Courtesy Call (Mah Jongg Mysteries, #9) / Mah Jongg Mysteries (ePub)

Katrina Faulkner hurts almost as much as the man in her life when he loses his bid to be reelected sheriff. But for the first time since she met Rick Formero, she's not worried about him being in peril-until he's drafted to help solve the fiery murder of the man who beat him at the polls.

While the Serendipity Springs police department is in chaos, it's up to Kat and her mah jongg pals to step in as Rick's unofficial staff to unravel the crime. As the tips roll in and suspects multiply, it appears the late sheriff led a complicated life, with ties to the same sketchy gambling toughs he was supposed to be arresting. But no one's taking bets on who's to blame for his death.

Syd is planning a mah jongg tournament, Marianne is writing a play and journalist Micki can't wait to get her hands on the juicy story. But when the chips are down, they and the men in their lives are up to the task of helping Kat and Rick delve into the world of high-stakes gambling in pursuit of an elusive killer-even if they're rolling the dice on danger.

This cozy mystery series features four retired amateur sleuths who live in the small Florida town of Serendipity Springs, all female and all friends who play the game of mah jongg together. Though they don't set out to investigate murder, others have started looking to them to help investigate homicides and questionable accidents. In this story, Katrina Faulkner takes the lead, helping her man, Rick Formero, adjust to life after defeat at the polls for reelection to sheriff. They also turn to their friends for help. Though this series features four protagonists, the others will take the lead in other stories. Two are married, one is divorced and the fourth, Kat, who has been single all her life while she tended to her ailing mother, now finds herself the object of the sheriff's attention in this series.

As the four gather information in their investigations, life goes on in their community in such activities as a social group for those over 50, numerous stops at the local coffeehouse, and even a shopping trip to Naples. Sydney's husband, Trip, and her friend Marianne Putnam's husband, Beau, are golf buddies who spend many a day on the course. When not there, Trip is busy seeking to build a new post retirement life, and Beau is often prevailed upon to join in Trip's latest activity. Meanwhile, freelance journalist Micki Demetrius, still commitment-shy after a disastrous first marriage, is slowly giving in to the interest of retired attorney Guy Whitney. Kat has lived a frugal life until winning big in a lottery shortly after her mother's death; suddenly, Kat has money and doesn't know how to spend it. But Micki does, even if it's to guide Kat through a makeover and wardrobe change for her lounge act.

Barbara Barrett is already published in contemporary romance. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-Iowa and Florida Star Fiction Writers. Like her protagonists, she is retired and is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in her home state of Iowa. She spent over three decades as a human resource management analyst with Iowa state government.