Flower Power Fatality (The Psychedelic Spy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (April 22, 2018)
Paperback: 234 pages

Synopsis

The Cold War gets cozy in this retro-cozy spy caper set in 1967, a year of music, miniskirts—and murder! Actress Noelle McNabb works at the Country Christmas Family Fun Park in Yuletide, Indiana, but she longs for the bright lights of Hollywood.

Real-life drama comes her way when a stranger with a fatal gunshot wound stumbles across her doorstep. When she attempts to finds the man’s murderer, Noelle encounters a super-secret spy agency, SIAMESE (Special Intelligence Apparatus for Midwest Enemy Surveillance and Espionage). SIAMESE recruits Noelle on a quest to find missing microdots under the guidance of a street-wise agent, Destiny King. As Noelle goes undercover in a cheesy nightclub and faces the enemy in late-night chases, she uncovers family secrets and finds her moral values put to the test. Along with her pet cat, Ceebee, and the kooky residents of Yuletide, Noelle discovers it takes a village to catch a killer.

Guest Post

Me and My Cats

By Sally Carpenter

When I wrote my first mystery series, I didn’t give my hero a pet. For one thing, at the time I didn’t know what a “cozy” was, let alone the “rule” that a cozy protagonist should have a pet.

Besides, a pet really didn’t fit with the series. The first book takes place away from the hero’s hometown. Also, he travels a lot in his work—he’s an entertainer—so a pet would end up at a kennel most of the time.

For my second cozy series, the Psychedelic Spy mysteries, I gave my heroine a fat, black cat modeled after my own felines. I don’t know why, but I’ve always had black cats (actually the first one was gray, but close enough). The cats seemed to pick me, not visa versa.

My childhood pet came from a litter of the neighbor’s barn cat. Mom said I could have a cat only if it stayed outside. We lived in the country, so this was no problem. Next door was a huge pasture where cows grazed, so Pretty Kitty had aces of land to roam in.

He was a fantastic mouser and in the summer brought us “presents” of mice, moles and squirrels nearly every day—but never birds.

I was cat free most of my adult life. I moved frequently, traveled, was busy, and lived in “no pets” apartments. I had no room in my life a pet.

Then about sixteen years ago I met Gordo, a black cat with 23 pounds of love. “Gordo” means “fat” in Spanish. That wasn’t a nice name, so I renamed him Snuggles. We ended up in a place where he could be an indoor-outdoor cat and, despite his size, he moved quickly and was a good hunter.

Alas, he had health issues. One day I was sitting in the waiting room of the veterinarian’s office while Snuggles was being treated, and another black cat poked his head over the counter. The cat jumped to the floor and onto my lap. Later when I was standing at the counter and talking with the technician, the cat got on the counter and rubbed on me.

This was Felix. A family had found him on the street as an injured stray. They had brought him to the vet for treatment. They were going to adopt him, but Felix didn’t like their other cats. I was the only person Felix seemed to like (cat had good taste). So after Snuggles made his final trip to the vet, I took Felix home.

Also when Snuggles was gone, one of the “property cats” showed up at my door. Years ago, the former landlord brought in cats to catch the mice. As cats do, they multiplied until some of the residents had the animals fixed. One of the cats, a tuxedo named Boots, knew Snugs was gone and wanted to be my pet.

Eventually I ended up being the one to feed all the property cats and yes, they were black. I got attached to a couple of them. I called one Outdoor Kitty because she refused to come in the house, no matter how much I coaxed her.

Gabby, another tuxedo, was very affectionate and loved to jump in my lap whenever I sat down.

At first Felix didn’t like the other cats and he swatted them with a paw when they came near. Eventually he, Boots and Gabby bonded. They cuddled together in cool weather and sprawled out together in the yard.

Over the years the cats died off and only Boots is left, and she’s old and not so active. I miss the welcoming committee that ran out to greet me when I came home from work. But caring for so many cats was expensive and challenging.

When Boots is gone, will I be cat free again? Or will a black stray find its way to my door?

About the Author

Sally Carpenter has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground” also earned a college creative writing award and “Star Collector” was produced in New York City.

Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.

She’s worked as an actress, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain and tour guide/page for Paramount Pictures. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.

The Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series is comprised of: “The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper” (2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel), “The Sinister Sitcom Caper,” “The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper” and “The Quirky Quiz Show Caper.”

She has short stories in two anthologies: “Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in” in “Last Exit to Murder” and “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” in “Plan B: Omnibus.”

Carpenter penned chapter three of the Cozy Cat Press group mystery “Chasing the Codex.”

To atone for her sins of killing fictional people, she also writes the monthly Roots of Faith column for the Acorn Newspapers.

She’s a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles chapter.

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