by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Flip Flops and Murder, and a link to purchase it from Amazon. We also have a summer cocktail recipe from Kathleen.

Sand, Sea, and…Murder
Elinor “Ellie” Bishop is in a dead end job as a temp employee, not the career professional her parents and older sister want or expect from her, and she’s recently received the disappointing revelation her boyfriend is seeing someone else. Escape is a dream. She loves the holiday season that’s on its way, but does it have to be so cold? Fortune, however, shines on her, literally and figuratively, with a letter from her father’s older sister, the eccentric Aunt Olive who is a wealthy widow and well known as an author of murder mysteries. She has sent Ellie an invitation to join her and an open plane ticket to the sunny shores of Florida. This Gulf coast resort retreat, warm and sunny, just the escape she’s looking for. She packs what little summer wear she has and is off to spend the holidays at the Sunset Palms Beach Resort. What fun, entanglements, and trouble awaits!

Barefoot Sleuth Mystery
Flip Flops and Murder (August, 2020)
Seashells and Murder (September, 2020)
Cocktails and Murder (October, 2020)

Flip Flops and Murder earns 5+/5 Squawking Macaws…Entertaining Fun!
Ellie steps off the plane and breathes deep the fragrant Florida air dabbing the sweat from her brow. Dreams come true! When she arrives at the hotel, safely since the driver may have had some questionable liquid refreshment, she discovers a sun hat and flip flops and…Aunt Olive missing. It is strange since Aunt Olive had made a big deal about attending the writers’ conference held at the resort. Ellie is compelled to ask around and attempts to raise the alarm about her elderly aunt’s disappearance. As she explores the resort, she meets many of the writers in attendance and witnesses a few confrontations related to professional and personal conflicts. But does any of it rise to the level of murder? Of course, Lillian Fox, famous author and queen bee at the conference, is found dead in her suite, next door to where Ellie and her aunt are staying, and now the police are more suspicious about Aunt Olive’s disappearance.

Brilliant FUN! H.Y. Hanna may be a good friend, but she’s also an excellent writer engaging me again in another witty, clever, cozy mystery. I was extremely lucky to get a sneak peek as a Beta Reader, and seeing the writing process up close and personal was so much fun and informational. This book is a bit shorter than her other books, but don’t think it short on content and entertainment. H.Y. Hanna continues to put her strong female characters, always working on confidence issues, into clever surroundings with challenges, friends, family, a romantic opportunity, and a fur or, in this case, feathered friend to add some comic relief…or back up when things are precarious. Bringing her British millennial across the Atlantic to a Florida resort offered some interesting predicaments, but people are people no matter what, she blends in well. The murder mystery had me bouncing around from the obvious to the obscure, including questioning whether Ellie’s aunt not only wrote about murder, but committed it as well! Ok, let’s talk “hunky” doctor. Although Ellie is only on vacation, she may discover this doctor’s specialty is mending her broken heart. Remember, “what happens on vacation, stays on vacation.”

Alert! Book 2 Seashells and Murder is set to release on September 1. Ellie is still enjoying the sand and sea of Sandy Palms Resort, and is excited to witness the annual Key Lime Pie Baking competition. However, all is not right in the kitchen with sabotage, theft, and murder. It is on Amazon PREORDER.

Be a Big H.Y. Hanna Fan!
USA Today bestselling author H.Y. Hanna is the author of my all-time favorite series; the now ten-book Oxford Tearoom Mystery always added a little treat for me to bring a proper English tearoom into my home. Another top favorite is the six-book Bewitched by Chocolate series, which sprinkles a bit of magic to the delectable descriptions of all kinds of chocolate. I am thrilled that she has given me another favorite with the entertaining four-book English Cottage Garden Mystery planting wonderful characters and a clever mystery along with a bit of humor. All of her series are in print and eBook, but several are also in audio format giving readers a little extra with the delightful voice artistry of narrator Pearl Hewitt who enriches the already engaging story with varied accents, dialects, emotions, and tone. I always say “Murder is better with an English accent.”

Facebook – H.Y. Hanna Books
Website – H.Y. Hanna
Twitter At @_HYHanna

Tropical Treat: Evermine Blog: Summer Pineapple Mojito
Bobby, in-house photographer and production designer at Evermine, has devised a delicious treat best sipped by the pool with the ‘hunk’ of your dreams! Check out more interesting DIY ideas and recipes at Evermine Blog.

Summer Pineapple Mojito
Author: Evermine
Type: cocktail

Ingredients
—2 ounces of White Rum
—1 ounce of pineapple juice
—1 ounce triple sec
—A slice of fresh Pineapple
—2-3 wedges of lime
—4-5 Mint Leaves
—Splash of club soda

Instructions
—Muddle a couple chunks of pineapple, lime wedges and some mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
—Fill the shaker with ice and add Rum, pineapple juice and triple sec.
—Shake well
—Pour into a glass (do not strain)
—Top with club soda and garnish mint leaves and pineapple

Recipe by Party Inspiration at evermine.com/blog/summer-pineapple-mojito

To enter to win an ebook or print copy of Flip Flops and Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “flip flops,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 22, 2020. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. MAKE SURE TO STATE IF YOU WANT PRINT OR EBOOK.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode went up this week.

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.