It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the very talented donalee Moulton. We “met” when I was Chair of Crime Writers of Canada, and her short story, ‘Maladaptives Anonymous’ is included in Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers. Here’s a bit about her latest book Bind, and if you keep reading, I’ve also shared a teaser of her short story:

Title: BIND

About the book: Everything that happens in a yoga studio is not Zen. Sometimes it’s grand larceny. Three yogis, two cops, and one damn cute dog join forces to discover who’s stolen a Patek Philippe watch from what was supposed to be a secure locker. Time is ticking.

Shondra (Woo Woo) Aeron, Lexie Hill, and Charlene Kurtz unfurl mats five mornings a week at the Asana Yoga Studio for a downward dog or two, one serene savasana, and a steaming cup of coffee afterwards. They’re not friends, but the theft of a very expensive watch from the gym where their studio is located draws them together – and into a bind of another type.

To support Kristi Yee, their yoga instructor and co-owner of the gym, the three women offer to help her retrieve (some might call it stealing) financial information from her business partner. Mission successful (albeit with a few hiccups). It doesn’t take Charlene, an auditor, long to determine the balance sheet is not all it appears. Certainly, fencing a very expensive watch would help.

The partner isn’t the only suspect. The watch owner could use some money. He is having a relationship with at least two women, neither his wife. One of those women, who made the affair loudly public early one morning in the gym, has managed to cash in on her relationship. The other woman is unknown, at least initially.

The watch owner’s son, a diehard romantic, is also a suspect. His father and his girlfriend certainly think so. He doesn’t need or want the money, but his girlfriend does. At least he thinks so. He thinks wrong.

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About the author: donalee Moulton’s first mystery book Hung out to Die was published in 2023. Her historical mystery, Conflagration!, won the 2024 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense (Historical Fiction). donalee has two new books coming out in 2025, Bind and Melt, the first in a new series, the Lotus Detective Agency. A short story “Swan Song” was one of 21 selected for publication in Cold Canadian Crime. It was shortlisted for an Award of Excellence. Other short stories have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines. donalee’s short story “Troubled Water” was shortlisted for a 2024 Derringer Award and a 2024 Award of Excellence from the Crime Writers of Canada. You can connect with donalee at https://donaleemoulton.com.

Teaser for ‘Maladaptives Anonymous’ by donalee Moulton:

Marla Porter is a life coach. I don’t know what a life coach is, but it clearly makes Marla happy. She’s on minute seven of describing how she helps people find purpose, enhance creativity, manage stress, and…. 

To be frank, I’ve stopped listening. While Marla continues unabated, I check the exits, the crowd, and the outside activity. It’s what I was trained to do as a cop. I’m no longer a cop, but the training comes in handy as a private detective and during moments of boredom.

Marla takes a second to inhale. It’s my cue. “Something tells me we’re not here to chat about the joys of life coaching.”

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