#Mystery #Excerpt from Murder Strikes a Pose by @TracyWeberTypes #AmReading
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2014
In this excerpt, Kate has been forced to take Bella back to her original owner, who she suspects has abused the dog in the past.
I turned off the car and confirmed the address. Bella’s Dash Point home was, as George described it, gorgeous. Most of my Ballard bungalow would easily fit in its three-car garage. The front of the house faced a large, open yard, and its abundant west-facing windows opened to a stunning Puget Sound view. For a moment, I allowed myself to rekindle a spark of hope. Maybe Betty was right; maybe Bella belonged here. I got out of the car and prepared to put on Bella’s leash.
A low, menacing rumble froze me in my tracks. I noticed the stake first, then ran my eyes up the chain. It ended in the spiked leather collar of a large, muscle-bound rottweiler. A rottweiler with big teeth. Big, pointy teeth. The kind of teeth that would thoroughly enjoy sharpening themselves on the femur bone of a trespassing yoga teacher. The term “junkyard dog” suddenly sounded cute and cuddly. Somehow I doubted Bella would like her new brother.
“Wait here, Bella. I’ll be right back.”
Bella cowered, hiding in the back seat’s far corner. Frankly, I wished I could hide back there with her. Instead, I stood frozen in the driveway, debating the wisdom of entering that Rottie’s coveted yard.
Finally, the front door opened, and a short, dark-haired man swaggered out, closely followed by a timid-looking blonde. He wore black ostrich skin cowboy boots and the facial expression of a mean-spirited long-haul trucker. She wore a tentative smile and expertly applied makeup that couldn’t completely hide the greenish-yellow bruise underneath her right eye. I had a terrible feeling that Bella wasn’t the only one this Trucker Man liked to kick around. My earlier spark of hope fizzled, replaced by a slow, burning rage.
Trucker Man turned to the woman. “Go back inside. I’ll take care of this.” He scowled as the door closed softly behind her. “You the woman who stole my dog?”
I glared right back at him. “I told you on the phone last night. I didn’t steal her. I’ve just been taking care of her since my friend passed away.” I nodded toward the still-growling Rottie. “I see you’ve already got another dog.”
“Yeah, a good one this time.”
“I don’t think you should take the shepherd back then. She doesn’t like other dogs.”
“That’s none of your concern. Give me the dog and get on your way.”
I stood there a full minute, staring him down, willing my eyes to turn him to stone. I didn’t want to give Bella back to this jerk. In fact, I would have preferred to dance barefoot through a football field covered in broken glass. But Betty’s orders were unequivocal: unless I had proof of abuse, I had to surrender Bella to her original owner, no matter how odious he might be. So I forced myself back to the car, hooked on Bella’s lead, and tried to coax her out of the back seat.
Tried, to no avail. Bella dug her paws into the upholstery and leaned away from me, transforming herself from an eighteen-month-old dog to a stubborn eighty-pound pack mule. I pulled with all my might. She refused to budge.
“Come on, Bella! You’re home now. Everything’s going to be fine.” She looked at me with large, frightened, eyes. We both knew I was lying.
About Murder Strikes a Pose:
Seattle yoga instructor Kate Davidson has unusually tight hamstrings encased in Miss Piggy-like thighs, and she often acts more like a champion fighting rooster than the Dalai Lama. When she’s not teaching yoga, she spends her time hiding from her creepy landlord and dodging her best friend’s relentless matchmaking attempts. Even though her father was a cop, Kate has zero crime fighting aspirations. She has enough trouble keeping her struggling yoga business afloat while trying to live up to yoga’s Zen-like expectations.
Then she stumbles over a body in the studio’s parking lot.
The police dismiss the murder as drug-related street crime, but Kate knows that George—a homeless alcoholic she had befriended—was no drug dealer. And if the police won’t take his murder seriously, she’ll just have to solve the crime herself. After all, “Drunk Dies in Drug Deal Gone Bad at Yoga Studio” isn’t exactly the free publicity she’s been hoping for.
Kate stretches herself and takes on two new challenges. First, solve George’s murder. Second, find someone—anyone—willing to adopt his intimidating, horse-sized German shepherd, Bella, before Animal Control sends her to the big dog park in the sky.
But with Bella’s time almost up and the murderer hot on her trail, Kate will have to work fast. Or the next time she practices Corpse Pose, it may be for real.
“Weber’s debut, which launches the Downward Dog series, should appeal to anyone who likes canines, yoga, and a determined sleuth. … Cozy fans will eagerly await the next installment.”
Publishers Weekly
“What a treat! A charming heroine, a cantankerous pooch, and a clever page-turner of a mystery make for delightfully original entertainment. You don’t need to love yoga to love this series–its good karma makes it an instant winner.”
Hank Phillippi Ryan
THE WRONG GIRL (Forge)
THE WRONG GIRL (Forge)
When George and Bella—a homeless alcoholic and his intimidating German shepherd—disturb the peace outside her studio, yoga instructor Kate Davidson’s Zen-like calm is stretched to the breaking point. Kate tries to get rid of them before Bella scares the yoga pants off her students. Instead, the three form an unlikely friendship.
One night Kate finds George’s body behind her studio. The police dismiss his murder as a drug-related street crime, but she knows George wasn’t a dealer. So Kate starts digging into George’s past while also looking for someone to adopt Bella before she’s sent to the big dog park in the sky. With the murderer nipping at her heels, Kate has to work fast or her next Corpse Pose may be for real.
Praise:
“Cozy fans will eagerly await the next installment.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Murder Strikes a Pose, by Tracy Weber, is a delightful debut novel featuring Kate Davidson, a caring but feist yoga teacher . . . Namaste to Weber and her fresh, new heroine!” —PENNY WARNER,AUTHOR OFHOW TO DINE ON KILLER WINE
“[T]his charming debut mystery . . . pieces together a skillful collage of mystery, yoga, and plenty of dog stories against the unique backdrop of Seattle characters and neighborhoods. The delightful start of a promising new series. I couldn’t put it down!” —WAVERLY FITZGERALD, AUTHOR OF DIAL C FOR CHIHUAHUA
“Three woofs for Tracy Weber’s first Downward Dog Mystery, Murder STrikes a Pose. Great characters, keep-you-guessing plot, plenty of laughs, and dogs—what more could we want? Ah, yes—the next book!” —SHEILA WEBSTER BONEHAM, AUTHOR OF DROP DEAD ON RECALL
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Cozy Mystery
Rating – PG
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