Penny Clover Petersen – Daisy&Rose Mystery Series

This week, I’m hosting mystery author, Penny Clover Petersen.

Penny Clover Petersen began writing at age fifty-nine on a dare from her husband. After years of hearing her complaints that “I could write a better story than this”, he suggested that perhaps she should do just that. The result is her first novel Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My! (released by Intrigue Publishing in December 2013), a modern cozy featuring sisters Daisy and Rose Forrest as small town shop owners who just can’t seem to get through a day without tripping over a dead body.

In addition to writing, she enjoys time with her children and large extended family, likes to refurbish old furniture, and collect family stories and recipes for the ‘family cookbook’. She loves historic homes and is a docent at Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, MD. She is also the author of several children’s stories, including The Last Elf and An Angel for Jenny and is currently hard at work on her third Daisy&Rose mystery. Penny lives with her husband, Tom, and three feral cats in Bowie Maryland.

Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My!

Nothing ruins a peaceful morning walk like finding a blood-spattered body. And Daisy Greene and Rose Forrest, sisters and co-owners of Champagne Taste, really need a peaceful morning walk. They have enough on their minds already. Christmas is right around the corner, business is brisk, and their little antiques district of Old Towne is being plagued with petty thievery and vandalism. Murder is just not in the game plan.

And if finding bodies lying around walking trails isn’t enough to destroy a perfectly good day, Daisy’s ex-husband, state trooper Bill Greene, shows up to investigate the murder. Nosy by nature anyway, Daisy takes Bill’s presence as a challenge to find the murderer.

When Daisy and Rose start asking questions things get hairier. Someone begins stalking them. Daisy receives threatening letters and is brutally attacked.

Suddenly, they’re on the trail of a missing priceless diamond and it looks like the man Daisy is dating will become the next victim. With the help of their eccentric mother, Angela, and their hormonally-exuberant dog, Malcolm, they follow the clues to catch a killer

 Here is an excerpt: 

 “Roscoe won’t wake up. I think someone killed him.” Hazel held out the ball of fur and started to sob. Daisy took Roscoe and Rose hugged Hazel.

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry. Have you called the police?” asked Rose. She looked over at Daisy and silently asked her about the cat. Daisy shook her head as a tear glided down her face. She took off her coat and gently wrapped the cat in it. She carried the little bundle over to the door and set him down. Hazel saw this and burst out crying all over again.

“Tell us what happened.”

“Well, I don’t know. I got here at eight as usual. I like to get here early to feed the cat and tidy up before opening. The front door was ajar and when I pushed it open I saw all the mess. I started to leave, but I saw Roscoe on the floor. I ran over and picked him up.

“Then I called 911 and would you believe they put me on blasted hold!!! So I called you.” She glanced at the Daisy’s coat by the door and burst into tears again. “Oh, my poor Roscoe! He was such a sweet cat. It’s not fair. Who would do that to a cat?”

There was a commotion on the porch. Malcolm (Daisy’s dog) was barking like a dog possessed and a young policeman from the Bostwick force was standing at the bottom of the steps.

“I’m Officer Willis and I’m checking out a 911 call from this address.  Are you the person who called?”

“No, I’m Daisy Greene. My sister and I own a shop around the corner.  Hazel Monroe called. She’s the owner here and her shop’s been broken into. Someone ransacked the place and killed her cat! Please come in.”

Officer Willis and Daisy walked in and found Rose and Hazel sorting books. Rose said, “Hazel’s trying to see if anything is missing.”

Hazel looked at the young man and said, “Hold! I was put on hold! What if someone had still been in here? What then? It could be me, not my little Roscoe, lying in that coat.”

They all turned toward the coat to see Malcolm humping poor little Roscoe. Hazel let out an anguished howl, Rose uttered a stream of words referring to Malcolm’s parentage in an unfavorable light, and Daisy was about to grab Malcolm’s leash when a flash of orange fur leaped out of the coat and onto the highest shelf in the room. Hazel gasped, then drooped ever so gracefully onto a chair.

“You said he was dead,” hissed Rose to Daisy as she helped Hazel up.

“He looked dead. He was all floppy. What? I’m a vet? Besides I think Malcolm brought him back. He must have the gift,” said Daisy.

“The gift? What gift would that be? Sex maniac gift? Necrophiliac gift? Malcolm’s a humper. That is exactly what he is. No wonder they told Mother that he didn’t get along with the other animals!”

“Ladies, could someone just tell me what’s going on here?” asked Officer Willis.

“Yes. I can,” said a very shaky Hazel. “I got here this morning as usual at eight o’clock. The door was open and I saw Roscoe on the floor next to his bed. I called 911 and, as I said, was put on hold! Then I called Rose and Daisy because they live right above their shop and I stood right there until they got here.”

“Do you know if anything’s missing?”

“Well, I don’t think so.”

“What’s upstairs? Has anyone been up there?”

Daisy, Rose and Hazel all looked shocked as they realized that someone could still be in the building. Daisy said, “No, we checked all the rooms down here. The kitchen wasn’t touched. Or the bathroom. But we didn’t think to check upstairs.”

“Okay, ladies. Please stay right here and let me take a look.” Willis started up the stairs with his gun drawn.

“Malcolm, go with him. Go boy. Go help the nice policeman,” called Daisy. Malcolm looked at her and then started up the stairs. “I swear he can understand everything I’m saying. He’s a dog genius.”

Rose rolled her eyes and said, “Well, he’s a dog something, I’ll give you that!”

Officer Willis came down the stairs and said, “All clear up there. Well, Ms. Monroe, quite honestly it looks like vandals. Probably some kids with nothing better to do.

“Sorry this happened to you, ma’am. I’ll write this up and get a copy of the report to you. And a technician will be out here to check for fingerprints on the door and the bookshelves. We don’t normally do that, but with the number of intrusions there have been in this neighborhood lately, the Captain wants to cover the bases in case we get a suspect.”

He looked around once more quickly, made some notes and said, “We’ll also get the patrol cars around here more often. And please call if anything looks suspicious. Good morning to you ladies.”

Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My is available at

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Roses-Daisies-Death-Oh-My/dp/0989369617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397411872&sr=1-1&keywords=roses+and+daisies+and+death+oh+my 

Barnes and Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roses-and-daisies-and-death-oh-my-penny-petersen/1112964308?ean=9780989369619 

and by special order from all bookstores. 

Autographed copies are available through Penny’s website – www:pennypetersen.com 

Website: www.pennypetersen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p.c.petersen.author

Blog: http://pennycloverpetersen.blogspot,.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DandRMysteries

Penny is giving away a copy of her novel to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. She’d love to hear from you.