Murder, Mystery and Misdirection
Pamela McCord
(An Erin Baily in Franklin Paranormal Mystery, #3)
Publication date: August 21st 2025
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Hold onto your coffee and get ready to dive into the charmingly quirky world of Franklin, Tennessee. Erin Bailey never expected her new Southern estate to come with a talking cat named Peekaboo and a parade of ghostly visitors, giving her life a supernatural twist beyond even her wildest imaginings.
In “Murder, Mystery and Misdirection,” Erin becomes embroiled in yet another haunting mystery when her neighbor, Derek, vanishes under suspicious circumstances. As she delves into the secrets surrounding Derek’s disappearance, Erin must navigate the demands of an irate spirit who wishes she’d mind her own business, and the wife he left behind who would prefer that Erin not meddle in her personal life. Despite her initial distaste for Derek, an admittedly abusive husband, Erin is determined to help his pesky ghost cross over—all with her signature wit and relatable charm.
With the assistance of her best friend Susie, a podcast-loving sidekick, Detective Ryan Cahill, the handsome detective who has captured Erin’s heart, and DC, a private investigator and Susie’s boyfriend, Erin faces breathtaking revelations and dangerous discoveries. Add in an unexpected visit from Susie’s all-knowing Italian mother, bringing her own mix of culinary talents and psychic insight, and Erin’s world becomes as dizzyingly delightful as it is unpredictable.
Immerse yourself in a tale where cozy meets paranormal, filled with laughter and suspense. When your closest advisor is a snarky orange cat and your sleuthing targets the world of the dead, nothing is off-limits.
Perfect for fans of mystery interwoven with humor, “Murder, Mystery and Misdirection” promises a journey that’s both heartwarming and hilariously unpredictable—because unraveling a murder mystery is just another day in the life when your companions are as spectral and sassy as the enigmatic Peekaboo.
Join Erin as she dances through danger, one ghostly encounter at a time!
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EXCERPT:
“Peekaboo!”
I burst through the front door, Ryan in my wake. I stopped in the hallway and looked for any sign of the orange cat who was currently on my sugar (I don’t like to swear) list. It only took a moment before the little creature stepped primly into the hall.
“I was napping,” the grumpy feline said, shooting me a gold-eyed glare. She waited for me to continue.
“I acknowledged them,” I said, deadpan. Just what my cat warned me not to do.
“Oh.” Peekaboo’s snooty manner fell away, and she lowered those gold eyes.
“That’s all you have to say?” I stood, arms crossed, my eyes shooting daggers. Ryan, my boyfriend, stood mutely watching. He couldn’t hear Peekaboo.
But I could. Oh, boy, could I. My sweet little inherited orange cat bestowed on me, by way of tripping me on my way down the front porch steps, the “gift” of being able to communicate with her. Oh, and see ghosts. To be fair, her motives were pure. She needed me to have a near-death experience so I’d wake up and be able to listen to her.
Maybe I should back up, so you know what I’m talking about.
I used to live in Los Angeles. When I was twenty-one, I broke up a mugging and saved a dear little old lady. She was so grateful that seven years later she left me her estate in her will.
In addition to a house, an SUV and a large amount of money, I inherited Peekaboo, the talking cat. Of course, I didn’t know she was a talking cat at the time. After glaring at me for a few days, she apparently thought I was hopeless and pushed me down the stairs. So, I woke up in the hospital and saw a doctor with a clipboard walk through a wall. But that’s really immaterial to my story. My neighbor, who found me splayed out on the porch steps, called 911. When I was released from the hospital, Elsie, the neighbor, told me I’d flatlined and it took ten minutes of the paddles to bring me back to life.
As I hobbled into my house after Elsie brought me home from the hospital and made sure I was all right to be left alone, subject cat started talking to me. I thought I must have a brain tumor…somebody get me back to the hospital! I grabbed the fireplace poker and used it to keep her at bay. I think she may have rolled her eyes at me.
Then, before I was comfortable that she was talking…and I could understand her…she trotted out the ghost of Alice, the sweet little old lady who’d left me her house. Apparently, this whole episode was so I could see Alice and solve her murder.
Author Bio:
A Mom’s Choice Awards® Recipient, Pam started writing later in life when an author friend challenged her to create a book from his story idea. Being a never-say-never person, she met the challenge and managed to finish an entire novel, much to her surprise. Since that beginning, she’s written several books, in several genres. Romance, middle grade and paranormal comprise most of her work. Her first published book, The Haunting of Elmwood Manor, A Pekin Dewlap Mystery, is a Mom’s Choice Award Winner! Several of her books have also earned that award. Pam lives in Tennessee, where she shares a home with her My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable.
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Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 