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The Sand Fiddlers Writers group has rented a beach house on the beautiful Atlantic shore in Virginia. They insist the place they rent must be one that allows dogs. Jessica Chastain, deaf mystery writer who insists she is NOT the leader of the group, brings her service dog, Trey, and her adopted dog, Kim. Philip Carr brings his huge Briard, Atlas. Meals are provided by the author of The Mysterious Gourmet, Sophie Perone. Jessica is surprised when she gets an email from famous mystery writer, Olivia Sands, who wants to join them. They welcome her gladly and let her stay in the best bedroom.
Atlas, Trey, and Kim make themselves at home, exploring the beach, sunning on porches, and taking dips in the briny—except for Trey, whose little legs aren’t strong enough to keep his fluffy body afloat. All seems just about perfect, until the famous writer is found dead in her bedroom on the top floor, a lipstick-stained pillowcase on the floor.
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MARIA HUDGINS is a mystery writer from coastal Virginia and a lover of animals. She writes the Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries and the Lacy Glass Archaeology Mysteries. Her short stories appear in such publications as Virginia is for Mysteries, Fifty Shades of Cabernet, Murder by the Glass, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. The two dogs, Trey and Kim, featured in this story are based on Hudgins’ beloved Bichons, Holly and Hamilton, now gone but never forgotten.
Website: https://mariahudgins.com/
