It used to be that a fellow in love would ask the girl’s father for her hand. Then he would buy a ring and over a candlelit dinner, he would get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. With advent of video these simple proposals became grander and grander.
Suddenly there were proposals at half=time at basketball and football games. Proposals from Santa’s knee. Flash mobs singing and dancing their way into the heart of the woman. In fact I have a Pinterest board of cool proposals where you can see some of the fun and crazy ways that men plot and plan to ask a woman to marry them. I often thought how fun would it be to help men plan these proposals.
When I had the opportunity to write about an amateur sleuth who planned extravagant proposals I jumped all over it and Pepper Pomeroy was born. Pepper is a tall, thin red head who would like to consider herself perfect, but knows better. She was recently “down-sized” from her job as an event coordinator for a downtown Chicago hotel/conference center and is facing a dwindling savings account and the idea that she may have to live with her parents again at age thirty.
Her younger sister Felicity, on the other hand is practically perfect. She is shorter and blond and curvy in all the right places. And Felicity’s long time boyfriend, Warren Evans has come to Pepper with a request. Could she plan an extravagant proposal for Felicity? Who but Pepper would know Felicity better and understand what she might think would be her dream proposal?
With not much else to do Pepper agrees and happily helps Warren plan a jet-setting proposal for Felicity. The proposal goes off with just one hitch. Right before Felicity arrives Pepper discovers a man passed out in the woman’s bathroom at the tiny airport where Warren is popping the question. In a decision that would prove to haunt her, Pepper decides to let the authorities know about the drunk guy after Warren and Felicity jet off to an exotic weekend. The proposal goes so well that Warren tells Pepper she should start her own business event planning proposals and Perfect Proposals is born.
As she waves good bye, Pepper remembers the guy and calls the police only to discover that there has been a murder and Warren is suspect number one. Now Pepper feels she must prove Warren’s innocence to save her sister from a lifetime of grief. What Pepper learns is that it’s not easy catching a killer and she must trust her instincts if she wants to save the day.
To see some of the proposals I’ve pinned as well as possible bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses follow me on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/nancyjparra/
You can follow Nancy on Facebook here, and on Twitter here. Her website can be found here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Berkley Prime Crime has generously offered a copy of Engaged in Murder to one of my readers. Please comment below before midnight on June 11, 2014. Entries from the US only, please.
Please don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win.
But they're discovering that some aspects just aren't that easy, like finding the perfect wedding dress. After spending a whole day trying on dresses that just aren't "it", Pepper, Felicity and their mother force themselves to hit one last shop.