Sipped (The Penningtons Investigate)
by CT Collier
About the Book
Sipped (The Penningtons Investigate)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Asdee Press (June 11, 2018)
The Penningtons are back in book three of The Pennington’s Investigate Series by C.T. Collier. Have you ever gone into someone else’s desk drawer to find something? Uh, yeh. Me either. Looks like there’s some snooping and little bit of gossip going on in this one.
Be sure to look for the Prize Guy for your chance at a copy of Sipped.Â
After a rough semester, Professor Lyssa Pennington just wants to post her grades and join her husband, Kyle, in Cornwall for Christmas. First, though, she’s expected to host an elegant dinner for Emile Duval, the soon-to-be Chair of Languages at Tompkins College.
Too bad no one told Lyssa murder is on the menu. And, by the way, Emile Duval is an imposter.
Who is he really? And who wanted him dead? Without those answers, the Penningtons can kiss Christmas in Cornwall goodbye.
You can find Sipped at these online retailers!
About the Author
How did you come with an idea for your book?
While the overarching framework, setting, and main characters for Sipped come from its series, The Penningtons Investigate, the concept and plot for Sipped grew from a rumor—a rather salacious one, to be honest. I’d heard the tale whispered in the hallways at one of my old workplaces, a college whose identity will not be revealed. It wasn’t a story I would use as is (did I mention it was salacious?). Gossip like that doesn’t appeal to me and doesn’t fit with the clean upbeat tone of the Pennington books.
Still, there was something at the heart of the rumor that made for a good mystery. That something was the notion of two people sneaking around someone’s old office looking for evidence left behind, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Who might those two people be? One was a person completely unfamiliar with the campus; and that person would need a savvy guide to find the right office, break in, and make off with the goods … all the while evading security.
And what if someone else—someone providing a distraction for the theft—was bumped off during the robbery but the thief didn’t know it? Confused? So are the police! There are almost no clues to the motive for the murder or to the identity of the murderer, but there’s an abundance of red herrings. Who but the Penningtons could possibly sort through the mess to find the real killer?
What scene do you hope your readers enjoy the most?
I love every scene in Sipped, of course, but the one I choose to read aloud at book signings comes early in the book, when Lyssa and her friend Natalie are celebrating the official end of fall semester at Tompkins College. They’re fixing dinner in Natalie’s kitchen and Natalie is going on and on about having met her idol, a supermodel named Vivienne. Lyssa thinks Natalie is pulling her leg … or maybe someone is pulling Natalie’s leg. It’s all good fun, but Lyssa’s skepticism is blinding her to some serious clues the author is setting up for attentive readers to discern.
What other things have you written or what projects might we see in the future?
I do have a completed romance series, Lakeside Porches, that is actually the entire backstory for the main characters of The Penningtons Investigate, including Lyssa and Kyle Pennington’s love story (Waking Up to Love, written as Katie O’Boyle, released by Soulmate Publishing, Inc.).
There are several spinoff series on the drawing board, including one romantic suspense series. Right now, though, my focus is on The Penningtons Investigate. I’m currently writing book 4, Chugged, and there will be at least two more after Chugged.
If you could write any other genre what would that be?
I love a good romance and a gripping romantic suspense!
My favorite romance series is Mariah Stewart’s Chesapeake Diaries. Every book in the series is a gem, and I love watching Grace’s story unfold through the diary entries she writes with each book. For romantic suspense, Carla Neggers is my idol. I started with Declan’s Cross, one of the Sharpe and Donovan series; now my book buddies and I eagerly await each new book in the series. Every one of Neggers’ series—some are romance, some romantic suspense—has its own flavor, and I enjoy many of them. Of her romance series, I especially like the Swift River books.
Is there a giveaway or promotion with this book?
Yes, several of the blogs on the “Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book” tour for Sipped include giveaways, and there is a giveaway that spans all the blogs on the tour. Prize is the reader choice’s: Kindle, Nook, or print copy of Sipped (US only for print, please).
Where can readers leave reviews of your book?
I would love for readers to post a review to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, their choice. Here are some helpful links:
Amazon Paperback: https://tinyurl.com/y8rkglpe
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/yd8aaffc
Barnes & Noble paperback: https://tinyurl.com/y8thfleb
Nook: https://tinyurl.com/y92jccys
And here’s the link for readers to add Sipped to their Goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40607107-sipped
C. T. Collier was born to solve logic puzzles, wear tweed, and drink Earl Grey tea. Her professional experience in cutthroat high tech and backstabbing higher education gave her endless opportunity to study intrigue. Add to that her longtime love of mysteries, and it’s no wonder she writes academic mysteries that draw inspiration from traditional whodunits. Her setting is entirely fictional: Tompkins College is no college and any college, and Tompkins Falls is a blend of several Finger Lakes towns, including her hometown, Seneca Falls, NY (AKA Bedford Falls from It’s a Wonderful Life).
Author Links
Website: https://drkatecollier.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kate.collier.315
Twitter: @Tompkins Falls
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/zds5zps
Sounds like a great read. I would prefer a print copy.
Dianne, like you, I like holding a print copy in my hand! –c.t. collier
Teresa,
Little known fact: the “.” in my name is for Theresa (with an H). Thanks so much for hosting The Penningtons on your blog and for asking such interesting questions!