“I was walking my brother’s dogs on a very fine day in Drizzle Bay – and really didn’t expect to find an elderly man dead in a deck chair. Dozed off forever in the sun, you think? Think again! Hi – I’m Merry Summerfield, law-abiding book editor and accidental super-sleuth. In this, my very first murder, I’ll tell you the tale of a beautiful bride, a handsome husband, a cutie-pie dog, and a very foul murder. Join me on the beach!” This prequel is a complete novella, and leads you into all the other Merry Summerfield cozies. You can read them in any order, but you might enjoy them more starting with this one and then tracking through the rest. There are lots of laughs, two nice men for Merry to agonize over, and plenty of twists for your brain.

Hi – I’m freelance editor Merry Summerfield, and it’s another fantastic day in drowsy Drizzle Bay. That’s until Vicar Paul and I find Isobel Crombie lying dead in a sea of flowers in the aisle of Saint Agatha’s church. Who’d kill a harmless old girl like her? In no time flat I’ve scored a house-and-pet sitting gig – Isobel’s remote seaside cottage and her two darling dogs. It comes complete with hollyhocks and seagulls and a SEAL from California who looks a lot like a younger Jon Bon Jovi. He's certainly cute, but aren’t his questions about Isobel's house a bit – well, suspicious? Then I find a secret office stuffed with alarming files about car thefts and Black Ops assassins. Maybe Isobel wasn't as harmless as we all thought? Sleuthing’s more fun than I’ve had in ages, but how safe am I on my own now things are unraveling? Little white Bichons are hopeless attack dogs.

OMG! Who hid a quarter of a cow in the trunk of my brother’s beloved Mercedes? And what’s with that spooky big X marking the spot on the beach where a man lies dead? Can my quarter-cow and the corpse possibly be connected? I'm Merry Summerfield, freelance editor and pet-sitter. Detective Bruce Carver doesn’t think the body is any of my business, but someone’s up to no good amid the twinkling Christmas decorations in drowsy Drizzle Bay. I’m sure I can help, but maybe I’m too curious for my own good. Who’s going to rescue me now a smelly rustler has roped me up far too close to that big white X? Not my brother Graham and his two goofy spaniels. Not old Margaret and little Pierre the poodle. Not my ex-husband, the unfaithful Duncan Skene. I need a super-resourceful man with … umm…muscles.

When I find Matthew Boatman’s door swinging open, I slink into his dark and cat-infested house to make sure he isn’t sick. Surely a law-abiding book editor, pet-minder and unintentional sleuth would always do that? To my horror he’s so sick, he’s dead. The shiny silver arrow in his back is beautifully tidy compared to half a lifetime’s high-piled hoarding. OMG – the mess! Honestly, who could live like this? Someone needs to call the cops – and that’s me. Again. Detective Bruce Carver is far from impressed. And he doesn’t like my plan to feed all the cats so I can keep an eye on the house being emptied out. But stripy brown Peanut, choc-faced Siam, old Fifty who’s every shade of grey, Skinnyblack, Fatblack and One-eye have given me the perfect excuse. I’m watching my back – no arrows please – and keeping my eyes open and my ears flapping as I dish out the kibble, but old Matthew was a diamond hunter in days gone by. Does he have a million-dollar stash of gems hidden here? And would that put me in danger? This fun cozy mystery is full of your favorite people from the other books in the series. Plus a puzzling murder, a touch of romance, and laugh-out-loud lines. Be happy – Merry is here!

I don’t often see expensive red-soled Christian Louboutin shoes in Drizzle Bay. And certainly not hanging out of a trash can on the end of long, slim legs. My latest pet-sitting charges are desperate for me to notice the grisly sight and are barking like crazy – pulling me straight into another murder mystery. But who would want well-dressed Coral Clappe dead? With an apparently loving family, money galore, and a bonus beach house, it seems she led a charmed life. It’s not long though before perfection starts splintering. Goodness – the things that woman got up to! As a law-abiding book editor I have a writers’ workshop to run before I start seriously sleuthing. Come to the workshop with me. Everyone has a theory about the murder but only one person knows the truth. (One person and maybe two huge German Shepherds.) Detective Bruce Carver is hot on the trail, and this time he has a hunky new off-sider from Boston, Massachusetts. But I found the body so I’d love to find the culprit, too. This fun cozy mystery is full of your favorite people from the other books in the series. Plus a puzzling murder, a touch of romance, and laugh-out-loud lines. Be happy – Merry is here again!

Brilliant house. Amazing views. I thought I’d hit the house-sitting jackpot until Claude, the big beagle lookalike, unearthed a body from behind a collapsing wall in the yard. First we saw the distinctive Russian boots that proved to be a truly gruesome trophy. This led to all sorts of speculation. Hi – I’m Merry Summerfield, freelance book editor and house-sitter of Drizzle Bay. I’ve been tipped out of my beachside haven because it’s now a crime scene - but do you think that’ll stop me trying to discover what really happened? The murderers won’t be Dex and Dom - the short, bald, house-renovators - because this is their lovely new home. Boastful Brett Royal from the Whale Watch boat is talking far too much and bringing the murder to everyone’s attention, so it’s probably not him. My brother’s new equestrian girlfriend? But she seems so nice! The semi-criminal boys being re-trained on the forestry land in the hills? Hmmm… Suggestions come thick and fast, but nothing seems quite right. Detectives Bruce Carver and Marion Wick are in hot pursuit of the truth, but they won’t solve the mystery of whether my summer flirtation will be with Vicar Paul or Black-ops John. That remains as murky as the mud on Lord Drizzle’s farm. Maybe a Christmas concert will help? This fun cozy mystery is full of your favorite people from the other books in the series. Plus some new ones, a puzzling murder, a touch of romance, and laugh-out-loud lines. Be happy – Merry is back!

Reluctant sleuth Merry Summerfield can’t possibly ignore the terrible screams coming from behind the tall gate. Or the frantic bark-a-thon from little white Poppadum who’s desperate to get inside and rescue café owner Iona from apparent peril. Iona proves to be fine – in her nightgown and screaming her head off maybe – but Kathleen Awhina is definitely dead. She’s dressed for a Christmas date, with the nasty extra accessory of a big knife buried deep in her ample bosom. Euw! What’s going on? Did Iona do it? Surely not! Stories start emerging about Kathleen’s colorful life, and Merry just can’t resist helping the Police by poking her nose in a little. (Or maybe a little too far.) Come and meet all the characters from the rest of the series and see if you can solve the crime before the murderer strikes again. This time they have our inquisitive book editor, Merry, in their sights!