Top Notch (A Mia Murphy Mystery)

Book excerpt: Top Notch is the unpredictably fun and assassin-worthy whodunit starring the endearing and scrappy Mia Murphy and her purloined cat, back in action after the surprise bestseller Double Twist thrust them into the spotlight. No one liked celebrity portrait artist and sexy-times rich recluse Rutherford Callahan, but who would want to kill him? Certainly not Hattie Lawless, the blue-haired senior whose massive nude portrait is currently hanging in the dead guy's studio… But the cops disagree, and so does the evidence. Mia isn't about to let her new bestie spend her golden years behind bars, so once again, she must break her law-abiding promise to herself and get back in the game, dusting off long-buried skills from her criminal childhood. With bodies piling up and threats coming from all directions, Mia and her pals are soon ankle-deep in corpses, diamonds, pickpocketing schemes, celebrity wedding drama, and stolen cinnamon bun recipes. And when it looks like an enemy from Mia's past has targeted her, the stakes suddenly become much more personal. Not even her smoldering FBI handler or an irritatingly attractive bodyguard cop can keep Mia safe if she doesn't play by the rules. And since Mia and rules don't go together…well…things are about to get dangerous. And deadly. And cinnamon-bun delicious. "Mia Murphy is my new favorite character! She is fun, witty and slightly cracked." Five-star Goodreads Review (April M.) "Mia Murphy is reminiscent of Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich’s own book series. Gutsy, clumsy, and yet likable." Five-star Goodreads Review (OnceUponAMaggie) "THIS IS THE COZY SERIES TO READ AND FOLLOW!" Five-star Goodreads Review (LittleRead) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is the author of more than fifty novels. Notably, she is a Vivian® Award nominee, and a RITA® Award winner and a five-time nominee. She loves her puppies, tennis, and being as as sassy and irreverent as her heroines. She's pretty sure dead bodies are better in fiction than real life, but hey, never say never, right?