by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Nelson Penzell is co-owner of the former This and That Shop, now renamed. His merchandise is high end while his partner deals in souvenirs for tourists. Or so Nelson says. He’s got a reputation as a womanizer, too. It’s no surprise when he’s found murdered. The shocker is Coreen, the manicurist at the beauty shop Jessica goes to, is the main and only suspect just because she was on the scene, covered in blood and holding the murder weapon.

Coreen had an appointment to manicure Nelson’s nails but instead found him bashed with a candlestick. Everyone agrees, she’s too mild and meek to have done the deed. How to prove it to Sheriff Metzger? Jessica is drawn into the investigation.

Things take a definite turn to the weird when Michael Haggerty, Jessica’s friend and agent for MI6, shows up in Cabot Cove. He’s on the trail of international thieves and thinks Cabot Cove is involved, hard as it may be to believe but a small town is the perfect cover for crime.

In addition to helping Coreen to hire a lawyer, schedule an interview with the Sheriff, investigate on her own, feed Seth at every turn, attend meetings for Friends of the Library, get distracted by Michael, and avoid a persistent reporter, Jessica has a synopsis due to her publisher for her next book. It’s a wonder she has time to write!

This is book fifty-four in the popular series, the second penned by Moran. Jessica remains true to her roots in Cabot Cove, relying on knowing the townspeople, who to ask, and how to get the best results. She doesn’t put herself in danger and doesn’t drop everything in order to investigate because she ‘has to know,’ but as an avid people watcher and student of human nature, she’s able to discover clues the Sheriff won’t have.

Readers will be glad to see Moran’s books are more closely aligned with the Jessica we’ve known and loved, whether in print or on the screen.

To enter to win a copy of Debonair in Death, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “debonair,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 27, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

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.