The Death Contingency introduces Regan McHenry, a Realtor who works in the beach community of Santa Cruz, whose job puts her in the midst of mystery and even murder. She's aided in her sleuthing by her husband, Tom, a computer programmer turned real estate broker, and by her friend Dave, a cop confined to desk duty after losing an eye in a shootout.A seller disappears before signing a grant deed. He turns up dead, and Regan has to unravel the secrets of his past to figure out why he died. "The Regan McHenry Mystery Series is fun, easy reading filled with well hidden secrets, reminiscent of the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie..." -- Renee's Book Talk "...Regan McHenry--a realtor who investigates murder mysteries in Santa Cruz County in between showing property. Nancy's books are smart, funny mysteries, which also give a true to life look at the life of a real estate agent..." -- San Francisco Examiner.com Nancy Lynn Jarvis has taken her career as a Real Estate Agent and turned it into a mystery-writing phenomenon. The Regan McHenry Mystery Series is fun, easy reading filled with well hidden secrets, reminiscent of the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie. Both novels held my interest from beginning to end, with a well paced,can't put the book down, response from this reader. ...Nancy Lynn Jarvis has taken her career as a Real Estate Agent and turned it into a mystery-writing phenomenon. The Regan McHenry Mystery Series is fun, easy reading filled with well hidden secrets, reminiscent of the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie. "...the puzzles are fun to solve..." -- Santa Cruz Sentinel The Death Contingency is Regan McHenry's first venture into crime solving. Initially she's not even sure the missing seller has come to a bad end or that his death wasn't accidental. Playing amateur detective is not something she wants to do, but as she's drawn into solving a murder she realizes she has to be involved. The book is entertainment reading, but it encourages the reader to think about a couple of questions: Is murder ever justified? Can a murderer be redeemed? Nancy Lynn Jarvis has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor(r) for more than twenty years. She owns a real estate company with her husband. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. Nancy's work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure. She invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Details and ideas come from Nancy's own experiences. If you're one of her clients or colleagues, read carefully. you may find characters in her books who seem familiar. You may know the people who inspired them , you may even see yourself in print. Signs every few yards along the cliff edges warned that they were dangerous and unstable. But he'd had a few beers and needed to relieve himself. If the cliffs were unstable, why hadn't the signs fallen into the ocean, he sniggered with intoxicated logic? An impish grin crept across his face; he was seventeen, invincible master of the world. He moved to the very edge of the cliff and stood, feet spread, hand tauntingly on a warning sign, head thrown back crowing at the sky as he sent his stream arching into the ocean below. He was stunned by the suddenness of the fall. He didn't cry out for help as he plummeted. There was no time. He plunged deep into the ocean. Frigid water slammed his body, contracted his muscles, and forced the air from his lungs. He strained for the surface, battling his emptied lungs that were desperate for oxygen, struggling against the urgent need to take a killing breath. He surfaced with a gasp, gulping air until his lungs hurt less than his skin. He wasn't afraid. Just shaken and angry. Sobered. This was the Pacific. The ocean was warm where he came from near San Diego. How could it be so cold here? He was partying just north of Santa Cruz, home base to so many world-class surfers; how could they surf in this water? He shivered violently. His entire body felt like it was being slashed by tiny, sharp razors. Except for the long pants and the tightly zipped sweatshirt that covered him, he half-expected he would see his blood oozing from a thousand cuts. The plunge left him disoriented. By the time he turned to face the cliffs, he was surprised how far he had drifted out to sea. Not a problem. He was a strong swimmer. He kicked and paddled hard in the direction of the cliffs. But despite his efforts, after a few minutes they seemed farther away, not closer. The music from the party was growing fainter. Not good. The cliff face was sheer where he dropped into the ocean. He was going to need help