Table of Contents
Start Reading
Dear Reader
Cast
About the Author
Contact Information
More Books by Ann
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Chapters
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
Also by Ann Charles
Deadwood Mystery Series
Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Book 1)
Optical Delusions in Deadwood (Book 2)
Dead Case in Deadwood (Book 3)
Better Off Dead in Deadwood (Book 4)
An Ex to Grind in Deadwood (Book 5)
Meanwhile, Back in Deadwood (Book 6)
A Wild Fright in Deadwood (Book 7)
Rattling the Heat in Deadwood (Book 8)
Gone Haunting in Deadwood (Book 9)
Don’t Let It Snow in Deadwood (Book 10)
Short Stories from the Deadwood Mystery Series
Deadwood Shorts: Seeing Trouble (Book 1.5)
Deadwood Shorts: Boot Points (Book 4.5)
Deadwood Shorts: Cold Flame (Book 6.5)
Deadwood Shorts: Tequila & Time (Book 8.5)
Jackrabbit Junction Mystery Series
Dance of the Winnebagos (Book 1)
Jackrabbit Junction Jitters (Book 2)
The Great Jackalope Stampede (Book 3)
The Rowdy Coyote Rumble (Book 4)
Jackrabbit Junction Short: The Wild Turkey Tango (Book 4.5)
Dig Site Mystery Series
Look What the Wind Blew In (Book 1)
Make No Bones About It (Book 2)
AC Silly Circus Mystery Series
Feral-LY Funny Freakshow (Novella 1)
A Bunch of Monkey Malarkey (Novella 2)
Goldwash Mystery Series (a future series)
The Old Man’s Back in Town (Short Story)
For Diane Garland
(aka the brainiac who helps me keep track of the story world details for my Deadwood Mystery Series, as well as all of my other books and series):
Thanks for locking me in your basement and making me write a holiday story that is three times longer than I’d planned. Next time can I have more sugar in my gruel? Pretty please?
You are awesome, my wonderfully nit-picky friend!
Dear Reader,
When I started writing this book, I planned to give you a glimpse of Violet’s family holiday with some of the usual Christmas traditions thrown into the mix. I had a short tale in mind, nothing more than a few chapters’ worth of laughs, but I should’ve known better. As soon as Violet stepped onto the scene in Chapter One, she scoffed at the idea of a short story, grabbed my hand, and took off running. Nineteen chapters later, the tenth book in the Deadwood Mystery Series was born.
To celebrate this milestone in the series, DON’T LET IT SNOW IN DEADWOOD offers a little something new:
It’s a story about family.
It’s a story about snow.
It’s a story about the roller-coaster emotions and head-banging frustrations that come with too much family and snow. Full of twists and turns, and a jaw-dropper or two, this triple-sized holiday tale should last longer than a double decaf low-fat latte with medium foam dusted with a breath of nutmeg and a tiny sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
We’re ten books into the Deadwood Mystery Series now. A lot has happened so far, changing Violet’s life in ways she never imagined. We’ve laughed, cringed, flinched, snorted, sighed, guffawed, cursed, and cheered along with Violet and her friends. Raise your glass and let’s toast to even wilder times yet to come.
I leave you with one of Old Man Harvey’s favorite quotes:
“Learn this well, the last ride is never the last ride. And the end is not the end.” ~Richard A. Rowland
Enjoy the snowy ride!
Ann Charles
www.anncharles.com
Cast
**KEY: Character (Book # in which they appear)—Description**
Violet Lynn Parker (1–10)—Heroine of the series, real estate agent
Willis “Old Man” Harvey (1–10)—Violet’s sidekick and so-called bodyguard
Dane “Doc” Nyce (1–10)—Violet’s boyfriend, medium
Detective “Coop” Cooper (1–10)—Deadwood and Lead’s detective
Zoe Parker (1–10)—Violet’s aunt and mentor in life
Layne Parker (1–10)—Violet’s nine-year-old son
Adelynn Parker (1–10)—Violet’s nine-year-old daughter
Natalie Beals (1–10)—Violet’s best friend since childhood
Cornelius Curion (3–10)—Violet’s client; so-called ghost-whisperer
Reid Martin (2–10)—Captain of the fire dept., Aunt Zoe’s ex-lover
Susan Parker (1–10)—Violet’s evil sister; aka “the Bitch from Hell”
Quint Parker (1–3,7–10)—Violet’s brother; Layne’s hero
Blake Parker (8,10)—Violet’s father
Hope Parker (1-2,8,10) —Violet’s mother
Freesia Tender (5–10)—Owner of the Galena House
Rex Conner (3–8,10)—Biological father of Violet’s children
Jane Grimes (1–10)—Violet’s previous boss
Dominick Masterson (4,7–10)—Previous client of Violet’s old boss, Jane.
“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” ~Elvis Presley
Chapter One
The Black Hills, South Dakota
Christmas Eve
7:36 p.m.
“Winter wonderland, my ass,” I bellyached, my teeth chattering while the frigid wind rocked me in my boots. Snow pelted my face, sticking to my eyelashes.
I shivered, my shoulders pulling in tight as I stood in the middle of the two-lane highway. My SUV’s headlights blazed from behind me, but in a storm this fierce, the bright beams of light weren’t much help. They reflected off the swirling flakes, blinding me rather than illuminating the vast stretch of dark, empty snow-covered road in front of me.
Old Man Winter could be such a dick. He’d gone and coated the hills in a thick blanket of white on Christmas Eve of all days. It was going to take at least a week of December sunshine to melt this white fluffy crap away. I scowled long and hard, not giving a flying reindeer if my face froze that way either.
The wind raged and howled around me, tearing through my blue wool coat. It stole my breath and gripped my bones with its freezing fingers. I tucked my scarf tighter around me, weighing my options. The blizzard had crowded into the Black Hills so fast, pushing and shoving to make it in time for Christmas.
Trudging ahead through the frozen tundra would be right up there with dodging icebergs in the North Atlantic. Besides, my new purple snow boots were no match for the drifts, many of which were already knee-deep and rising.
“Razzle-frazzit,” I muttered through stiff lips.
Down on the prairie in the warm bosom of my parents’ house, my two kids were waiting for Santa and me to show. Earlier on the phone, I’d reassured them the snowy roads wouldn’t stop me from arriving in time to help them prep for St. Nick. Little had I realized then that Old Man Winter had a plan to knock me on my caboose and then kick me while I
