Karina Cardinal Mystery Series

After a long week lobbying on Capitol Hill, all Karina Cardinal wants to do is chill with Netflix and her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne. Instead, she's slipping her aching feet into red stilettos for his parent's annual holiday bash. When she accidentally interrupts Patrick's father in his study, her embarrassment is tempered by suspicion that Martin Dunne and his dapper, secretive guest are hiding something. Maybe the painting she barely glimpses right before it disappears behind a secret panel.

If any day calls for a soothing glass of wine, it's today. One moment, Capitol Hill lobbyist Karina Cardinal is having a heated discussion with Senator Harper, who just torpedoed her latest health care legislation initiative. The next, after a cryptic remark, the senator is dead at her feet. Hours later, she's still so rattled she wakes to a freezing apartment because she forgot to close her back door. Or did she?

The rainbows-and-unicorns period of her friends-to-lovers relationship with Mike Finnegan officially over, Karina Cardinal is taking a tactical retreat. No way is she calling him for rescue from one of her infamous "scrapes". Sadira Manon, friend and colleague of Karina's sister Jillian, has been dropping way too much cash on designer labels for a middle school teacher. Even one who moonlights as a jewelry store clerk. But when she's accused of theft, the loose diamond falling out of her purse is enough for the police to sing the song of their people - Miranda rights.

After some of Karina Cardinal's recent adventures - her lover, Mike Finnegan, would call them scrapes, jams, or pickles - she's more than ready to blow this DC pop stand for a short girls' trip to Mexico. Until Jillian's roller skate wreck blows their plan out of the water. With Jilly injured and Mike working, her fellow lobbyist Rodrigo volunteers to share some sun, sand, and margaritas in Cancun. It's tough to relax, though, knowing what's in her suitcase. A package she promised to hand off to Mrs. Thundermuffin in Mexico.

Karina Cardinal's Saturday starts out with a bang, and it's not the home renovation marathon she's watching on HGTV. It's the FBI banging on her door, hunting for a fugitive. As if she could easily hide one in her modest condo. Especially one named Mike Finnegan.

Karina is trying to keep her mind on getting a cosponsor for a bill, but it's tough with her mom blowing up her phone. By the time Karina finally stops hitting "ignore", Mom is frantic. It appears Karina's Aunt Vera has disappeared, fibbed to her employer about the reason for her absence, even abandoned her beloved cat, Nightshade—which is completely out of character. Karina would bet her favorite pair of designer shoes that Vera is in some kind of trouble.