{"product_id":"assault-and-buttery-isbn-9780425280935","title":"Assault and Buttery","description":"\u003cb\u003eWith her poodle, Sprocket, popcorn entrepreneur Rebecca Anderson must bag a killer in the latest Popcorn Shop Mystery from the author of \u003ci\u003ePop Goes the Murder\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRepairs are under way at Rebecca Anderson’s gourmet popcorn shop. With production of her tasty treats on hold, Rebecca has plenty of time to read the old diary she discovered hidden in the shop’s walls. It’s a fun peek into her town’s history…until the diary’s abrupt ending leaves Rebecca wondering whether she’s actually stumbled upon a cold case.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnfortunately for Rebecca, mysteries are popping up right and left. When local busybody Lloyd McLaughlin is found dead, the police suspect he was poisoned by Rebecca’s popcorn. But Rebecca has only made one batch of popcorn recently, and it wasn’t intended for Lloyd. Nothing about Lloyd’s death makes sense—until Rebecca discovers a startling connection between the missing diary-writer and the murdered man.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, with her reputation on the line, Rebecca must discover who’s been cooking up murder—both in the past and in the present.\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Popcorn Shop Mysteries\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Popping with a protagonist full of heart and a great poodle sidekick.”—Open Book Society\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Uniquely clever and funny.”—Kings River Life Magazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A wry, witty voice that had me laughing out loud, a truly puzzling mystery plot, and a popcorn shop setting that earns its place with clever clues aplenty.”—Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Day She Died\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kristi Abbott plunges the reader headlong into a mystery that is full of red herrings, and yummy food and recipes…Read \u003ci\u003eKernel of Truth\u003c\/i\u003e—you won’t regret it!” —Fresh Fiction\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kick back, pick up a snack and enjoy this entrée into the Popcorn Shop Mysteries. The heroine is delightfully sarcastic, but with a sweet spirit, and she refuses to give up on her dreams. The supporting cast runs the gamut from a potential love interest to a flaky ex-husband, and readers will be charmed by each of them.”—RT Book Reviews\u003cb\u003eKristi Abbott\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the Popcorn Shop Mysteries, including \u003ci\u003ePop Goes the Murder\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKernel of Truth\u003c\/i\u003e.One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I walked over to the bars of my jail cell. \"Hey! Anybody out      there? I want my phone call. Don't I get a phone call?\" My voice      echoed down the short hallway. I could practically hear it      bouncing off the door that shut the cell block off from the      Sheriff's Department.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Nobody answered. I waited a few minutes, then yelled again. More      echoes. Still no answers. Something made my heart flutter. Not in      a good \"I just saw a boy I think is cute\" way. In a bad \"how did I      end up in this bank of four cells off a concrete hallway with a      big old steel door at the end?\" kind of way. I wasn't sure what it      was that made the flutter, but I thought it might be fear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Well, screw fear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I flung myself onto my bunk and immediately regretted it. The      mattress was beyond thin. The metal springs beneath it      reverberated up my spine and made my head ache. I needed to come      up with a plan. I needed to think. Too bad the red-hot haze of      fury covered everything in my brain with a deep coat of rage. The      rage did help push the fear to the far edges of my consciousness,      though, so it wasn't entirely useless. I pulled my legs up      crisscross-applesauce and tried to do some of the deep-breathing      exercises Annie, my flower-child-in-more-than-one-way friend, had      been teaching me to help deal with the stress of having my kitchen      under construction again. Not cooking was hard on me. Having my      business close just as I was starting to get it off the ground was      even harder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At first I sounded like a horse that had been ridden hard and put      away wet. Nothing but deep snorts out of my nose. They echoed off      the cement-block walls around me. After a few repetitions,      however, the red haze in my head receded to a pinkish tone and      then down almost to a rosy hue and my breathing became even and      deep. Tension flowed out of my neck and shoulders, down my arms      and out my fingertips. I wouldn't say I was at peace, but I could      think in something other than expletives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You settling down now?\" A woman lay on the bottom bunk of the      cell next to mine, her arm flung up over her face. I'd been so      angry about my situation and intent on letting the world know it,      I hadn't even noticed her there when I'd been led in or when my      cell had been locked behind me or when Sheriff Dan Cooper, my      brother-in-law and the person I considered my best friend, had      then walked out of the cell block and shut the door behind him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It took me a few minutes to recognize the woman in the cell. I was      used to seeing her with her hair done, her makeup perfect, her      designer clothes pressed and lovely, not in an orange jumpsuit and      with an inch of gray roots showing on her scalp and without so      much as lip gloss. \"Hi, Cathy, I didn't realize this was where you      were.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Did you think I was on a cruise to the Bahamas?\" She didn't move      her arm from her face. \"Or perhaps spending a little time in      Paris?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I hadn't thought that. I hadn't thought much since I'd read about      her arrest on the front page of the Grand Lake Sentinel. It had      been big news. Of course, my various arrests had also been      front-page news in the Sentinel, too. This current one hadn't      appeared yet, but given time I was sure they'd get to it. I hoped      they wouldn't use my mug shot this time. It never looked good.      Something about the lighting was permanently unflattering. I'm on      the pale side. Fluorescents totally wash me out. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The difference between the news of my various arrests and Cathy's,      however, was that it looked like Cathy might actually have done      what she was accused of doing. I was always innocent of all      charges. Well, innocent-ish, at the very least. \"No. I guess I      hadn't thought about where you would be while you waited for your      trial,\" I finally answered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"When all your assets are seized as evidence in an investigation,      it's a little tricky to make your bail.\" She turned on her side so      her back was to me. I had been dismissed. Whatever. It wasn't like      I'd be here long. It was all a mistake, a miscarriage of justice,      a terrible blunder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I went back to the bars and yelled some more. No one came until I      resorted to running my comb up and down the bars and yelling,      \"Attica! Attica!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The green metal door at the end of the corridor flew open. All six      foot two inches of Deputy Glenn Huerta strode in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Settle down,\" he growled at me. \"Why on earth are you making a      ruckus?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Because I haven't had my phone call.\" I crossed my arms over my      chest and glared up at him. I'm tall, but Glenn's taller. And      broader. And significantly more muscly. I didn't care. I was not      backing down. I was pissed and I was pretty sure my rights were      being violated in some way. Perhaps dozens of ways. The man would      not keep me down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Glenn snorted. \"You don't have a lawyer. I heard Garrett fired you      as a client. Who you gonna call?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I resisted the temptation to answer with \"Ghostbusters.\" It wasn't      a joking matter. Glenn had heard right. My boyfriend, who had also      been my lawyer through a few misadventures, was part of the reason      I was locked up in the first place. So I said, \"I'm going to call      your girlfriend.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I don't have a girlfriend.\" He blushed, though.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah. Right. You don't have a girlfriend and I don't have a knife      sharpener.\" The rage was seeping back. I took another step toward      my bars to go eyeball to eyeball with Huerta. \"I. Want. My. Phone.      Call.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He glared, but said, \"I'll see what I can do.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I'd mentioned Glenn's girlfriend, I had been referring to      Cynthia Harlen. Cynthia was a kick-ass lawyer, a real looker, and      Garrett's ex. I couldn't think of a more perfect choice to get me      out of my present pickle. She'd do the job and we'd piss off      Garrett and Dan in the process, which suited me just fine. The two      of them had pissed me off plenty. Huerta hadn't pissed me off, but      it was fun to watch Cynthia and him when they were around each      other. Whenever she and Huerta were in the same room together, the      sexual tension was so thick I doubt I could have cut it with my      sharpest knife, and I have some pretty damn sharp knives. I hadn't      been joking about my sharpener.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I went back to my bunk and sat down more carefully. I'm not sure      what that mattress was, but it was definitely not a pillow top. My      back was going to kill me if I had to sleep on that thing. I      wouldn't have to, though. Cynthia would get me out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I looked around, but there really wasn't anything to look at. My      cell had one bunk bed, one sink and one metal toilet with no seat.      There wasn't even any interesting graffiti on the walls, nothing      to distract myself with to make the time go faster. I twisted      around so I was facing Cathy's cell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You've been in here the whole time? Since your arrest?\" I asked      her back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There was a hesitation, then she rolled over so she was facing me.      \"Yep. Right here. Except for the hour each day that I get to go      out and exercise. Oh, and shower time. That's always a treat.\" She      did look pale. And haggard. Her skin looked rough and dry. Did I      mention those gray roots?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I didn't feel sorry for her, though. If the accusations that were      leveled against her were true-and the evidence being stacked up      certainly made it look that way-she deserved it. She'd been the      city comptroller for six years. One of the most trusted women in      Grand Lake. She'd been the project manager for pretty much every      improvement in the town. Every pothole that got filled. Every new      ramada put up in a park. Every expansion to the library went      through Cathy Hanover. She'd been efficient and calm and      resourceful. That had been true of how she'd run those projects      and also apparently true of how she'd bilked tens of thousands of      dollars from the city of Grand Lake over the last six years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It had been a clever scam, really. She'd created fake vendors,      complete with bank accounts in nearby towns. Then those vendors      had bid on projects being done in Grand Lake. Not big stuff. Not      the renovation of the high school cafeteria that had cost      thousands and thousands of dollars. Little things. Supplying paper      towels or nails for other projects. A few hundred dollars here. A      few there. Nothing big enough to make anyone raise an eyebrow, but      plenty once it added up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"So what are you in for?\" she asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Obstruction of justice.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She put her arm back over her eyes. \"Amateur.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It hadnÕt been my intention to obstruct justice. IÕd actually been      seeking justice when I showed up at Lloyd McLaughlinÕs wake. Of      course, it was mainly justice for me, although I figured Lloyd      would get a little bit along the way. Call it enlightened      self-interest. So enlightened, in fact, that I didnÕt even feel      bad that he wasnÕt my first priority. Well, not super bad. After      all, I hadnÕt even known who Lloyd was when he died. IÕd first      heard about his death at dinner with my sister, Haley; my bestie      brother-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e in-law, Sheriff Dan Cooper; and my boo, who was at that time still      my lawyer, Garrett Mills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You okay?\" I'd asked Dan as we cleared the table. His plate had      still been half full at the end of the meal and he was usually      nothing if not a good eater. It all seemed to go directly to his      shoulders, which were broad and strong, but he was almost always a      member of the clean-plate club, especially if I helped cook.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I saw something today I can't seem to unsee.\" He'd winced. \"It's      actually more that I smelled something that I can't seem to      unsmell.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What happened?\" That did not sound good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm surprised you don't already know.\" He'd crossed his arms over      his chest and shot me some side-eye. \"You seem to know about      almost everything that goes on in this town before I do.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I knew what he meant although I didn't think he should get pissy      with me about it. I didn't set out to be one of the premier stops      on the gossip underground of Grand Lake. It just happened that      way. Besides, it wasn't that way at the moment. \"My gossip lines      have dried up with the shop being closed.\" My gourmet popcorn      shop, POPS, was closed while damage from a grease fire was being      repaired. \"Most of the time I heard stuff because people come in      for a cup of coffee and some Coco Pop Fudge. No shop. No Coco Pop.      No Coco Pop. No gossip. It's not like I go out seeking it. It      comes to me. It probably helps that nobody sees me as The Man.\"      Sharing a juicy tidbit with someone who gives you chocolate is      totally different than informing on someone to the local      constabulary.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"She's right,\" Garrett said. \"No one wants to be a rat. Snitches      get stitches.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I smiled at him for backing me up. And for being generally a nice      guy. And for being cute. And for being a good kisser.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dan looked down at his uniform. \"I can see that.\" He hesitated a      moment more and then blurted, \"Lloyd McLaughlin died.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The name hadn't rung one single bell for me, not even a tinkle of      the smallest kind of bell. \"Who?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Lloyd McLaughlin. Lives-lived-out by Highway 2 in one of the new      developments. Did some kind of computer consulting,\" Dan said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I shook my head. \"Nope. Never heard of him. I apparently didn't go      to high school with him and he apparently doesn't eat popcorn.\"      Those would be the two main ways I knew everyone whom I knew here      in Grand Lake. \"How did he die?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We're not sure yet, but it didn't look natural.\" That pained      expression passed over Dan's face. \"However he died, it was      messy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I paused, mid-plate scrape. \"Murder? Again?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dan rubbed his face. \"I know. It's getting to be a little too      commonplace around here for my tastes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Way too commonplace,\" Haley said. She glanced over at me from her      spot at the end of the table. Baby Emily slept peacefully in her      arms. Haley looked like she was about two seconds from sleep      herself. \"You know before you moved back we hadn't had a murder in      Grand Lake since Clea Tamarack hit her husband over the head with      a frying pan for forgetting to pick up milk on the way home, and      there are some who still count that as accidental.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How on earth could that be seen as accidental?\" Garrett asked. He      hadn't lived here long and was still learning our ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Haley shrugged. \"She said she was waving the pan in the air to dry      it and Albert's head got in the way.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Garrett stared. \"And people believed her?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Haley shifted my niece in her arms and stuck her hand out and made      a comme ci, comme a gesture. \"Nothing's impossible and Albert was      really frustrating. Still, that was the last one before you moved      home.\" She pointed at me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're blaming me?\" I stared at my sister in disbelief.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She readjusted the baby in her arms. \"No, but it's starting to      feel weird. You know what I mean?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I did. I didn't want to admit it, but I did. This would be the      third murder in less than a year. I sat down next to Dan. \"I take      it the scene was pretty bad.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He leaned back in his chair and let his head loll back. \"It wasn't      a day on the lake, that's for sure.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I put my hand over his. I knew all too well what it felt like to      stumble across a dead body. I knew how it could haunt you, popping      into your mind at the most inopportune moments. I knew how it      could change how you saw your life. And your food. \"Anything I can      do?\" I asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He shot bolt upright. \"No. There's absolutely nothing you can do.      This has nothing to do with you and you need to stay out of it,      Rebecca. I'm serious.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I sat back, stung. \"I know that. I don't even know who this Lloyd      guy is. Why on earth would I have anything to do with it?\"","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300111634661,"sku":"NP9780425280935","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425280935.jpg?v=1742918746","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/assault-and-buttery-isbn-9780425280935","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}