When a murderer crashes a masquerade ball, it's up to Liz to unmask the killer . . . It's been quite a year for novelist Liz Holt. She's overcome a lot and is finally feeling at peace with her new life at her family's hotel, the Indialantic by the Sea, on the beautiful barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida. She's ready to ring in the New Year at the Florida Writes Literary Masquerade Ball. But when her ex-boyfriend surprises her at the ball, she can't disguise her anger, and the two engage in a very public argument. When her ex turns up on the hotel grounds, shot through the heart, Liz finds herself topping the suspect list. With the help of family and friends, she needs to clear her name before the real killer waltzes away scot-free . . . Recipes included! Praise for Kathleen Bridge “A delightful sneak peek into life in the Hamptons, with intricate plotting and a likeable, down-to-earth protagonist. A promising start to a promising series.” — Suspense Magazine on Better Homes and Corpses “The descriptions of furniture and other antiques, as well as juicy tidbits on the Hamptons, make for entertaining reading for those who enjoy both antiques and lifestyles of the rich and famous.” — Booklist on Better Homes and Corpses “An excellent read.” — RT Book Reviews on Hearse and Gardens “ Ghostal Living is a marvelously entertaining tale of revenge, murder, quirky characters—and disappearing books! With a clever protagonist, wonderful details of life in the Hamptons, and plot twists on top of plot twists, Kathleen Bridge will have mystery readers clamoring for more.” —Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author Murder by the Sea A By the Sea Mystery By Kathleen Bridge KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. Copyright © 2019 Kathleen Bridge All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5161-0525-0 CHAPTER 1 "Dear Miss Marple, it's so wonderful you've taken time away from your knitting and sleuthing to share a few moments with me. Shall I refresh your beverage?" "Thank you, Mr. Holmes." He bowed and took his pipe out of his mouth. "Please, call me Sherlock. What libation may I procure for you?" "A corpse reviver or a zombie would be perfect." Liz laughed. "I don't think the vicar of St. Mary Meade would be too happy if he heard one of his favorite parishioners ordering something so untoward." Eighty-three-year-old Betty Lawson, author of 1960s teenage mysteries, who'd recently scored a contract for a new series set in Sherlockian London, looked the perfect Miss Marple in her wire-framed spectacles. Her gray hair was in a French twist punctuated with crisscrossed knitting needles. "Miss Marple is always full of surprises," Betty said, handing the debonair Captain Netherton, aka Sherlock Holmes, her empty glass. "In case they don't know how to make a corpse reviver, it's cognac, calvados, and sweet vermouth." "And a zombie?" the debonair captain asked. "Apricot brandy, lime, and pineapple juice. Or a glass of white wine would also be fine," she said with a laugh. "Back in a flash, Milady Jane." As he walked away, Liz heard him mutter, "Corpse reviver?" Atticus Finch joined Betty and Liz. He wore a white rumpled dress shirt and a striped buttoned-up vest. His shirtsleeves were rolled above the elbows of his long arms, his tie loosened around his neck. Under the crook of his arm, he carried a worn leather Alabama law book. "Daughter," he said, peering at her from behind tortoiseshell-framed eyeglasses. "I mean, Miss Eyre. I think Miss Havisham is having a wardrobe malfunction and needs your assistance." Liz's father, Fenton Holt, couldn't have chosen a more perfect character from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird for the New Year's Literary Masquerade Ball. He was a former public defender who now took on small cases from his law office at the back of their family-run hotel. "She texted me from her sitting room," he added. "Aunt Amelia, texting! Will wonders never cease?" Liz straightened the lace collar on her serviceable, long black wool dress and tucked in a section of strawberry blond hair that escaped her brown wig. She'd unearthed the wig from a trunk in her great-aunt's wardrobe closet. Aunt Amelia had worn the wig when she'd played the Collins family's maid on the set of the '60s television daytime soap drama Dark Shadows, featuring a campy vampire named Barnabas Collins. As Aunt Amelia explained it, Dark Shadows came along decades before the Twilight books. "I better run," Liz said to her father. "I don't want Miss Havisham to miss a minute of the ball. Hey, where's your fiancée? I'm dyin' to see what fictional character she chose." Her father and Charlotte, also known as Agent Pearson, chief homicide detective on the Brevard County Sheriff's Department, had gotten engaged under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. Liz and Charlotte had butted heads on more than one occasion, and things had gotten a little dicey when Liz helped Charlotte solve not one but two murders after