The Donaldson Case (11 page)

So after all that the key was worthless, which
still irritates me slightly.
 
Joan
is now convinced that she’s a very clever detective, but we both knew Matthew
Rogers wasn’t a very nice man after all those phone calls to different
women.
 
Still, she’s claiming all of
the credit for his arrest.
 
I don’t
really mind as it means she can’t complain when I want to investigate something
in the future.

Besides, I’ve taken to calling the whole
episode “The Donaldson Case,” which annoys her no end.
 
She keeps saying that, as Michael was
totally innocent, his name shouldn’t be associated with it.
 
I just ignore her.

I don’t think I mentioned the lovely presents
our guests left for us.
 
Fred made
us a sculpture out of twigs and grass.
 
Unfortunately, when we tried to relocate it to a suitable location, it
rather fell apart.
 

Molly wrote us a poem:

Doveby
House

Warm

Inviting

Telly

Bright

Sneezes

Tuesday

Needs a cat.

I don’t understand it, but I quite agree
with the sentiment.
 
I’ve just about
worked up the nerve to ask Joan about getting one.
 
I’ll keep you informed.

With all good wishes,

Janet Markham

Glossary of Terms

Other
Notes

In the UK,
dates are written day, month, year rather than month, day, year as in the
US.
 
(May 5, 2015 would be written 5
May 2015, for example.)

In the UK,
when describing property with more than one level, the lowest level (assuming
there is no basement; very few UK houses have basements) is the “ground floor,”
and the next floor up is the “first floor” and so on.
 
In the US, the lowest floor is usually
the “first floor” and up from there.

When telling
time, half six is the English equivalent of six-thirty.

Pensioners are
people who are old enough to be collecting a retirement pension.
 
(In the US they are generally referred
to as senior citizens.)

A “full English
breakfast” generally consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, grilled or fried
tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried mushrooms and baked beans served with toast.

A
semi-detached house is one that is joined to another house by a common center
wall.
 
In the US they are generally
called duplexes.
 
In the UK the two
properties would be sold individually as totally separate entities.
 

Coming June 17, 2016

The Ellsworth Case

A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella

The
bed and breakfast is now up and running and Janet and Joan are looking forward
to welcoming their last guests before they take a break for Christmas.
 
The news that someone is passing
counterfeit currency around
Doveby
Dale is worrying.

Both
couples that arrive at
Doveby
House seem odd to the
sisters and so does William
Chalmer's
new friend,
Karen Holmes.
 
The library keeps
turning up surprises, including a beautiful oak
tantalus
,
while the police keep turning up more counterfeit twenty pounds notes.

Is
it possible that some of their guests are counterfeiters?
 
Why is Karen Holmes interested in the
much older William Chalmers?
 
And
what other secrets will the library reveal?

Also by Diana
Xarissa

The Markham Sisters Cozy

Mystery Novella Series

The Appleton Case

The Bennett Case

The Chalmers Case

The Donaldson Case

The Ellsworth Case
 
(release date:
 
June 17, 2016)

The Aunt Bessie Cozy
Mystery Series

Aunt Bessie Assumes

Aunt Bessie Believes

Aunt Bessie Considers

Aunt Bessie Decides

Aunt Bessie Enjoys

Aunt Bessie Finds

Aunt Bessie Goes

Aunt Bessie’s Holiday

Aunt Bessie Invites
(release date:
 
April 15, 2016)

The Isle of Man Romance
Series

Island Escape

Island Inheritance

Island Heritage

Island Christmas

About the Author

Diana
Xarissa
lived in Derbyshire, and then on the Isle of Man for more than ten years before
returning to the United States with her family.
 
Now living near Buffalo, New York, she
enjoys writing about the island and the UK.

Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in
the not-too-distant future under the pen name “Diana X. Dunn” and
fantasy/adventure books for middle grade readers under the pen name “D.X.
Dunn.”

She would be delighted to know what you
think of her work and can be contacted through snail mail at:

Diana
Xarissa
Dunn

PO Box 72

Clarence, NY
 
14031.

Or find her on Facebook,
Goodreads
or on her website at
www.dianaxarissa.com
.
 

You can sign up for her monthly newsletter
on the website and be among the first to know about new releases, as well as
find out about contests and giveaways and see the answers to some frequently
asked questions.