Harrowing Hats

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“The Lavene duet can always be counted on for an enjoyable whodunit . . . Filled with twists and red herrings,
Deadly Daggers
is a delightful mystery.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Will keep you entertained from the first duel to the last surprise . . . If you like fun reads that will let you leave this world for a time, this series is for you.”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

 

“Never a dull moment! Filled with interesting characters, a fast-paced story, and plenty of humor, this series never lets its readers down . . . You’re bound to feel an overwhelming craving for a giant turkey leg and the urge to toast to the king’s health with a big mug of ale as you enjoy this thematic cozy mystery!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

 

 

“A unique look at a renaissance faire. This is a colorful, exciting amateur sleuth mystery filled with quirky characters who endear themselves to the reader as Joyce and Jim Lavene write a delightful whodunit.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

 

 

“Offers a vibrant background for the mysterious goings-on and the colorful cast of characters.”

—Kaye Morgan, author of
Ghost Sudoku

 

“This jolly series debut . . . serves up medieval murder and mayhem.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Fast-paced, clever, delightful.”

—John J. Lamb, author of
The Treacherous Teddy

 

“A creative, fascinating whodunit, transporting readers to a world of make-believe that entertains and educates.”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“[A] new exciting . . . series . . . Part of the fun of this solid whodunit is the vivid description of the Renaissance Village; anyone who has not been to one will want to go . . . [C]leverly developed.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“[A] terrific mystery series . . . A feast for the reader . . . Character development in this new series is energetic and eloquent; Jessie is charming and intelligent, with . . . saucy strength.”

—MyShelf.com

 

“I cannot imagine a cozier setting than Renaissance Faire Village, a closed community of rather eccentric—and very interesting—characters, [with] lots of potential . . . A great start to a new series by a veteran duo of mystery authors.”

 

 

Praise for the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries

 

 

“A delightful botany mystery.”

—
The Best Reviews

 

“A top-notch, over-the-fence mystery read with beloved characters, a fast-paced story line, and a wallop of an ending.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

 

 

“I cannot recommend this work highly enough. It has everything: mystery, wonderful characters, sinister plot, humor, and even romance.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Well-crafted with a satisfying end that will leave readers wanting more!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

 

 

“With a touch of romance added to this delightful mystery, one can only hope many more Peggy Lee Mysteries will be hitting shelves soon!”

—
Roundtable Reviews

 

“A fantastic amateur-sleuth mystery.”

—
The Best Reviews

 

 

 

“A fabulous whodunit that will keep readers guessing and happily turning pages to the unexpected end. Peggy Lee is a most entertaining sleuth and her Southern gentility is like a breath of fresh air . . . [A] keeper!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“A fascinating whodunit.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

 

 

 

PRETTY POISON
FRUIT OF THE POISONED TREE
POISONED PETALS
PERFECT POISON
A CORPSE FOR YEW

 

 

 

WICKED WEAVES
GHASTLY GLASS
DEADLY DAGGERS
HARROWING HATS

 

 

 

A TIMELY VISION
A TOUCH OF GOLD

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

 

HARROWING HATS

 

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the authors

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / August 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene.

 

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form
without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in
violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-51728-4

 

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“
H
ow many frogs do I get for a dollar?” The boy asking was about ten years old. He had a buzz cut that almost made his blond hair invisible in the sun. His attitude was exactly what one might expect from a young male of noble blood.

I plastered a smile on my face and shifted my corset under my low-cut blouse for the hundredth time in the last hour. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to make all the women in Renaissance Faire Village and Market Place look like floozy tavern wenches needed to be out here doing it instead of me.

“You get five frogs for five dollars, young sir.” I managed to keep my tone civil. It wasn’t easy.

“That’s not many frogs for a lot of money,” he said.

“I do not make the rules. I only take the money and give you the frogs to put on the catapult. Dost thou wish to throw frogs or not?”

He looked at the targets that could net him some of the prizes above them. There were swords, of course, shields, a lance or two, and for the girls, fairy wings and flower headdresses. “I guess that’ll be okay.”

He handed me the money and I went to the water trough below the targets where the frogs ended up whether they hit their mark or not. The water was cold—the only good thing about this job. It was July fourth and at least a hundred degrees in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. If nothing else, as new people lined up at the frog-catapult game, I got to put my hands in cold water and flick some up at my face and showy bosom. Amazing what a push-up bra can do.