Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Box Set

by Sherri Bryan

  ººººººº

  “Nathan Costello, I swear, you are never coming near me again!” Charlotte dug her nails into his hand and she panted through a contraction.

  “Ow, your nails are sharp!”

  “Oh. Are they indeed? I’m so awfully sorry.” Charlotte glared up at him, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “Did I hurt you? Are you in pain?” She looked around at her friends. “Can someone throttle Nathan, please?”

  Jess grinned at Laura. “He’ll be saying he needs a cup of tea and a lie down, next.”

  “Oh, good lord!” Ava exclaimed.

  “What is it?” said Nathan. “Ava!”

  “This is all happening so quickly, she said. “Right, Harriett, pass me some more towels please, and that pan of hot water. Charlotte, the baby’s head’s almost here so I need you to stop pushing and pant. It won’t be easy, I know, but try hard. I’ll tell you when to push again, alright?”

  Charlotte nodded. “Ava, I’m scared.”

  “I know you are, dear, but just focus on me and you’ll be fine. Let’s see if we can make this the most wonderful experience of your life, shall we?”

  “We’re back!” Leo called out. “Did we miss anything?”

  “No, looks like you got back just in time,” said Harriett.

  “Any sign of that ambulance out there?” said Nathan. “I just called them again and they said they’re two minutes away.”

  “No, didn’t see it but you know what the traffic’s like on a Saturday…oh, hang on, this must be it.”

  A siren was getting louder and louder.

  “Oh, thank God,” said Nathan. “Charlotte, it’s here.”

  “We can’t wait for them, I’m afraid, this baby’s about to be born.” Ava, who rarely showed emotion, blinked away the tears. “Right, Charlotte, focus on me and give me one more big push, alright? Come on, dear, you can do it.”

  Accompanied by the rousing cheers of Garrett, Leo, Harry and Ben, Charlotte and Nathan’s baby was born. As everyone else burst into tears, the paramedics arrived.

  “Someone called for an ambulance?”

  “They’re in there, mate,” said Garrett, as a feeble wail, growing in volume with every second, heralded the arrival of the newest addition to the Costello family. “But it sounds like you missed all the action.”

  “Blimey, you’ve had an audience, haven’t you love?” The paramedics took over as Nathan lifted Ava off her feet and hugged her. “Ava, if I live to be a hundred, I will never be able to thank you enough.”

  “Oh, get away with you,” said Ava, wiping her eyes. “Go and enjoy your new baby.”

  As the medics tended to Charlotte and the baby, she heard her Aunt whisper to Laura. “Oh, how I wish Scott and Molly were here. They’d be the proudest grandparents.”

  Charlotte bit her lip. Her parents had been with her all through this—they were always with her, she knew that—but if she’d ever wanted a hug from them, it was now.

  As the paramedic handed the baby back to her, she held it close and sobbed.

  ººººººº

  “Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mother or baby in better shape, all things considered!” The midwife at the hospital peered into the baby blanket cocoon that Charlotte was holding. “Congratulations to both of you, and I’ll drop by and see you and baby tomorrow.”

  “I suppose we’d better get home, then,” said Nathan. “There’ll be a lot of people who want to come and visit but I think we should put them off for a while, don’t you? So we can have some time together, just the three of us.”

  “Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” said Charlotte. “But could you collect Pippin from Leo’s? I’d like to introduce him to the baby as soon as possible.”

  “Okay, I’ll drop you home and then I’ll go and get him. Let’s go, then.”

  After twenty minutes of struggling to put the baby seat in the back of the car, they set off on the short drive home.

  “What do you think about the names we talked about?” said Charlotte. “Do you think the one we chose fits?

  Nathan nodded. “I think it’s perfect.”

  She smiled. “That’s good. I do, too.”

  “Right, I’ll come in and get you settled and then I’ll go and get Pippin.” Nathan pulled up at the cottage and helped Charlotte inside. “See you in about twenty minutes.”

  It was quiet and still. As she lifted the sleeping baby from the seat and held it close to her, Charlotte knew this was probably the last time the cottage would be that way.

  She sat down on the large bay window seat in the living room. With its wonderful view of the sea, it was the place in the cottage she loved most.

  “So, it’s just you and me for a little while,” she said, kissing the top of her baby’s head and inhaling its new-born scent. “Daddy and Pippin will be home soon and, in a day or two, you’ll meet all our friends and family. You’ll have to wait a little while longer to meet Grandpa George, Grandma Hattie and Aunty Barbara, though. Mind you, I expect they’ll be straight on a plane when they hear about you.” She smiled.

  “But, before you meet anyone else, there are two people I want to introduce you to first.

  “I’ll tell you all about them when you’re older. I’ll tell you that even though you can’t see them, they’ll always be with you…always beside you.”

  “They won’t ever be here to hold your hand, or pick you up when you fall, or tell you they love you, so I’m telling you—if they were here, they would love you more than anything in the world.”

  She looked out at the sea, and the sand on which she and her parents had enjoyed so many good times when she’d been young. She couldn’t think of a better place to bring up her child.

  She opened up the blanket and lifted the sleeping baby onto the crook of her arm.

  “Mum, Dad. I’d like you to meet Molly Costello.”

  The End

  Thank you for getting this far! I hope you enjoyed the books.

  If you’d like to be notified when new releases are added to the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series, or my other series, The Bliss Bay Village Mystery Series, please click here to join my Readers’ List.

  All my books contain a new mystery to solve in each book. Each one is a stand-alone story, so they can be read in any order but, for the sake of continuity, this is the order to follow after this boxset.

  Crab Cakes, Killers and a Kaftan - Book Six

  Mince Pies, Mistletoe and Murder – Book Seven

  Doughnuts, Diamonds and Dead Men - Book Eight

  Bread, Dead and Wed – Book Nine

  The Bliss Bay Village Mystery Series

  Bodies, Baddies and a Crabby Tabby – Book One. See summary below.

  Secrets, Lies and Puppy Dog Eyes – Book Two

  Thirty-nine-year-old Megan Fallon is in a pickle.

  Not only is she suffering from empty-nest syndrome, but she’s lost the job she loved, and her fiancé’s run off with her hairdresser.

  A complete life change is what’s called for so, when the opportunity to make a new start presents itself following news of a family celebration, Megan is lured back to her childhood home.

  With a party to organise, old friends to catch up with, a flirtatious ex-husband and his jealous wife to avoid, a mischievous favourite uncle who’s on the lookout for adventure, a clumsy childhood acquaintance who has undergone a startling transformation, and a cantankerous tabby cat to contend with, Megan has her hands full.

  However, what started as a leisurely break takes a chilling turn when members of the community start getting bumped off at an alarming rate, and Megan finds herself at the heart of an investigation that has her suspecting everyone.

  Could the murderer be the local finance advisor, whose misjudged investment recommendation cost his clients their life savings?

  Or maybe the village celebrity; a footballer who appears to have at least one skeleton in a cupboard he’d prefer was kept firmly locked?

  O
r what about a member of a classical music trio who seem to have plenty of secrets they’d rather keep to themselves?

  Or is the killer someone else entirely?

  As Megan becomes involved in the hunt for a murderer, it’s not long before she finds out that some of the villagers are harbouring other secrets too.

  A Selection of Recipes from the Books in this Boxset

  Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

  Serves 2

  Ingredients

  8 oz risotto rice (Arborio rice is good for this recipe)

  16 oz mushrooms of your choice, thinly sliced (I like chestnut and button mushrooms)

  8 oz asparagus, chopped into pieces. (I chop mine into approximately 1” pieces)

  4 oz leeks, washed to remove any grit, and thinly sliced. (I’d suggest that you don’t use the very dark green ends, as they can be tough)

  2 cloves garlic, crushed (You can leave the garlic out if you don’t like it)

  24 fl oz vegetable stock

  8 fl oz white wine (or the same quantity of vegetable stock if you don’t want to use wine)

  2 tablespoons butter

  1 teaspoon olive oil (This is to help prevent the butter from burning)

  1 tablespoon freshly tarragon, chopped

  4 oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated

  2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

  1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

  Salt to taste

  Method

  Bring the stock (and wine, if using) to a boil and turn down to a simmer.

  In another pan (preferably non-stick), melt half the butter with the olive oil and cook the mushrooms and the asparagus until softened. Remove from the pan and put to one side.

  In the same pan, melt the remaining butter and add cook the leeks and the garlic until softened, but not browned.

  Add the rice to the pan and cook for a minute or two, stirring well to coat every grain with butter.

  Add a ladle of hot stock to the rice and cook over a medium heat, stirring gently. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, you can either **

  Continue adding the hot stock, a ladle at a time, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next,

  or

  You can add the stock all at once, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Hold back about one ladle of stock to add at the end.

  NOTE: ** I’ve made the risotto using both methods, the second one by accident when I forgot that I was supposed to be adding the stock little by little. It turned out OK though. It takes about 20 minutes for the rice to cook to my liking, but if you like yours a little firmer, start checking it after 15 minutes.

  About five minutes before the end of the cooking time, when the rice has plumped up nicely and is almost cooked to your liking, add the mushrooms and the asparagus back to the pan and stir in.

  Stir in the tarragon and the grated cheese. If you want a slightly creamier consistency, add the stock that you held back earlier.

  Check for seasoning and scatter with fresh parsley before serving immediately.

  Aubergine (Eggplant) with Spinach and a Parmesan Crust

  Serves 4

  Ingredients

  1 large aubergine, cut into slices (About ½ inch thick. If they’re any thicker, they might not cook before the top has browned).

  8 oz frozen creamed spinach, defrosted. (You can use fresh or ordinary frozen spinach if you prefer, just make sure the excess water has been squeezed out).

  8 oz homemade tomato sauce, recipe after this one (or you can use a jar of shop bought if you don’t want to make your own).

  3 oz mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated

  3 oz cheddar cheese, mature or mild, whatever you prefer

  6 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated. (This is for the topping, but if you don’t like Parmesan, use another cheese, eg; Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gruyere or Fontina)

  6oz breadcrumbs

  ¼ teaspoon butter

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  2 tablespoons salt, plus salt and black pepper to taste

  Method

  1. Scatter the salt over the aubergine slices and put them into a colander. Leave over a bowl for about ½ hour, after which, there will be an amount of liquid in the bowl. Throw the liquid away and rinse the slices under running water to remove any excess salt. Pat dry with kitchen paper. NOTE: The point of this is to remove any bitterness from the aubergine. Sometimes I forget to factor this stage into my recipe, so I leave it out if I’m running short of time but the end result is better when I have the time to do it).

  2. Heat oven to 190ºC/375ºF.

  3. Butter an ovenproof dish. Ideally, you want a dish that can take two layers of sauce, spinach, cheese and aubergine slices, but if you only have a dish that will only fit one layer in, that will be okay.

  4. Put a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of spinach on the bottom of the dish.

  5. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the cheddar on the top.

  6. Place half the aubergines on top of the cheese, and then repeat with a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of spinach, a layer of mozzarella and cheddar and finally, a layer of aubergine slices.

  7. Cover the aubergine slices with tomato sauce.

  8. Mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and cover the top of the tomato sauce.

  9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, until the aubergines are cooked and the Parmesan and breadcrumb topping is brown and crisp.

  Homemade Tomato Sauce

  This is the easiest sauce to make, but it helps if you have a blender – either the stick or jug type, or a Mouli blender. If you don’t have any of these, you could use a potato masher, but the end result won’t be as smooth. If you don’t want to use garlic, leave it out, and if you want to add a teaspoon of your favourite herbs, please do.

  Ingredients

  2 lbs ripe tomatoes, the squashier, the better!

  2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

  2 cloves garlic

  2 level teaspoons salt

  ½ teaspoon pepper

  1 level teaspoon sugar

  Water

  Method

  You can either cook this on the hob, or in the oven. If you want to use the oven, preheat it to 180ºC/350ºF.

  Cut the tomatoes in half, or leave them whole if they are very ripe. If you’re using the oven, put them in a large ovenproof dish or on a baking sheet lined with foil. If you’re using the hob, put them into a large non-stick saucepan or deep non-stick frying pan.

  Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt, pepper and sugar and drizzle the oil over the top. Throw the garlic cloves (if using) into the dish or saucepan. No need to cut or crush them, as everything is going to be blended together later.

  Put the tomatoes in the middle of the oven and cook for about an hour, until they have become soft and the skins have started to come away from the flesh.

  or

  Cook in the pan over a medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down and the skins have come loose.

  NOTE: Whether you use the oven or hob method, the tomatoes need to cook until the entire tomato has become soft.

  Allow to cool.

  Blend until smooth, adding a little water to loosen the sauce if necessary.

  Check for seasoning and use as desired.

  Panna Cotta with Poached Rhubarb and Honey

  Serves 6

  Ingredients

  1/3 cup skimmed milk

  1 x 0.25 oz packet vegetarian gelatine

  10 fl oz double cream

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  4 oz white sugar (for the Panna Cotta)

  2 teaspoons white sugar (for the rhubarb)

  1lb rhubarb

  4oz caster sugar

  Honey for drizzling

  Method

  Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatine powder. Set aside.

  In a saucepan, stir together the double cream and sugar, and
heat over a medium setting.

  Bring to a simmer, being careful not to allow the cream to boil. Remove from the heat.

  Pour the gelatine and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual, lightly oiled, ramekin dishes.

  Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the Panna Cotta is firm – overnight is best.

  To poach the rhubarb

  You can poach the rhubarb in a pan on the hob if you prefer, but this method gives me the best results.

  Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF.

  Wash and trim any leaves from the rhubarb. Dry and cut them into pieces (about 2” long).

  Spread the pieces out in a large roasting pan and scatter two teaspoons of sugar over the top. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil, crimping the edges tightly to keep in the heat and the steam).

  Bake for 20 minutes, and then check the rhubarb. (Take care when removing the foil that you avoid the cloud of steam that will billow out). The rhubarb pieces should be soft enough for a knife to go through, but not so soft that they’ve collapsed into a mush.

  Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool, with the foil lid on.

  To serve, run a knife around the top (inside) of the ramekin and turn the Panna Cotta onto a plate. Put some rhubarb pieces and a pool of syrup on the side and drizzle the Panna Cotta with honey.

  NOTE: If you have trouble getting the Panna Cotta out, dip the ramekin into hot water for a few seconds and try again.

  Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

  Serves 10 portions

  Ingredients

  8 oz mint crisp chocolates

  8 oz digestive biscuits

  1 ½ packets of lemon jelly - vegetarian or non-vegetarian (7.12 oz)

  3 oz butter

  1 lb cream cheese - full fat is best for this recipe