Flippers, Blades and Murder

Apple Creek R-Park Department Mysteries #1

by Montie Red

Newly single mom forced back to hometown. Council member murdered at new job. Will she crack the case or become the next victim?

Margaret is freaking out. Moving back to her mother's home as a newly single mom while taking the Recreation and Parks director position in Apple Creek wasn’t part of the plan. Things go downhill when her brother-in-law is implicated in a council member's murder.

Ignoring the evidence and the objections of the lead detective—her former high school crush—Margaret, with the help of a playful K9 officer, secretly began her own investigation into the corruption surrounding the R-Parks Department. When the discoveries lead to questionable procedures and missing payments, Margaret is afraid that more lives are in danger, including her own.

Can Margaret solve the corruption mess before the killer gets her?

Flippers, Blades and Murder is the paws friendly first book in the Apple Creek R-Parks Department Cozy Mystery Series. If you like small towns, new beginnings and solving crimes, you’ll love Montie Red’s fast-paced entangled mysteries.

Buy Flippers, Blades and Murder and start scraping the mysterious ice today.

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2025

About the author

Hi, I’m Montie Red, and I have a not-so-secret addiction to crafting twists, turns, and mysteries best solved with a cup of tea (or maybe a snack). My R-Parks Mysteries series is inspired by my love for quirky small-town charm, meddling sleuths, and the occasional murder that needs unraveling—purely fictional ones, of course!
My biggest motivation is my amazing daughter, who keeps me inspired and grounded. We share our home with two lovable dogs, five chatty birds, and a husband who frequently attempts daring escapes from my writing world—usually by pretending there’s a very important game to watch or a mandatory tee time.
When I’m not diving into cozy mysteries, I step through portals to other worlds, writing sci-fi and fantasy adventures under the pen name Monica Red. Whether it’s catching a killer or navigating interstellar chaos, I’m always in the thick of an exciting tale.
Thanks for joining me on this storytelling journey. Grab a cozy blanket, dive into a book, and let’s solve some mysteries together!

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret (Maggie) returned to her home town with daughter Darcy, to take up the position of Director with the Recreation & Parks of Apple Creek, never expecting what would be ahead of her in her first week. There was murder, corruption and mess, and that was just the beginning. With Bruno by her side - he was the department's K9 officer - and Detective Logan issuing orders, mainly at Maggie to stop putting herself in danger, Maggie was sure she could discover what was going on in her department. But was it worse than she expected? With someone stopping at nothing to halt the investigation, Maggie knew she had to be on full alert. But Bruno had her back - didn't he?

Flippers, Blades and Murder is the 1st in the Apple Creek R-Park Department Mysteries by Montie Red and it was fun and entertaining. Bruno was the best! I'm looking forward to the next in the series, with the picture of the loveable boofhead, Bruno, on the cover (as with this one!) Recommended.

[Geraldine Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flippers, Blades and Murder by Montie Red narrates the tale of Maggie, a smalltown girl who returns home after several years to tackle her new job as the Recreation and Parks Director. Thrust into an unexpected murder mystery, Maggie must juggle her new duties, family responsibilities, and personal safety while helping a local detective solve the crime. The author does a great job creating a detailed cast of characters that add depth and color to each scene; even the K-9 brings his own personality in surprising and enjoyable ways. The author’s talent shows in several tension-filled scenes where the characters really come to life in dramatic and emotional ways. The dialogue is great, informative while driving each scene, and the various job descriptions excellent that truly bring the city departments and small town to life. A fun mystery and good read.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered sweet Bruno when he was just a puppy in the prequel and now he was K-9 Officer Bruno with the police department while an old friend of Maggie’s was now a detective. Maggie and Logan were at odds for a short time due to the police suspecting her brother-in-law of murder. But for the most part they worked well together just like they did years ago. I really hope that goes somewhere this time!

The showdown was exciting and tense with Officer Bruno helping out as well. I loved the ending which seemed to hold some hope that at least Maggie’s mom might forget the silly reason Maggie’s sister hated Logan. And just for the record, I don’t really like Maggie’s sister Sandie because of her narrow-mindedness about Logan and holding a silly high school grudge against him. Hopefully she’ll come around as the series continues. Now I can’t wait to borrow the next book.

[E.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, Clean, and Impossible to Put Down

As I said in the title, this book was fun, clean, and much to my satisfaction, nigh on impossible to put down. Thank God for the audiobook version, or I’d have never made it to work today.
The Audible AI narration was acceptable, not on par with a human voice, but significantly better than many TTS engines, though light years from matching near professional level TTS like ElevenReader. That said, this story was wonderful, and refreshingly wholesome. I strongly recommend it to anyone of any age.

[Shanley Mahsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Who Done Tale

This the first book of a fast-paced detective series. It’s a tale of mystery and intrigue that mature readers will enjoy at bedtime or on the beach.

[R. Hollis]

Oh my!

This kept me hooked from page one! I can't wait to dig into the prequel to find out what happened on spring break, and am really looking forward to seeing what happens between detective Logan and our heroine, Maggie. Although this was probably not the fresh start she wanted, her career at recreation and parks gets off to a rocky start as bodies pile up!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me. I thought this was a really good start to a new series. I did feel a little lost once in a while, but it in no way affected my enjoyment of the story. I thought the characters were interesting and Bruno was the star. Strongly recommend this book.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie is looking for a fresh start, but things are not going quite as planned. A great cozy mystery that kept me glued to the pages. So much fun to read.
I received a copy of this book from the author. I am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Catherine Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely enjoyed this book. Lots of characters so try to get them straight in your mind as they’re introduced. Would definitely recommend.

[Bernadine Sydow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The story had you questing who the murderer was with so much chaos thru out the book. I am going to get all these books by this writer.