ABOUT THE BOOK:
Coop's case takes an unexpected twist when he discovers the dead body of his latest client.A newcomer to Nashville with a troublesome problem requests an emergency meeting with private detective Cooper “Coop” Harrington. When she fails to keep her appointment, Coop and Annabelle, his faithful friend and assistant, become worried and go in search of their new client. Their hopes for a quiet Sunday are dashed when they discover her dead body.
Coop and Annabelle find themselves immersed in the investigation, uncovering tenuous links to a handful of suspects. With the help of his loyal golden retriever, Gus, and meddling but well-meaning Aunt Camille, Coop works to untangle the web of connections to expose the motive and identity of the killer before anyone else is murdered.
EXCERPT FROM DEADLY CONNECTION: A COOPER HARRINGTON DETECTIVE NOVEL (BOOK 2)
Friday morning, Coop was ensconced in his favorite booth at Peg’s Pancakes across from his best friend and Chief of Detectives, Ben Mason. They had been meeting for breakfast every Friday for the last twenty years, having met in school at Vanderbilt. Although they couldn’t be more unalike in looks, with Ben short, stocky, and balding, and Coop tall and lanky, with a full head of dark hair, they were closer than brothers. They were discussing the current state of crime in Nashville, with Ben focused on the recent hit and run.
“So, no leads yet?” asked Coop.
Ben shook his head and moved his coffee cup to make room for Myrtle’s delivery. She placed two heaping plates in front of each of them. “Y’all eat up now. Anything else for my two favorite men?”
Coop smiled. “Looks delicious. I just need AB’s order before we leave.”
Myrtle smiled and turned to retrieve the coffee pot. She refilled their cups and said, “I’d never forget that sweet girl. I’ll be back with her box in a jiffy.”
“No leads. From the camera feeds it looks like a black SUV, no plates, nothing to identify it, and dark windows. We’re trying to enhance everything, but with the rain and the reflection of the lights, the quality is horrible.”
Coop shook his head. “Tragic situation all around. Looked like a nice kid.”
Ben nodded as he stuffed a wedge of pancake in his mouth. “Nobody had anything negative to say about him. I can’t figure out why the car didn’t stop though. Speeding away doesn’t help your case when you’ve hit a man.”
Myrtle returned with the check and a box she placed in front of Coop. “There y’all be.”
Ben’s phone rang and he wiped the syrup from his mouth and answered. “Got it. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He disconnected and took a swig of his coffee.
“Gotta run?”
Ben nodded. “Homicide in Bells Bend. Guy shot to death while running.”
“Another reason I don’t like exercise,” said Coop, puffing up his chest so Ben could get a look at his t-shirt of the day. It read, Exercise? I thought you said extra fries.
Ben smirked and shook his head. He threw some bills on the table. “My turn this week. Give AB a hug from me.”
“Catch ya later,” waved Coop, as Ben slid out of the booth.
Myrtle came by the table and let out a tsk. “That poor man never gets to enjoy a meal anymore.” She filled Coop’s cup. “Too many hooligans in the world today.”
“There’s been a murder. He had to go.” He shoved the money and the check to Myrtle. “Keep the change.”
She beamed and tucked the money in her apron pocket. “See you boys next week.”
Coop gathered the box and took one more gulp from his cup before leaving through the glass doors, festooned with holly and berries for the holidays. He jumped in the Jeep and Gus lifted his head, sniffing the box.
“That’s not for you, big guy.” Coop petted the golden retriever’s head, causing a thumping frenzy of the dog’s tail.
He drove the few blocks to Harrington and Associates and parked behind the renovated three-story home that served as his offices. Gus bounded out of the Jeep and waited by the back door. Coop turned the handle and the dog slid across the wood floor, his paws wet from the rain.
COOPER HARRINGTON BOOK 1: KILLER MUSIC
When private detective Cooper “Coop” Harrington meets record label mogul Grayson Taylor at a swank gathering of country music artists and politicians he never imagines he’ll be investigating his brutal murder less than twenty-four hours later. The suspects are plentiful. More than a handful of people could have wanted him dead. Retained by Taylor’s widow, Coop works alongside his best friend and Chief of Detectives, Ben Mason. The investigation leads Coop and Ben to visit the luxurious mansions of recording industry magnates, navigate the murky undercurrents of the political world, and probe complicated family matters. Scandalous indiscretions, secrets, and hints of corruption swirl in the midst of their pursuit of the killer. Coop’s faithful friend and assistant, Annabelle and his loyal golden retriever, Gus, both lend a hand during the investigation. Even his Aunt Camille mines the local gossip mill to unearth potential killers with motive. Yet the case seems hopeless until a crucial piece of evidence emerges that sends Coop and Ben on a race to catch the killer before someone else dies.
ALSO FROM TAMMY L. GRACE:
HOMETOWN HARBOR SERIES
ABOUT THE HOMETOWN HARBOR SERIES:
#1 Finding Home:
A coming to life journey for a middle-aged woman, who flees to a small island expecting a change of scenery and discovers much more.
Shattered by her husband's infidelities after twenty-five years of marriage, Sam Collins is plagued by constant fear and loneliness, reliving the tragic death of her parents and the betrayal by the man she loved. She leaves Seattle seeking relief from the relentless darkness that has swallowed her. With only her dog for companionship, she sets out to live in her vacation home on San Juan Island. In her search for a carpenter, she meets the handsome and very available, Jeff Cooper. Sam's not looking for romance, but can't deny the attraction to the retired firefighter, turned handyman. While working together and eating her pies, Jeff finds himself falling for her. The past she wrestles to let go of comes hurtling back when she least expects it. In an effort to help a struggling young man, she is forced to confront the anguish she is desperate to escape. While torn between love and friendship, she must face her fears and choose between the life she's known and a chance for a family and home she's been longing for all her life.
#2 Home Blooms:
Return to the picturesque island community where you’ll check in with your old friends and meet a few new ones along the way.
Linda is knee deep in bouquets and boutonnieres, designing a beautiful ceremony for Sam and Jeff. The bride’s matchmaking plot takes shape as she volunteers her best friend, Max, to help Linda create the perfect wedding. Linda and Max are thrown together when a tragedy threatens to destroy the honeymooners’ newfound happiness before they have the possibility of a life together. Compelled to make some changes in life, Linda uncovers a family secret that causes her to question her existence and leads her on a search for the truth. As Max begins to penetrate the protective walls around Linda’s heart, a visit from her youth causes her to risk it all. While struggling between the past and the future, Linda has a chance to let more than her flowers bloom.
#3 A Promise of Home:
Spend Christmas in Friday Harbor this year surrounded by the friends you know and a couple of special deliveries from the Hometown Harbor Series.
In between holiday activities, friends of Linda and Max are helping plan their Valentine’s Day wedding. Regi is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her fortieth birthday and the fulfillment of the promise she and Cam made over twenty years ago. As she anticipates the reunion with Cam, she’s oblivious to the signals the local delivery man, Nate, is giving her. She and Nate work together helping a newcomer open an art and antiques shop. While spending time together, she discovers she has feelings for Nate and bonds with the new shopkeeper over their past losses. As Regi’s contemplating her choices, she’s dealt a blow that brings her to her knees and reconnects her with the past. In the pursuit of her youthful fairytale promise, she’ll risk the only chance she’s encountered for true happiness and a home.
#4 Pieces of Home:
A story of long ago secrets revealed and the strength of one woman’s journey to overcome the pain of her past.
Ellie hasn’t seen or spoken to her parents in twenty years—since she came to live on the island with her aunt and uncle. Ellie’s all grown up now and runs the popular family bakery, Sweet Treats.
An unforeseen plea for help forces Ellie to reveal a secret she’s kept hidden from even her closest friends. Her innate kindness and desire to help propel her on a turbulent journey. The pieces of her past she’s worked so hard to escape resurface and bring her face to face with heartache. In the midst of unearthing her long buried pain, she faces challenges that threaten her livelihood and those she holds most dear.
When newcomer Blake Griffin arrives, he frequents the bakery in the early morning hours and over fresh cinnamon rolls they develop a friendship. He renews a sense of hope and joy in Ellie, but she’s hesitant to trust him with her heart. Instead of letting her past define her future, Ellie must summon the courage to recognize an unexpected path may be a welcome gift.
Prequel to book 1: Hometown Harbor: The Beginning
Dive into Sam's private journal in this prequel novella to the first book in the Hometown Harbor Series.
Get a glimpse into Sam's life and thoughts through selected excerpts from her journal over the last thirty years. You'll get to know her before she takes center stage as the main character in Finding Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel
5 favorite foods:
ice cream, chocolate, cheeseburgers, potatoes, and strawberries
5 things you love about where you live:
rural, mountains, sunsets, family, and community
5 things you need in order to write:
outline, post-its, cup of tea, my characters, and my computer
5 favorite places you’ve been:
Lake Tahoe, Ireland, Vancouver Island, San Juan Islands, Zion National Park
5 things you always put in your books:
dogs, friendships, food, surprises, and characters I love
A coming to life journey for a middle-aged woman, who flees to a small island expecting a change of scenery and discovers much more.
Shattered by her husband's infidelities after twenty-five years of marriage, Sam Collins is plagued by constant fear and loneliness, reliving the tragic death of her parents and the betrayal by the man she loved. She leaves Seattle seeking relief from the relentless darkness that has swallowed her. With only her dog for companionship, she sets out to live in her vacation home on San Juan Island. In her search for a carpenter, she meets the handsome and very available, Jeff Cooper. Sam's not looking for romance, but can't deny the attraction to the retired firefighter, turned handyman. While working together and eating her pies, Jeff finds himself falling for her. The past she wrestles to let go of comes hurtling back when she least expects it. In an effort to help a struggling young man, she is forced to confront the anguish she is desperate to escape. While torn between love and friendship, she must face her fears and choose between the life she's known and a chance for a family and home she's been longing for all her life.
#2 Home Blooms: Return to the picturesque island community where you’ll check in with your old friends and meet a few new ones along the way.
Linda is knee deep in bouquets and boutonnieres, designing a beautiful ceremony for Sam and Jeff. The bride’s matchmaking plot takes shape as she volunteers her best friend, Max, to help Linda create the perfect wedding. Linda and Max are thrown together when a tragedy threatens to destroy the honeymooners’ newfound happiness before they have the possibility of a life together. Compelled to make some changes in life, Linda uncovers a family secret that causes her to question her existence and leads her on a search for the truth. As Max begins to penetrate the protective walls around Linda’s heart, a visit from her youth causes her to risk it all. While struggling between the past and the future, Linda has a chance to let more than her flowers bloom.
Spend Christmas in Friday Harbor this year surrounded by the friends you know and a couple of special deliveries from the Hometown Harbor Series.
In between holiday activities, friends of Linda and Max are helping plan their Valentine’s Day wedding. Regi is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her fortieth birthday and the fulfillment of the promise she and Cam made over twenty years ago. As she anticipates the reunion with Cam, she’s oblivious to the signals the local delivery man, Nate, is giving her. She and Nate work together helping a newcomer open an art and antiques shop. While spending time together, she discovers she has feelings for Nate and bonds with the new shopkeeper over their past losses. As Regi’s contemplating her choices, she’s dealt a blow that brings her to her knees and reconnects her with the past. In the pursuit of her youthful fairytale promise, she’ll risk the only chance she’s encountered for true happiness and a home.
#4 Pieces of Home: A story of long ago secrets revealed and the strength of one woman’s journey to overcome the pain of her past.
Ellie hasn’t seen or spoken to her parents in twenty years—since she came to live on the island with her aunt and uncle. Ellie’s all grown up now and runs the popular family bakery, Sweet Treats.
An unforeseen plea for help forces Ellie to reveal a secret she’s kept hidden from even her closest friends. Her innate kindness and desire to help propel her on a turbulent journey. The pieces of her past she’s worked so hard to escape resurface and bring her face to face with heartache. In the midst of unearthing her long buried pain, she faces challenges that threaten her livelihood and those she holds most dear.
When newcomer Blake Griffin arrives, he frequents the bakery in the early morning hours and over fresh cinnamon rolls they develop a friendship. He renews a sense of hope and joy in Ellie, but she’s hesitant to trust him with her heart. Instead of letting her past define her future, Ellie must summon the courage to recognize an unexpected path may be a welcome gift.
Dive into Sam's private journal in this prequel novella to the first book in the Hometown Harbor Series.
Get a glimpse into Sam's life and thoughts through selected excerpts from her journal over the last thirty years. You'll get to know her before she takes center stage as the main character in Finding Home: A Hometown Harbor Novel
FIVE FIVES INTERVIEW WITH TAMMY GRACE
5 favorite foods:
ice cream, chocolate, cheeseburgers, potatoes, and strawberries
5 things you love about where you live:
rural, mountains, sunsets, family, and community
5 things you need in order to write:
outline, post-its, cup of tea, my characters, and my computer
5 favorite places you’ve been:
Lake Tahoe, Ireland, Vancouver Island, San Juan Islands, Zion National Park
5 things you always put in your books:
dogs, friendships, food, surprises, and characters I love
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in Nevada, Tammy L. Grace loved reading at a young age. With the help of her middle school teacher, she discovered the joy of writing. When Tammy isn't working on ideas for a novel, she's spending time with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books and chocolate. She and her husband have one grown son and a spoiled golden retriever.
Connect with Tammy:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
