Under the Weather (Cordelia Corbett Mysteries Book 5)

Expansion Comes at a Cost in Under the Weather

Business is thriving for Cordelia Corbett, whose private investigation firm is making bold moves into South Florida. New offices, major contracts, and a chance to restore faith in local enforcement mark a high point in her career. But success doesn’t come without consequence. What begins as a working vacation turns into a fight for survival when a wave of violence threatens her team—and their mission.

As Cordelia grapples with sniper attacks, a teammate’s murder, and rising hostility from both criminals and competitors, she must confront a deeper question: has her ambition endangered everyone she cares about? From Florida to Arizona to New Jersey, old grudges resurface, psychological motives twist the case, and the line between business and personal risk grows dangerously thin.

A gripping, layered mystery with emotional depth and high stakes, Under the Weather is the fifth installment in J.T. Kunkel’s Cordelia Corbett series—where expansion, trust, and obsession collide.

Available now—start reading Under the Weather today.

Excerpt from the book

October 2022

Miami, Florida

I closed my eyes, feeling a combination of satisfied, apprehensive, and excited, thinking back on the last six months as I attempted to relax on the reclining beach chair at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel. I didn’t dare drink any alcohol yet, since odd things always seemed to happen whenever I tried to relax too much. I was hoping that if I kept my head on straight, we could have a relaxing working vacation, and maybe we wouldn’t have to spend the week investigating another murder. I was getting a reputation. Pretty soon, no one was going to want to travel with me.

All seven of us—myself, Cordelia Corbett; my two sisters, Lily and Katie; my ex-boss, Sally; our new friends, Mo and Jackie; and my housemate, friend, and surrogate daughter, Shelby Irons—came down for some relaxation, and maybe a little business. We are still known as the “Five Female New Jersey Investigators.” The name might have been a bit shortsighted, since we had recently expanded into three states, exceeding twenty employees, but who knew that would happen so quickly?

Since we had just opened an office in Fort Lauderdale, I planned on stopping in a couple of times to meet the staff and get to know Kristy, our new office manager. She came highly recommended, and I hoped she worked out as well as I had planned. Working remotely was potentially fraught with pitfalls, from monitoring performance to keeping employees on track and even just getting to know coworkers. It was a brave new world. We hadn’t procured anywhere near enough space for everyone to share the office at the same time, so I was taking a chance that it would all work.

Sally was lying on a chair next to me, sipping on a really great-looking margarita. I laughed. “Why didn’t I get one of those?”

She shrugged. “Because you think you’re going to create havoc, just because you always do. Maybe you need to have a mind shift. Just tell the Universe that nothing is going to happen, and maybe it won’t.”

I agreed and flagged down the next waitress. “Can you bring me one of those? I’m done being paranoid.”

She replied with a Jamaican accent. “There is no time to be paranoid down here. You can do that plenty much when you go home.” She entered my room number, which she magically knew, then pointed to Sally. “A refill, mon.”

Sally nodded. “You bet. And charge it to her room.”

She looked at me for approval. I agreed. “It all comes out in the wash. I’ll make her get me one tomorrow.”

Shelby was on the other side. “Hey, Cord, what do you say to getting me one of those?”

I looked down over my sunglasses at her. “You’re still nineteen. How about a virgin for now? I’ll let you have some wine in the room.”

She pouted. “Okay. You’re worse than my mom.”

I agreed. “Yes, but I’m more fun in so many other ways.”

She nodded. “You got me there.”