"The Diva Wraps It Up"

Krista Davis lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

She applied the Page 69 Test to The Diva Wraps It Up, the 8th book in her Domestic Diva Mystery Series, and reported the following:

On this page, Sophie has just checked up on Edith, a sour and downright unpleasant neighbor whose husband is in the hospital. Edith thinks someone wants to kill her, but Sophie is worried that Edith isn’t thinking straight, for instance about the fact that someone stole her statuette of a boy. The book takes place at Christmastime.

“I’ve spent all these years disliking her, but then something like this happens,” she snapped her fingers, “and all I feel is pity for her.”

I thanked Mabel and assured her I would call Edith later. They kept their house warm, and I felt like I would bake in my heavy sweater. It was a relief to step out into the cold air again. I wondered, though, what had prompted Edith to leave the house unattended when she knew Mabel was coming. Maybe Edith really was confused.

I probably shouldn’t have, but out of curiosity, I cut through the walkway that led past the house and into the back garden. Even though winter had ravaged the garden, it offered a private respite. Beautiful bushes and old trees stood stark against the fence, their bare branches reaching out like comforting arms around the expansive garden.

Boxwoods lined red brick walkways and a small herb garden had been put to bed for the season. Only the markers with herb names remained. Totally symmetrical, another patch of the same size and shape lay asleep on the other side. A fountain stood in the middle, surrounded by a circle of the red bricks that led like spokes on a wheel to the north, south, east and west. I imagined that it must be even more impressive from the upstairs windows. Where had the statuette of the boy been? I walked through the garden to the back gate and let myself out into the alley.

The old VW camper that had horrified Gwen was parked outside their gate on the other side of the alley. I turned left and walked by Mars and Natasha’s gingerbread garage. I paused for a minute where I’d seen Sugar and Jonah the night before. My cell phone rang, startling me.

“What are you wearing on your date?”

I recognized Nina’s voice. “I don’t know. Probably something black.”

“I have your dress and there’s a woman eyeing it. She looks like she wants to grab it out of my arms. They only have one. Get thee to Sweet Belle right now.”

“Nina, that’s thoughtful of you but—“

She spoke to someone else. “I’m trying this on.” Into the phone, she hissed, “Hurry!”

The store was only a few blocks away.

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Coffee with a canine: Krista Davis & Han, Buttercup, and Queenie.

--Marshal Zeringue