Лейганн Доббс - A Twist In The Tail

A Twist in the Tail

An absolutely purrfect cozy mystery

Leighann Dobbs

Contents

A Twist in The Tail

Other Books By Leighann Dobbs

Blackmoore Sisters

Lexy Baker

Kate Diamond Mystery Adventures

Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series

Mooseamuck Island

Lady Katherine Regency Mysteries

(As L. A. Dobbs)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

[CT] A Letter from Leighann

Untitled

Untitled

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins - Serve 12

Broccoli Quiche - Serves 4

Brunch Egg Dish Casserole

Ham and Cheese Bisquick Puffs

Millie’s Famous Sour Cream Coffee Cake

A Twist in The Tail by

Leighann Dobbs

Other Books By Leighann Dobbs

Cozy Mysteries

Mystic Notch

Cat Cozy Mystery Series

Ghostly Paws

A Spirited Tail

A Mew To A Kill

Paws and Effect

Probable Paws

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Blackmoore Sisters Cozy Mystery Series

Dead Wrong

Dead & Buried

Dead Tide

Buried Secrets

Deadly Intentions

A Grave Mistake

Spell Found

Fatal Fortune

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Lexy Baker Lexy BakerCozy Mystery Series

Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)

Or buy the books separately:

Killer Cupcakes

Dying For Danish

Murder, Money and Marzipan

3 Bodies and a Biscotti

Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys

Bake, Battle & Roll

Wedded Blintz

Scones, Skulls & Scams

Ice Cream Murder

Mummified Meringues

Brutal Brulee (Novella)

No Scone Unturned

Cream Puff Killer

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Kate Diamond Mystery Adventures

Hidden Agemda (Book 1)

Ancient Hiss Story (Book 2)

Heist Society (Book 3)

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Silver Hollow

Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series

A Spell of Trouble (Book 1)

Spell Disaster (Book 2)

Nothing to Croak About (Book 3)

Cry Wolf (Book 4)

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Mooseamuck Island Mooseamuck IslandCozy Mystery Series

A Zen For Murder

A Crabby Killer

A Treacherous Treasure

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Hazel Martin Historical Mystery Series

Murder at Lowry House (Book 1)

Murder by Misunderstanding (Book 2)

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Lady Katherine Regency Mysteries

An Invitation to Murder (Book 1)

The Baffling Burglaries of Bath (Book 2)

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Sam Mason Mysteries

(As L. A. Dobbs)

Telling Lies (Book 1)

Keeping Secrets (Book 2)

Exposing Truths (Book 3)

Betraying Trust (Book 4)

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One

I should have known by the unsettling tone of the cat’s meows that disaster was looming. Of course, at the time I was more worried about how the guests liked breakfast. It was only the fourth one I’d served since officially becoming owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse.

They seemed to be enjoying it. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was nothing fancy. Bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage, and lemon poppy seed muffins were the extent of my culinary expertise. Quite frankly, I might have misjudged whether my cooking skills were up to par when entering into this agreement. Maybe I should have read the fine print in the documents I’d received from Millie Sullivan, the elderly former owner.

Even though the breakfasts weren’t five-star cuisine, I hadn’t had any complaints from my first batch of guests. Well, all except one. Charles Prescott. He was the reason I was now hovering in the doorway holding an antique egg cup with a perfectly warm soft-boiled egg nestled inside.

Charles had complained about his egg yesterday. It was too cold. He was quite loud about it, too. Since I aimed to please, this morning I had perfectly timed the egg for his pre-announced 8 am arrival in the dining room. It was now 8:05 … where was Charles?

My eyes scanned the room just in case I’d missed him. But my guest count totaled five, including Charles, and four were seated and already digging into their breakfast. It was easy to tell who was there and who was not, even in such an enormous room.

Several small dining tables with white linen tablecloths sat atop a massive moss-green and gold oriental rug. Curtains in a complimentary green and gold silk framed the ten-foot-tall windows that offered a birds-eye view of the sparkling Maine Atlantic ocean and craggy rocks of Oyster Cove. It was summer, and Flora—who I was coming to realize was the world’s worst maid—had opened one window. A soft breeze fluttered the drapes and carried in the salty scent of the ocean and the cry of gulls in the distance… or was that the cats?

Ron and Iona Weatherby sat a small table located by the window. The adorable elderly couple had binoculars dangling from their necks and cameras at their sides. Ron was slathering the muffin with butter while Iona picked daintily at the fluffy scrambled eggs. They were a delightful couple who had come here for birdwatching and photography. Perfect guests with no complaints.

Near the buffet, Ava Grantham sat alone at a table for four. Ava was in her mid-60s. A society columnist, she was a thin, bird-like woman who noticed everything that went on. She was pleasant enough to talk to and told me she’d been vacationing in Oyster Cove since she was a child, even staying at the Oyster Cove Guesthouse a few times when Millie owned it. Her plate was loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. I wondered how she stayed so thin.

Over by the door was the fourth guest, Tina Reeves. She was younger than the others, probably in her mid-30s, a bubbly blonde with wide blue eyes. She said she’d come to visit relatives, but I had suspicions that she had another agenda, of what I just wasn’t exactly sure. Nor did it matter. As long as the guests paid the bill, I didn’t care what they were up to. Tina had flawless skin and a figure like an hourglass, and no wonder. She only had about a tablespoon of scrambled eggs and three blueberries on her plate.

Still no sign of Charles. I was just deciding what to do about the rapidly cooling egg in my hand when I heard the front door open. Maybe Charles had gone out for a walk before breakfast? I backed up and stuck my head into the hallway.

Darn! It wasn’t Charles. It was Barbara Littlefield, the town building inspector, and the last person I wanted to deal with right now. She’d been a thorn in my side ever since I started renovations on the old mansion. Nothing I did pleased her, and she’d already fined me for two violations that a nicer person would have overlooked. It was too late to duck back into the dining room. She’d already spotted me and was marching down the hall toward me, a sour look on her face. I stepped into the hallway to head her off so she didn’t disrupt the guests’ breakfasts.

‘Barbara, how lovely to see you,’ I lied.

Barbara’s scowl deepened. ‘I just came to double-check the permit for the gazebo outside and I noticed—’

Merow!