Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Book Spotlight: Theft of the Magi by Miranda Atchley

About the Book:


This holiday season, the halls are decked with thievery.

It’s Christmas, 1922, and Fiona Clery has visions of festive celebrations filled with family and friends dancing through her head. Yet when a string of thefts occurs within her apartment building, the chill of winter puts a damper on her yuletide plans. One by one, various items go missing from her neighbors’ flats. With the help of her friend Max Gillespie and her roommate Rose Ellington, Fiona investigates the thefts. Soon she believes she has the mystery figured out, yet when things take a turn, all her ideas are called into question.

And as Christmas day approaches, Fiona and Max struggle to find gifts for one another. Money is tight and both wish they could find just the right present. Under Rose’s guidance, each believes they’ve found the perfect gift, though it will come at a price.


Purchase Link: Amazon


Excerpt (Chapter 5):

This was about the last thing she wanted to do. Taking a deep breath, Fiona reluctantly lifted her hand and knocked on Mr. O’Shea’s door. She dreaded more than anything the idea of asking the grumpy man to talk about the recent theft, yet if she was ever going to solve this mystery, she knew it must be done. 

After a few raps, she heard a voice grunt, “Go away.” 

Fiona forced herself to knock yet again. A moment later, Mr. O’Shea threw the door open. The Scotsman’s white hair was disheveled and stubble coated his jaw. With bulging black eyes, he bellowed, “What do you want?” 

Unwilling to let the man intimidate her, Fiona said, “My name is Fiona Clery and I live upstairs. I am a private investigator and I would like to ask you some questions in regards to the recent theft that occurred in your flat.” 

“There’s nothing to see here. Get on with you.” 

“Mr. O’Shea, your flat is not the only one that has been broken into of late. As you might have heard, my neighbor, Mrs. Higgins, was also stolen from. I have reason to believe that the thefts are connected. Now, if you would just take a moment to answer a few simple questions, then perhaps we can recover your cufflinks and prevent further thefts from occurring.” 

He seemed to consider this a moment and then harrumphed. “Come in,” he said in a most unwelcoming fashion.


About the Author:

Miranda Atchley is a history enthusiast and complete bookworm whose passion for books and times gone by have compelled her to write several novels, one of which was a finalist for an indie writing award. When not writing at her home in Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains, Miranda loves getting lost in a good book, spending time with her dogs, watching period dramas, and learning about her favorite period in time, the 1920s. Visit her blog at: mirandaatchley.blogspot.com


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1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing an excerpt of the book, Jolene! Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete