When Shay Reynolds moved back to her small hometown to open an escape room business, she had no idea sheâd need to solve a murder.
She never thought sheâd discover something shocking about her own past.
She never dreamed sheâd have an opportunity to fall in love.
She never expected sheâd soon be fighting for her life after getting too close to the truth.
After the unexpected death of her father, Shay moves back home and discovers her father left her a legacy to live out her dreams. Her new business is set to open in just a few weeks, and she needs to figure out why thereâs a dead guy in one of the newest escape rooms.
Join Shay as she reconnects with her best friends from childhood, tries to solve a murder, and locks horns with the attractive detective assigned to the case. Sparks fly and danger lurks where Shay least expects it.
When Shay Reynolds moved back to her small hometown to open an escape room business, she had no idea sheâd need to solve a murder.
She never thought sheâd discover something shocking about her own past.
She never dreamed sheâd have an opportunity to fall in love.
She never expected sheâd soon be fighting for her life after getting too close to the truth.
After the unexpected death of her father, Shay moves back home and discovers her father left her a legacy to live out her dreams. Her new business is set to open in just a few weeks, and she needs to figure out why thereâs a dead guy in one of the newest escape rooms.
Join Shay as she reconnects with her best friends from childhood, tries to solve a murder, and locks horns with the attractive detective assigned to the case. Sparks fly and danger lurks where Shay least expects it.
When I started the business of my dreams, I forgot one important thing. Being a business owner means having a set schedule. And a set schedule means getting up early. Have I mentioned yet I hate mornings? I hit snooze for the 10th time (letâs be honest, Iâd given up counting after the third one) when my phone chimed.Â
âHeeyyyyyy sleepyhead! Get up! Itâs time for our run!â said the chirpy voice on the line. It was Jared Hayes, my best friend and partner in crime since we were in kindergarten.Â
âYou add extra yâs because you know it irritates me. Just five more minutes,â I said.
âShay Reynolds, you get your rear in gear and meet me at the rec center in 30 minutes,â Jared said before disconnecting.
Ugh. Thatâs me, Shay Reynolds. Iâm 26 years old and never thought Iâd be back where I grew up in Deadwood, South Dakota. Three months ago, I lived in Arizona, working for a newspaper, and living my dream. No snow in sight and my entire future ahead of me. Then, I got laid off and got the news my dad had died.
I wasnât over the whirlwind of emotions that had followed that terrible day. Not only had my dad died, but heâd left a large life insurance policy, and his will had some specific instructions for me. I knew heâd always wanted me to come home, but his last wishes were for me to start the business Iâd always talked about and give living back home a full year before deciding.
I shuffled to the kitchen to make some black tea to clear my head. While the Keurig burbled to life, I threw my hair up into a messy bun and glanced down at my PJâs. Capri leggings and a t-shirt? That seemed fine for a morning run to me. Problem solved, I moved on to thinking about the rest of my day. As I slipped on my sneakers and brewed my tea, I glanced over the to-do list Iâd left on the counter last night.
My first order of business, after my run, would be to make sure the deliveries had arrived for my new venture, Escape from Reality. Iâd discovered escape rooms in Phoenix and had been hooked. My dad knew about my dream and had made it possible for it to come true. I swiped at my eyes as tears sprang up.Â
âGet yourself together, Shay.â
Determined to get moving, I grabbed my tea, scalded my tongue, and headed out the door. Spring had come early to the tiny town I thought Iâd never come back to. Nice days in March were rare. As I walked down my street to the rec center, my neighbor, Shelly Myers, hollered at me.
âGood morning, Miss Shay!â
âGood morning, Shelly.â
âIt was a shame to hear about your father, but itâs so good to have you back.âÂ
âThanks, Shelly. Iâm glad to be back, but I sure miss my dad. Maybe we can catch up later.â
I stretched and went down the street at a slow jog, admiring all the Victorian homes on my way. Deadwood is a town of contradictions - original period homes and modern, jarring casinos, but somehow, it all comes together.Â
âTurn that frown upside down!â Jared said as he enveloped me in a much-needed hug.Â
I stepped back and looked at my oldest friend. He was tall, blonde, and handsome, even if he used old phrases that made me cringe.
âWhatâs so good about it?â I asked, determined to stay down in the dumps.
âKnock it off, the sun is shining, weâre reunited, and youâre about to take on a challenge and do what youâve always wanted,â He sang. âNow, letâs get our run on!â
Jaredâs right. I shouldnât wallow, but hey, Iâm not a morning person.
âDid you check-in at the building yet,â I asked.
âYes, I did. While you were resting your pretty head, I was taking care of all the details for your new business. And while weâre talking about your pretty head, dear God, what is wrong with your hair?â
I self-consciously ran my hand over my tangled bun. âWhat? Itâs fine!â
âSometimes, I just donât know about you, Shay. Youâve got all of this glorious blonde hair, and half the time, you look like someone pulled you through a bush backward.â
âWhat does that even mean? Who gets pulled through bushes backward? How does that work? You need to stop reading so many Regency romances.â
Jared rolled his eyes and gave me what we call âthe lookâ when one of us calls the other out.Â
âWhatever - letâs focus on the business,â I said as I ran faster, determined to outrun this awkward critique of myself.Â
The escape room would open in three weeks. I was stressing over the whole thing. Coming up with original mysteries for each room was the simple part. Decorating was a whole other story.Â
âAll the props for the first room are here. Weâre still waiting on the props for room two. Iâm expecting them in later today,â he said, wheezing as we picked up the pace. âIâll finish up running the camera and sound system today and get the components hooked up.â
Setting up the escape rooms was difficult. Keeping people engaged and not having the mystery be too tough to solve meant finding the right balance. I was relying on my love of old mystery novels to see me through this challenge. My degree in literature might pay off!
âLetâs stop.âÂ
The hills in Deadwood are killer, but they were great for cardio. We slowed to a walk and headed over to Jillâs Cafe, a local hangout we used to visit when we were in high school. Weâd be meeting the third of our fearless trio, Abby Cooper, for some breakfast and a quick strategy session.
Abby is the girliest girl who ever lived, and I loved her with my whole heart. We may be opposites, but thereâs no one else I trusted more. Jared, Abby, and I had bonded in elementary school, and we had been inseparable ever since (despite my defection to warmer climes.) They had both welcomed me back with open arms and hearts when I got the news about my dad.
I couldnât help but admire Abby. Sheâd always known that she wanted to own a clothing store. Sheâd saved throughout high school and then worked two jobs until she had the money put aside to open her own shop. Her drive and ambition had made her store one of the best in the state. She had inspired me to try opening my own business.Â
Tears welled up again as we approached the table where Abby was waiting. She took one look at me and rushed over to give me a big hug.
âShay, itâs gonna be alright,â Abby said while holding me tight. âYouâre gonna get through this.â She held me at armâs length and gave me the once-over. âAre you wearing your pajamas?â
Abby always dressed appropriately.
âMaybe... but anyway, letâs talk about getting Room 2 decorated,â I said, desperate for a change in subject.Â
Iâm most commonly found in yoga pants and tees or yoga pants and sweatshirts, depending on the season. The only time I traded in my Converse shoes was when it snowed. What can I say? I liked to keep things simple. I sat down. Jared flopped dramatically in his seat, making me giggle.Â
âAbby, you know itâs a losing battle trying to get Shay to dress nice,â Jared said. âWeâve been trying for fifteen years and itâs never worked.âÂ
âWe will never give up!â
I knew what they were doing, and I appreciated their efforts to keep me cheerful and distracted.Â
âWhat can I get for you three?â asked Jill, the cafĂ©âs owner.
Jill is in her sixties and dresses as though she lives in a 1950s sitcom. Her cafe had a wonderful vibe that made you feel as if youâve stepped back in time. It was always a hit with tourists.Â
I looked around the crowded cafe and didnât see anyone else helping her.
âWhereâs Cindy, Jill? I thought she was helping you wait tables?â
âThat girl, I swear, itâs always something with her. Today, itâs a flat tire. Tomorrow, who knows? Anyway, what you guys want? I got a lot going on.â
Donât let her attitude fool you. Jill may be all business and come off grumpy, but sheâs a big old softie.
âIâll take my usual, French toast with bacon and a Coke.â
Jared hemmed and hawed like he always did before ordering his usual, too. âIâll have the Denver omelet and an orange juice.â
âIâll have the egg white omelet with an English muffin, no butter, and water to drink,â Abby said.
Jill walked away, writing as she went. She glanced over as a tourist banged his empty coffee cup on the table. âComing, coming.â
Looking over at my two friends as they teased one another, I realized how lucky I was. Even though I may not have planned it, I guess everything works out the way itâs supposed to.Â
Jared recently got laid off from the hotel where he worked in IT. He was the perfect person to help me with the techie side of running the escape rooms. I excelled at the planning, organization, and decoration. Without his expertise at adding sound effects, hooking up the computer system, and making everything run, I would have been lost. He was even doing my website and managing the booking system.Â
âI love you guys,â I blurted out.
Jared looked over at me and grabbed my hand. âWe love you, too, Shay-Shay.âÂ
Jill dropped off our food. I dug in, excited to get going with the day and get my second room all decorated.
âJared, you said the props for room two are coming?â I asked around my French toast.
âYeppers, I opened up the doors early this morning so the delivery guy could drop off the boxes. In fact, they should already be there.â
We finished up our breakfasts, said our goodbyes to Abby, and headed over to the escape rooms. Iâd found a great, historic building that had that true Deadwood vibe. It was located just doors from where Wild Bill Hickok had met his grisly end, and I thought it was the perfect spot for what I had planned.
We based most of the rooms on Deadwoodâs colorful past. Between bank robberies, a suspected serial killer, and plenty of mining disputes, let alone all the colorful cowboys and cowgirls, I was sure I had a lot of material to pull from.
My first room was themed as a bank heist. Visitors had an hour to follow the clues and unlock the vault before time ran out. The second room was one I was excited about. It was a murder mystery where a man was discovered dead in a prostituteâs room. Guests would have an hour to find clues to reveal who had done the deed.Â
We walked up the steps, and I admired the new decal on the door with our name, Escape from Reality. A thrill went through me, making me excited for what was to come.Â
âJared, I just canât believe itâs happening,â I said, as we walked inside. I went behind the front desk. I puttered around the waiting room as Jared ducked into the bathroom to change into his work clothes. Â
âItâs exciting,â Jared said, as he went to check room two for our deliveries. âUm, Shay... I think you might need to call the police.â
âWhat do you mean?â I asked as I ran back there.Â
I stopped in my tracks. There, on what was to be the prostituteâs bed, was the body of a man. Judging from the uniform he was wearing, this must have been our delivery guy. I thought about checking to see if he was alive, but the open-eyed stare and the amount of blood soaking through the covers and onto the floor was a pretty good sign he was dead.Â
My hands were shaking as I dialed 9-1-1. This could not be happening.Â
Escape from Danger by Courtney McFarlin is a novel with just the right blend of romance, mystery and fun. I was hooked from the very beginning and I couldnât stop until I finished it within the day. I can say that the plot was excellently written and the pacing of the story kept me reading for more. I couldnât wait to follow Shay and her friends as they tried to solve the crime that almost ruined Shayâs business opening.
I just loved the way Shayâs friends supported her since their childhood days. Even though they were apart for some time, they had no problem in reigniting their friendship when Shay came back to open her escape room business after her fatherâs death. I could almost find myself eating out with them, sharing stories about the past and being concerned for Shayâs safety.
I also loved the neighborhood where they had a regular cozy place to dine in and where they could visit each otherâs place whenever they need each otherâs company. Itâs more than the mystery of this story that will capture your interest. Itâs that homey feeling and the warmth of knowing you have a place to belong to. I can just pause once in a while as I linger at that moment where I can be with Shay and her friends.
The romance in the story was also believable. It started in a very natural way and developed gradually as the plot unfolds. There is nothing forced here. The first person point of view used from the perspective of Shay has worked well to immerse the reader smoothly into the story. It has captured Shayâs thoughts and feelings and has left no doubt as to her emotions about the attractive detective that suddenly barged into her life.
If you need a cozy mystery to keep you snug and feeling all warm inside as you try to make sense of clues that fall into your lap one by one, this is the book for you. Â