Dead as a Duck
by Colleen J. Shogan
GENRE: Mystery, Cozy Mystery
BLURB:
Congressional staffer Kit Marshall is looking forward to a much-deserved summer vacation in the Outer Banks. When the mayor of the beach town turns up dead, Kit and her friends need to put their fun and relaxation on hold to help solve the crime.
Excerpt:
“I don’t know if it was accident or something else, but there’s a dead body down there,” she said.
I felt my face become flush, and it wasn’t because of the jog.
How could this happen again?
“Maybe someone had one too many at the wine bar and fell over the railing,” I said.
Lisa shook her head. “I doubt it. This railing is too high. It was likely built to prevent that from happening. Unless someone was deliberately trying to climb over it, and I don’t know why that would be the case.”
She pulled out her cell phone from the arm band she wore when exercising. “None of these businesses along the water are open yet. I’m going to call 9-1-1.”
Lisa moved away from the railing and stepped to the side of the boardwalk. Curious walkers stared at us as they strolled by, but no one had stopped to ask what the fuss was about.
I moved over to the spot where Lisa and Murphy had discovered the body. I knew I shouldn’t look, but how could I not? Curiosity killed the cat. Wasn’t there another part of that old proverb? Satisfaction brought the cat back. Of course, I wasn’t a cat and I certainly didn’t have nine lives.
When the police arrived, we’d probably be stuck here for a while. No harm in sneaking a peek before the authorities walled off the area. I peered down into the marsh. The body of a man was floating on top of the reeds and vegetation. He was several feet away from the railing and his face was partially obscured. But I did recognize the clothes he was wearing: light brown linen pants and a dark blue blazer. Mayor Ronan Godfrey was a dead duck.
Dead as a Duck is the first book in the Washington Whodunit series that I have read and I don’t feel as if I missed anything as far as the story itself goes. But with saying this I realize that I have missed out on getting to know all the characters from the beginning with the first book in the series not to mention some great mysteries. Dead as a Duck has enough mystery and suspense to keep the pages turning.
Kit Marshall works for Congresswoman Maeve Dixon. They have been on the road touring the country. Congresswoman Maeve Dixon is considering running for Congress. Their last stop is Duck, North Carolina. Kit has decided to mix a little business with pleasure. Her husband, two dogs, and her brother are visiting Duck as well so they have decided to have a little vacation, spend some time on the beach, relaxing, and just having a little R&R time.
Kit is out walking the dogs on the beach when she finds the dead body of the mayor floating in the water. At the town hall meeting earlier there was a confrontation between Kit’s brother and the mayor. Without an alibi, her brother is a suspect. Kit doesn’t believe her brother had anything to do with the mayor’s death and sets out to prove just that.
But the question still remains. Did her brother commit the murder? Or is he innocent? Who did kill the mayor? Why was the mayor murdered? So many questions, questions that I kept asking myself throughout the story.
Dead as a Duck reminded me of a Lifetime or a Hallmark movie set in one of those small, cozy little towns where everybody knows everybody. I could just picture the town in my head, houses with little white picket fences. I could see Kit as she was walking both dogs on the beach that night. I am looking forward to reading more books by Colleen J. Shogan, especially the Washington Whodunit books.
I would like to recommend Dead as a Duck to anyone who likes a good whodunit mystery story where you can curl up with a blanket by a warm cozy fire. One-click your copy of Dead as a Duck today!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at several universities and previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is currently the Senior Vice President of the White House Historical Association.
Colleen is a member of Sisters in Crime. "Stabbing in the Senate" was awarded the Next Generation Indie prize for Best Mystery in 2016. "Homicide in the House" was a 2017 finalist for the RONE Award for Best Mystery. “Calamity at the Continental Club” was a 2018 finalist in the “best cozy mystery” at Killer Nashville. She splits her time between Arlington, Virginia and Duck, NC in the Outer Banks with her husband Rob and beagle mutt Conan.
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2 comments:
Thank you for reviewing my book!
sounds like a fun one
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