Cold Open (Caught Dead in Wyoming Book 7) Read online

  COLD OPEN

  By Patricia McLinn

  BOOK 7, CAUGHT DEAD IN WYOMING SERIES

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Cold Open (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7)

  As for the Caught Dead in Wyoming series ...

  Welcome to Cottonwood County

  Praise for the Caught Dead in Wyoming series:

  Get all the books in Patricia McLinn’s Caught Dead in Wyoming series!

  About Sign Off:

  About Left Hanging:

  About Shoot First:

  About Last Ditch:

  About Look Live:

  About Back Story:

  Meet the Author

  Sign up for Patricia McLinn's Mailing List

  Further Reading: Ride the River: Rodeo Knights, A Western Romance Novel

  Also By Patricia McLinn

  If you’re a regular Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series reader, you’ll be happy to see that Book 7, COLD OPEN, is on my writing schedule now and available for pre-order at many major retailers. Release date is Sept. 13.

  COLD OPEN is the latest book in this cozy mystery series featuring TV reporter and amateur sleuth Elizabeth Margaret “E.M.” Danniher, her KWMT-TV colleagues and a cast of characters in small-town Sherman, Wyoming. If you have received this draft document, you have received it in error. Please contact the retailer’s tech help or customer service desk for assistance.

  COLD OPEN, the newest of USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn's Caught Dead in Wyoming stories, is a smart, surprising, fast-paced cozy mystery with humor and a touch of romance that will entertain fans of Craig Johnson, Sue Grafton and J.D. Robb.

  "Colorful characters, intriguing, intelligent mystery, plus the state of Wyoming leaping off every page." —Emilie Richards, USA Today Bestselling Author

  As for the Caught Dead in Wyoming series ...

  ELIZABETH DANNIHER has been among TV journalism’s elite. Until she discovers divorcing her network exec husbands ends not only her marriage but her career. She’s been banished to tiny KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming, to finish out her contract as the underemployed consumer affairs reporter.

  Now she’s exploring what comes next – in her career, her life, and her relationships with family, friends, and those who’d like to be more than friends. But she’s not being left in peace to wrestle with these issues because she keeps being drawn in to investigations when someone is Caught Dead in Wyoming.

  Welcome to Cottonwood County

  COTTONWOOD COUNTY, Wyoming, is east of Yellowstone Park, south of Montana, north of the Wind River, west of the Big Horn Mountains and found on no map you’ll find.

  It has a slice of the Absaroka Mountains, a bit of the Snake River, plenty of range land, and a need for irrigation. Its county seat is Sherman, which is less important than Cheyenne, smaller than Cody, less organized than Sheridan, and far less urbane than Jackson Hole.

  It is also among the smallest broadcast TV markets in the United States, which makes KWMT-TV one of the last places Elizabeth Danniher expected to find herself.

  Praise for the Caught Dead in Wyoming series:

  “E.M.’S INTERNAL MONOLOGUES are sharp, snappy and often hilarious.”

  “Hoping this series lasts forever!”

  “McLinn has created in E.M. a female protagonist who is flawed but likable, never silly or cartoonish, and definitely not made of cardboard.”

  Get all the books in Patricia McLinn’s Caught Dead in Wyoming series!

  BOOK 1: SIGN OFF

  Book 2: Left Hanging

  Book 3: Shoot First

  Book 4: Last Ditch

  Book 5: Look Live

  Book 6: Back Story

  Book 7: Cold Open

  About Sign Off:

  A FINALIST FOR EPIC Mystery eBook award.

  Divorce a husband, lose a career . . . grapple with a murder.

  Meet TV news reporter Elizabeth Margaret “E.M.” Danniher, whose address has changed from New York City to rustic Sherman, Wyoming, and whose life has changed even more. Struggling for air time at tiny KWMT-TV, Elizabeth is drawn into a murder investigation by a feisty young girl set to prove her father's innocence. Not that enigmatic rancher Thomas Burrell makes investigating easy for an amateur detective. But Elizabeth won’t fade to black without a fight, no matter how final some might want to make her Sign Off.

  About Left Hanging:

  THE APPARENTLY ACCIDENTAL death — under the hooves of rodeo bulls — of a rodeo producer preparing for Sherman’s annual Fourth of July Rodeo catches the attention of Elizabeth Danniher and her KWMT-TV colleague Mike Paycik. Not only is it a major story about the region’s biggest event, but it’s being outrageously mishandled by the station’s egocentric anchor. From the tip of the rodeo queen’s tiara, to “agricultural byproducts” ground into the arena dust, Elizabeth receives a murderous introduction to the world of rodeo.

  About Shoot First:

  ELIZABETH DANNIHER’S elderly neighbor has killed a man apparently after her Western artifacts. As a former top national TV reporter, Elizabeth knows self-defense can satisfy the legal system, yet leave her neighbor in danger. She sidesteps her boss and a nosy, jealous anchorman to inquire into an eccentric billionaire, ambitious curator, rival collectors, family feuds, and Cottonwood County crimes from a century ago. As she digs deeper, Elizabeth is helped by friends, canine and human, but her questions push someone to decide that she knows too much.

  About Last Ditch:

  A MAN SO ILL THAT HE rarely leaves his bed goes missing. Tracks lead into harsh, open land of Cottonwood County. The man is the husband of Tom Burrell’s office assistant. He organizes the search, calling for volunteers. KWMT-TV’s Elizabeth Danniher and Mike Paycik join the search.

  What they find is not what anyone could have predicted.

  They’re pitchforked into mysteries that swirl around precious irrigation water that determines if the land will be productive or not, around the ditch boss who rules the water, and around family rivalries and loyalties.

  About Look Live:

  LOOK LIVE IS A TV NEWS term. A reporter appears to be live at a scene, perhaps for the introduction or for the toss back to the anchor desk, but in fact the entire report is taped. A misleading perception. One that’s carefully been established ... And that is not cleared up.

  What appears to be live isn’t.

  Ah, the dangers of deceiving appearances ...

  Elizabeth Danniher, her KWMT-TV colleague Mike Paycik, rancher Tom Burrell, and their supporting staff of idiosyncratic sleuths take on another mystery that ends in tiny Sherman, Wyoming, though Sherman can’t claim its origins. This time they have help – and hindrance – from intriguing out-of-towners come to visit.

  What they all must untangle is what happens when it’s not enough to merely ... Look Live.

  About Back Story:

  ELIZABETH DANNIHER has been among TV journalism’s elite. But divorcing her network exec husband ends not only her marriage but her career, and she’s banished to tiny KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming, to finish out her contract. Now she’s exploring out what comes next -– in her career, her life, and her relationships with family, friends, and those who’d like to be more than friends.

  But she’s not being left in peace to wrestle with these issues because she keeps being drawn in to murder investigations. Now Elizabeth, and handsome sports anchor Mike Paycik, rugged rancher Tom Burrell, and her colorful cast of collaborators, plunge into mysteries from the past that threaten the present. To succeed, they must untangle characters and plotlines from a long-hidden Back Story.

  Meet the Author

  PA
TRICIA MCLINN SPENT more than 20 years as an editor at The Washington Post after stints as a sports writer (Rockford, Ill.) and assistant sports editor (Charlotte, N.C.). She received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University.

  McLinn is the author of more than 40 published novels, which are cited by readers and reviewers for wit and vivid characterization. Her books include mysteries, contemporary western romances, contemporary romances elsewhere in the world, historical romances, and women’s fiction. They have topped bestseller lists and won numerous awards.

  She has spoken about writing from Melbourne, Australia, to Washington, D.C., including being a guest-speaker at the Smithsonian Institution.

  She is now living in Northern Kentucky, and writing full-time. Patricia loves to hear from readers through her website, Facebook and Twitter.

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  Did you love Cold Open (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7)? Then you should read Ride the River: Rodeo Knights, A Western Romance Novel by Patricia McLinn!

  What if the bank robber she's after is the childhood sweetheart she might not be over?After Reggie, longing to be an investigator, spots a pattern in far-flung bank robberies, she wins approval to go undercover at three rodeos to find out more. The first day of the first rodeo, she runs into – literally – her childhood sweetheart, Chapin. And has the horrifying realization that W.C. Johnson, one of three prime suspects who fit the robbery pattern, is her Chapin -- William Chapin Johnson.To keep Reggie from blabbing his name in that first instant, Chapin grabs her and kisses her. One word and she can ruin what he's been working for.Chapin is trying to make a comeback on the QT. He'd been on the cusp of stardom as a bronc rider until a nasty injury and botched recovery leaves experts saying he's done. As far as the rodeo world's concerned he's retired and living happily on his ranch. But he can't let it go. Needing time to work his way back in, he's been rodeoing far from home, in unfamiliar events, and under the name Bill Johnson.Now, to keep from being outed just as he's making progress, he has to take Reggie into his confidence. But even after all these years he knows her too well not to realize she's keeping a secret from him. What on earth is she up to? Will Chapin find out what Reggie's doing? Can Reggie trust Chapin with proof he's not the bank robber? How will Chapin react if he finds out he's a suspect? Can they overcome the issues that drove them apart in the first place? Who the heck is robbing banks on the rodeo circuit and can he (or she) be stopped?* * * * * * * *Ride the River: Rodeo Knights is a moving, passionate contemporary romance that will captivate fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Barbara Freethy and Debbie Macomber. The Rodeo Knights collection is a group of 10 interconnected yet stand-alone western romances written by national, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Patricia McLinn, Laura Marie Altom, Debra Clopton, Margaret Daley, Cathy McDavid, Barbara McMahon, Lisa Mondello, Stephanie Rowe, Marin Thomas and Lenora Worth.In this Rodeo Knights story, Ride the River characters go to three fictional Wyoming towns used as settings in other Patricia McLinn books. So if you're a longtime reader, you'll recognize ranches and other landmarks from Sherman (the Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series), Bardville (Bardville, Wyoming series) and Park (Wyoming Wildflowers). There will be cameo appearances by characters from the other books, too. If you especially enjoy western romances, also try these other books by Patricia:Wyoming Wildflowers series Prequel — Wyoming Wildflowers: The Beginning (Snowberry)Almost a Bride (Indian Paintbrush)Match Made in Wyoming (Fireweed)My Heart Remembers (Bur Marigold)-- A New World (prequel to Jack's Heart)Jack's Heart (Yellow Monkeyflower)-- Rodeo Nights (prequel to Where Love Lives)Where Love Lives: The Inheritance (Threadleaf Phacelia)A Cowboy WeddingThe Bardville, Wyoming series A Stranger in the Family A Stranger to Love The Rancher Meets His MatchA Place Called Home series Lost and Found Groom At the Heart's Command Hidden in a Heartbeat

  Read more at Patricia McLinn’s site.

  Also by Patricia McLinn

  A Place Called Home

  Lost and Found Groom

  At the Heart's Command

  Hidden in a Heartbeat

  A Place Called Home Trilogy Boxed Set

  Bardville, Wyoming Trilogy

  A Stranger in the Family

  A Stranger to Love

  The Rancher Meets His Match

  Bardville, Wyoming Trilogy Boxed Set

  Caught Dead In Wyoming

  Sign Off (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 1)

  Left Hanging (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 2)

  Shoot First (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 3)

  Last Ditch (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 4)

  Look Live (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 5)

  Back Story (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 6)

  Cold Open (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7) (Coming Soon)

  Flores Silvestres de Wyoming

  Flores Silvestres de Wyoming: El Principio

  Casi Una Novia

  Pareja Hecha en Wyoming

  Mi Corazón Recuerda

  El corazón de Jack

  Colección de trilogía Flores Silvestres de Wyoming

  Marry Me Series

  Wedding of the Century

  The Unexpected Wedding Guest

  A Most Unlikely Wedding

  Baby Blues and Wedding Bells

  Rodeo Knights

  Ride the River: Rodeo Knights, A Western Romance Novel

  Seasons in a Small Town

  What Are Friends For?

  The Right Brother

  Falling for Her

  Warm Front

  Serie I Fiori di Campo del Wyoming

  I Fiori di Campo del Wyoming: L'inizio (Il Prequel)

  Innamorarsi In Wyoming

  Il Mio Cuore Ricorda

  Il Cuore di Jack

  The Wedding Series

  Grady's Wedding

  The Christmas Princess

  Hoops

  Not a Family Man

  Prelude to a Wedding

  The Wedding Series Trilogy

  Wedding Party

  The Surprise Princess

  The Runaway Bride

  The Forgotten Prince

  The Wedding Series Box Set Two (Books 4-5, The Runaway Bride and The Christmas Princess)

  The Wedding Series Box Set Three (Book 6, The Surprise Princess, and Hoops prequel)

  The Wedding Series Box Set Four (Book 7, The Forgotten Prince, and Not a Family Man prequel)

  Wyoming Wildflowers

  Wyoming Wildflowers: The Beginning

  Match Made In Wyoming

  My Heart Remembers

  A New World

  Jack's Heart

  Rodeo Nights

  Where Love Lives

  A Cowboy Wedding

  Wyoming Wildflowers Trilogy Boxed Set

  Wyoming Wildflowers Box Set Two (Book 5, Jack’s Heart, and A New World prequel)

  Wyoming Wildflowers Box Set Three (Book 6, Where Love Lives, and Rodeo Nights prequel)

  Wyoming Wildflowers: The Complete Collection

  Wyoming Wildflowers: The Complete Series

  Almost a Bride

  Standalone

  Courting a Cowboy

  The Games

  To Love a Cowboy (A Western Historical Duet)

  Widow Woman

  Wyoming Wild: Western Romance Series Starters

  Christmas Romance: Three Complete Holiday Love Stories

  Proof of Innocence

  Watch for more at Patricia McLinn’s site.

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn spent more than 20 years as an editor at the Wa
shington Post after stints as a sports writer (Rockford, Ill.) and assistant sports editor (Charlotte, N.C.). She received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University.

  McLinn is the author of more than 45 published novels, which are cited by readers and reviewers for wit and vivid characterization. Her books include mysteries, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical romance and women’s fiction. They have topped bestseller lists and won numerous awards.

  She has spoken about writing from Melbourne, Australia, to Washington, D.C., including being a guest-speaker at the Smithsonian Institution.

  She is now living in Northern Kentucky, and writing full-time. Patricia loves to hear from readers through her website, Facebook and Twitter.

  Read more at Patricia McLinn’s site.

 

 

  Patricia McLinn, Cold Open (Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7)

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