An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder

Lynn Cahoon

• Publisher: Kensington Cozies
• Year: 2025
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9781496752116
• Subtopic: Crime & Mystery Literature
• Index: Literature

An irresistible new series from New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon about an amateur sleuth who doesn't just solve crimes, she writes about how to do it…

TIP #1: WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE

Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she's faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed—and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg's honeymoon. At twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it's Meg who could use a rescue—and she's hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.

TIP #2: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW—OR WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW

That's when the lightbulb goes on: Meg will write her own guidebook—a manual on criminal investigation. But before she can impress her new boss with her pet project, the author's agent is found dead on the rocks beneath the author's Gothic mansion. Now it's time to put her guide to the test, as Meg sets out to clear her employer of suspicion and solve the crime. But there's one important caveat she'll have to add to her guide—

TIP #3:  BEWARE OF UNKNOWN DANGERS

Table of contents

• Also by
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide: Tips and Tricks
• CHAPTER 1 - What doesn’t kill you counts as work experience.
• CHAPTER 2 - Thinking about committing a crime isn’t the same as doing it.
• CHAPTER 3 - A person’s history tells a story.
• CHAPTER 4 - Don’t expect professionals to take you seriously. Prove them wrong.
• CHAPTER 5 - The best clues come from under rocks or from people you hate.
• CHAPTER 6 - Dead men tell no tales, but their social media accounts tell plenty.
• CHAPTER 7 - Never wear your best outfit to go sleuthing. Or heels.
• CHAPTER 8 - Strike when the iron is hot—or interview your suspects early, since people’s memories fade with time.
• CHAPTER 9 - If you can get access to the murder site, take pictures of the area. Don’t rely on your memory or sketching skills.
• CHAPTER 10 - Everyone is a suspect....
• CHAPTER 11 - Everyone’s a suspect . . . including your friends and family.
• CHAPTER 12 - Having too many suspects is a good thing.
• CHAPTER 13 - The clopping of hooves is rarely from zebras.
• CHAPTER 14 - Sometimes the answer is in plain sight. Cameras are everywhere.
• CHAPTER 15 - You might catch more flies with honey, but who wants flies?
• CHAPTER 16 - Know your victim, find your killer.
• CHAPTER 17 - Nancy Drew made this job look easy.
• CHAPTER 18 - A good investigator sees the details that others blow off.
• CHAPTER 19 - Changing your plan midstream isn’t failing. It just feels like it is.
• CHAPTER 20 - People may not like you or your questions during an investigation. Including your friends.
• CHAPTER 21 - Sometimes going back to the beginning helps you see what you’re missing.
• CHAPTER 22 - Even when you think you’re right, you may be wrong.
• CHAPTER 23 - Sometimes the Fates put you on the exact path where you need to be.
• CHAPTER 24 - When you’re done, you find out you have more questions....
• Murderous Mac and Cheese
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS