Pickle in the Middle Murder

by Jessie Chandler

Privy to Murder.

Shay O’Hanlon never knew the Minnesota Renaissance Festival was such a strange and bawdy event until JT Bordeaux—her badge-wearing, medieval-loving girlfriend—drags her along for a visit. The sixteenth-century faire is full of thrilling jousts, feisty wenches, and pickle vendors showing off their tasty tonsil ticklers, but Shay is distracted by the call of her full bladder. While trying to rein in her newest dog’s overactive nose, she finds a dead body with a pickle stuffed in his mouth. A real dead body. In the privy. And before Shay can shout “Huzzah!” JT is arrested for being the porta-potty body’s murderer. Together with her quirky crew of caper-solving pals, Shay must scramble for clues to free JT from the clink…and her troubled past.

Book 3 in the Shay O’Hanlon Caper series.

Publishers Weekly:
In Chandler’s thrilling third Shay O’Hanlon caper (after 2012’s Hide and Snake Murder), the Rabbit Hole cafe owner and her girlfriend, Minneapolis police officer JT Bordeaux, are enjoying the Minnesota Renaissance Festival when Shay feels the urge to run to the Porta Potties (aka “privies”). When Shay opens an outhouse door, a dead man with a pickle sticking out of his mouth and the back of his head missing topples off the pot. Her call to 911 brings the police, but where’s JT? When she finally appears, disheveled and splattered with pickle fragments, gruff Det. Clint Roberts arrests her for murder. Chandler keeps the suspense high as flustered Shay and spunky Eddy Quartermaine, Shay’s mom stand-in, seek to prove JT’s innocence — and learn a few surprises about her past along the way.

Catriona McPherson, author of the Dandy Gilver mystery series:
“Pickle in the Middle Murder – Shay O’Hanlon’s third outing – has all the beloved characters from the first two capers: sweet Coop, tough old broad Eddy, adorable Rocky and, best of all, this time we find out what’s behind JT’s air of enigma. There is some dark stuff here as well as the jokes, chases and knock-about, but that only makes us root even more for these wonderful characters. If you only read one Twin Cities pickle-based murder mystery this year, make it Jessie Chandler’s. Oh, and the dogs – Dawg and Bogey – only just manage not to steal the whole show. Great fun with a big heart: I loved it.”