Clocked Out

Hey there all you mystery lovers! It’s TIME for another great mystery puzzle to solve. In Clocked Out Josie Posie is investigating the death of a watch designer, the daughter of a clockmaker. Let’s take a moment and check out this second in-the-series cozy mystery.

Listen to an excerpt from Clocked Out on the Books to the Ceiling Podcast below:

About Clocked Out 

Clocked Out – A Josie Posey Mystery

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Level Best Books (February 6, 2024)

Josie Posey and her posse of Mahjong Mavens are at it again, in this cozy mystery where the retired big city crime reporter turned small town crime solver uncovers another murder in picturesque English Village.

When the clockmaker’s daughter returns home for a visit, reporter Josie Posey is assigned the task of interviewing the talented watch designer. That very afternoon the young woman falls from a ladder while inventorying antique clocks.

At first, Josie is certain the fall was an accident. Everyone loved Ella McGregor Benjamin. But Ella’s deathbed statement is a mysterious riddle that can’t be ignored. With her Old English Sheepdog Moe by her side, and an ever-growing list of suspects, Josie scrambles to identify the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

The local police chief wants Josie to help solve the puzzle, but stay out of his murder case. The editor of The Village Gazette wants an in-depth story for the next edition. And somebody wants Josie to stop asking questions. Deadlines loom.

In this fast-paced rollercoaster ride of a mystery, the clock is ticking as Josie vows to find the killer before time runs out.

Read an Excerpt

We had just completed the familiar turn to circle the gazebo when Moe stopped in his tracks beside a towering old walnut tree. He sniffed. Whined. Sniffed again. Probably another tennis ball.I tugged at his leash and urged him forward. “Come on Moe. We don’t have time to dig in the leaves today.”He ignored my plea, shoved the pile of leaves aside with his paws, and plunged his face into the dirt.“Please, Moe.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and attempted to pull him away from the tree. Moe reacted by spinning his body around to face me, which knocked me off my feet. I landed on my rear in the wet leaves with Moe sitting on my lap.The fluffy dog licked my face with his muddy tongue. Yuck!I scrambled to stand and brushed the dirt from my pants. That’s when I noticed my phone and keys had fallen from my pocket. I glanced around the deserted park. Good! There was no one to witness my romp in the leaves.

With no other recourse, I dropped to the ground, dived into the pile and searched for the lost items. I felt the smooth surface of my cell phone first. Grabbed it and raised it into the air.

“Got it!” I waved the phone at Moe and shoved it back into my pocket.

Of course, Moe thought the whole escapade was a game so he started digging alongside me. Seconds later he raised his head, keys dangling from his mouth.

I held out my hand. Moe dropped the prize into my palm and I saw the shiny object that most likely attracted his attention in the first place. The hairs raised on the back of my neck. It was Ella’s beautiful sundial pennant.

I plopped onto my rear and leaned against the tree. Moe stretched out beside me and rested his head on my lap while I retrieved my cell phone and hit the speed dial for Chief Marshall.

About Anna St. John

Anna St. John writes cozy mysteries featuring a mature, yet feisty, former crime reporter, Josie Posey, as the amateur sleuth.

Her debut novel, DOOMED BY BLOOMS, was released by Level Best Books in February 2023. CLOCKED OUT is the second book in her Josie Posey Mystery Series. It is scheduled to release Feb. 6, 2024.

A former journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter, and ad agency owner, Anna is married to her high school sweetheart. She writes from her home office in Kansas, with her Old English Sheepdog by her side.

Anna is represented by Cindy Bullard, of Birch Literary Agency. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Kansas Authors Club.

Author Links

Anna-StJohn.com  

Facebook   

Purchase Link – Amazon