Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in the Series
Setting – California
Level Best Books (December 5, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 315 pages

Synopsis

Corrie Locke may not be the best rookie lawyer in town, but when it comes to catching a killer, let’s just say, she’s got enough skills to bring a band of shifty-eyed suspects to their knees.

When the wealthy matriarch of the dysfunctional Means family dies in her sleep, the family is convinced her death was anything but peaceful. They hire Corrie to prove it, but the only evidence they have to go on is a psychic’s half-baked vision that it was murder. To put the matter to rest, Corrie sets her sights on proving the psychic is a fraud. After all, everyone knows psychics are crack-pots, don’t they?

But what should be a simple investigation morphs into something deadly. The deeper Corrie digs, the more bizarre clues are revealed, and a possible witness is found dead. As tempers rise, it’s up to Corrie to catch a killer… who’s about to strike again.

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Guest Post

A Night in the Life: Corrie Locke

By Lida Sideris

About last night, I’d like to know if you think I made the right decision.

I was driving around Westlake, a smallish city in Southern California, to attend a party given by a prospective client, Marti Means. Marti wanted me to prove that her 72-year-old sister, JoJo, didn’t exactly die a peaceful death last week. Did Marti have any evidence to go on? Nope. Only a half-baked psychic vision. I planned on talking to the psychic tonight.

“Destination coming up on the right,” Veera said.

Veera was my associate in our almost up and running private investigation agency. She was invited to the party, too.

“Still can’t figure out why Marti’s throwing a party tonight.” Veera cracked her knuckles.

“I hope they serve hors d’oeuvres.” Mom snapped on the backseat light and pulled out a compact. “I’m starving.”

Mom wasn’t invited, but she’d insisted on joining us to watch our backs. I caught her gaze in the rear-view mirror. “You’re supposed to disappear in the background tonight, remember?” Why did I think that bringing her along spelled trouble? After all, as part of our PI staff…correction, the only member of our support staff…she added legitimacy to our fledgling operation. At fifty-five, she was close to Marti’s age group, making us twenty-somethings more relatable and trustworthy.

“Fading in the background doesn’t come easily to me, honey,” Mom said.

“You know that’s true.” Veera beamed back at Mom. “She’s got getting people-to-talk skills.”

“Aw, thank you, sweetie.” She patted Veera on the shoulder. “I can spot a phony a mile away. I’ll let you know if the psychic is the real deal.”

“There’s no such thing as psychics.” How many times did I have to remind her? “They make vague predictions about subjects people like to talk about like money, romance, and work. Give a psychic enough detail and they’ll pull something together that sounds legit, but isn’t.”

Veera pointed. “There’s Marti’s crib.”

I screeched to a halt by a stone pillar and eyed a ranch style home. “Why’s the house so dark?” Where was the party?

“The quiet reflects the somber occasion.” Mom stuck her head between us. “They’re calling it a party, but it’s really about remembering a loved one.”

“As long as they serve alcohol, we’re fine,” Veera said. “We’ve got a whole lotta questions that need answering.”

We stepped into the lavender-scented night. There was an unsettling quiet that even the roar of traffic from a nearby freeway couldn’t quell. Why did I have the feeling that something fishy was going on inside the house?

“I’m having second thoughts.” I stepped toward the car.

“What do you mean?” Veera backtracked with me.

“If we start out by taking hocus pocus cases, what’s that going to do for our reputation?”

“You’ve got a point, but look at this place.” Veera’s hands swept upward. “If we get this job, our client can afford our services, which means we’ll get paid. Besides, there could be more to JoJo’s death. You said it yourself.”

“That was before I realized no other P.I. would bother with an investigation involving the spirit world. We need a real case.” I sniffed. No food smells. Not a good sign. “Marti’s up to something.”

Mom took my arm. “Isn’t that what you love about investigating? Uncovering the truth? One way or another you’re going to discover what’s going on.”

“We’ll connect the dots until it turns into a shape we recognize.” Veera moved in closer. “There could be criminals in this house.”

“All right.” I hustled to the trunk of my car and popped it open. “What kind of P.I.s would we be if we didn’t at least take a look around?” I rummaged around cardboard boxes, sneakers, sweaters–

“That’s my girl.” Mom squeezed my arm. “I’m sensing a low-key event, with just a few people, all somehow related to the murder victim.”

“We don’t know if there was a murder.” No matter how many times I explained something to Mom, she always came up with her own set of facts. I pulled out a small cloth bag. “Focus and follow me.”

“What’s in the bag?” Veera asked.

“A little something for the psychic.”

I’d planned to dangle some bait in front of the phony fortune teller to see how she reacted. Do you think we should take a case involving a psychic?

About the Author

Lida Sideris is the author of the Southern California Mysteries. After graduating law school, Lida managed to snag a newbie lawyer’s dream job: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke… except without the homicides. Lida is a recipient of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a 2x Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion Award finalist. Lida lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs, and a flock of uppity chickens.

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