Davis resided in Northern Virginia for many years and lived for a time in Old Town, Alexandria. Today she lives with an assortment of dogs and cats in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
She applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Wagtail Murder Club, and reported the following:
From page 69:Visit Krista Davis's website.“Bizzy Bloom,” I said. “I have to hand it to her. She’s very stylish. Not runway-model fashionable. More comfortable chic. Her son is Logan Verlice, the bartender over at Tequila Mockingbird.”I think page 69 reflects the nature of the book. They’re talking about possible suspects. And Dave, the local cop in this very small town, needs Holly’s connection to Ben, her former boyfriend, to get to know them better and find out what she can.
“Really?” said Oma. “I must meet her. He is a fine young man.”
“You mentioned Ella?” said Dave.
“She’s married to Wendell Walters,” said Mom. “I think she’s quite a bit younger than Wendell. She was in a terrible car accident recently and came here to be with her husband directly from the hospital, which I thought sort of odd. If it were me, I would have gone home and told my husband I would see him when he got back.”
“Hmm. Some serious devotion there,” said Mr. Huckle.
“And she’s afraid of big black dogs,” I added. “But I think Squishy may have won her over.”
Squishy raised his head at the sound of his name.
“Oh!” Oma perked up. “Is she an adoption candidate?
I shrugged. “Maybe!”
“Is that it?” asked Dave.
“As far as I know.”
“So here’s my plan. Ben is our best source of information because he’s part of this group. He knows them. But— ” he raised his forefinger “— Ben has a vested interest, so he’s not entirely reliable. And I have to consider him a suspect.”
“You mean because he wants them to open an office and give him the job of working here?” asked Mom. “He wouldn’t kill anyone for that.”
Dave scoffed. “People have murdered for less than that. Holly, I need access to Dinah’s room, please. And I need you to hang out with Ben and infiltrate the group.”
The page includes three members of the Wagtail Murder Club. Holly and her grandmother (Oma) own the Sugar Maple Inn where most of the suspects are staying. The victim was an attorney, so the killer is most likely a member of the law firm where the victim worked or one of their spouses. It could be a townsperson, but it’s logical of Dave to pursue her work colleagues first.
Names are mentioned here, so it would be easier to follow if one read from the beginning. But, good news! I always have a list of characters at the beginning of my books.
Coffee with a canine: Krista Davis & Han, Buttercup, and Queenie.
The Page 69 Test: The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer.
The Page 69 Test: Murder, She Barked.
--Marshal Zeringue
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