PRAISE FOR THE SARAH WINSTON GARAGE SALE MYSTERIES BY SHERRY HARRIS
I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER
“I Know What You Bid Last Summer is cleverly plotted, with an engaging cast of characters and a clever premise . . .”
—Susan Santangelo, author of Dieting Can Be Murder, for Suspense Magazine
“Fans of Harris will appreciate both the clever mystery and the tips for buying and selling at garage sales.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This is book 5 in the popular series. Sarah is a likable character . . . the mystery is a good one, keeping readers guessing until the end. Readers will also crave lasagna after the first few chapters. Included in the book are two fun items: Garage-sale tips about selling food at the event, and tips for setting up a pretzel bar . . . both delightfully informative.”—Kings River Life
“Whether garage sales are your thing or not, this is a series you will certainly enjoy. I Know What You Bid Last Summer is a fantastic addition to the series that will keep you turning pages until the end. Now comes the long wait until we can visit Sarah again.”—Carstairs Considers
A GOOD DAY TO BUY
“Harris’s fourth is a slam dunk for those who love antiques and garage sales. The knotty mystery has an interesting premise and some surprising twists and turns.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Sarah’s life keeps throwing her new curves as the appearance of her estranged brother shakes up her world. This fast-moving mystery starts off with a bang and keeps the twists and turns coming. Sarah is a likable protagonist who sometimes makes bad decisions based on good intentions. This ups the action and drama as she tries to extricate herself from dangerous situations with some amusing results. Toss in a unique cast of secondary characters, an intriguing mystery, and a hot ex-husband, and you’ll find there’s never a dull moment in Sarah’s bargain-hunting world.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
ALL MURDERS FINAL!
“There’s a lot going on in this charming mystery, and it all works. The dialogue flows effortlessly, and the plot is filled with numerous twists and turns. Sarah is a resourceful and appealing protagonist, supported by a cast of quirky friends . . . Well written and executed, this is a definite winner. Bargain-hunting has never been so much fun!”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
“A must-read cozy mystery! Don’t wear your socks when you read this story ’cause it’s gonna knock ’em off!”
—Chatting About Cozies
“Just because Sherry Harris’s protagonist Sarah Winston lives in a small town, it doesn’t mean that her problems are small . . . Harris fits the puzzle pieces together with a sure hand.”
—Sheila Connolly, Agatha and Anthony–nominated author of the Orchard Mysteries
“A thrilling mystery. Brilliantly written, each chapter drew me in deeper and deeper, my anticipation mounting with every turn of the page. By the time I reached the last page, all I could say was wow!”—Lisa Ks Book Reviews
THE LONGEST YARD SALE
“I love a complex plot and The Longest Yard Sale fills the bill with mysterious fires, a missing painting, thefts from a thrift shop and, of course, murder. Add an intriguing cast of victims, potential villains and sidekicks, an interesting setting, and two eligible men for the sleuth to choose between and you have a sure winner even before you get to the last page and find yourself laughing out loud.”—Kaitlyn Dunnett, author of The Scottie Barked at Midnight
“Readers will have a blast following Sarah Winston on her next adventure as she hunts for bargains and bad guys. Sherry Harris’s latest is as delightful as the best garage sale find!”—Liz Mugavero, Agatha-nominated author of the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries
“Sherry Harris is a gifted storyteller, with plenty of twists and adventures for her smart and stubborn protagonist.”
—Beth Kanell, Kingdom Books
“Once again Sherry Harris entwines small-town life with that of the nearby Air Force base, yard sales with romance, art theft with murder. The story is a bargain, and a priceless one!”
—Edith Maxwell, Agatha-nominated author of the
Local Foods Mystery series
TAGGED FOR DEATH
(an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel)
“Full of garage-sale tips, this amusing cozy debut introduces an unusual protagonist who has overcome some recent tribulations and become stronger. A solid choice for fans of Jane K. Cleland’s Josie Prescott Antique Mystery series.”
—Library Journal
“Tagged for Death is skillfully rendered, with expert characterization and depiction of military life. Best of all Sarah is the type of intelligent, resourceful, and appealing person we would all like to get to know better!”
—Mystery Scene Magazine
“A terrific find! Engaging and entertaining, this clever cozy is a treasure—charmingly crafted and full of surprises.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan,
Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark–award-winning author
“Like the treasures Sarah Winston finds at the garage sales she loves, this book is a gem.”—Barbara Ross, Agatha-nominated author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries
“It was masterfully done. Tagged for Death is a winning debut that will have you turning pages until you reach the final one. I’m already looking forward to Sarah’s next bargain with death.”—Mark Baker, Carstairs Considers
THE SARAH WINSTON
GARAGE SALE MYSTERY SERIES BY SHERRY HARRIS
THE GUN ALSO RISES
I KNOW WHAT YOU BID LAST SUMMER
A GOOD DAY TO BUY
ALL MURDERS FINAL!
THE LONGEST YARD SALE
TAGGED FOR DEATH
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
THE GUN ALSO RISES
Sherry Harris
KENSINGTON BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR THE SARAH WINSTON GARAGE SALE MYSTERIES BY SHERRY HARRIS
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Teaser chapter
About The Author
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2019
by Sherry Harris
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1696-5
ISBN-10: 1-4967-1696-5
ISBN: 978-1-4967-1696-5
ISBN-10: 1-4967-1697-3 (eBook)
To Bob
May all my sunrises be with you
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my agent, John Talbot of the Talbot Fortune Agency, for your continuing support and career advice. Gary Goldstein, my editor at Kensington, had the idea for a garage sale series. Thanks for trusting me to bring it to life.
To my dear Wickeds, Jessica Estevao, Julie Hennrikus, Edith Maxwell, Liz Mugavero, and Barbara Ross, thanks for always having my back—and front and all the bits in between. I cherish your advice and friendship.
Bruce Coffin is a retired detective sergeant from Portland, Maine. He writes the best-selling Detective Byron Mystery series. Bruce answered many questions for me, so any errors are entirely on him. Kidding! They’re entirely on me.
Vida Antolin-Jenkins has been a great supporter of my series and has talked through many aspects of the relationships in the story with me—thank you so much.
Aubrey Hamilton shared her expertise on running a book sale and all that entails.
Ashley Harris (no relation, but dear former neighbor) talked to me about issues facing military spouses, and pointed me to where Tracy could get help.
Barb Goffman read an early draft and, thankfully, didn’t tell me to burn it. After returning the manuscript to me, she continued to provide support and advice.
Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t block my phone number. Thank you for your professional eye, your friendship, and for making the books so much better.
Mary Titone, friend, fellow military spouse, beta reader, and also my publicist—thank you for all you do. Your reading eye has helped me so much. You set up events, get my name out there, and cook up adventures for us.
Clare Boggs is another friend and beta reader. I feel as if we’ve grown together, and that your insightful comments have greatly improved my writing. Thank you for taking the time!
To the crime writing community—you are amazing—I wish I could buy you all a drink. I have to give a special shout-out to Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, along with all the bloggers and reviewers. Thank you.
To my family, who love me even at my worst. Life is an adventure with you in it.
Chapter One
A drop of sweat rolled down my back as I rang the doorbell of the mansion. I wanted to blame it on the hot sun pummeling my shoulders, but it was nerves. As I listened to the deep gong echoing inside the house, I thought, for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. I didn’t know the rest of the poem, only that Hemingway used it for a title, or why the lines swirled through my head. They sure sounded ominous.
I’d been summoned here via a thick cream envelope delivered by a messenger yesterday at noon. The card inside read:
Mrs. Belle Winthrop Granville, III
Requests the presence of Miss Sarah Winston
at 10:00 a.m., July 25
It was impossible to refuse such an invitation. Okay, so I could have, but curiosity would have killed me if I did. I’d been running a garage sale business for over a year and a half, here in Ellington, Massachusetts. But I’d never worked for someone as wealthy as Belle Winthrop Granville, III. Miss Belle, as she was called around town, which was a very Southern thing to do for a bunch of Yankees, was a legend in Ellington. I couldn’t imagine how she’d even heard about me. Or that she needed me to do a garage sale for her.
But I knew about Miss Belle. In fact, everyone in Ellington knew her story because who didn’t love a good love story? She was from an elite Alabama family. She’d met Sebastian Winthrop Granville, III at spring break in Key West in the early sixties. Sebastian was from a wealthy Boston Brahmin family. Both families were dead set against the union, but the two snuck off and married. They were like Romeo and Juliet without the entire star-crossed business.
The story went that Miss Belle had brought her Southern hospitality up north as a young bride, but never won over Sebastian’s family. To escape the cold disapproval, Miss Belle and Sebastian moved to Ellington, where Sebastian opened a bank and made his own fortune. This all happened in the sixties, long before I’d landed in Massachusetts three years ago when I was thirty-six.
I stared at the door, willing it to open. I was beginning to feel twitchy, which wasn’t a good way to make a first impression. When it finally swung open, a twenty-something woman in a black knee-length dress with a crisp white apron stood there. For a moment, I wondered if I’d been invited to a costume party and that I should have worn something other than my blue and white sundress. “Hi, I’m Sarah Winston. Mrs. Winthrop Granville is expecting me.”
“Yes, ma’am, follow me.”
I detected a bit of a Boston accent in her voice. We trekked across what seemed like miles of marble flooring, under chandeliers, and past a staircase that would suit Tara from Gone With the Wind. She led me to a room with a massive desk near tall windows lined with dark green velvet curtains. For a moment, I wondered if I was on the set of a remake of Gone With the Wind.
“I’ll go get Mrs. Winthrop Granville,” the maid said.
“Thank you.” I turned slowly around after she left. The room was two stories high and filled floor to ceiling with shelves of books. There were two library ladders and a small balcony. It was a reader’s dream room. Except for a lack of comfy chairs.
“How do you like my library?”
I turned at the sound of the soft voice with a Southern accent, where the word my sounded like mah and the word library was drawled out from three syllables to about five. A petite woman with silver hair twisted into a neat bun stood behind me. “Mrs. Winthrop Granville,” I said. I recognized her from photographs in the newspaper. “It’s an amazing room.”
“If you are going to work with me, please call me Belle,” she said. She wore a twinset that looked like Chanel and tan slacks. A scarf draped gracefully around her neck.
I was going to work with her? She really wanted to have a garage sale?
Miss Belle laughed. “You look flabbergasted.”
“Trying to keep my emotions from showing isn’t my strongest suit. It’s why I rarely play poker. Apparently, I don’t have just one tell, I have a multitude of them. What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s sit,” Miss Belle said. “Would you like me to have Kay get you something to drink? Tea or a Coke?” She gestured to the maid, who stood in the doorway of the room.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” The idea of having someone wait on me had always made me slightly uncomfortable.
Miss Belle sat in a leather chair behind a desk that almost dwarfed her and gestured for me to sit across from her in an equally massive chair. She ran a hand across the smooth mahogany of the desk. “This was my Sebastian’s desk. He loved this silly thing. It’s ridiculously big, don’t you think?”
“It’s lovely.” What else could I say?
“It was his grandfather’s. One of the few things he wanted from his family when we moved to Ellington in the sixties.” She sighed. “But I’m guessing you are wondering why I’ve asked you here.”
Boy, was I. I nodded. I realized I’d crossed my legs at my ankles, had my hands folded neatly in my lap, and sat
more erect than usual, like I was in the presence of a VIP.
“It’s time to do some downsizing.”
I didn’t realize rich people worried about downsizing too.
“We never had children, so there’s no one to leave all of our things to. Although a few pieces will be returned to Sebastian’s nieces and nephews.” She wrinkled her nose on the last bit.
“I’m not sure I’m the person to do a sale for you.” I hated turning away business, but... “I think you need Sotheby’s, not me.”
“Oh, dear. I’m not being clear at all. It’s my massive book collection. I want to put together a sale to raise money for the Ellington Free Library.”
I craned my head around the room. The books were all bound in leather, some looked old, most looked valuable. I had no expertise with old or rare books. I didn’t even know anyone who did. “I don’t think I’m qualified to do that.”
Miss Belle looked surprised. “Oh, not these books.” She waved her hand around. “I have an expert coming in to deal with them.”
“What books, then?” I asked.
Miss Belle’s cheeks reddened. “I’m addicted to mysteries. Come with me.”
Chapter Two
“Nothing wrong with that. I love them myself.”
Miss Belle smiled. I followed her down the hall and into an office. This one was a smaller-scale version of the first. Tall windows, a smaller desk with graceful curved legs, and paperback books everywhere, on shelves, on end tables, even some stacked on the floor. A bunch of hardbacks were on the shelves too. I spotted a complete set of Sue Grafton books, all the Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache novels, and books by Sara Paretesky. This room had several comfy chairs to sit in with a good book.
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