Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Signs You Probably Won't Make It To the End of a Cozy Mystery

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Freebie so I'm listing Ten Signs You (If You're a Character) Won't Make It To The End of a Cozy Mystery.  The reason you don't make it to the end could be because you become an unfortunate victim or you could be the killer but either way you will not be seeing the last page.

1.  You're new to town - Never ever be new to town and if you absolutely must be new to town (because you randomly inherited a dilapidated house or a bookstore) than make sure there have been no murders in the last few years otherwise you're either the victim or the killer. 

2.  You're not new to town but you've just recently somehow landed in the circle of someone who has solved a mystery or two - if a new person randomly shows up in an established series there's almost a 100% chance they won't be around on the last page.

3.  You have an argument in public - Never EVER argue with someone in public and never EVER make any kind of statement that could be interpreted as a threat.  Best case scenario is that you'll end up wrongly accused.  

4.  Someone has died and you remember something but you need to think about it before you voice your thoughts - If this is you you'll probably around for the first half or so of the book but the future is not bright.

5.  Your ex has unexpectedly arrived in town - This is always bad.  It's also bad for the ex.  Things will happen and none of them will be good.

6.  You own property that someone wants but are unwilling to sell - This may not be the reason you don't see the end of the book but it will definitely come up in terms of motive.

7.  You are trying to do something controversial in town - You own property and are trying to sell it to a big box store to drive all the little stores out of business?  You are trying to block the arrival of some big company or factory to town?  The more uproar the less page time you'll end up with.

8.  You're a telephone operator in a small village in the UK before there were direct lines - Obviously you're going to eavesdrop on conversations and obviously you're going to hear something you're not supposed to hear and obviously you're going to hint about that to someone else (or flat out try to blackmail them) and it won't end well for you.

9.  You are selling your worldly possessions or having them appraised - Unfortunately, if you decide to do this than one of your no-good relatives, beloved staff, or friends has been stealing from you and your Monet is no longer a Monet.

10. You are some kind of food critic or food writer that is visiting a festival or some kind of eatery - This goes double if you have a reputation for being a bit of a hothead.