The Boardwalk Isn't Boring by Jill Piscitello #CozyMystery

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome guest, Jill Piscitello for Muse Monday. Being a western gal with no experience of eastern boardwalks, I'm fascinated. She gives us a good visual. Enjoy! 

I recently came across an article featuring the top beach boardwalks in the country and was thrilled to see Hampton Beach, NH, included on the list. One of the reasons I chose Hampton for the setting of A Sour Note was its bustling boardwalk. Every inch of the mile long stretch offers something to delight the senses. Bells and alarms peal out from arcades. Live music resonates from restaurants. In need of a dress, cover-up, swimsuit, flip flops, candy, ice cream, food choices, lemonade, sunblock, or beach toys? If you can name it, you’ll likely find it amongst the countless shops.  

Growing up in New England, I loved visiting Cape Cod with its pristine beaches. But my heart belonged to Nantasket Beach with its own boardwalk, waterslides, and beloved amusement park, Paragon Park. When developers swept in and replaced the park with condominiums, few landmarks remained with the exception of the carousel. 

I didn’t see another boardwalk to rival the Nantasket of my childhood memories until I met my husband and ventured north to Hampton Beach. I’d grown so accustomed to beautiful beaches with the simple pleasures of sand and ocean that the sights and sounds seemed almost too much for me to take in. But when I had children of my own, I saw the setting through their eyes. Hungry? Take your pick from any number of food stands and restaurants. Bored? Visit the arcade or enormous playground overlooking the beach. Need a bathroom? There’s always one nearby. Looking for adventure? Creep and climb over stretches of rocks and find a variety of sea creatures nestled in the sand and seaweed. How do you entertain the family after dinner? They have a band for that. Every night, groups of talented singers and musicians take the stage while the audience sings and dances along under the stars—unless it’s a Wednesday night when the weekly fireworks blaze overhead. 

Sure, sometimes it’s nice to visit a beach offering only peace and beauty. But for my family, summer isn’t summer without at least a few trips to our favorite boardwalk. 

A Sour Note (A Music Box Mystery)

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Blurb:

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

Excerpt:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks. 

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

About the Author:

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

 

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes. 

Social media links:

Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub