Tomb With a View

Table of Contents

 

 

 

PRAISE FOR THE PEPPER MARTIN MYSTERIES

Night of the Loving Dead

“Gravestones, ghosts, and ghoulish misdemeanors delight in Casey Daniels’s witty
Night of the Loving Dead.
”

—Madelyn Alt, national bestselling author of
Where There’s a Witch

“Sass and the supernatural cross paths in the entertaining fourth Penelope ‘Pepper’ Martin series mystery . . . Pepper proves once again that great style, quick wit, and a sharp eye can solve any mystery.”

“[A] well-plotted paranormal mystery that . . . shares some answers that fans have had since we first met this entertaining character, and adds several surprising twists along the way.”

“Entertaining and amusing . . . will keep readers laughing.”

“Pepper is brazen and beautiful and this mystery is perfectly paced, with plenty of surprise twists.”

Tombs of Endearment

“A fun romp through the streets and landmarks of Cleveland . . . A tongue-in-cheek . . . look at life beyond the grave . . . well worth picking up.”

—
Suite101.com

“[A] PI who is Stephanie Plum-meets-
Sex and the City
’s Carrie Bradshaw . . . It’s fun, it’s ‘chick’, and appealing . . . [A] quick, effortless read with a dash of Bridget Jones-style romance. [Martin is] a hot redhead who always manages to look good . . . and suffers the emotional catastrophes that every woman can relate to.”

—
PopSyndicate.com

“With witty dialogue and an entertaining mystery, Ms. Daniels pens an irresistible tale of murder, greed, and a lesson in love. A well-paced storyline that’s sure to have readers anticipating Pepper’s next ghostly client.”

“Sassy, spicy . . . Pepper Martin, wearing her Moschino Cheap & Chic pink polka dot sling backs, will march right into your imagination.”

—Shirley Damsgaard, author of
The Seventh Witch

 

 

 

The Chick and the Dead

“Amusing with her breezy chick-lit style and sharp dialogue.”

“Ms. Daniels has a hit series on her hands.”

“Ms. Daniels is definitely a hot new voice in paranormal mystery . . . intriguing . . . well-written . . . with a captivating storyline and tantalizing characters.”

—Darque Reviews
“[F]un, flirtatious, and feisty . . . [A] fast-paced read, filled with likeable characters.”—
Suite101.com

 

 

Don of the Dead

“Fabulous! One of the funniest books I’ve read this year.”

—MaryJanice Davidson,
USA Today
bestselling author

“There’s not a ghost of a chance you’ll be able to put this book down. Write faster, Casey Daniels.”

—Emilie Richards,
USA Today
bestselling author

“One part Godfather, one part Bridget Jones, one part ghost story, driven by a spunky new sleuth . . . A delightful read!”

—Roberta Isleib, author of
Asking for Murder

“[A] humorous and highly entertaining expedition into mystery and the supernatural.”

—Linda O. Johnston, author of
Sit, Stay, Slay

“A spooky mystery, a spunky heroine, and sparkling wit! Give us more!”

—Kerrelyn Sparks,
USA Today
bestselling author

“[F]unny and fast-paced; her sassy dialog . . . her bravado, and her slightly off-kilter view of life make Pepper an unforgettable character . . . The only drawback is waiting for book two!”

—
Library Journal
(starred review)

“[A] fun cozy with a likeable heroine and a satisfying plot.”

—
Suite101.com

“Fans of ‘Buffy’ ought to enjoy this one . . . Original, funny, and shows plenty of scope for future books (all of which I aim to read) . . . [A] highly enjoyable debut.”

—
MyShelf.com

 

DON OF THE DEAD THE CHICK AND THE DEAD TOMBS OF ENDEARMENT NIGHT OF THE LOVING DEAD DEAD MAN TALKING TOMB WITH A VIEW

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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.

 

TOMB WITH A VIEW

 

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

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / July 2010

Copyright © 2010 by Connie Laux.

 

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 author’s 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.

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-18856-9

 

BERKLEY
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PRIME CRIME

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

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PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

For Peggy, Linda, and Stacie, who make our Saturday night get-togethers so much fun

Of course, there was really a James A. Garfield who was the twentieth president of the United States, and yes, he is buried in a wonderful memorial in Cleveland, Ohio. History records that he did once have an affair with a young woman named Lucia Calhoun. In an attempt to make Pepper’s life more interesting and far more complicated, the ghost, the illegitimate child, the murder, and Mr. Stone’s surprise are all figments of my imagination.

I
f I knew Marjorie Klinker was going to get murdered, I might have been nicer to her. Well . . . maybe. Unfortunately, though I have the incredibly annoying “Gift” of being able to see and talk to the dead, I am not psychic. Which means I have no way of predicting the future. That morning in late summer when it all started, I didn’t know what was going to happen in just a little over twenty-four hours, and not knowing it, when my boss, Ella Silverman, informed me that I’d be working side by side with Marjorie, I reacted the way any rational human being would.

I freaked.

“But Marjorie is crazy!” I wailed. I’d walked into my office and put away my Juicy Couture bag and the salad I brought for lunch right before Ella showed up, so my hands were free. That was good, because it gave me the opportunity to add a wild gesture that I was certain said everything there was to say about Marjorie’s mental state.

And Ella? She gave me that look she usually reserves for her three teenaged daughters. The one that has patience written all over it along with the P.S.
I’m not going to put up with you acting this way much longer.

The minute she was in my office, Ella sat down in my guest chair. Now, she popped up, the better to look imposing and boss-like. She should have known that wasn’t going to work on me. I was more than a head taller than her. I was more than fifty pounds lighter than her. I had the curly red hair, the attitude, and oh yes, the style that a middle-aged woman in Earth Shoes could only dream about. Ella may have been the boss, but I had the whole imposing thing down pat.

This didn’t stop her from folding her hands at her waist and lifting her slightly saggy chin. It was a gloomy Wednesday and the air outside was heavy with humidity and the promise of rain. Ella must have been watching the local weather when she got dressed that morning. Her pantsuit was as gray as the clouds that hung over Cleveland like an untucked bedsheet. Her expression was just as deadly serious. In fact, the only things that made her look a little less like one of those thunderclouds outside were the pink beads she had looped around her neck twice and the nail polish that matched them perfectly, down to the hint of sparkle. “I know you don’t mean that about Marjorie,” she said, and because she mistakenly thought it got to me every time, she added a motherly smile.

“It’s too hot for senior citizens to come to the cemetery on tour,” Ella added. “And school hasn’t started yet, so there aren’t any school groups requesting tours, either. That means you don’t have that much to keep you busy, so you can’t tell me you do. This is the best use of your time, and really, it’s such a special occasion. You do agree that the commemoration is important, don’t you?” She twitched away the very thought. “Well, of course you do!”

Commemoration?