By Jill Gardner from Tea Cups and Carnage, A Tourist Trap Mystery by Lynn Cahoon
It’s all about the food.
Yep, that describes me to a
‘t’. I’m Jill Gardner, owner of the
Coffee, Books, and More shop here in South Cove. We’re just off Highway 1 on the central
California coast. There’s a reason I
have a combination store with drinks, desserts, books, and the typical souvenirs
you can buy in a tourist trap. I love
all of those things. You should see the line of magnets on my fridge from all
the places I’ve visited. I used to buy those spoons, but I don’t have anywhere
to display them. Magnets on the other
hand, they’re in your face easy.
Back to the subject, it’s
all about the food. I’m a big fan of Sadie’s Summer Surprise, a lemon
cheesecake that she started making this year. Of course, I love her double
chocolate cheesecake as well. And her pumpkin marble. Okay, fine, I just love
cheesecake.
I’m also a regular down at
Diamond Lille’s, the only place besides my shop where you can get food in South
Cove. Lille, the owner, kind of hates
me, but she hasn’t banned me from the place yet. Others haven’t been so lucky.
The place is the classic greasy spoon diner with amazing home-style food. If
you’re looking for new and innovative, Lille’s isn’t the place to go. But if
you want a hot turkey sandwich with real Idaho mashed potatoes covered with
your choice of brown, turkey, or country gravy, you won’t be disappointed.
Greg, he’s my boyfriend, swears by the meatloaf plate. I’m kind of partial to the fried fish. With
French fries. Sprinkled with a dark
cider vinegar, the dish makes me happy.
Who am I kidding? All good
food makes me happy. Which is why I run
with my golden retriever, Emma, most days. We like our beach trail that takes
us out to the cove where the sand turns to rocks. Sometimes, we stop to watch
the sea creatures that the tide has stranded in the small pools of water
between the rocks.
I better get going. I have
most of the business owners in town over this morning for the business to
business meeting I run for the city council.
We need to get started on the next town festival. Or at least hear the
plan our amateur event planner has for the event. We just get to say, “Okay,
Darla,” at the end of her presentation. But she’s good at it.
And we have a new business
owner this month. Kathi Corbin is opening a tea cups and tea pot supply shop
across the street from me. I’m excited to see what she had in mind. As long as
she’s not cutting into my dessert and coffee business, I’ll welcome her with
open arms.
If she does, well, we’ll
have to talk about who was here first.
See you during your next visit to South Cove.
Jill
Tea Cups and Carnage
The quaint coastal town of
South Cove, California, is all abuzz about the opening of a new specialty shop,
Tea Hee. But as Coffee, Books, and More owner Jill Gardner is about to find
out, there's nothing cozy about murder . . .
Shop owner Kathi Corbin says
she came to South Cove to get away from her estranged family. But is she
telling the truth? And did a sinister someone from her past follow her to South
Cove? When a woman claiming to be Kathi's sister starts making waves and a dead
body is found in a local motel, Jill must step in to clear Kathi's name--without
getting herself in hot water.
Lynn Cahoon is the author of
the NYT and USA Today bestselling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook
to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader's Crown for Mystery Fiction in
2015. She's also the author of the soon to be released, Cat Latimer series,
with the first book, A STORY TO KILL, releasing in mass market paperback
September 2016.She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about
with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at
www.lynncahoon.com
Love the series! Looking forward to Tea Cups and Carnage!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dee. So glad you stopped in this am.
DeleteHaha! Sounds like fun, can't wait to read...I'd definitely visit this little town..!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy your trip to South Cove. :)
DeleteKeep them coming! I love visiting South Cove!
ReplyDeleteHey! Nice to see you here. We love having you!
DeleteSadie's Summer Surprise is the BEST! I'm looking forward to your new book!
ReplyDeleteKim - thank you so much for the lovely blog on Sadie's Summer Surprise. The pictures look good enough to eat. :)
DeleteI had a teapot collection, but had to give some things up when we down-sized. I miss those teapots. I would love to browse in the new store, after I get a cup of coffee at your place first, of course.
ReplyDeleteElaine, I had the mini china tea sets but left them in Idaho when I left.
DeleteI love this series and I can't wait to read your new book.
ReplyDelete