?”

 

There was no doubt about it, I totally needed help.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Karen C. Whalen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. In the Tow Truck series, Eyes on the Road was a Second Place winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner parties, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries. Murder at Sea Oats Beach is her first book published as an indie author.

 

Website: http://www.karencwhalen.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-c-whalen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/whalenkc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen_c_whalen_author/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whalencozyauthor

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Booty-Backseat-Truck-Murder-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0DGQS1W1R/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY 

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway