Beaver Island Mysteries

A retired intelligence agent still wants to save the world. Her nerdy houseguest just wants to survive her vacation. Former spy Irma Abercrombie wasn't looking for drama when she invited Violet Blackheart-a brainy, sun-deprived acquaintance-for a visit at her island home. But after an armed robbery in town goes terribly wrong, Irma gets pulled into an island intrigue: Was it a simple snatch and grab, or are there darker forces at work? Irma's hands might be deadly weapons, but she's all thumbs when it comes to computer problems. How will she convince Violet to investigate a technology puzzle masterminded by someone with a taste for murder? And if Irma's so retired, what's up with the dead guy in her driveway? Violet embraces a budding cupcake addiction while Irma grapples with a bomb threat and wonders how she ended up with a pug as a sidekick . . . and whether Violet might be hiding a few secrets of her own. They're headed for a showdown at a luxurious island estate-but they can only flush out a killer if they work together. Perfect for fans of Jesse Q Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age.

A retired spy, a nerdy city-slicker, a slothful pug, and a tractor full of secrets . . . It's summertime on Lake Ontario's Beaver Island, and there's trouble on the horizon. When a remote-controlled tractor goes berserk at the ground-breaking for a new condo development-toppling some magnificent cupcakes in the process-retired spy Irma Abercrombie's finely-honed paranoia goes into overdrive. And after a beloved local is murdered, she and nerdy houseguest Violet Blackheart are drawn into another island intrigue. As Violet's vacation steams ahead, she works on reverse-engineering a tractor hack and toys with learning how to conquer her fear of boating, while Irma flirts with the idea of getting closer to a dangerous ex-nemesis. Hoping to help her struggling company's bottom line, Violet enters a charity poker tournament on a superyacht-but she might have signed up for more than she bargained on. And will Irma have to become a stowaway if she can't get her hands on an invite of her own? With the help of her trusty canine sidekick, Mr. Pugglesworth, and intrepid (but nauseous) nerd, Violet Blackheart, retired intelligence agent Irma Abercrombie sets out to find a killer. Irma's trying to conquer the world. Violet's just trying to conquer her vertigo.