Competition Can Be Murder

Book excerpt: Praise for USA Today bestseller Connie Shelton and the Charlie Parker mysteries: "Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes." --The Midwest Book Review "Charlie is slick, appealing, and nobody's fool. Just what readers want in an amateur sleuth." --Booklist Charlie and Drake are spending a few months in Scotland, fulfilling a helicopter contract for a friend. Flying over the frigid North Sea is dangerous enough, but they soon learn that there is an ongoing feud between the helicopter operators in the area and the union-run boat operators. Charlie and Drake find themselves right in the midst of the battle. The upside of the assignment is that they are experiencing life on a Scottish estate, living in a rented cottage on the elegant grounds of historic Dunworthy Castle. The resident lord and lady of the manor have problems of their own--several valuable lambs from their flock have gone missing and Robert Dunbar wants Charlie to investigate. And then there is the Dunbar's grandson, Richie, who is visiting with two friends. When Richie is kidnapped and the ransom demands begin, Charlie tries to convince the Dunbars to call the police but they resist. Before she knows it, Charlie finds herself pulled into the vortex of that dark mystery. Editorial comments about the Charlie Parker mysteries: "...will enthrall purists. Charlie is a fabulous amateur sleuth." -- Midwest Book Review "Charlie is a good detective and a pleasant companion to unravel a mystery with." -- Mystery News Search words: mystery, mystery series, crime fiction, Scotland mysteries, amateur sleuth, female sleuth, series books, kidnapping mystery, international mystery