“Sparkles like the South Florida sunshine...Kate Kennedy is a warm and funny heroine.” – Nancy Martin, Author of the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries “Miss Marple with a modern twist...[Wald] is a very funny lady!” – Donna Andrews, Author of the Meg Langslow Mysteries “A stylish and sophisticated Miss Marple, seeking justice in sunny South Florida instead of a rainy English Village, and meeting the most delightfully eccentric suspects in the process.” – Victoria Thompson, Author of the Gaslight Mysteries “Kate Kennedy’s wry wit, genuine kindness, and openness to adventure make her a sleuth to cherish. Death is a Bargain is another top-notch entry in a great series.” – Carolyn Hart, Author of the Death on Demand Mysteries Nestled between fast track Ft. Lauderdale and nouveau riche Boca Raton, the once sleepy beach town of Palmetto is plagued by progress. The latest news has Ocean Vista condo board president Stella Sajak and other residents in an uproar. Developers plan to raze the property and put up a glitzy resort. But when Stella says she’ll go to City Hall and fight this to the death, no one thinks to take her statement literally. And when Kate begins to investigate the murder, she discovers that this little corner of the sunshine state is cursed with corruption, unsavory characters, and a very dark cloud overhead. Related subjects include: women sleuths, humorous murder mysteries, cozy mysteries, murder mysteries, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), book club recommendations, amateur sleuth books. Books in the Kate Kennedy, Senior Sleuth Mystery Series: • DEATH WITH AN OCEAN VIEW (#1) • DEATH OF THE SWAMI SCHWARTZ (#2) • DEATH IS A BARGAIN (#3) • DEATH STORMS THE SHORE (#4) • DEATH RIDES THE SURF (#5) Also by Noreen Wald: Books in the Jake O’Hara Ghostwriter Mystery Series: • GHOSTWRITER ANONYMOUS (#1) • THE LUCK OF THE GHOSTWRITER (#2) • A GHOSTWRITER TO DIE FOR (#3) • REMEMBRANCE OF GHOSTWRITERS PAST (#4) • GHOSTWRITER FOR HIRE (#5) Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all… Author Bio: A winning contestant on seven television game shows—including Jeopardy!—Noreen later worked for Goodson-Todman and Merv Griffin Productions, helping to develop television game show pilots. She has lectured at the Smithsonian, the CIA, the National Press Club and aboard the QE II. She taught at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD and at the Florida Center for the Book in Fort Lauderdale. Death with an Ocean View A Kate Kennedy Mystery By Noreen Wald Henery Press Copyright © 2016 Noreen Wald All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-943390-85-4 CHAPTER 1 "Charlie, what the hell am I doing in paradise?" Kate glanced up at a cotton ball cloud bouncing along in a cornflower blue sky, not expecting an answer. Charlie Kennedy, her husband, had dropped dead six months ago, still clutching the pen he'd used to close on their beachfront condo. Ballou tugged on his leash. Knowing the Westie missed Charlie too, she picked up speed, splashing surf over her bare feet and sending sand flying. Another perfect day in South Florida. A cliché Kate considered pure propaganda, perpetuated by snow birds and retirees who'd left behind change of seasons, grandchildren, and decent public transportation, and now felt obliged to rave about the weather on a daily basis. She was more than fed up with sunshine. Palmetto Beach's six straight days of clear skies and mid-eighty-degree weather, tempered by an ocean breeze, had seriously deepened her depression. It was raining in New York City. And according to Al Roker, unseasonably cold for October. The frost on the pumpkin. God, how she wished she were up there. But she couldn't go home. Charlie and she had sold her beloved house in Rockville Centre. Strangers lived there now. A mouthy financial planner, his rotund wife who favored Lycra leggings and peasant blouses, and two teenagers with multiple pierced body parts and wicked overbites. The new owners had painted the brick Tudor's front door and shutters a shocking pink. Kate's former neighbors probably would never speak to her again. Her current home — a third-floor beachfront apartment in the high-rise condo that had been Charlie's retirement choice, certainly not Kate's — was in danger of becoming a parking garage. Exiting the Atlantic, a slim woman shouted, "Kate!" Stella Sajak, president of the Ocean Vista Condominium's Board of Directors, always sounded as if a crisis were coming and only she could stem its tide. "Good morning, Stella." Kate, on the other hand, sounded priggish even to herself. A widow's voice? An invisible shield? A "don't you dare cross the line and feel sorry for me" voice? "I hope we can count on you to support us at Town Hall this afternoon." Stella hopped on her left foot, tilted her head to the side, shook it, then pulled on her left ear. "Feels like half the ocean is in there. Damn, I should have worn a bathing cap. But they're so old lady-like, aren't they?" Kat