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    Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1)
    Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1)
    Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1)
    Ebook91 pages1 hour

    Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1)

    By Peggy Webb

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    About this ebook

    Maggie Wild had it all—an Olympic Gold medal as the best sharpshooter on Team U.S.A., a job at Coselli’s Restaurant and an engagement to her employer’s son--until she stumbled upon the secret activities of the Coselli family. Now she’s on the run, hiding out in New Orleans with the eccentric great aunts who fly under the radar of family and press alike. What could be safer than two little old ladies who own a lotion and potion shop and think their cat can talk?

    Maggie hadn’t counted on murder in their knitting circle. Nor had she expected to have a roommate in her apartment above the Charmed Cat, a hunky PI who could uncover her secrets as easily and he uncovered her weak spot for exactly the wrong man. But the biggest surprise is the aunts, Grace and Pearl Delaney, who have more secrets than the FBI. Can she help them solve a murder before her cover is blown and she becomes the next victim?

    Read Magnolia Vanishes and find out why reviewers call the Charmed Cat cozies “...a bestselling series that is the perfect combination of mystery, romance and just plain fun!”

    “Zany characters combine with a witty plot in a cozy sure to please series fans and attract new ones.”
    --Publishers Weekly

    “Webb’s sly sense of humor and neatly plotted mystery is laugh-out-loud hilarious.”
    --Romantic Times
    “Webb writes purely funny scenes, with wacky characters...and southern flair.”
    --Booklist

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPeggy Webb
    Release dateMay 7, 2019
    ISBN9781370322985
    Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1)
    Author

    Peggy Webb

    Peggy Webb is the author of 200 magazine humor columns, 2 screenplays, and 70 books.

    Read more from Peggy Webb

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      Book preview

      Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1) - Peggy Webb

      A Charmed Cat Mystery

      In Which

      Magnolia Wild Vanishes

      (Book 1)

      Peggy Webb

      Clever and wickedly witty…

      Tom Wilson, creator of Ziggy ©

      WH

      Westmoreland House

      Magnolia Wild Vanishes (A Charmed Cat Mystery, Book 1) © 2019 by Peggy Webb

      Published by Westmoreland House

      Smashwords Edition

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

      Cover Design 2019 by Vicki Hinze

      All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the written permission of the author and publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

      First Printing: October 2019

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      Table of Contents

      Note from Peggy

      Chapter 1, In which life deals a big surprise

      Chapter 2, In which Magnolia escapes

      Chapter 3, In which lavender and crime don’t mix

      Chapter 4, In which Houdini discovers Fury Road and more

      Chapter 5, In which the Delaneys hatch devious plans

      Chapter 6, In which complications develop

      Chapter 7, In which Houdini fingers a killer

      Chapter 8, In which a disguise saves the day

      Chapter 9, In which the jig is almost up

      Chapter 10, In which a horse of a different color arrives

      Chapter 11, In which Houdini becomes a hero

      Chapter 12, In which a killer is revealed

      Read More

      About the Author

      Note from Peggy

      Welcome to the zany world of my new Charmed Cat Mystery series. I hope you’ll love the Delaney sisters, their magical cat Houdini, and their feisty great niece who knows more about guns than lipstick.

      Each Charmed Cat Mystery will be a novella, perfect for a beach read or a break from routine when you need a lively dose of humor and a good whodunit.

      If you’ve enjoyed my Southern Cousins Mystery series, starring Elvis, the basset hound who thinks he’s the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, you’re going to love the Charmed Cat cozies. In fact, I tucked a Charmed Cat short story prequel into the back of my most recent Southern Cousins mystery, Elvis and the Devil in Disguise.

      Thanks for reading!

      Peggy Webb

      Chapter 1

      In which life deals a big surprise

      A Volkswagen Beetle does not make a good getaway car. As I barreled down the New Jersey Turnpike in the darkness like a one-eyed Cyclops, I wondered who would catch me first, the cops or the Mafia. My Beetle is older than dirt and barely holding together. It has a missing headlight and a top speed of fifty-five miles an hour. If I got stopped by the cops, I’d end up under the jail. I was packing more heat than Rambo.

      But I wasn’t half as worried about the cops as I was about Nick Coselli, toughest bad boy in the northeast and favorite son of the Coselli family, the Coselli mob family. Until two hours ago, I was also Nick’s fiancée.

      When I first decided to give his ring back, I had a hunch it would end badly. I just didn’t know how bad it would get.

      Earlier this evening I wasn’t even thinking about taking a trip, let alone throwing my clothes and my weapons into the car and hightailing it south. I’d been in the midst of my cheap single bedroom apartment among my garage sale furniture, handing my engagement ring back to Nick. Reluctantly, I might add. It was a ten-carat, emerald cut diamond solitaire. For one greedy moment, I hoped he’d throw the ring back at me.

      He doesn’t rejection well. Tonight was no exception.

      What the devil is this, Maggie? He stared at the ring as if it had landed in his palm from Mars. Have you lost your mind?

      No, I’ve found it. I’m quitting my job and you, too. He just kept staring at the ring like it was going to rise up and bite him. I’m not ready for marriage.

      He pocketed the ring very carefully, a man barely hanging onto control by his freshly buffed fingernails. I should have known better than to fall for a man who has his nails and hair done more often than I do.

      I don’t ever let go of what’s mine. And Maggie, make no mistake about it. You’re mine.

      I don’t belong to anybody. That’s part of the problem, Nick. You never could seem to get it through your thick skull that you don’t own me.

      You can’t ditch me.

      I already did.

      Do you think it’s that easy? His smile was more chilling than the sight of the garbage going out of Coselli’s restaurant.

      I waitress there or used to. And yes, I know I’ve blown all kinds of job opportunities—me, Maggie Wild, winner of Olympic gold, the best sharpshooter on Team USA. But that’s an old story for another day.

      Anyhow, a week ago I was working the late shift and decided I was too tired to drive myself home. I would call Nick to pick me up at the restaurant. I went into the bathroom, splashed water on my face and did major repairs to my hair. There was nothing I could do about the smell. My clothes and hair reeked of garlic and Italian meatballs. Fortunately, that happened to be Nick’s favorite bouquet of scents.

      I guess I took longer in the bathroom than I’d meant to. When I emerged, all the lights were off except a small glow coming from the kitchen. I hurried back there, thinking I’d see the chef and tell him I was still in the restaurant. He likes to set up for the next day’s business and is often the last to leave.

      Instead I saw Nick’s brother, Rocco, toting out a garbage bag wearing pink toenail polish. Actually, what I saw was a women’s foot sticking out of the garbage bag, the toes sporting a color I’d call Pepto Bismol pink. A wimpy color. If you’re going to paint your toenails, go for something bold. Red or chrome green or even black. Still, I guess whoever was in that bag didn’t count on the color of her toenail polish being the last impression she’d ever make.

      Nick had always called his brother the Fixer, but I thought he was talking about Rocco’s ability to get the best Broadway show tickets at the last minute. I never dreamed he was

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