Romancing the gravestone
She suspects everyone of everything. Sometimes she gets it right.
Jane Ladling is the sole proprietor of her family’s landlocked cemetery, Garden of Memories. She’s responsible for the, er, guests, but there’s a slight problem. Well, besides her moody cat, Rolex, and her sixty-two-year-old best friend’s unrequited crush on the sheriff. An extra body now rests in Plot #39.
Enter Special Agent Conrad Ryan. He’s gruff, he’s gorgeous, and oh, yes, he kind of suspects her of murder. What’s an innocent—and very single, not that it matters—girl to do? Solve the crime herself. Even if she must turn the small town of Aurelian Hills, Georgia upside down.
The only line she won’t cross? Falling for the first man to make her heart flutter. Nope, not happening. Not even a little.
Chapter 1
Edward Jacobs
I don’t have time for death. I’ll be back soon.
Plot 47, Garden of Memories
Jane Ladling brushed her bangs aside and peered into the fresh grave. Her mind whirled, different observations hitting her. Plot 39. Six-foot hole. Open casket. Pretty standard for the Garden of Memories, a private cemetery she’d inherited from her mother’s side of the family. Except this resident had been underground for the better part of a century, in a closed casket, alone. Someone—or someones—had redug the pit, unsealed his final resting place and given him a friend.
Two of the dead pressed chest to chest. It was almost…beautiful. Should I make couples coffins a new thing?
They just looked so peaceful together. If you ignored the fact that Rhonda Burgundy, the older resident, was nothing but hair and bone. Honestly? She looked better than the new guy who still had flesh and blood.
Was this the afterlife’s version of robbing the cradle?
Bad Jane. Bad! Focus. How had this happened? Accident? Foul play? She’d been walking the grounds, doing her morning chores, when she’d noticed an unauthorized pile of dirt and hurried over.
Now, she rocked back on her heels and cast her gaze over the surrounding plots, trying to make sense of everything. Morning sunshine drenched plush green grass. Shade cast by a full-figured magnolia tree and a scattering of cypresses bathed different headstones. A row of smaller, moss-covered cypresses lined a babbling brook. Flowers bloomed here and there, drawing a handful of bees. Nothing appeared disturbed, but honestly, Jane doubted the newcomer had died of natural causes.
She had a perfect view of his back. Droplets of crimson matted his hair. A cap of blond curls she thought she might recognize. Maybe? Possibly? So familiar.
Her coworker, Rolex, weaved through her feet. Rolex-speak for Feed me, peasant. In exchange for room and board, he deigned to watch over Jane and the property. He also worked as the resident meal inspector.
Two years ago, the little house panther had wandered into the cemetery and promptly declared his ownership of it, as well as of Jane. They’d been together ever since.
“Breakfast needs to wait, baby. For the both of us. I’ve got to tell the sheriff about our squatter.”
What People Are Saying:
“Jane’s character is a little bit socially awkward which brings a realistic feel to her development. Pair that with Jane’s over abundance of confidence in her nonexistence detective skills, and you get a fun filled ride from start to finish.”
5 Stars – Kim Hafer
What a excellent and exciting read. This is not my normal genre but I love these two authors, Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe never disappoint and they kept that going with this fun, mysterious read. I was on the edge of my seat , page by page.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
– Wendy Higgins – Binding Addiction
