At the end of Old Habits Die Hard, there were two vacancies to be filled at The Abbey: Senior Living. To recap, The Abbey is a former Catholic parish and school converted to senior apartments and 120 and 218 have new tenants at the start of Dropped Like a Bad Habit.
Considerably bigger than the average apartments, 218 was a science lab, 120 a music classroom, very desirable real estate for everyone, but Meadow Jackson, The Abbey’s building manager, has a strict policy of No Apartment Swaps. To quote everyone’s Kindergarten teacher, You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. Vacancies go to a newcomer, otherwise people would be forever moving and Meadow would never get the empty apartments filled with all the petty politics, right?
Allow me to introduce you to Natalie “Call me Nat” Williams and Dell King.
Ladies, first. Nat’s a recent widow, her daddy owned a car dealership that she and her late husband expanded into several locations. She’s rich and a bit of a …snot. Her apartment is decorated with a nautical theme and Nat prefers wearing cashmere to polyester, and she name- drops at every opportunity because she likes to remind everyone where she comes from (which makes Bernie wonder, What’s somebody as well-connected as Nat doing HERE?).
Nat immediately becomes a thorn in Sister Bernadette Ohlson’s side because as the self- appointed leader of The Abbey, Bernie likes to run the show. The trouble is, Nat doesn’t take advice or direction well from others, she’s used to being the Queen B. In Dropped Like a Bad Habit the tension between Bernie and Nat builds. Nat’s also a one-upper. If Rin mentions how her granddaughter recently mastered Beethoven’s Sonatina in G major, Nat will pipe up that her granddaughter performed Beethoven’s Sonata no. 25 in G major, op. 79 1 Presto alla tedesca at a concert. If Elena shows off a Quinceañera dress she finished sewing for a client, Nat will inform everyone that her daughter wore a vintage Oscar de la Renta gown to her prom, and do you know how difficult it is to find a seamstress skilled enough to make alterations on a custom piece like that? Bernie constantly grinds her teeth while ginning up ways to put Nat in her place.
Meanwhile, Dell’s the talk of the building. The attractive older gentleman gets everyone’s attention simply by showing up. All the women want him (except for Bernie, of course, since she’s married to God) and all the men want to be him—or at least be his friend. Dell’s tall,
athletically built, and polite. Dell’s also private. He graciously accepts all baked goods and declines all invitations to dinner, much to Elaina, Nat, and Rin’s chagrin. He also leaves The Abbey every day, sometimes overnight… No one knows where he goes, but Phil Thomas and Leo Tanaka suspect it might have something to do with his enviably thick head of grey hair. It’s got to be hair plugs! The women are quick to object, though, pointing out the fact that Dell’s usually carrying a tennis racket, golf clubs, or a duffle bag when he leaves. He’s obsessed with exercise!
Dell quickly bonded with Cliff Warneke of all people! They’re regularly hanging out in the common area watching the Trail Blazers. Bernie’s suspicious of anyone who isn’t local, and he doesn’t seem to value community the way the rest of her neighbors at The Abbey do. Will Dell earn her trust, or remain a fishy outsider?
The only way to find out is to read Dropped Like a Bad Habit!
About the author
Melissa Westemeier grew up around the edge of nerd culture, but marriage and motherhood with three sons immersed her in it. She’s fluent in Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Godzilla, and more thanks to their influence. Her fiction work includes rom-com and a trilogy loosely based on her experience tending bar on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. She’s thrilled to realize her childhood dream of writing murder mysteries. Her books blend her humor and appreciation for nerd culture while tackling serious themes and unpacking the puzzle of whodunnit (and how and why!). In her spare time, Melissa needs to be outside or near a window. Her passions include hiking, swimming, biking, reading, and fantasizing about her next vacation destination.
