The Diplomatic Incident

When a retired ambassador arrives at Sunset Manor in a gleaming black sedan — flanked by three teenagers in ill-fitting suits and three steamer trunks that require precise four-centimeter clearance — the residents know one thing for certain: the quiet days are over. Viktor Kozlov, diplomat without a country, has chosen his retirement home very carefully. He's read the newsletter. He knows about the solved cases. And he needs people who can handle a problem that governments won't touch and police can't see. When a centuries-old portrait materializes above the dining hall fireplace the morning after his arrival, Viktor knows it's not a coincidence — it's a warning. The Azure Duchess, a painting that vanished during the chaos of his homeland's collapse, holds more than artistic value. Hidden on its reverse is a map to the Graznovian crown jewels, lost for thirty years. And someone wants Viktor to know they have it. Enter the Sunset Manor Detective Agency: Violet Hartwell, whose steely composure could silence a government hearing; Ray Cromwell, retired detective who hasn't let thirty years of police work switch off; Dolores Martinez, who has seen this kind of scheme before — usually in Monaco; Agnes Pemberton, whose newsletter might be the most dangerous document in the building; and Frank Morrison, whose mobility scooter, The Interceptor, is fueled and combat-ready. What begins as a stolen masterpiece quickly spirals into forgery, international espionage, and a thirty-year conspiracy that followed Viktor across an ocean — right into the Recreation Room. ***The Diplomatic Incident***is cozy mystery at its most delightful: witty, warm, and propelled by a cast of retirees who prove that the most dangerous investigators aren't the ones with badges. They're the ones with absolutely nothing to lose — and a fully charged scooter.