Sarah Winston’s garage sale business has a new client: the daughter of a couple who recently died in a tragic accident while away on a trip to Africa. Their house is full of exotic items from around the world that need to be sold off. When Sarah learns that the deceased were retired CIA agents, the job becomes more intriguing—but when an intruder breaks in and a hidden camera is found, it also becomes more dangerous. And Sarah has enough on her plate right now since she’s investigating a murder on the side at the nearby Air Force base, where her status as a former military spouse gives her a special kind of access.
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Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is Sherry Harris’s eighth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series. In this book, Sarah has two mysteries to solve, one, a murder, and the other, theft. All seriousness? No way, this book is full of comedy.

When a wife of an officer is murdered on base, the head investigators ask Sarah to get information about possible suspects. Of course, they only want her ear to the ground, but Sarah does more than listen.

A woman, whose parents were killed in an accident, asks Sarah to price and sell their houseful of belongings. But a break-in at their house, where she is working, puts her on edge. She hires two other women so she isn’t alone in the house. One isn’t as sweet as she seems. The other doesn’t seem sweet at all and, I predict, may become Sarah’s sidekick in crime-solving because her name is in the title and she complements Sarah.

Please welcome Sherry Harris back to WWK. E. B. Davis
Thanks for having me back to the Writers Who Kill blog! It’s always so fun to visit!

Sarah didn’t know the murdered woman well. Why does she decide to investigate? Sarah is very flattered when OSI agent Frank Bristow and police officer Scott Pellner ask her to help them investigate the murder of a young Air Force spouse. (Between us, she’s a little more flattered than she probably should be.) They ask her to only listen because she can be at events like parties on base where they would stick out and make people uncomfortable. Sarah agrees, but being Sarah, she can’t quite help herself from asking a question or two…

I hadn’t realized Sarah was a lousy cook. How did she manage not to learn? How many times did it take her to perfect Chicken Marsala? Starting with Tagged for Death, Sarah wasn’t a very good cook. She usually would pick up food for a party, and it’s the reason she eats at DiNapoli’s so often and survives on fluffernutter sandwiches. She married when she was eighteen and just didn’t enjoy cooking. As for how many times it took to perfect Chicken Marsala – way too many!

Why is Sarah contemplative? Since Sarah’s divorce two years ago, she’s been through a lot. She had to find a way to support herself and make a new life after being an Air Force spouse for twenty years. Sarah has always been a thoughtful, caring person, but as she approaches forty, she’s trying to figure out who she is now.

Sarah learns that the couple who died worked for the CIA. What is a “handler?” A handler is a CIA officer who manages agents. Sometimes handlers recruit agents (or assets) too.

Does Sarah ever find out why the will was split between the couple’s children so unevenly? Sarah does find out, but I can’t tell you why here.

Does she find out why her brother disappeared for twenty years? Sarah’s brother Luke shows up for the first time in A Good Day to Buy. He arrives unexpectedly after disappearing from Sarah and her parent’s lives for almost twenty years. When he shows up, he asks Sarah not to tell anyone he’s in town, and that’s before she finds out he’s a suspect in the murder of a client.

What is the MWR, and why do they fund facilities at military bases? The simple explanation is it’s an organization that provides programs and recreational services that boost the morale of troops, their families, and retirees. They use non-appropriated funds to pay for things like golf courses and bowling centers on bases, most of which are self-supporting. But they also provide programs to help military spouses find jobs and places for teens to hang out. Here’s a link to an article that explains more: https://militarybenefits.info/morale-welfare-and-recreation-mwr-benefits/

What is OSI and NCIS? The OSI is the Office of Special Investigations for the Air Force. They investigate major crimes as does the more famous Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Why do civilian police forces have partial jurisdiction on military bases? Towns that surround military bases have memorandums of agreement (or of understanding) between the local and base police forces. When a crime is committed on base by a family member of a military person, it is often investigated by the local police of the town nearest the base. For example, when we were stationed at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts, a family thought their child was selling weed. They called the civilian police force to come and search his room. The civilian police were accompanied by the military police, but the civilian police did the search.

When Sarah is asked to listen for murder clues, Seth isn’t happy. Is Sarah still unsure of her feelings for Seth? Sarah loves Seth but doesn’t want to rush things. She has been divorced for only two years, and she and her ex did try to make things work after the divorce. Sarah feels like she rushed into marrying her ex when she was eighteen and wants to be cautious now.

I never heard of a gender reveal party rather than a baby shower. How do they reveal the sex? Gender reveal parties are all the rage but don’t necessarily take the place of a baby shower. There is no end to the way people do gender reveals, from having a cake with the inside being pink or blue to having an airplane shoot out blue smoke. There are all sorts of videos on gender reveals that have gone horribly wrong.

With a houseful of items gathered from around the world and from different eras, how does Sarah know how to price items for the sale? Sarah has a broad knowledge of how to price things, just from years of attending and organizing garage sales. If she is unsure about a price and it’s an antique, she calls on a friend who is an antiques dealer for help. She also checks online sites like eBay for help pricing items.

What is a Smart Bed, and why would anyone want one? A smart bed uses sensors and/or other technologies that track how you sleep and are supposed to help you sleep better. Some even adjust the mattress as you turn in your sleep and cool or heat it as necessary. I confess we have one. We didn’t set out to get one but it came with the mattress we selected. It tracks the number of hours and type of sleep we get, plus our heart rate and breaths per minute. Usually I don’t even bother checking the data and frankly, I’m not sure how accurate it is.

What is a charge of wine? (Are they just cheap?) Charged is just a fancy word for filled. So if at an event such as a military dining out if you hear the term make sure your glass is charged before the toasts, it simply means make sure your glass is full. This comes up when Sarah attends a military dining out – a formal military dinner with lots of protocol and tradition. While I mention a little bit about the rules of a dining out in the book, here’s a link to an article that explains a lot more: http://www.militarywives.com/index.php/protocol-mainmenu-264/air-force-protocol-mainmenu-298/dining-in-out-mainmenu-342

After Sarah overhears nasty talk that she is pathetic, hanging around the military base without a spouse or other connection, will she change her activities? While it hurts Sarah’s feelings and makes her question some of her decisions, in the end Sarah won’t let some nasty talk keep her from helping out at the base thrift shop. It’s something that she enjoys doing, and they always need more volunteers.

Does an Almond Joy sundae have coconut ice cream? Oh, yes! New England is known for its ice cream stands, and people get quite passionate about which stand has the best ice cream. My favorite is Bedford Farms in Bedford, Massachusetts. My favorite ice cream there is Almond Joy.

What’s next for Sarah? I’m writing the ninth Sarah book right now. The working title is Absence of Alice and it will be out in 2021.


Sherry Harris

Sherry's cohort, Lily

The Garage Sale Mystery Series by Sherry Harris started strong and has only gotten stronger through this 8th entry. Her perspective as a military spouse through transition to ex-spouse has always layered her stories with an authenticity and relevance. In this one, Sarah Winston has been hired to hold a garage sale for a woman whose parents passed away on vacation in Africa. The house is full of interesting items, some of which make a little more sense when it turns out they were ex-CIA. But strange men appearing upstairs doesn't. Sarah also has been asked by the local police to keep her ears and eyes open to the gossip regarding the death of a young woman on the base. The books are peopled by an interesting cast of recurring characters, plus new ones for this book. The mysteries are strong and well-plotted. Very enjoyable way to spend a few hours!

Another clever and delightful addition to a terrific series. Who knew yard sales could be so dangerous? Lots of action in different directions. Many familiar characters along with some new ones.

This has been a favorite series of mine from the beginning. I love the characters and how they've developed over time. In this most recent book, Sarah has been hired to conduct an estate sale for the occupants of a large house. The occupants unfortunately died unexpectedly while overseas, while speaking with the daughter of the occupants, Sarah quickly learns they used to be a part of the CIA. While setting up for the sale, intriguing items are found and threatening, unwelcome guests make surprising appearances . In the meantime, Sarah is also asked to follow-up on a recent suspicious death of a young wife on the military base. Will Sarah be able to find out what happened and get to the bottom of Alicia's death? Was an earlier argument with another military wife the catalyst to her demise? This fast paced read is sure to entertain and further engrain you into the lives of Sarah, Seth, Awesome, Stella and other characters in this great series!!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sarah Winston’s business is slow during the colder blustery months but an estate sale is the perfect thing to keep her garage sale business in the black. A couple recently died while in Africa and their daughter has hired Sarah to liquidate the couple’s belongings. As retired CIA agents the couple traveled the world and collected a vast number of exotic items. The house is full of treasures. Treasures others seem to be interested in because there is a break-in, a suspicious visitor, and a hidden camera placed in the house. Sarah is nervous being the house alone and because it is a huge job she hires a couple of ladies from the nearby Air Force Base to assist her hoping there is safety in numbers. That is when she meets Harriet, a former FBI hostage negotiator with a flair for sales. She also has other talents that may come in handy.

Sarah has also been tasked to keep her eyes and ears open when on the base to help the authorities wrap up a murder that took place there. So instead of telling her to butt out of the investigation Sarah now feels she has permission to snoop.

Ms. Harris weaves two strong mysteries together this time to give her readers a real treat.

I was delighted to catch up with this group of special characters. Sarah’s life continues to unfold after her divorce from CJ. I really enjoy the relationship she is building with Seth. An old neighbor returns to rent the apartment next door and landlady/friend Stella’s relationship with Nathan Bossom (Awesome) may have hit a snag. Carol Carson, friend, and owner of Paint and Wine and Angelo and Rosalie DiNapoli are around to serve up advice and be sounding boards. The DiNapoli’ also serve up some mouthwatering Italian dishes that will make your mouth water. We are also introduced to several new characters. The dialogues between the characters in realistic and relationships make sense. Several subplots immerge allowing all the characters to really shine.

The mysteries are very well-plotted. I really liked the police asking Sarah for help even though she does go beyond their instructions just like they had to know she would. I enjoyed the twists and turns that played out with the estate sale mystery. The author really impressed me with the way both mysteries developed side by side to keep Sarah on her toes. Frankly, I was on my toes as well, completely drawn in but still putting clues together until all was revealed. Sherry Harris is also an expert at adding humor in all the right places. She had me truly giggling in places. I loved the ending too!

Entertaining and filled with wonderful characters Sell Low, Sweet Harriet, is an excellent addition to this series. The entire series are must-reads for all cozy lovers.

This was my last book of 2019! I love this series, and the newest book did not disappoint. I really like how Sarah didn’t find the body in this book - a little twist on the classic cozy mystery. The book started at the funeral of Alicia, a military spouse, and Sarah get wrapped up in trying to figure out her death. Sarah’s garage sale job was to clean out the home of former CIA agents.

This is the eighth book in the Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery series. It's the first one I've read and while I had no trouble following along, starting from the beginning would have given me a richer sense of the characters and backstory. I like the descriptions and learning about estate sales and life on a military base. Main character Sarah is a clever, confident woman who likes doing things for other people. The story is interesting with lots of twists and kept my attention right up to the end. I highly recommend this and will now get the first book to read.

I received an advance copy of the book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and am leaving an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated new releases for the new year. However, you may read that many times in my reviews, as this list is quite long. Definitely in my top 10 Cozy Mystery Series, Sherry Harris did not miss a beat with the latest installment. The plot, characters, and even the crimes are so relatable. The books in this series fly by, like a visit with old friends.

In this installment, there is more mystery than any other book yet. There are several unrelated crimes in this book but, of course, Sarah has her hand in all of them. Between a murder on base, a garage sale for former CIA members, and her favorite mobster moving in next door again, Sarah is on super sleuth mode. While the authorities have become more accepting of Sarah's abilities to solve the crimes, people on and around the Air Force Base are not very welcoming. With multiple tasks on her agenda, can Sarah get to the bottom of everything before she becomes the next victim?

Like I said, reading the new installment is like catching up with old friends. I am delighted that the end of this novel has some joyful news (I won't spoil it). Although I wish Carol and Stella were more involved in the sleuthing this go around, I enjoyed meeting some of the characters introduced in this book.

I have both the digital and audio versions of this book. Hillary Huber, who is one of my most favorite narrators, does and phenomenal job with this series. I was awarded the digital ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Now to impatiently wait for the next book.....

I love the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris, and Sell Low, Sweet Harriet was a great addition to the series! When Sarah is asked to run a garage sale in the home of two recently deceased former CIA agents, she gets more than she bargained for when all is not as it seems in the family home. From impersonators to invisible ink, Sarah is kept on her toes, all while helping the authorities investigate the untimely death of a military spouse on local Fitch Air Force Base. A nice progression of story lines with recurring characters, and some new faces in town added as well, Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is a great cozy which even though it's the 8th book in the series can definitely be read as a standalone (although I recommend starting with the first book - All Murders Final! - trust me, you wont regret it!). A+++

I enjoyed this story of Sarah and friends. She certainly has some interesting friends. Being a military spouse is a different kind of life, at least it was for me. I think Sarah has an interesting job in running yard sales and estate sales. Who couldn’t use some expertise when having either of these events? Course a murder and other exciting events help make this story even more interesting. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This was a great read ! This is the eighth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale cozy mystery series. I have read the entire series and am always thrilled to read a next in series. I highly recommend this series for all who enjoy a fun mystery series with great charcters What I love about this series is so much. I enjoy the well rounded charcters and the clever protagonist. I enjoy the well crafted sleuth in each book as the author has a great talent for creating a fun mystery . The moral fiber of the charcters and the setting is always appreciated . All the elements are here for a great cozy series that I hope will continue for many more books. , I enjoy that it takes place near a military base where Sarah has many friendships she values .

In this next in series our clever protagonist Sarah Winston has a new client in her Garage Sale business. .She has built the business up on her own and I appreciate her development throughout this series. She is in demand now and very well respected. Her new client is the daughter of a couple that passed away and had a fascinating house full of items from all over the world. They were in the spy business for the government and many items they collected are worth a lot of money. Sarah is tasked with pricing every item in the home and is in the home alone when a man comes in and falsely represents himself as part of the family and even fools her client on the phone. Sarah returns to her tasks at hand thinking he can legitimately go through the house until she hears a noise and finds that he has been murdered in the study and the suspect has escaped . She finds he was going through the office and had been searching for something when she finds the office in disarray.

As Sarah has helped the police and the base solve murders in the past , she is tasked by the police and military investigator to assist in the investigation. She does not hesitate as she knows many people and also finds clues to the recent death of a military wife that occurred on base. Her relationship with Seth is a nice part of the story with just the right amount of romance but does not overtake the mystery. Sarah has a kindness about her that helps her with her investigations as she finds clues. I like that she is moral and practices good manners and kindness.

I loved this next in series with a well crafted sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion. The author has all the perfect elements here of a great mystery with fascinating charcters, a multi layered sleuth and the perfect protagonist that is savvy and smart. I look forward to the next in series ! Thank you to Net Galley and to the author and publisher for the opportunity for review. My review opinion is my own.,

An Estate Sale and a Murder, Great Cozy Mysteries!
I have read other episodes in this series and have loved them all. I have not read all of them, but have never felt lost. I suppose one should read them in order, but these stand-alone well for me. This book has several mysteries going on at the same time. There are lies and false leads and many suspects. I really enjoy this series with its bits of history and stories behind the collectible pieces. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Sarah's latest job is planning the estate sale for a couple of former CIA agents. Their house is full of things accumulated during their extensive travels, but events quickly make her wary of working there alone. There's more going on here than a brother and sister just selling off their parents collection of antiques. Sarah is also helping to investigate a murder at the air force base, just listening to see what she can find out about the dead woman and her friendships.

I absolutely loved this one. There's a lot of vicarious estate sale shopping to be had (which is always one of my favorite parts of this series) and the mystery kept me guessing. I always enjoy spending time in Sarah's world. The characters are well developed and relationships seem to be evolving so I can't wait to see what's coming in future books. I started reading with book one and they're just getting better and better.

My taste buds have been undergoing a change during the past year or two. Cozies are falling out of favor (or is that flavor?), I'm afraid-- but there are always exceptions, and Sherry Harris's Garage Sale Mystery series is definitely one of those exceptions.

I love the titles Harris gives to her books, and Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is my favorite. But this series is much more than funny titles. I also love Sarah Winston. She's smart, good-hearted, and learns from her mistakes. When her friend Stella is having a problem, Sarah is there for her. When Sarah can't get everything done by herself, she hires two women to help her, and she has just the right attitude for both of them. (Speaking of those new hires, I'd love to see more of Harriet!)

Harris may have frozen me to the bone with her New England winter, but the mystery she carefully plotted in Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is excellent and kept me guessing every slippery step of the way. Yes, indeed. Sherry Harris has made me like garage sales now-- as long as Sarah Winston is in charge of them. This book-- and the entire series-- is packed with great characters and mysteries. If you haven't read one yet, you really need to do something about it. Pick one up and start reading. You'll be glad you did!

Sell Low, Sweet Harriet by Sherry Harris is the 8th book in the Garage Sale Mystery series. I love this series, and this book is no exception. Sarah Winston is a well developed main character, who I really like. Sarah makes a living by organizing sales for people and businesses. Sarah once again is caught up in trouble, when she is getting ready for an estate sale for a young women, who parents, former CIA agents, have died. Some one is looking for something in the house, and Sarah has to figure out what it is. On top of that she has been ask by the police to let them know if she hears anything about the murdered women on base. This mystery has it all, a great plot that is well developed along with great characters. I strongly recommend this book for all cozy mystery lovers, To get the most out of the books read them in order, you won't be disappointed. I can not wait for Sarah's next adventure. I strongly recommend this book and series.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

This an excellent addition to an excellent series.
I was happy to meet again the well thought cast of characters, the solid mystery and the setting.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Very well written and entertaining book! Sarah is working in the house of her newest client and finds someone is searching the house once owned by CIA agents. While trying to avoid the robbers, she's recruited to help solve the murder of a military spouse on base. Even though she's only supposed to be listening to helpful clues, she can't resist asking questions and putting people on the spot. Feeling exposed to robbers and a murderer, she isn't sure if she should be relieved or nervous when mob-connected Mike Titone moves back next door to her. Will she be able to solve any of the mysteries before the culprits catch up to her?

I enjoyed this book from start to finish and was surprised by the murderer's reveal. I love this series and the characters Sarah, Stella, Seth, Pellner, Carol, and even Mike. And though I don't do much garage saling, the tips included in each book are quite useful.

I received an advance copy of this book. The honest thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

The protagonist of our mystery, Sarah Winston, is a former military wife and current garage sale extraordinaire. “Garage sale” doesn’t really describe the productions that Sarah put on – she prices items and plans and conducts sales for people, and in this case, she handles everything inside of a home that a couple bequeathed to their children upon their death. Winston prices designer dresses and artifacts from all over the world, making this not-your-mother’s yard sale. It’s a full-blown estate sale. Needless to say, the underlying hook of this series had me… hooked. Harris even provides tips for holding a garage sale during the winter.
The layout of the book was a little different than other cozy mysteries. The victim of the story is already dead as the book begins, and very little backstory is provided about the circumstances around her death. Generally, our brave heroine stumbles across the body, and receives a weary reprimand from the cute detective who is the subject a of a “will they, won’t they?” storyline as well as curious questions from every nosy citizen in the small town.
Harris also creates a different take on the cast of characters. I’ve seen “new girl in town,” where all the characters are each introduced to our amateur sleuth, and “pillar of the community,” where our heroine knows everyone and anyone as well as all the dirt. Sarah Winston sits somewhere in the middle. As a former military wife, she knows a lot of the people on the military base where the mystery occurs, but others are strangers to her, having moved to the base after her divorce and departure. We find Sarah living in a nearby town, and only tied to the base by the thrift store where she volunteers. (Side note: shout out and a thank you to my own base thrift shop, they gave me a small scholarship for college years ago.) This seems fairly more realistic than our “new girl” and “pillar” stereotypes, but I did find the base culture Harris described fascinating and somewhat unsettling. Sarah is seen as a bit of a misfit and outcast since she still comes to the base despite her lack of familial ties, and the military wives seem to be clique-y and at times, gossipy and vicious.
Despite having these interesting draws that make Garage Sale Mysteries stand out in the cozy mystery world, I was not a huge fan of the character development. Namely, the lack luster approach to development. Cozy mysteries have a lot to pack into a story, so it’s understandable that there won’t be elaborate development, but the characters were so vanilla I had a hard time keep track of them. Sarah’s assistants stood out and were memorable, but I had trouble differentiating between the military wives, Sarah’s friends, and other side characters.

Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is Sherry Harris's eight installment in Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

This is the first book in this series that I have read and I had no problem following the story.
There are several mentions of past happening yet they are well explained so there is absolutely no problem to understand the characters or the plot.

Sarah Winston is hired by the woman whose parents died in an accident to help sort and price things and get them ready for a sale. It turns out that the parents were in CIA and that their death might not be an accident after all.
It also happens that a young woman, well known and much love and admired is found dead on the base. Military authorities ask for Sarah's help in getting the inside information.

Sarah is very realistic and relatable character.and down to earth. She has her strengths and her weaknesses and even though she doesn't shy from danger she is very careful and not reckless at all.
The plot was absorbing, it had few herrings, enough to keep it interesting.
Side protagonists are well developed as well and complement the story.

With all that said it is an compelling read just perfect for this time of year.

Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is book 7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As with the previous 6 books, book 7 is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is hired to organize an estate sale for a woman whose parents tragically died while on vacation. As Sarah begins to organize everything in the home, she discovers the homeowners were retired CIA agents. Sarah’s job gets more intense as the home is broken into and hidden cameras are discovered.

There was also a suspicious death over at the Air Force base. One of the military wives was found dead on base. Sarah is brought in by Special Agent Bristow and Office Scott Pellner to help assist them by keeping her eyes and ears open for any information related to the death. Both mysteries are written together well.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well. I’m glad Sarah’s love life doesn’t overpower the stories, but I wish we got more of Seth. I understand Sarah’s hesitation because of the devastating split from CJ but Seth has shown time and time again he’s worthy.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, Sell Low, Sweet Harriet is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and multiple storylines. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth. The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series'. The author keeps the stories fresh and entertaining. The characters are wonderful, and I love the setting.

I was provided a review copy of this book.