The Tip Off: it was supposed to be a simple summer job

The Tip Off is a short story by Karen McQuestion. When Geoff comes across the death notice of an old boss, his wife Marcy thinks about that one summer job. The Lakeside is a prestigious restaurant and Marcy was counting on generous tips and counting the day until the fall semester. There she meets unfriendly and standoffish coworkers, an owner who is a little handsy, and an overall unwelcoming atmosphere. The only bright side is Geoff, a fellow college student, who works in the kitchen. When Geoff shares his suspicion about inconsistencies with the restaurant's inventory, finances, and the strange behaviors of the managers. He is convinced something is off and convinces Marcy to help solve the mystery. Their investigation turns into something far more serious and Marcy must decide if their questions are worth more than just her job. 

Karen McQuestion is one of my go-to authors and when I got the chance to read her new short story, I jumped at the chance. There was so much happening in this story that I didn’t notice it was nearly the end. At the beginning of the story, when Geoff brings up the death of their old boss, I was a bit surprised at Marcy’s nonchalant indifference. However, as she looks back at the summer, her indifference made sense. Then I was engaged in their investigations as there seemed to be nefarious activities going on. There were definitely characters acting cagey when their behaviors were noticed. There was a nice little twist at the end that surprised me. Overall, it is a great quick read for an afternoon. I actually didn’t want the story to end. I highly recommend The Tip Off. 

The Tip Off is available in eBook