Under the Gun (Cordelia Corbett Mysteries Book 6)

Under the Gun: A Cordelia Corbett Mystery

What begins as a relaxing group getaway to coastal Maine quickly turns into a complex criminal investigation for Cordelia Corbett and her firm, Women Investigating the World. When a body is discovered beneath the dock of their Kennebunkport rental, Cordelia once again finds herself balancing friendship, personal milestones, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

The victim, Jennifer Bailey, had recently vacationed in the same seaside home. As Cordelia and her team assist the local police, a second case emerges—the unexplained disappearance of a waitress’s boyfriend. What initially appears to be coincidence soon reveals a web of buried secrets stretching from small-town Maine to Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Interviews with husbands, former lovers, neighbors, and business owners expose strained marriages, hidden affairs, financial motives, and carefully rehearsed alibis. Surveillance footage, conflicting testimonies, and a startling confession from a self-proclaimed hired hitman deepen the mystery rather than resolve it. With multiple suspects and overlapping motives, the truth proves more elusive than anyone expected.

As Cordelia navigates questions about her growing firm, her engagement, and her future, she must also determine how justice can be served when guilt is shared and intentions are murky. In a close-knit community where everyone seems to know something—but no one tells the whole story—the line between victim and culprit blurs.

Under the Gun is the sixth installment in the Cordelia Corbett Series by J.T. Kunkel, a character-driven mystery that blends personal stakes with a layered investigation set against the atmospheric backdrop of coastal New England.

Discover how far Cordelia Corbett will go to uncover the truth—and what happens when the answers are more complicated than the crime.

Excerpt from the book

My cell phone rang, and I answered it, hoping it was my work phone. “Cordelia Corbett, Women Investigating the World, how can I help you?”

It was Sally. “I just wanted to hear you say our new name. It sounds all official and everything.” She giggled. “You know we’re going to have to open an office. You’re not going to be able to do everything from home forever.”

I argued, “I don’t see why not. That’s the way the world has gone. People hardly come into the office now that we rented that beautiful space in Fort Lauderdale.”

She acknowledged, “Well, that might be because two people were shot in the parking lot.”

I agreed. “Well, that may be. It’s going to be a while before those memories fade.” I hesitated, then asked, “So was there an official reason you called? Not that I don’t love to hear from my best friend.” I still missed working for Sally at Kohr’s Frozen Custard on the boardwalk, but now that our investigative business had grown, I barely had time to think, much less work two jobs.

She seemed to be smiling. “Yes, I wanted to get together to plan our girls’ trip to Maine. You promised that we could do it before the summer season hit the beach. Remember?”

I was smiling too. “Yes, I do. That’s a good time to go, pricewise if not weather-wise. We’re likely to hit almost kind of weather up there in March, but I’m game. Things are reasonably well under control right now. Ronnie has taken control of the Florida operation overall, and Kristy is running the day-to-day office in Fort Lauderdale. I’m just working on any cases that come up with our existing contracts here in Point, Elkton, and Ocean City, Maryland, and Currituck, North Carolina. I’m, of course, always trying to wrangle up new business, but it’s been a little slow while I develop my marketing plan. My goal was to take on Northern Jersey and New York City next, hopefully by this summer.”

She agreed. “That’s all the more reason for us to go now, before you hit your busy summer season.” She wondered, “Are you going to be able to do that all on your own, or are you going to need to hire an assistant?”

I had the same thought. “I’ve been thinking about that. I was hoping I could wait until Shelby graduated, but things are moving way too fast. Well, I don’t mean with her associate degree, which is coming right up, but I’m assuming she’s going to want at least a bachelor’s and maybe even an MBA. She’s so smart and motivated. I don’t want to hold her education back just because I desperately need help with the company.”

She suggested, “Maybe we can discuss this up in Maine over lobster, with the sound of the ocean lapping up against the rocky shoreline. That’s likely to give us some inspiration.”