Book excerpt: A Halloween short story by the New York Times-bestselling author:Four couples spend a weekend in an abandoned house—and have an unexpected ghost… The house has sat empty for fifteen years, taking up prime real estate along the picturesque coastline. Its last known owner, Maryanne Demerit, vanished without a trace. Now her home will be demolished for a condo development, but until then, it’s the perfect spot for a Halloween haunted house. Jill Gardner, owner of South Cove, California’s Coffee, Books, and More; her boyfriend; and three other couples are spending the weekend in the Demerit home. But what begins as an all-in-good-fun fright fest turns into a mystery begging to be solved as Jill is contacted by the ghost of Maryanne . . . Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries “Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective…A cozy lover’s dream come true.”—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries “An absorbing, good fun mystery.”—Fresh Fiction