Cindy Sample

 
Overview

2014 LEFTY AWARD FINALIST BEST HUMOROUS MYSTERY

2014 SILVER FALCHION FINALIST BEST TRADITIONAL MYSTERY

PARADISE CAN BE MURDER

When Laurel McKay attends a Hawaiian wedding, her vacation soon becomes more deadly than the calorie count in her daiquiri.

Her post-wedding holiday upends after a beautiful hula dancer is found dead on the rocks below Daiquiri Dave’s, the oceanfront restaurant owned by Laurel’s brother and sister-in-law.

When the police arrest a family member for the murder, Laurel is plunged into a mystery where exotic Big Island locations––a coffee plantation, black sand beaches and a volcano—reveal their deadly side. And where is her hunky on-again/off-again boyfriend detective when she needs him?

Laurel zip-lines and four-wheels her way through the island paradise unearthing hidden secrets. Will ingenuity and pluck be enough? Or will this hula be her last?

Praise

“Daiquiris are delicious—sweet yet tangy and packing enough wallop to induce giggles in grownups. That makes DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI the perfect title for Cindy Sample’s newest laugh-laced who-done-it. Her delectable concoction will make you hanker to visit Hawaii, request life-size posters of the two hunks vying for heroine Laurel McKay’s kisses, and laugh out loud at this single mom’s humor and pluck—even when her life’s hanging by a thread. I give five stars—or maybe it should it be five cherries—to this cocktail of vacation adventure, sexy interludes, raucous laughs, and mystery.”
—Linda Lovely, Author of the Marley Clark series

“Laurel McKay could serve as the poster girl for a normal suburban soccer mom except for one thing. She’s a magnet for murder, even on vacation in Hawaii. Cindy Sample has created a heroine all gals can identify with and admire as she keeps going with wit and determination, even in the face of a homicide arrest. Sample’s DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI combines humor, romance and mystery, a recipe that yields a great book. Kick back with a tall, cool drink and enjoy this 5 star read!”
—Mary Beth Magee, National Reviewer, Examiner.com

“I highly recommend Cindy Sample’s latest in the Laurel McKay series as one of the best–and funniest–contemporary mysteries you’ll find. A clever page turner of a plot, great characters with their lives closely entwined and wonderful scenery enlivened this
memorable book.”
—Peter H. Green, Author of Crimes of Design mysteries

“A tropical jaunt, DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI is a fun, suspense-filled cozy mystery that will keep you guessing right up to the end. Containing humor, suspense, a vacation adventure, a coffee plantation, daiquiris, zip-lining, all-terrain vehicles, murder, hula dancers, sexual tension, flirtations and romance set in the backdrop of the gorgeous Hawaiian scenery, this story is one you do not want to miss. I enjoyed this story immensely and look forward to reading the previous two books in this series, DYING FOR A DATE and DYING FOR A DANCE, although this story can be read as a standalone. If you are looking for a terrific story with plenty of action, love, laughter and suspense, this is the story for you.
—Romance Junkies Review

“Sample’s narrative is quirky and peppered with quips. The action is comedic yet has an air of suspense. It’s all an intoxicating recipe for fun at Laurel’s expense – I hope she doesn’t mind… A must read for the romantic mystery reader, and contemporary romance reader for that matter!”
—Once Upon a Romance Reviews

“If Laurel McKay shows up at your party, watch out for bodies! The zany mortgage banker with a penchant for murder does it again when she’s in Hawaii for a friend’s wedding. Throw in lots of sexy dancers, pots full of Kona coffee and a good-looking boat captain and Cindy Sample takes you off on a fun tropical romp with just enough mayhem and romance! It’s another great read!”
—Michele Drier, author of the Amy Hobbes Mysteries and The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles

“Calamity strikes again while Laurel McKay is vacationing in Hawaii and attending a wedding with her family and friends. When a beautiful Hawaiian is murdered and the cops arrest a family member, our intrepid heroine has to get involved. he humor tickles even as the chills abound. For murder, mayhem and laughs among the coconut palms, read DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI, the third book in Cindy Sample’s acclaimed Laurel McKay series!”
—Award-winning author Donna Del Oro

Excerpt

“This mango daiquiri is to die for.” I popped a juicy red maraschino cherry into my mouth, lifted my tropical drink and toasted the bride.

Liz’s hazel eyes sparkled brighter than the diamond-studded wedding band placed on her left hand three hours earlier. She tapped her creamy pina colada, encased in a coconut shell, against my fruity concoction.

Read full excerpt