Murder at High Tide

Murder at High Tide
a Rosa Reed Mystery


Lee Strauss Norm Strauss


Contents
Summary
More from Lee Strauss
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Afterword
Rosa & Miguel’s Wartime Romance
Murder on the Boardwalk Sneak Peek
About the Authors
Acknowledgments


Summary
Murder's all wet!
It's 1956 and WPC (Woman Police Constable) Rosa Reed has left her groom at the altar in London. Time spent with her American cousins in Santa Bonita, California is exactly what she needs to get back on her feet, though the last thing she expected was to get entangled in another murder case!
If you love early rock & roll, poodle skirts, clever who-dun-its, a charming cat and an even more charming detective, you're going to love this new series!
The Rosa Reed Mystery series is a spin-off of the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mystery series.
This book has been edited and proofed, but typos are like little gremlins that like to sneak in when we’re not looking. If you spot a typo, please report it to: admin@laplumepress.com


More from Lee Strauss
On AMAZON
THE ROSA REED MYSTERIES
(1950s cozy historical)
Murder at High Tide
Murder on the Boardwalk
Murder at the Bomb Shelter
Murder on Location
GINGER GOLD MYSTERY SERIES (cozy 1920s historical)
Cozy. Charming. Filled with Bright Young Things. This Jazz Age murder mystery will entertain and delight you with its 1920s flair and pizzazz!
Murder on the SS Rosa
Murder at Hartigan House
Murder at Bray Manor
Murder at Feathers & Flair
Murder at the Mortuary
Murder at Kensington Gardens
Murder at St. George’s Church
The Wedding of Ginger & Basil
Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman
Murder at the Boat Club
Murder on Eaton Square
Murder by Plum Pudding
Murder on Fleet Street
LADY GOLD INVESTIGATES (Ginger Gold companion short stories)
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
HIGGINS & HAWKE MYSTERY SERIES (cozy 1930s historical)
The 1930s meets Rizzoli & Isles in this friendship depression era cozy mystery series.
Death at the Tavern
Death on the Tower
Death on Hanover
A NURSERY RHYME MYSTERY SERIES(mystery/sci fi)
Marlow finds himself teamed up with intelligent and savvy Sage Farrell, a girl so far out of his league he feels blinded in her presence - literally - damned glasses! Together they work to find the identity of @gingerbreadman. Can they stop the killer before he strikes again?
Gingerbread Man
Life Is but a Dream
Hickory Dickory Dock
Twinkle Little Star
THE PERCEPTION TRILOGY (YA dystopian mystery)
Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing. Noah Brody, a boy on the outside, is the only one who can help ~ but can she trust him?
Perception
Volition
Contrition
LIGHT & LOVE (sweet romance)
Set in the dazzling charm of Europe, follow Katja, Gabriella, Eva, Anna and Belle as they find strength, hope and love.
Sing me a Love Song
Your Love is Sweet
In Light of Us
Lying in Starlight
PLAYING WITH MATCHES (WW2 history/romance)
A sobering but hopeful journey about how one young German boy copes with the war and propaganda. Based on true events.
A Piece of Blue String (companion short story)
THE CLOCKWISE COLLECTION (YA time travel romance)
Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this ~ she's accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.
Clockwise
Clockwiser
Like Clockwork
Counter Clockwise
Clockwork Crazy
Clocked (companion novella)
Standalones
As Elle Lee Strauss
Seaweed
Love, Tink


1
Hugging was a very “un-English” thing to do.
Rosa Reed, rather British through and through, had yet to acclimatize to the exuberance of the American branch of her family and had endured more hugs in the few days she’d been in Santa Bonita, California than she’d had for most of her life growing up in Great Britain, the war years excepted. Now that she and her cousin Gloria had arrived at her Aunt Louisa’s charity event on the beach, Rosa braced herself for even more.
Drinks and cigarettes in hand, a crowd of people milled about, standing or sitting at round tables covered in white linen. Catering staff, all dressed in white, were busy fussing with the food.
“I feel overdressed,” Rosa remarked to her younger cousin Gloria Forrester. Red ribbons adorned Rosa’s white dress that was sprinkled with black polka dots. Short chestnut-colored waves were crowned with a white straw sun hat trimmed with matching red ribbon.
“You’re a Forrester,” Gloria said. With dark hair curled tightly around her ears, and dark lipstick on a bright white smile, Gloria spun to show off the fancy baby-blue crinoline skirt of her swing dress. “You’re supposed to overdress.”
Rosa grinned. Gloria Forrester was seven years Rosa’s junior and often seemed younger than her twenty-one years.
“And that dress,” Gloria continued, motioning a white-gloved hand toward Rosa, “is fabulous!”
“Another perk of having a mother who owns a prestigious Regent Street dress shop,” Rosa said.
“I love Feathers & Flair! Shopping there was the highlight of my trip.” Gloria’s eyes, briefly wide with wonder, now darkened in shock. Her gloved hand flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s fine, Gloria,” Rosa said, forcing her voice to sound light. “Ancient history.”
If one considered a month ancient. Perhaps in California, but not in England. A month was like a breath, and Rosa still felt the sting and humiliation of what had, in front of many witnesses including the members of the Forrester family, been a failed attempt down the aisle.
Gloria removed her sandals, hooked the straps over one hand, and motioned for Rosa to do the same. Rosa grinned at the sight of the two of them, dressed for a party yet barefoot on the beach. She was glad Gloria had reminded her not to wear stockings.
Gloria linked her arm with Rosa’s and pulled her down the beach—those bad memories left behind them, for now.
“There’s Mom.” Gloria pointed to a slim, attractive woman in her early fifties who held a martini in one hand.
Louisa Forrester, the half-sister to Rosa’s mother Ginger Reed, saw the young ladies approaching and broke into a smile. Handing her drink to