Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel

"Lorena McCourtney's lively cozy mysteries hit all the right notes for me, and her newest doesn't miss a chord. A quirky, likable heroine, a handsome guy, and oh, a murder. Don't miss Cate Kinkaid's first case as a PI. It's a killer."--Lyn Cote, author of La Belle Christiane


All she wanted was a paycheck. What she got was a murder.

Cate Kinkaid's life is . . . well, frankly it's floundering. Her social life, her career, her haircut--they're all a mess. Unemployed, she jumps at the chance to work for her PI uncle, even though she has no experience and no instincts. After all, she is just dabbling in the world of private investigating until she can find a "real" job.

All she has to do for her first assignment is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? But when she reaches the dark Victorian house, she runs into an hungry horde of gray-haired mystery readers and a dead body. This routine PI job is turning out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?


"I loved all the witty prose and the laugh-out-loud moments I've come to expect when reading McCourtney's mysteries. Seasoned with romance and a fascinating collection of peculiar characters, this clever tale will keep you guessing about more than murder. Never a dull moment, Dying to Read is a winner!"--Elizabeth Goddard, author of Carol Award-winning The Camera Never Lies

"McCourtney has fashioned a fun and engaging mystery that begs to be solved. Kick off your shoes, curl up somewhere comfortable, and prepare to be entertained! Dying to Read will keep you fully engrossed and guessing."--Kathy Herman, author of the Baxter series, Seaport Suspense series, and Secrets of Roux River Bayou series

"Crisp, witty writing spins this amateur sleuth tale into a late-night page-turner."--Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series

"Quirky, charming, and fun. Myriad suspects, plot twists, good dialogue, romance: mystery fans will find it all in good form."--Publishers Weekly

Lorena McCourtney is the award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won a Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), In Plain Sight, On the Run, and Stranded. She resides in Oregon.