A Spirited Gift

Table of Contents

 

 

PRAISE FOR

A Touch of Gold

“Paranormal amateur-sleuth fans will enjoy observing Dae use cognitive and ESP mental processes to uncover a murderer . . . Readers will enjoy Team Lavene's second Dae in a life of a Duck tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

PRAISE FOR

A Timely Vision

“Grabbed my attention on page one . . . Puzzles are unraveled and secrets spilled in a fast-paced paranormal mystery full of quirky characters you'll want as friends.”

—Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of
Pretty Is as Pretty Dies

 

“A delightful yarn . . . Kept me turning pages until it was done.”

—Patricia Sprinkle, author of
Friday's Daughter

 

“Filled with likable (if eccentric) characters and boasts a vividly realized small-town setting.”

 

“This opening act of a new amateur sleuth is a wonderful mystery due to memorable eccentric characters including Duck. The whodunit is complicated enough to keep readers entertained and stymied . . . The heroine is sassy and spunky . . . Joyce and Jim Lavene have . . . another hit series.”

 

“A leisurely mystery that had me guessing almost 'til the very end . . . It was fun and the characters were likable . . . I could almost smell and feel the salty sea air of Duck as I was reading.”

 

“This is a mystery with strong characters, a vivid sense of place, and touches of humor and the paranormal.
A Timely Vision
is one of the best traditional mysteries I've read this year.”

PRAISE FOR

Wicked Weaves

“Offers a vibrant background for the mysterious goings-on and the colorful cast of characters.”

—Kaye Morgan, author of
Celebrity Sudoku

 

“Fast-paced, clever, delightful.”

—John Lamb, author of
The Treacherous Teddy

 

“Jolly . . . Serves up medieval murder and mayhem.”

 

“[A] new exciting . . . series . . . Part of the fun of this solid whodunit is the vivid description of the Renaissance Village; anyone who has not been to one will want to go . . . Cleverly developed.”

 

“Joyce and Jim Lavene have teamed up for yet another terrific mystery series . . . A feast for the reader . . . Character development in this new series is energetic and eloquent; Jessie is charming and intelligent, with . . . saucy strength.”

 

“I cannot imagine a cozier setting than Renaissance Faire Village, a closed community of rather eccentric—and very interesting—characters, [with] lots of potential . . . A great start to a new series by a veteran duo of mystery authors.”

PRAISE FOR THE PEGGY LEE GARDEN MYSTERIES

Poisoned Petals

“A delightful botany mystery.”

 

“A top-notch, over-the-fence mystery read with beloved characters, a fast-paced story line, and a wallop of an ending.”

 

“Enjoy this pleasurable read!”

 

 

Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

“I cannot recommend this work highly enough. It has everything: mystery, wonderful characters, sinister plot, humor, and even romance.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Well-crafted with a satisfying end that will leave readers wanting more!”

 

 

Pretty Poison

“With a touch of romance added to this delightful mystery, one can only hope many more Peggy Lee Mysteries will be hitting shelves soon!”

 

“A fantastic amateur-sleuth mystery.”

 

“For anyone with even a modicum of interest in gardening, this book is a lot of fun.”

 

“The perfect book if you're looking for a great suspense.”

 

 

Perfect Poison

“A fabulous whodunit that will keep readers guessing and happily turning pages to the unexpected end. Peggy Less is a most entertaining sleuth and her Southern gentility is like a breath of fresh air . . . [A] keeper!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“A fascinating whodunit with unusual but plausible twists and plenty of red herrings.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

 

PRETTY POISON
FRUIT OF THE POISONED TREE
POISONED PETALS
PERFECT POISON
A CORPSE FOR YEW

 

WICKED WEAVES
GHASTLY GLASS
DEADLY DAGGERS
HARROWING HATS

 

A TIMELY VISION
A TOUCH OF GOLD
A SPIRITED GIFT

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over
and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

A SPIRITED GIFT

 

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the authors

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / December 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Jim and Joyce Lavene.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-55897-3

 

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PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
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Chapter 1

“I'm nervous.”

“There's nothing to be nervous about. Just hold my hands and close your eyes.”

I did as my friend Shayla Lily said. We were seated at an old rosewood table that had once served as a spot where Thomas Jefferson ate breakfast and attended to his morning business. In the candlelight, the aged patina glowed, making shadows and depth in the wood.

“I can't help it,” I said, even though I knew I was supposed to be quiet. “It's been a year.”

“It's just like riding a horse, sweetie. Except you're on back this time and I have the reins.” Shayla tossed her rich black hair and took a deep breath. “Are you ready now?”