About the Book

For a decade, the Magic Box game store in Marysburg, Indiana, has hosted a twenty-four-hour gaming marathon as a fund-raiser for a local charity. Shockwaves go through the town when the newest marathon champion is strangled less than an hour after the event’s conclusion. In the parking lot right behind the game store.

Marysburg resident and record store owner Darcy Gaughan isn’t convinced the police are correct then they label the murder a robbery gone wrong. When the Magic Box’s owner asks her to look into the case, she finds not everybody believes in fair play, especially when gamer reputations are at stake.

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Excerpt

The Hobbit was busy chatting with a reporter from the Muncie Star Press, so Darcy gave him a quick tap on the shoulder and a wave as she made her exit. A gust of wind took her breath away the moment she was back outdoors. She buried her gloved hands into her coat pockets and double-timed it to the record store.

Her breath condensed into small clouds with each breath she took. Hopefully, the conditions hadn’t worsened inside the Magic Box after her departure. Nothing was more toxic than a brew of heightened, negative emotions and money.

“Note to self. If anyone suggests Marysburg Music hold a battle of the bands or some other music competition, tell them no way.” The open mic nights were huge successes, full of positive energy. There would be no messing with that success.

A while later, Darcy was hard at work returning misplaced records to their homes when the clock struck eight.

“Closing time, Boss.” With no customers in the store, Peter locked the door and turned off the red neon “Open” sign. The young man seemed to be in a hurry to get going.

“What’s the rush, young man? Got a hot date?” Hank chuckled and began working on the night deposit.

“Yeah, with my bass. My audition at IU is next Saturday. I need all the practice time I can get.”

“Then get going.” Darcy flicked her wrist toward the door. “Practice makes perfect, not that you need it.”

Peter didn’t need to be told twice. The young man’s dream of studying at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music was getting closer to reality every day. The in-person audition was the final hurdle. After that, it was all up to the admissions team.

Darcy had done all she could to help Peter make sure it was going to be an easy decision in Peter’s favor. She’d thrived in her time as a music student at Ball State. She had no doubt Peter would do the same at IU.

She was humming Bobby McFerrin’s hit from the eighties, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” as she swept the floor when her phone buzzed. It was the Hobbit. The man dispensed with pleasantries when she answered.

“I need your help, Gaughan. Angelica Stipe is dead.”

About the Author

J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of mysteries full of oddball characters in unusual settings. He's also the co-host of The Bookish Hour and The Bookish Moment webcasts. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.

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