PRAISE FOR
A Touch of Gold
“Paranormal amateur-sleuth fans will enjoy observing Dae use cognitive and ESP mental processes to uncover a murderer . . . Readers will enjoy Team Lavene’s second Dae in a life of a Duck tale.”
—Midwest Book Review
PRAISE FOR
A Timely Vision
“Grabbed my attention on page one . . . Puzzles are unraveled and secrets spilled in a fast-paced paranormal mystery full of quirky characters you’ll want as friends.”
—Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of Pretty Is as Pretty Dies
“A delightful yarn . . . Kept me turning pages until it was done.”
—Patricia Sprinkle, author of Friday’s Daughter
“Filled with likable (if eccentric) characters and boasts a vividly realized small-town setting.”
—Booklist
“This opening act of a new amateur sleuth is a wonderful mystery due to memorable eccentric characters including Duck. The whodunit is complicated enough to keep readers entertained and stymied . . . The heroine is sassy and spunky . . . Joyce and Jim Lavene have . . . another hit series.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A leisurely mystery that had me guessing almost ’til the very end . . . It was fun and the characters were likable . . . I could almost smell and feel the salty sea air of Duck as I was reading.”
—A Cup of Tea and a Cozy for Me
“This is a mystery with strong characters, a vivid sense of place, and touches of humor and the paranormal. A Timely Vision is one of the best traditional mysteries I’ve read this year.”
—Lesa’s Book Critiques
PRAISE FOR
Wicked Weaves
“Offers a vibrant background for the mysterious goings-on and the colorful cast of characters.”
—Kaye Morgan, author of Celebrity Sudoku
“Fast-paced, clever, delightful.”
—John Lamb, author of The Treacherous Teddy
“Jolly . . . Serves up medieval murder and mayhem.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] new exciting . . . series . . . Part of the fun of this solid whodunit is the vivid description of the Renaissance Village; anyone who has not been to one will want to go . . . Cleverly developed.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Joyce and Jim Lavene have teamed up for yet another terrific mystery series . . . A feast for the reader . . . Character development in this new series is energetic and eloquent; Jessie is charming and intelligent, with . . . saucy strength.”
—MyShelf.com
“I cannot imagine a cozier setting than Renaissance Faire Village, a closed community of rather eccentric—and very interesting—characters, [with] lots of potential . . . A great start to a new series by a veteran duo of mystery authors.”
—Cozy Library
PRAISE FOR THE PEGGY LEE GARDEN MYSTERIES
Poisoned Petals
“A delightful botany mystery.”
—The Best Reviews
“A top-notch, over-the-fence mystery read with beloved characters, a fast-paced story line, and a wallop of an ending.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Enjoy this pleasurable read!”
—Mystery Morgue
Fruit of the Poisoned Tree
“I cannot recommend this work highly enough. It has everything: mystery, wonderful characters, sinister plot, humor, and even romance.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Well-crafted with a satisfying end that will leave readers wanting more!”
—Fresh Fiction
Pretty Poison
“With a touch of romance added to this delightful mystery, one can only hope many more Peggy Lee Mysteries will be hitting shelves soon!”
—Roundtable Reviews
“A fantastic amateur-sleuth mystery.”
—The Best Reviews
“For anyone with even a modicum of interest in gardening, this book is a lot of fun.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“The perfect book if you’re looking for a great suspense.”
—Romance Junkies
Perfect Poison
“A fabulous whodunit that will keep readers guessing and happily turning pages to the unexpected end. Peggy Less is a most entertaining sleuth and her Southern gentility is like a breath of fresh air . . . [A] keeper!”
—Fresh Fiction
“A fascinating whodunit with unusual but plausible twists and plenty of red herrings.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries
PRETTY POISON
FRUIT OF THE POISONED TREE
POISONED PETALS
PERFECT POISON
A CORPSE FOR YEW
Renaissance Faire Mysteries
WICKED WEAVES
GHASTLY GLASS
DEADLY DAGGERS
HARROWING HATS
Missing Pieces Mysteries
A TIMELY VISION
A TOUCH OF GOLD
A SPIRITED GIFT
Copyright © 2011 by Jim and Joyce Lavene.
All rights reserved.
We’d like to dedicate this book to Chris and Jamie,
who helped us know Duck better—and find out
where all the skeletons are buried.
Thanks! J & J
Chapter 1
“I’m nervous.”
“There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just hold my hands and close your eyes.”
I did as my friend Shayla Lily said. We were seated at an old rosewood table that had once served as a spot where Thomas Jefferson ate breakfast and attended to his morning business. In the candlelight, the aged patina glowed, making shadows and depth in the wood.
“I can’t help it,” I said, even though I knew I was supposed to be quiet. “It’s been a year.”
“It’s just like riding a horse, sweetie. Except you’re on back this time and I have the reins.” Shayla tossed her rich black hair and took a deep breath. “Are you ready now?”
I wasn’t really sure if I was. It had become ritual for Shayla and me to meet on my mother’s birthday, October 15. Shayla was a medium who’d lived in Duck for the last few years. Contacting my dead mother was what had brought us together originally. Now we were friends—even though our personalities were very different.