Moonstruck, Murderous, or Slightly Mad?

Nettie Elizabeth Duncan McNeil–Ned to most of her friends. She was curious. She was adventuresome–character traits she was born with.

Daisy grinned. “Ned, you have certainly livened up this old town. I guess you can’t help it if you are involved in every suspicious death that happens.  But, sometimes meddling is risky business.”

Meddling? I was sure Daisy meant to say investigating.  

I sniffed. “Daisy, I’m amazed at you. I am not meddling. It was through no fault of my own that I’ve become involved.”

On top of that, she was a philosopher. Well, maybe not really, but she had learned a few things in her more than five decades in this world.

“You know,” I said, “we can all look back and wish we had or hadn’t done certain things. Decisions of the past can’t be changed, but it would be sad to let those decisions disrupt your happiness right now, in the present.”

Her friends knew her well.

I laughed out loud. “That’s the first time in my life anyone has called me wise. I really thought you knew me better than that.”

Pat giggled. “Jackie may not, but I sure do. Your main character trait is curiosity, Ned.

But, that curiosity sometimes got her into deep trouble–the kind that was deadly.

Before I could stop it, the shock that froze me in place rose from my throat and I screamed. The clatter of falling bricks would surely bring that murderous crew to the kitchen and, if they hadn’t heard that noise, they would have heard my scream. Anyone within two miles could have heard it.

Moonstruck and Murderous, the third Ned McNeil cozy mystery is due out in a few months. Watch for it.

Manos Mysteries