Merry Summerfield

Series · 6 books · 2019-2025

By Kristie Klewes, Kris Pearson

Books in series

#0.5

DEAD IN A DECK CHAIR

Prequel! How it all began.

2024

“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.

Murder in the Aisle

2019

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.

Xmas Marks the Spot

2019

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.

Murder! They Meowed

2020

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!

Body! They Barked

2022

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!

The Knife Before Christmas

Laugh-out-loud adventures of a feisty seaside sleuth

2025

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!

Authors

Kris writes sizzling contemporary romance, pure and simple. Well, maybe not that pure! They're sexy stories about couples who fall in love, and into bed along the way, just like real people do. The Scarlet Bay series about the billionaire Wynn family consists of Summer Sparks, Summer Secrets, and Summer Spice. Her South & Sexy books are set in her capital city of Wellington so she can make use of the beautiful harbor in the plots. Her Heartlands series follows the girls who live deep in the New Zealand countryside. Her all-time bestseller is 'Taken By The Sheikh', and there's 'Desired By The Sheikh' too. She's now writing the Merry Summerfield cozy mysteries - lots of cats and dogs and amateur sleuthing. The first title is Murder in the Aisle, followed by Xmas Marks the Spot, Murder! they Meowed, and Body! they Barked. For good measure, she's cloned herself! You'll now find some of her books in new, much sweeter editions under the author name of Kerri Peach. Kris/Kerri is an advertising copywriter and a decor specialist, and the author of 'The Boat Builder's Bed', of which more than two million were downloaded free. Giving away this taste of her work kick-started sales of all her other novels. Five of her novels are available in Spanish. There's a Spanish version of her website http://www.krispearson.com - click the flags at the top right of it to change languages.