From the Desk of Valerie Pankowski . . .

I’m back home. Downers Grove. Good ol’ Illinois. Tiny but adorable apartment. Stack of unpaid bills; cable not working; something smells strange in the fridge. No problem. Home.

And if you’re wondering where I’ve been, well . . . California! And yes, this is also my sneaky way of introducing the latest in The Val & Kit Mystery Series: Palm Desert Killing.

The setting is gorgeous, the police are gorgeous, even the wildlife is gorgeous—it’s California, after all. The characters are interesting (did I mention it’s California?). But the danger is real; and while it might never rain in Palm Desert, there’s at least one sandstorm and a lot of people stirred up. Oh, and I’m happy to report that Starbucks is just as good on the West Coast as it is here in Illinois.

So, back to the book. Following are a few excerpts from some of the topics covered:

DRESS SENSE

Kit’s

·       She had removed a lightweight evening coat, revealing a black silk dress with half of the back missing. It was the kind our mothers used to call a cocktail dress, although I don’t think they do anymore.

·       Kit was wearing white silk tailored pajamas and a black satin sleep mask embroidered with the words Fly Me to the Moon.

Mine

·         I quickly changed into my Chicago Cubs T-shirt I used as a nightgown and crawled into bed beside her.

OUTDOORSY STUFF

I sat down on a big rock next to a jumping cholla cactus that held a tiny nest and hummingbird eggs the size of Jelly Bellies. I pointed to the natural wonder with my own kind of wonder.

“Cute,” Kit said. “Although I could go for a real Jelly Belly about now.”

COOKING (Kit, not me)

“Oh, for crying out loud, just pass the salad.” Kit placed her large dish in the center of the table and made a show of removing the lid. A delicious aroma filled the room. “Beef stroganoff,” she announced, picking up a ladle from the sideboard.

“Smells delicious,” I said.

“Actually, stroganoff originated in Russia, not Hungary as some people think,” Nora added.

Larry rose from his seat. He removed the utensil from his wife’s hand and placed it in the stroganoff. “I don’t care if it came from a soup kitchen on the South Side. It looks and smells delicious. Let’s eat.”

ANIMAL LOVERS

“Someone was following me at the hotel. So I came here to The Living Desert, and now they’ve closed. I’ve been hiding behind a bush near the giraffes. They’re so elegant—”

BOOK LOVERS (yeah, you)

Val and Kit, and Roz and Patty, say a HUGE THANKS to all our readers, supporters (you know who you are), and the genius who invented Skype; we couldn’t have done it without you. Love you all!

Palm Desert Killing  Release Date August 25. Pre-order now for guaranteed lowest price!