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Beate Boeker

Mystery Follows Her

A cozy mystery multi-author collection

Mischief, Mayhem, or Murder?

MYSTERY FOLLOWS HER through dangerous city streets, quaint villages, and locales across the globe. Uncover the clues with feisty female sleuths of various ages in this multi-author cozy mystery collection of short stories.

    Reviews

    5 stars - What a wonderful collection of cozy stories!

    "As is always the case with a collection, you are bound to love some more than others. They were all quite enjoyable, and well-written, and I wholeheartedly recommend all the stories in this anthology! But there were a few that stood out to me for all the right reasons, a few that really excelled in my opinion:



    Dianne Ascroft - Thanksgiving and Theft - I saw another reviewer mentioning the backstory was a bit on the heavy side. And yes, it was heavy, but not depressingly so. It didn’t make me sad as well. It was a suspenseful, well-written story. I enjoyed it!



    Beate Boeker - The Mystery of the Stolen Ring - I loved Tonia and dog Oopsy! An endearing duo! I also loved Carlina, who has good sense combined with friendliness: my kinda girl! This story had a twist I didn’t expect, and I loved that. And it was well-developed which is quite the feat for a short. Really excellent! I wish I could give more than 5 stars! A 5 plus! It had a real summery feel, a vacation vibe. Another well-written and easy-to-read story. Original, surprsising, and entertaining!



    Adriana Licio - When the Clock Chimes Two - Zoe is me!!! I could SO relate! I’m all about kindness, but that also means that some people think they can walk all over me. Learning to say no is hard! Sometimes it is the best choice, though. But for Zoe, it has unexpected consequences… Excellent and exciting story! Very empowering. There are three POV’s in this short, and that seems like a lot, but the author make that work very skilfully.



    Conclusion: This is an excellent collection, and you can’t go wrong, really!!! I discovered some new-to-me authors, who I will most definitely be reading more of! The stories are mostly part of ongoing series, but I had no problem at all reading them as standalones. Recommend!"

    Nadine Vrijhof

    Blurb

    Mischief, Mayhem, or Murder?

    MYSTERY FOLLOWS HER through dangerous city streets, quaint villages, and locales across the globe. Uncover the clues with feisty female sleuths of various ages in this multi-author cozy mystery collection of short stories.

    • Catch a mugger in THANKSGIVING AND THEFT by Dianne Ascroft
    • Dig up hidden treasure in BURIED BY THE BEACH by Ellen Jacobson
    • Open up a case in CLOSED OUT by Tamara Woods
    • Pray for justice in TREASURES IN HEAVEN by Sarah Biglow
    • Escape the blame in RING GONE ‘ROUND THE ROSES by Aubrey Elle
    • Try on some clues in THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN RING by Beate Boeker
    • Search for the suspect in WHEN THE CLOCK CHIMES TWO by Adriana Licio
    • Catch the culprit in HIJINKS IN AJIJIC by Vikki Walton
    • Locate the missing loot in VENDORS AND VILLAINS by Angela K. Ryan

    You’ll love this collection of intriguing and light-hearted stories from award-winning and best-selling authors from across the globe.

    My mother took my arm as we ambled along the canale Burlamacca in Viareggio, Italy. "My dear, this was really an excellent idea of yours. Isn’t it lovely to spend the weekend together?"

    I suppressed a smile. Actually, my mother had come up with the concept of spending a relaxing summer mother-daughter weekend by the sea together. I didn’t correct her, though. At the rare times when my mother complimented me, it was wise to accept it, no matter how undeserved the compliment.

    At first, I had hesitated to agree to this trip. After all, I had more than enough to do with my lingerie store, Temptation, in the historic old town of Florence. Besides, I tried to spend every free minute with my husband, who wasn’t home much due to his job as a commissario at the homicide department of Florence. But then, Stefano had been called into a big case, which meant he would rarely be at home for the next few weeks, so I told my mother she could go ahead and book three days of mother-daughter fun.

    This morning, we’d boarded the train at the Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence, and in less than two hours, we’d arrived at the coast in Viareggio. My mother had chosen Viareggio because this was where the crème de la crème of Europe had gone on vacation – at a time when going on vacation had first become popular. I didn’t spoil her joy by mentioning that the crème de la crème of Europe probably traveled to other coasts now, Viareggio being seriously overcrowded in summer.

    Instead, I prepared myself for a relaxing weekend with my mother. Well, as relaxing as humanly possible when traveling with a member of my family. At least we’d left the rest of the clan at home. The Mantonis were famous for creating havoc wherever they went – or so my husband says.

    So far, it had been unexpectedly lovely. We’d arrived early and had spent the whole morning at the beach, having had the presence of mind to book a parasol and due lettini – two sun loungers – in advance. The broad white beach at Viareggio is organized into parceled areas, which in turn are dotted with parasols and sun loungers that usually match in color. Depending on the club that manages the corresponding parcel of beach, the sun loungers/parasols follow different color schemes. One parcel was striped in red and white, the next was light blue, the third all black, and so on. This way, nobody would get lost, and everyone would know exactly where to return after a stroll along the coast.

    I know that some people find it overcrowded and horrible, feeling like sardines in a can, but I always enjoy watching the bikini fashions and getting inspirations for new designs at my store.

    Happy, sandy, and bronzed, my mother and I had a snack at one of the many small restaurants along the promenade for lunch, then retired to our room at the hotel to shower and take a loooong siesta. When dusk had fallen, we’d hit the streets and browsed through a few stores. Lovely little boutiques made me glad I’d overcome my reluctance for some time off. In fact, I felt stimulated and refreshed by seeing something else for a change.

    Now, we were ready for dinner, strolling along the canal, looking for a restaurant that promised culinary delights, a tempting catch of the day, and a lovely homemade pasta.

    I’d just opened my mouth to point out a restaurant with colorful red- and white-checkered tablecloths, candles that flickered in the light breeze, and a trailing vine canopy above, when a whooshing sound came from my right.

    A black form raced past, grabbed my mother’s handbag, pulled it from her grasp, and left at a run.