New Series For Heather Weidner By E. B. Davis

 

Veronica Mars meets The Golden Girls as event planner Cassidy Jamison and her four sixty-year-old employees race to solve a rocker’s murder before the curtains close on their show and their business.

 

When Cassidy Jamison inherited her late grandmother’s event planning business, she also inherited her grandmother’s friends—four sixty-year-old women known around town as the Pearly Girls—as part-time employees. Now Cassidy barely has time to breathe between spending every waking hour trying to keep her business afloat and the Pearly Girls out of trouble and focused on event planning.

 

So when she lands a three-weekend event complete with a chart-topping band, she’s thrilled. Until she and her chihuahua mix Elvis find the body of the Weathermen’s lead singer in her venue’s koi pond. With the help of the not-so-helpful Pearly Girls, Cassidy must stave off the bad publicity, navigate the prying questions of the local police department, and solve the murder before the media frenzy shutters her business for good, and takes one of the Pearly Girls with it.

Amazon.com

 

Heather Weidner’s Murder Strikes A Chord is a strong start for a new series. It’s a cozy mystery set in the Virginia mountains featuring a likeable main character, Cassidy Jamison, who often must untangle the messes of her late grandmother’s friends, the Pearly Girls, whose heydays were in the 1970s and 1980s. She has a dog, Elvis, who needs walks. This shouldn’t be a problem, but with a 70s era rock band living temporarily on her event property in trailers, Elvis finds trouble without shaking a paw.

 

Weddings and corporate events may cause trouble, but an oldies rock festival spread over three weekends starts with murder.  Cassidy must investigate to clear the Pearly Girls and the reputation of her business while dealing with a condescending county Deputy.

 

Please welcome WWK blogger Heather Weidner.       E. B. Davis

You had described Ivy Springs as being nearby Harrisonburg and Staunton, but then it took Cassidy over two hours to get from Ivy Springs to Harrisonburg. Where is Ivy Springs? Ivy Springs is a fictitious town in the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Waynesboro/Staunton area and Harrisonburg. Cassidy’s property has a wonderful view of the nearby mountains and the valley. Interstate traffic is iffy along the I-81 corridor, and the locals often take the backroads, and depending on that traffic it can take much longer than the zippy speeds of interstate driving.

 

The name of the main band headlining the three-weekend festival is the Weathermen. The first thing I remembered from the 70s era was a radical student group called the Weathermen, then later the Weathermen Underground. Did you mean to make that association? Did you model the band around a real band from that era? I didn’t purposely name them after the Underground Weatherman. I was looking for a band name that reminded me of that error. Maybe there was something subconscious in my choice.

 

Cassidy inherited the property and event-planning business from her grandmother. What happened to Cassidy’s parents? It’s not revealed in this book, but they passed away in a car accident when she was younger, and she moved in with her grandparents. Her grandfather died shortly after that from cancer. Cassidy went away to college and her first job in marketing, and she returned to Fern Valley when her grandmother passed away.

The Pearly Girls were friends of Cassidy’s grandmother. How did they get their name? The Pearly Girls were besties since 4H and elementary school. When they were in junior high school in the era of Camelot, they wore pearls all the time. It was the age of elegant fashion, Jackie O, Barbie, and Audrey Hepburn. An obnoxious classmate dubbed them the Pearly Girls, and the nickname stuck.

 

One of the Pearly Girls, Aileen, says that Ivy Springs can get “stuffy.” What does she mean by that? Ivy Springs is very traditional and prides itself on its small-town ways. Sometimes, the free-spirited Pearly Girls bump heads with the others to judge their “non-traditional” behavior. (Southern women were often taught to be seen and not heard. The Pearly Girls believe that “Well behaved women seldom make history.”)

 

I’ve seen the police assisting with private functions like traffic patrol for funerals and such, but I hadn’t realized that they could actually be contracted for specific services outside of their duties. Is this normal? Do they raise additional funds for themselves this way? I think it depends on the jurisdiction, but when my dad was an officer, non-management personnel were allowed to volunteer for paid assignments (paid by the company requesting the support) for security, funerals, traffic control, or school events.

 

What is Cassidy’s property like? There are mountain views, views of forest, woods, a grotto, garden, pond, and an amphitheater. What’s a grotto? How large is the property? There are about fifteen acres on her property. The farm used to house the dairy barn, and an old honky-tonk that burned down in the 1980s. There is also a cave and a rocky grotto area near the serenity garden. The grounds shift from the green manicured garden to a more hilly terrain with craggy rocks and surfaces that surround the fairly large cave. In a later book, Cassidy figures out how to incorporate the cave into her event planning business.

 

Is Cassidy in her late twenties? If so, why does she have a “childlike” voice? She is in her late twenties. She does have a more contemporary vocabulary and a more casual way of speaking. Sometimes, when a member of another generation spends a lot of time with those a little more seasoned, it creates the feeling (whether intentional or subconscious) that they feel that they are seen as younger. Cassidy tries to navigate the generation gap. Sometimes, she’s quite successful, and other times outsiders can spot the divide.

 

After the lead singer is murdered, the band decides to continue playing the festival. It’s very unusual to have another member of the band be able to take over the lead singer’s position. Was this a point of contention in the band? Were the two in competition? This band was always in competition with each other. At first, they were all for one and one for all, but as they grew more successful, the competition was stiffer, and they all wanted song writer or lead singer credits (like the Monkees or even the Beatles).

 

At one point, the town council holds a meeting to decide if they should continue with the festival. I was surprised since I thought Cassidy had contracted with the promoter for the festival. Was it somehow a three-way contract among the promoter, who signed on the bands, Cassidy, and the town? Since the festival was held on private property, how could the town bar Cassidy from holding it? Did they require some permit? Would the murder be a violation? It was Cassidy’s event, but she always tries to schedule things that bring business to Ivy Springs. She’s always looking for partnerships with restaurants, photographers, caterers, wineries, and other local businesses. And Ivy Springs is a small town with an active gossip grapevine. Many of the town folks feel that they have a say in anything that goes on in the area.

 

At times, Cassidy acts as though the Pearly Girls are adolescents and she is their guardian. Isn’t this a bit superior of Cassidy? The women are in at least their 60s. Cassidy tries hard to navigate the generation gap. She gets the feeling sometimes that the ladies still see her as a teenager since they were peers of her grandmother and were around for most of Cassidy’s childhood. She’s not trying to be condescending or abrupt. There is some personal growth with her and the Pearly Girls as the series develops.

 

Cassidy initially decides to investigate because one of the Pearly Girls is treated like a suspect. When the evidence shows she didn’t have the height or strength to do the deed, why did the police continue to question her? The sheriff is close to retirement age, and he has his sights on some other local political jobs. He likes quick and easy investigations, and he’s pressuring his team to wrap it up as soon as possible. He also has a grudge against some of the Pearly Girls, and that dust-up comes to light in a future book.

 

Cassidy is attracted to one of the deputy sheriffs. At times, he seems attracted to her and flirts, but then he undoes all the magic by treating Cassidy with condescension and failing to recognize that her business is her business and anything affecting it. Will he ever understand or are they destined to be friction buddies? Cassidy does like the deputy. He’s handsome and interesting, and then he turns into “Dudley Do-Right” and offers long-winded lectures. At the end of this book, Cassidy has two possible suitors. No spoilers, but she does make up her mind in book two, Murder Plays Second Fiddle.

 

Off the leash, Elvis finds trouble, running right to the wrong places. Is this a good or a bad thing? Should Cassidy keep closer rein of Elvis? Aren’t there bears up there, too? She does need to keep an eye on Elvis. He’s a high-energy Chihuahua who thinks of himself as a Rottweiler with no fear. He’s tiny, and she doesn’t want him to get trampled, lost, or fall prey to the local predators like hawks, coyote, or the occasional bear.

 

What’s next for Cassidy and Elvis?  Cassidy, Elvis, and the Pearly Girls are back for more adventures in Murder Plays Second Fiddle and Murder Whets Its Whistle.

The Long and Winding Road by Kait Carson

 Last month I shared my thoughts on the blessings and curses of being a full-time writer. When I stop to think about it, I realize that no matter what, I’m living my dream. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. The good, the bad, the ugly, it’s exactly what I want to do with my life.

 Editing. That’s a different story. Don’t get me wrong. I love editing. It’s where the dog’s breakfast of the first draft becomes a cordon bleu meal. It’s fun, it’s entertaining, it’s surprising, and if it’s a new book that is intended to be first in a series, it takes forever! Or maybe forty forevers. I’m still working through that.

 The immediate world (and certainly my blog family) all know that the woman who used the email name DiverMiss since the inception of email services is now writing a thriller set in the north Maine woods. Yes, it was a transition capable of giving DiverMiss a bad case of the bends. Be that as it may, I’m a Mainer now. I wanted to pay homage to my adopted state. Since I’m also what tropical divers call a warm water wimp, there was no way that homage would include underwater activities. Instead, I turned to my second love – the woods.

 
My great-grandparents had a farm in upstate New York, and I’m lucky enough to have memories of that special place. Anyone familiar with upstate New York knows that it is (or was) heavily wooded. My male cousins took advantage of that to drive my mother crazy. Mom wanted me to be a girly girl. That didn’t work out. First, there were my cousins who had me in the woods before I was out of high-top leather shoes. They taught me to fish, track, build fires, camp, and survive in any weather. Trust me, my cousins made Outward Bound feel like a relaxing vacation. Then there was my home neighborhood. I was the only girl. If I wanted to play, it wasn’t going to be with dolls.

 Rural Maine felt like home, and I knew I wanted to set my next book in the woods. My house is surrounded by them. In fact, if you walk a straight line from my back door, you won’t see paved road until you swim the St. Lawrence and power-walk your way to Quebec. There are some camps (Mainers’ name for rural cabins) and maybe some abandoned logging camps, but that’s all. It’s a magical place. And the perfect setting for a murder mystery. I grabbed it, sat down and wrote a novel.

 I won’t lie. With the Florida mysteries, I’m mostly a two-draft writer. I know my setting and the ins and outs of my story. Things are different when you change settings, characters, and I won’t even mention the law enforcement aspects. Writing the first draft took a year. The book came in at 60,000 words. Not unusual for one of my first drafts. Then came the editing. That was where things changed. When I performed my first read-through I ended up with more questions than resolutions. That meant more research. Oh, and there were several plot holes large enough to drive a loaded logging truck through. That meant isolating and drafting a synopsis for each plot point. Several went the way of the circular file. The rest were vamped or revamped until the loose ends were all tied up. That meant more words.

 At this point, I’ve been working on this novel—tentatively titled No Return—for a year and nine months. The bad news—I’m still editing. The good news—I’m almost ready to type the two most glorious words in the English language, THE END. How will I know when I’m done? Easy. I’m ten chapters away from my next (last) read-through. The book is at 70,000 words and the plot holes have been filled. Barring a catastrophe, all that remains is a final pacing check and finding those pesky typos that multiply while I sleep. It has been a long road. Almost as long as the road from the Florida Keys to Fort Kent, Maine.

 Writers, do you find writing is slower when you change settings and characters? Readers, are you willing to follow authors into a new series?

Kait Carson writes the Hayden Kent Mysteries set in the beautiful Florida Keys. She lives in the north Maine woods with her husband, four cats, a flock of conures and a cavapoo puppy. All rescues.

An Interview with Susan M. Boyer By E. B. Davis

 

If anyone knew better than to create a phone trail, it was a retired judge. He was probably a walking reference library on stupid things not to do to get caught.

Susan Boyer, Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, Page 229

 

Hadley Cooper has a big heart. So when the easygoing private investigator gets a request from a new friend to stake out her husband’s extramarital activities, she immediately begins surveillance. And when her client is discovered dead on her kitchen floor, the Southern spitfire is certain the cheater is the culprit … even though he has the perfect alibi: Hadley herself.

Flustered since she observed the cad four hours away in Greenville at the time of the murder, the determined PI desperately searches for clues to tie him to the crime. But when her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be the lead detective on the case, arrests a handy suspect, Hadley fears a guilty man is about to walk free.

 

Can this Palmetto State sleuth make an impossible connection to prevent a miscarriage of justice?

 

With dry wit and delightful dialogue, Susan M. Boyer delivers an eccentric, vegan gumshoe sure to appeal to any fan of Southern women’s fiction. With her merry band of sassy friends, Hadley Cooper is a Lowcountry detective you won’t soon forget.

 

Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island is the engaging first book in the Carolina Tales series. If you like strong heroines, quirky sisterhoods, and plenty of Southern charm, then you’ll love Susan M. Boyer’s wonderful whodunit.

Amazon.com

 

I knew after reading the last Liz Talbot novel that Susan M. Boyer had finished her story arc, and I was sad, knowing I’d miss Liz (and her family). Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island is the best come back I’ve ever read. Sink into this book when you need a vacation!

 

Susan’s new hero is Hadley Scott Drayton Legare Cooper. How’s that for a Charleston, SC name? And Hadley’s background is a complicated, sordid, and pedigreed as her name implies. The only similarities between the two series are the location and the vocation of the main characters, PIs.

 

The case, the victim, and the complications are the other interesting elements that will compel you to turn its pages. Have fun reading this one.

 

Please welcome Susan M. Boyer back to WWK.              E. B. Davis

Your former publisher stopped publishing. Is Stella Maris Books, LLC your publishing company? If so, why did you decide to go the self-publishing route?

 

Thank you so much for having me back to WWK! Yes—Stella Maris Books, LLC is my own publishing company. Honestly, I would’ve gone this route regardless of the choices my former publisher made. I got the rights back to Lowcountry Boil in September of last year, and I had to find a way to keep the first book in the Liz Talbot series available for new readers. Publishing Lowcountry Boil myself was really my only viable option—I had to learn how to do it myself. I was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed the process. I first published a short story collection as a way of teaching myself how to do it.

 

Like Hadley, are you vegan?

 

Well…this is a fairly recent development for us, but my husband and I eat a whole food plant-based diet most of the time. The closest familiar label is vegan. But we’re somewhat flexible about it. Sometimes we eat fish. Sometimes we eat cheese. Very rarely—maybe twice a year, we eat beef. But most days we eat vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans.

 

How did Hadley and her younger-by-two-days half-brother, JT, get to know each other?

 

Interesting question! I haven’t written that story yet. I only know they met when they were sixteen and they were instant friends and have been close ever since. I will very likely write this backstory as an extra for readers at some point.

 

What is Hadley’s way of celebrating her birthday?

 

Because it’s such a sad anniversary for her as well—the anniversary of the day she lost her mother—she doesn’t actually celebrate her birthday at all. She does spend time walking on the beach on Sullivan’s Island, remembering her mother and the happy times they shared there.

 

Who are Gavin and Joe?

 

Gavin Kinloch is a grandfather figure of sorts. He and his wife, Maribel, lived in the house next door when Hadley was growing up. Joe Vincent is Gavin’s best friend and Hadley’s mentor. A former FBI agent, he was a private investigator for many years. Hadley worked with him when she was training to be a private investigator, then later as an associate before opening her own agency. Gavin and Joe are family to Hadley.

 

Hadley’s one car is a 1966 Ford Fairlane. Do all vintage cars need a name? Jolene, Elvira?

Hahaha. Actually, I think all cars need names. It’s a habit I picked up at some point…naming inanimate objects I spend a lot of time with. Hadley gets this from me.

 

 

Did Hadley’s mother have a lot of phobias that slipped by Hadley because she was too close and too young to realize?

 

I would say Vivienne—Hadley’s mother—was very insecure. She was afraid Swinton—Hadley’s father—would grow bored with her because she felt she would never fit in in his world. More than anything else she was afraid. And then later she was afraid Hadley would be drawn to Swinton’s world and Vivienne would lose her daughter to him. Like all of us, Vivienne was flawed, but Hadley put her mother on a pedestal.

 

You introduce another POV, who the reader doesn’t really know. It’s interesting to get another viewpoint on situations. Why did you decide to present this other POV? Will the reader be introduced to her at some point?

 

Oh, yes, Mrs. Josephine Huger. I had so much fun with this character. Initially, I wrote the one chapter with this character specifically because I wanted to show a bystanders’ perspective on one particular scene—a rather dramatic public breakup scene. I enjoyed the character so much I decided to incorporate the same technique with a few other chapters as well. I honestly haven’t decided yet how well readers will get to know Mrs. Huger. It’s possible I’ll introduce her properly in a future book.

 

What were Hadley’s reasons to avoid joining the police and go the PI route?

 

Hadley would tell you that while the police are in the legal and illegal business, she’s more interested in justice. She’s in the setting things right business. And, Hadley’s perspective on law enforcement was heavily influenced by a miscarriage of justice. Her closest friend, North Pickens, was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for a number of years and it destroyed his life.

 

“…one big rattlesnake pit, with suffocating heat, relentless mosquitoes, alligators, crocodiles, and gargantuan spiders.” (pg. 29) That was the description of the Isle of Palms (then known as Long Island) by a British soldier during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. The Isle of Palms has improved since then, hasn’t it? Does it still have both alligators and crocodiles?

 

Ha! Well, Isle of Palms is certainly more civilized now than it was back then. There are lovely homes, a shopping district, restaurants, and of course, Wild Dunes, a resort with a lovely golf course, and lots of condos and houses. You will absolutely find alligators on Isle of Palms—often on the golf course. Now crocodiles are another story. They aren’t native to South Carolina, and while there was a report of one being found a few years ago, my understanding is they think it swam up from Florida.

 

When Hadley rescues a dog caught in a riptide, little does she know that the dog’s owner, Eugenia, will become her client, her friend, and also will be murdered. But what Hadley also doesn’t know is that Eugenia is a good friend of her father and his wife. Hadley detests her father. Is the Charleston area, including Mount Pleasant and Sullivan’s Island really a small place? Or is it more a small socioeconomic group?

 

The Charleston area in general—including Mount Pleasant and all the nearby sea islands—isn’t small in terms of population. I read somewhere it’s growing at the rate of forty-eight new people every day. But the particular neighborhood in Charleston that Eugenia and Swinton are from is small.

 

Cash Reynolds is the investigating detective with the SLED. What is SLED? Why would it have jurisdiction on Sullivan’s Island?

 

SLED is the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. They handle many different types of cases, and in particular, they would get involved in a high-profile case such as the death of a retired judges’ wife, especially if it occurred in a small town.

 

Cash is also a former significant other to Hadley. He makes a quick arrest, which Hadley suspects is wrong. She speculates that their different outlook on the case is indicative of what went wrong in their personal relationship. And yet, the evidence strongly supports the arrest. Is he too black and white for Hadley?

 

I think Hadley thinks this is the case—at least at the beginning of the book.

 

Why does Hadley love and play music most 60 and 70-year-olds would love? Molly Hatchett, 38 Special, Tom Petty, etc.

 

Hadley loves listening to the music her mother loved. They listened to it together, especially while driving around in the car.

 

Is there such a thing as the “Immigration lottery?”

 

Yes—this is a real thing, and I actually know someone who came to this country from Ukraine because she won the lottery. She inspired the character of Kateryna.

 

North, a childhood friend, is very smart, but he was set up to take a DUI manslaughter charge at a college frat party and spent ten years in jail. His experience has left him outside of society. He can’t be indoors. He lives on the streets. How does Hadley try to help him?

 

Hadley tries to take care of North in every way he’ll tolerate. Mostly, she provides him with food, but he always finds a way to earn whatever she gives him.

 

Pretexting is the official name of lying? How’s that?

 

It’s a term I picked up from studying private investigating. It’s just exactly what it sounds like—telling someone whatever story they’ll accept to get the information you need.

 

Dana (“pin a rose on your butt”) Smalls is an interesting character. She black, beautiful, substantial, and the public defender assigned to Kateryna, Cash’s quick arrest. Does Dana only distrust Hadley because she is vegan?

 

I think Dana initially distrusted Hadley simply because she doesn’t know her and she doesn’t understand why Hadley would want to help her client.

 

I know all about islands that add (accreted) and subtract land in places. But this land’s vegetation is killing oceanfront views. What state entity owns the land? Wasn’t this a controversial subject on Sullivan’s Island? I’m surprised that midnight chainsaws weren’t at work. No one wants to lose their oceanfront views!

 

The town of Sullivan’s Island owns the accreted land. And yes—everything to do with the accreted land is highly controversial. There are excellent points on both sides of the issue.

 

What is chicken bog? Do you have a recipe? And why is it so important to be able to make?

 

Ha! It’s a traditional Charleston chicken and rice dish. Yes, I do have a recipe, but I actually don’t eat chicken anymore, so I haven’t eaten it in a while. I may share the recipe in my newsletter. I do that most months—share recipes from the books. It’s really just important to Eugenia that Kateryna have the tools she needs.

 

Can okra ever be anything but slimy?

 

I love okra! Yes, it’s excellent roasted and fried.

 

“I can lie straight faced when the job calls for it.” (page 310) Is Hadley “in character” when she’s on the job, like an actress?

 

In many respects yes.

 

What is iced tea—half and half?

 

Half sweet tea and half unsweetened tea. It’s just a way to reduce your sugar intake. We Southerners can drink a lot of sugar if we aren’t careful.

 

What’s next for Hadley?

 

Hadley’s second adventure will be the third book in the series. The second book will feature Tallulah Wentworth, one of Eugenia’s friends. The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club takes a step back in time and explores the origin of the group. There will be a mystery in the book, but the main character isn’t a detective. I plan to alternate books that feature Hadley Cooper with stories featuring other members of the group.

 

That Smell of New Pencils by Molly MacRae

 

Picture from Pixabay

As a kid, did you look forward to the beginning of school each year? I loved getting the new pencils, the sharp crayons, and the pristine tablet (that’s what we called a pad of paper). There was the art smock (one of Dad’s old shirts), a few new dresses, and new shoes. And all of that came before even setting foot in the new classroom and meeting the new teacher and classmates, being assigned a desk, given textbooks. So exciting! Not to mention the challenge of navigating a whole new school if you’d relocated or moved up to middle school or high school.

Starting a new stand-alone book or a new series is something like starting a new school year. Think of all that shiny excitement in front of you—and the cold worry of the unknown. If you can relax and go with the shiny flow, you’ll be in good shape. But sometimes fear of the unknown swamps us, paralyzes us, reduces us to tears like a frightened child entering preschool or kindergarten. I hope I exaggerate about the tears, but it’s no small thing for a child or a writer to enter a new world.

When I started work on my new Haunted Shell Shop mystery series, I began from the perspective of a quiet, observant student. I walked down school halls, with their freshly waxed floors, watching and listening as people jostled and greeted each other. I heard snippets of their what-I-did-over-summer-vacation stories.

The first person I came face to face with was Emrys Lloyd. Actually, I walked through him because, as it turns out, he’s a ghost—the ghost of an accidental pirate. Then I met Maureen Nash, someone interested in freshwater mollusks and seashells. She showed me around my new setting and introduced me to Pat Crowley, a National Park ranger. Pat doesn’t ruffle easily and is willing to bend rules if the recipient of that bending promises to keep quiet about it. Maureen also introduced me to the elderly siblings Glady and Burt Weaver, Allan Withrow, who owns a shell shop, and Deputy Frank Brown, a conundrum. Maureen and I got along so well that I decided to let her narrate the new series and I took over the role of teacher.

As the teacher, I make lesson plans (an outline) that keep the situation on track (although pages of plans go out the window on any given day). I also have access to background information on the characters (which is fun because I’m nosy and like knowing things about them) and I get to have individual conferences with them. I also have a grade book! Do teachers have them anymore? Back in the 60s grade books were the coolest thing and the source of student envy. My grade book is really several Excel spreadsheets, and I don’t record grades in them. I keep track of the story’s clues, red herrings, and continuity, and I keep track of the story’s progress to make sure I’ll meet my deadline.

I did meet the deadline for book one in the Haunted Shell Shop series. Now it’s time to start school again. I have a January deadline for another book in the Whistle Stop Café mystery series. Exciting times!

Writers, how do you go about getting to know your characters and setting?

 

 

 

Food and Murder by Valerie Burns

Cozy mysteries are often themed and include everything from cleaning tips to travel advice. Culinary cozies are popular with readers for a variety of reasons. First, well, there’s food. It’s something that unites people from all different countries, cultures, and classes. Whether it’s a historic, contemporary, or paranormal cozy, one thing that the characters and the readers have in common, is that we all must eat to fuel our bodies. Cozy mysteries have taken that basic necessity to a completely new level. Through food themed mysteries, readers can experience a wide range of cultures by reading (and hopefully trying) different types of food.

When I first started reading cozy mysteries, I read a lot of Agatha Christie and other British historic mysteries. Agatha Christie never included recipes in her books, but there were definitely a lot of passages about food that were unfamiliar to me, as an American teen. Scones, clotted cream, treacle tarts, and lemon curd were common in British mysteries, but not things you would see in a typical Midwestern grocery store. Later, I stumbled across culinary cozies by Diane Mott Davidson, Laura Childs, and Joanne Fluke. These cozies by American authors contained a lot more familiar foods, although the recipes took those foods to another level. In Diane Mott Davidson’s The Last Supper, there weren’t just muffins, there were Almond, Poppy Seed Muffins. Stuffed mushrooms were elevated to Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Pesto, and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Of course, Davidson’s sleuth, Goldy Schulz is a caterer. So, readers would expect a professional caterer to take fish and veggies to the next level by serving Chilean Sea Bass with Garlic, Basil, and Vegetables. These books didn’t disappoint. But, there wasn’t a lot of diversity where the characters were concerned. 

 

Traditional publishing moves at glacial speeds, however it’s finally moving into the twenty-first century by providing culinary cozy mysteries for and about people that more accurately reflect the real world. Books by marginalized authors give readers a glimpse into diverse cultures. Titles like Mango, Mambo, and Murder (Raquel Reyes), Killer Kung Pao (Vivien Chien), and Slayed by Souvlaki (Jenny Kales) are fun in keeping with the cozy tradition, but these books are serving up something different. These are food cozies with an ethnic twist. A quick glance at a few covers (including my own new cozy) further emphasize that the cozy genre is expanding. 

 

But don’t just glance at the titles and the covers. Read the books. Modern culinary cozies can provide insight into diverse cultures and fill a void. No Armenian restaurants in your area? Check out Tina Kashian’s Kebob Kitchen series. Want Chinese without the delivery fees? Try Jennifer Chow’s L.A. Night Market series. Or, curious about soul food, but not sure where to go? Try Tyora Moody's Eugeena Patterson Mystery series. Culinary cozies will whet your appetite for good food, while engaging your mind as you figure out whodunit.

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About the Author

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, and Edgar Award-nominated author. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and her new Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is on the national board of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Eastern Tennessee with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at vmburns.com.

 

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Baker Street Mystery Series

 by Valerie Burns

When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great-aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 250-pound English mastiff named Baby.

Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka the Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .

Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions, too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.

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