STUCK BOOK TOUR
STUCK by C.T. Collier
Self Published (March 18, 2017)
Paperback: 308 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1544277967
ASIN: B06XQP5VYZ
Meet the Penningtons: Lyssa, Ph.D. Economics, and her husband “the handsome Brit” Kyle, Ph.D. Computer Science. When their clever minds ask questions, clever killers can’t hide.Murder never entered the picture until Fritz Van Derzee decided, at long last, to clear his name. Who stuck a jeweled stiletto into his desktop after stabbing him to death? Fritz’s daughter, Emma, recruits her former professor Lyssa Pennington to find the killer.But where’s the ten million Fritz was falsely accused of embezzling? Tompkins College President, Justin Cushman, hires his old friend Kyle Pennington to trace the missing money.While Lyssa uses charm and tenacity on the long list of suspects, Kyle reconstructs the college’s old homegrown finance system. As they converge on the killer, Lyssa and Kyle may be the next two casualties.
“I’m
running to a murder scene. Yes, it’s urgent.”
Justin
came on the line, and she told him what little she knew.
“For
God’s sake, be careful.”
That
spooked her. But he was right. A man was dead. Was the killer still in the
neighborhood watching the aftermath? Hanging around would be too risky, wouldn’t
it? People in these neighborhoods watched what happened all day. And night.
Someone must have seen something. Heard something.
She
pressed forward the next two blocks and paused at the end of the Van Derzee’s
brick walk. Where were the police? Emma had said she’d called them. Surely they
hadn’t come and removed the body already? And
why leave the door open?
When a penny-pinching American marries a luxury-loving Brit
by C. T. Collier
Trust me, it’s not easy being
married to a wealthy handsome Brit.
I’m Lyssa Pennington, and I’ve been married
just over a year to the love of my life, Kyle. We’re committed to spending the
rest of our lives together, but we’ve got some differences that challenge us.
For starters, Kyle’s casual attitude toward his business and his love of luxury
both terrify me. I want us to have six kids, and I have this nasty little fear
we’re going to go broke putting them though private schools and paying for
their college years and graduate programs.
Kyle swears to me he’s in no danger
of going broke, even with his taste for luxury, but I can’t get my head around
that. I scrimped and saved my entire life to get my doctorate and land an
awesome job as a college professor. It probably doesn’t surprise you that I
teach Financial Literacy and Economic Theory to college students. Everyone says
I’m perfect for the job, and Kyle’s hugely proud of me. But the reality is my
salary isn’t enough to support a family of eight. If anything happens to Kyle’s
business, we’re in trouble. Every penny of his inheritance goes toward keeping
his ancestral home, Pennington House, in good repair, and taking care of his
aging mum.
Trouble comes in three forms for
us: Kyle is determined to spend freely on luxuries, and I totally don’t get
that; I’m so uneasy with his casual management of his business that I can’t
stop myself from grilling him about it; and I’m totally unprepared to dress and
act the part of his corporate wife or the lady of the Pennington Estate.
We’ve neatly negotiated some of
these conflicts, but I’ve had to enlist a really smart friend to help me with
the rest. First the luxuries. While my clothes closet in our master suite has
half a dozen skirts, assorted tops, jeans, two hoodies, ballet flats, and a
bunch of tote bags, Kyle’s clothes occupy an entire room. His custom tailored
suits fill three oversized cedar-lined zippered closets, and his stash of shoes
stacks up against the opposite wall. You’d think, as Brit, he’d know how to
keep his shoes dry, but the man Will Not Wear Overshoes. He’s constantly buying
new Italian leather loafers to replace the once he’s ruined walking to lunch. And
don’t get me started on his jewelry. I guess any other woman would seize the
opportunity to buy jewelry for herself, but I’m just not wired that way.
Truly I wouldn’t be so nudgy about the
money spent on luxuries if Kyle weren’t so blasé about his company. He’s
founder and CEO of Pennington Secure Networks. Based in London and serving
clients all over Europe and Canada, it is the product of his genius. Did I
mention he has a PhD in Computer Science and is one of the world’s experts on
encryption? His clients are his school chums who’ve started their own hugely
successful businesses and rely on Kyle to protect their communication and their
documents. His profits are healthy, but he’s been burned badly by a couple of
recent hires who embezzled enough to get his attention. Honestly, I should
thank them for waking him up to the consequences of sloppy management practice.
He’s been really humbled by the treachery. To my relief, he has asked me to act
as an advisor going forward.
Speaking of advice, I’ve had to
swallow my pride and ask for help, too. My good friend Gianessa is married to
our college president, Justin Cushman, who’s a billionaire. I was a starving
newly minted PhD when I met Kyle, and Gianessa was broke when she met Justin,
so she understands the shock for me marrying into wealth. But unlike the strict
budgeting I learned as a child childhood, Gianessa’s mother spoiled her with extravagant
shopping trips to New York City, and later she married and divorced a high-tech
wizard on the fast track who loved to live large. So Gianessa knows how to
dress the part and which fork to use for the escargot. Whenever I’ve got an
appearance to make, whether it’s at a fine restaurant in Kyle’s native Cornwall
or at a function with one of his clients and all the dignitaries in the
client’s city, I grab Gianessa for a shopping trip and we rehearse every aspect
of my participation. Gianessa’s a lifesaver. Kyle not only approves of her help,
he’s the one who suggested it.
Thinking of it that way, we’ve
really done well, haven’t we? Though we’re ten years apart in age, an ocean
apart in culture, and millions apart in personal finances, Kyle and I love,
honor, and respect each other. I think that’s the key to working out our
differences. That and the willingness to call on expert help when we’re in over
our heads. Maybe it’s time we got started on the six kids; Kyle thinks so, too.
About The Author
C. T. Collier was born to solve logic puzzles, wear tweed, and drink Earl Grey tea. Her professional experience in cutthroat high tech and backstabbing higher education gave her endless opportunity to study intrigue. Add to that her longtime love of mysteries, and it’s no wonder she writes academic mysteries that draw inspiration from traditional whodunits. Her setting is entirely fictional: Tompkins College is no college and every college, and Tompkins Falls is a blend of several Finger Lakes towns, including her hometown, Seneca Falls, NY (AKA Bedford Falls from It’s a Wonderful Life).
Author Links
Website: https://drkatecollier.wordpress.comFacebook: kate.collier.315
Twitter: @TompkinsFalls
- Purchase Links
Barnes & Noble Print: http://tinyurl.com/lpo7dsp
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQP5VYZ/
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/lep4smt
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