Cheers for Brewster State’s winning team turn into tears when its popular mascot, the Brewster Rooster, is found hanging in the bell tower.
     It looks like suicide until Brady Kincaid is called in to investigate and discovers the mascot, a vivacious and talented female gymnast, has been murdered.
     Digging into Didi Terry’s unusual past, Brady travels thousands of miles around the country and uncovers more startling information about the mascot and her Olympic dreams.
     When a member of the school’s administrative staff disappears, Brady fears she’s learned too much and gotten too close to the mascot’s killer. Can he find and save her before another murder rocks Brewster State College?
 

Readers Comments

“This mystery, like all of Bobby Jaye Allen’s books, has a real plot, a believable solution and characters, good and bad, that I can relate to. I especially liked the way the author writes about Alice—how she juggles her career as a detective, her romance with Brady, and her role as a caring, loving mother—all with intelligence and charm. Five Stars.”
Marla P., St. Louis, Mo
(Complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“Not everyone is going to be comfortable with Bobby Jaye Allen’s latest murder mystery. . . because it deals with a person who has gone through the transgendering experience which the author handles with thoughtfulness and delicacy. The main focus, however, is on the procedures used by the detectives and . . . criminalists to track down the Merry Mascot’s killer. I think everyone who reads this fast-moving book will find it entertaining and deserving of Five Stars.”
Gary O, Nashville, TN
(Complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“I’ve been a Brady Kincaid fan from book one and ‘the Merry Mascot’ didn’t let me down. I won’t be giving anything away as we found out in the first chapter that Brady has finally found a true love but I will not tell you if his patience is rewarded. . . Some characters from previous stories are present; others are missing. But the new characters help put this latest murder mystery together in a very interesting and exciting way. Five bright stars from me.”
Pamela P of Philadelphia, PA
(Complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“The best part of Ms. Allen’s books is how the killer is never a surprise character who pops up in the final chapter. Once again, in ‘the Merry Mascot’ the killer is introduced early on and mentioned periodically—not as a suspect, at least in my mind. Yet, when the killer was revealed, I didn’t feel cheated. I rate this a top whodunit and give it Five Stars.”
Molly R., Annapolis, MD

“My reading group [Once Around the Mall] has read all four Brady Kincaid books and enjoyed each one thoroughly. . .
the author did an excellent job making the reader sympathetic to the mascot’s sexuality. . . There’s far more to this story than the merry mascot’s life and death. The major portion . . . is a police procedural with a generous dose of romance. We give ‘the Merry Mascot’ Five Stars.”
Ida Mae B., Novi, MI
(Complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“A fast-paced story dealing with our hero detective Brady Kincaid and his friends of Early, Mi. A college mascot’s seeming suicide is more than it appears. . . what appears as motive is not . . . but a cover-up of something deeper.”
Marissa Y., La Plata, MD

“I was a bit leery when I started reading ‘the Merry Mascot’ as I’m not a big sports fan. But I was drawn into the plot and intrigue written as only Ms. Allen can. It was great to “see” familiar characters in a slightly different setting. As in her previous books, the suspense and build up make it hard to put down the book. ‘The Merry Mascot’ is definitely a ‘One Night Read.’”
Danise W., Stevens Point, Wi


“I barely finished the last page of ‘the Merry Mascot’ before my wife grabbed it from my hands. We both enjoyed reading the book but for different reasons. I like Brady and that he’s not some over-confident dude, especially around women. My wife likes the way Alice knows it and leads Brady exactly where they both want to go. To be honest, the first three books in this series had me worried that Brady was never going to get to first base with any woman. But thank God (and the author) he finally nails a gorgeous chick like Alice. Five Stars.
(P.S. The rest of the plot—the murder investigation and finding the killer—are first rate too.)
Jake L., Atlanta, GA
(Complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“I seldom watch sporting events and was afraid ‘the Merry Mascot’ was going to be a story dominated by college jocks. Instead the basketball game parts of the book were brief and exciting. In fact, I found myself participating like a fan cheering for the Brewster State team. This mystery is a careful step-by-step detective story with a bonus of three romances blooming on the side. Five Stars.”
Rachael C., Miami Beach, FL

“My husband and I share books and by the time he finished the first chapter of ‘the Merry Mascot’ he looked up and said, ‘It’s about time Brady [Kincaid] found the right woman.’ He stayed up late to finish he book and his notes said ‘tight plot,’ ‘great conversations,’ ‘characters who are like good friends.’ To that I’ll add that I thought the victim’s background was dealt with in a straightforward, inoffensive manner. We both enjoyed this book and give it Ten Stars – five stars apiece.”
Tina S., Omaha, NE

“The story begins when the body of the Brewster State College mascot, the Brewster Rooster, is discovered hanging from the bell tower. What looks like suicide at first, is soon designated as murder. In the course of the investigation, Brady adds to his frequent flyer account as he travels to several cities across the country tracking down leads. He discovers that the mascot, Didi Terry, had an unusual background and Olympic dreams were never fulfilled.
The star reporter for the Early Eagle newspaper, Geraldine Pozy, is very much in evidence, picking locks and gathering information for the police. She does share her findings with Brady so could be considered more of a help than a hindrance. Personally, I feel that she has missed her calling and would be much happier as a detective than a reporter.
The kidnapping of Mary Canova, administrative assistant at Brewster State, and the ruthless murder of another key character, lead us in several directions at once.
You will find enough red herrings to keep you guessing
right up to the end.”
Kathleen J., BC, Canada
(Complete four star review on Amazon.com)

Comments from Reviewers

“We learn in the first chapter that Brady Kincaid has officially joined Early, Michigan’s detective squad and is partnered with Alice, who loves him as much as he loves her.
In the neighboring village of Brewster, the college mascot is found hanging in the school’s bell tower. This book might have been a normal, everyday police procedural with plenty of suspects and the killer revealed in the final chapter. But, the author has injected an element that might be questionable to some readers—the discovery that the victim had not quite completed the transition from male to female. I found the author’s handling of this delicate subject to be sympathetic and forthright.
The story line also follows the Brewster State basketball team’s fortunes. . . The author knows the sport and furnished a wonderful account of the games, the players and coaches.
The author provides originality and humor with a collection of malapropisms. This book ends on a romantic note and I’m left wondering where Brady Kincaid will go from here.
‘the Merry Mascot’ is another ‘page-turner;’ that is, a book that’s nearly impossible to put down until the last sentence has been read. It richly deserves all Five Stars.”
Reader’s Exchange Quarterly (Karl Tsaloff, editor)

“The first fourteen pages of ‘the Merry Mascot’ set the table for the feast author Bobby Jaye Allen has prepared. We’re then served generous portions of suspense, methodical detective and crime scene team procedures, relaxed and happy romance, and even humor in the form of malapropisms.
Yum! Yum! ‘The Merry Mascot’ has just the right combination of ingredients certain to satisfy everyone’s taste. Five Stars”
www.page-by-page.net (Max Muhler)

“Five stars for ‘the Merry Mascot,’ a newly-released murder mystery featuring Detective Brady Kincaid in his fourth book.
Once again author Bobby Jaye Allen tackles a ticklish subject with finesse. We learn early in the story that the victim, the college mascot, was receiving gender transformation treatment and counseling. Any one of the numerous suspects might have killed the mascot for that reason and it’s left to Brady and his ladylove Alice to investigate and solve the mystery. This story is a quick and most satisfying read.
Half past Midnight Newsletter (Samantha Elder)

“Brewster State College’s popular and talented mascot is found hanging in the school’s bell tower. Detective Kincaid soon learns the mascot has a secret and with his partner Alice investigates whether her secret led to suicide or murder. The investigation heads in many directions and along the way the reader is treated to romance and humor. Readers do not have to be sports fans to enjoy this story as the author was careful to inject the basketball segments of the plot in small servings. Altogether ‘the Merry Mascot’ is a well-organized story that merits Five Stars.
www.bookwagon.com (Rita Fiocca)

“For Detective Brady Kincaid life has been pretty good lately. The small town life of Early, Michigan suits him and he likes working in the police department. Then there is the fact that he has found love in the form of his fellow detective, Alice Drinker.
As students and staff at small Brewster State in the neighboring town of Brewster get ready to celebrate making the final sixteen of the current NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, their mascot is found dead. Professor Didi Terry, who doubled as the school’s mascot, has been found hung in the school’s bell tower. Whoever set it up to appear as a suicide botched it badly. It was murder and Brady begins to work the case as does Geraldine Pozy, ace reporter for the local paper, the Early Eagle.
Everyone is back in this cozy style mystery, which follows “On the Chopping Block.” The romance between Alice and Brady continues . . . as does the author’s ability to keep readers guessing the identity of the mastermind that is hidden skillfully right to the end. Fans of this series won’t be disappointed in this latest installment and new readers will enjoy this tale of murder in a small town against the backdrop of politics and sports.”
Kevin Tipple, online at The Blue Iris Journal Blog
(complete five star review on Amazon.com)

“The Merry Mascot is an entertaining, slightly quirky evening’s read that will amuse as well as keep you guessing.
We immediately learn the little college has a nationally ranked basketball team and a talented mascot whose spectacular routines have made her as famous as the team.
The mascot’s body is found hanging in the chapel bell tower and it’s up to the local detectives to determine, if she didn’t commit suicide, who murdered her and why.
College basketball fans will love the exciting recaps of the games, brief though they may be.
Along with rousing school spirit, the author has created a well thought-out mystery with likeable characters in setting where it’s easy to feel at home.”
Suzanna Barlow for GBG (GoodBooksGalore)
(complete five star review on Amazon.com)

the Merry Mascot, © 2004 by Bobby Jaye Allen, ISBN 0-9712082-3-9,
was published by Accolade Books and released January, 2005.
This is the author’s fourth murder mystery in the Brady Kincaid series. The 223-page soft-cover novel retails at the suggested price of $9.99. To inquire about advance copies, available discounts, and return policy:
Phone toll free: 1-888-318-4794
e-mail: staff@accoladebooks.biz
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