A Novel Death: a Danger Cove Bookshop Mystery (Danger Cove Mysteries Book 10) Read Free Page A

determined to make the best of it. Having a fresh start was what I needed.
    And I was pretty close to believing my internal pep talk. I'd even convinced myself to come up with the author events. If nothing else, it was definitely keeping me busy.
    It was a fairly quiet morning at The Clip and Sip, so I jumped into Cal Montague's book, starting with the dedication—a vague appreciation of his family's support through the years. I was just starting the lengthy acknowledgments, when I noticed the stout, older woman next to me craning her head to look at the cover. When she realized I caught her, she gave me a knowing stare.
    "That's Cal Montague."
    I nodded and held up the book. "Yes, his autobiography. He's coming next Saturday to sign his book at Dangerous Reads."
    Before she could object, I shoved a flyer into her hands and introduced myself.
    "Oh, yes, Meri Sinclair. I knew your grandma, may she rest in peace. I'm Donna Bocca," she said, shaking my hand with a bone-crushing grip. "So you're running the bookshop now? Why on earth did you invite Cal Montague back to Danger Cove?"
    Donna took the book from my hand without asking and studied the cover with a frown that emphasized her faint mustache.
    "Well, it's his hometown," I said. "Do you know him?"
    She smirked, and her wide nostrils flared. "Years ago, sure. And I know his ex-wife."
    Gia Di Mitri, a young and flashy stylist, teetered over to us on stiletto heels that made me nervous just watching her. She took the book out of Donna's hands with a curious look. "Who's this ?"
    "Cal Montague," I said. "He's an actor. Grew up here in Danger Cove."
    I stuffed a flyer into Gia's hand, too, just for good measure.
    "An actor, huh?" Gia said, tossing her hair as she flipped to the back cover.
    "He used to be married to Pippa Montague," Donna said with a knowing nod at Gia before she ripped the book away from the stylist. "And I have to tell you, Pippa Montague is not going to be happy about this."
    "Why not?" I asked.
    "Oh, honey. Their divorce was legendary back in the day. It was all anyone talked about for months," Donna said, handing me the book. "This could get interesting. I may have to come by the bookstore and check it out."
    "It's been a long time since the divorce, right? I'm sure things have settled down," I said, handing Gia a stack of the flyers. "The reading will be fun. Can I leave these here for your clients?"
    "Oh, yeah," she said, putting the papers on the counter near the cash register. "Sounds like fun. Especially if Pippa Montague comes."
    "What do you mean?"
    Donna and Gia exchanged a glance, and the stylist tilted her head a little. "Pippa's a little, I don't know, uptight?"
    "Angry. Bitter. Snooty," Donna said, helping round out the description of Cal's ex-wife. "And let's just say that Cal isn't the only overly dramatic one in that family. You're too young to remember the drama. But it was a big deal when Cal married Pippa. She was just out of high school, and he was off working in movies. Then they moved off to New York City for a time, but she hated it there. He got a part in Hollywood, so they moved there, and oh, she really hated that."
    Gia plopped down on a padded ottoman like it was story time at the library. "What happened next?"
    Donna leaned forward, happy to have an audience. "When their son was born, they moved back to Danger Cove and bought a house in Craggy Hills Estates. But Cal was rarely there—always flying off to Los Angeles or New York or London."
    "Is that why they divorced?" I asked.
    Donna shrugged. "I heard it was because Cal was quite the ladies' man. But you know, that's just gossip. Pippa made out like a bandit in the divorce though. Which was only right, after a decade of putting up with Cal."
    I was beginning to think that Cal's book might be more interesting than I originally estimated, and it sounded like it was of particular interest to the local community.
    "Well, I'm just so excited that we'll get to hear him read