About Essentials of Murder
Essentials of Murder: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC. (September 24, 2024)
Print length: 283 pages
Digital ASIN: B0DD3W1XPJ
After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father’s position as Oak Creek Valley’s chief of police, most townspeople assume she’s guilty.
Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father’s career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it’s up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it’s too late.
Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.
Character Guest Post
Kim: Thanks so much for
hosting me today, Karen! I appreciate the opportunity to introduce my new
release and my character, Carissa Carmichael, to readers!
Carissa: I’m having a hard time accepting the fact that I’ve had to slink back to my hometown of Oak Creek Valley after having my face splashed all over the national news. How did those San Francisco reporters catch me doing a perp walk? Who tipped them off? To make matters worse, there were handcuffs involved and two scowling officers of the law escorting me to the backseat of their patrol car. Despite the charges against me being dropped, few folks believe in my innocence. It’s especially embarrassing because my dad is Oak Creek’s chief of police, the small tourist town in Southern California where I grew up. People think I should have known better than to get involved in something shady. After returning, I’ve hidden out at the farmhouse I inherited from my grandmother for the past few months. Tucked in the middle of an avocado orchard, I’ve felt safe from prying eyes and nosy reporters.
That’s all about to change. Thanks to the encouragement provided by my San Francisco mentor and friend, Mari, I’m gearing up to open Aromatherapy Apothecary, an aromatherapy and reflexology shop. in downtown Oak Creek Valley. With tourists flooding our town, especially from those in the Los Angeles area looking for a close getaway, I should have plenty of business. Nestled between the Topatopa Mountains, our town has much to offer. There are wineries, art galleries, spas, monthly festivals, outdoor adventures, and, frequently, Hollywood studio film shoots. In the meantime, I’m learning the retail side of running an aromatherapy shop plus distilling essential oils from locally sourced flowers and herbs.
I love spending time in my shop with the soothing fragrance, the way the sunlight filters through the front window, catching the colorful bottles on the shelves. The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, is my next-door shop neighbor’s son. Mystic Candles and Aromatherapy Apothecary should complement each other’s businesses, and the owner, Victoria, and I have already discussed collaboration. However, her son, Russ, thinks I’m going to put his mother out of business. It’s caused many arguments between them, and I get pulled in trying to defend my shop. After Russ pulled a stunt trying to get my shop closed by the city, several townspeople witnessed me yelling at Russ that karma would catch up to him. It was embarrassing letting my emotions get the best of me like that, but it’s what I believed.
And now, a few days
later, I find myself standing over his dead body in my shop. The murder weapon
lying next to him belongs to me. I’m terrified no one will believe I’m
innocent. Will my dad think I could have done this? Will he step aside in the
investigation and bring an outsider in to interrogate me? There’s only one
thing I can do, and that’s call my dad and then hope I can find the killer
before cold steel handcuffs are slapped on my wrists again.
About Kim Davis
She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she's not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
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Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today, Karen! I had so much fun writing about Carissa and I appreciate the opportunity to introduce her and the book to your readers!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita! And thanks for stopping by today and learning more about Carissa!
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