Catching Up with V. M. Burns By E. B. Davis

  

Nana Jo has volunteered her lawyer granddaughter, Jenna, to teach estate planning to retirees—with Sam providing her bookshop as the venue. But during the seminar, entitled Getting Your Ducks in Order, it quickly becomes clear someone’s up to Fowl Play. When elderly Alva Tarkington, accompanied by her niece, sits down for a consultation, Sam realizes the woman’s frequent blinking is actually Morse Code—S.O.S. The sisters get her alone, and Alva tells them she believes her life is in danger and must change her will . . .

 

Unfortunately, Alva is found dead the next day—seemingly from natural causes. But Nana Jo and the sisters suspect otherwise. In between penning her latest historical mystery, set in 1939 as England declares war on Germany and Lady Elizabeth Marsh pursues stolen paintings and a traitor, Sam teams up with the senior sleuths of Shady Acres to search for motives—beginning with Alva’s family. They soon learn not everyone is who they say they are, and someone is more than qualified to teach a class on cold-blooded murder . . .

Amazon.com

 

Does main character Sam Washington solve mysteries in her fiction that apply to her current case? Or does she work out the mystery and put the solution into her fiction? I think only V. M. Burns, the author of Murder from A to Z knows the answer to that question. This novel is the eleventh in the Mystery Bookshop mystery series, and was released on January 27^th. It’s definitely a fun read!

 

Please welcome Valerie to WWK.                                                               E. B. Davis

   

Where is Sam’s and Jenna’s mother? Grace Robertson, Sam and Jenna’s mother, has been in Australia with her husband, Harold. After wildfires devastated the koala population, Grace and Harold moved to Australia to assist with koala rescues.

 

Sam says that Nana Jo volun-told her to host Jenna’s “Getting Your Ducks in a Row” course in her bookshop. Does Nana Jo have other tasks she volun-tells Jenna and Sam for? Nana Jo has volunteered her granddaughters for various tasks. Sam and Jenna are adults, and could decline, but they love and respect their grandmother. So, while they may not have initially wanted to do whatever tasks she has for them, they are willing to do it out of love. Fortunately, Nana Jo loves her granddaughters and never volunteers them for anything they would hate. 

 

Jenna seems to be having a hard time with empty-nest syndrome. Did the twins live at home during their college years? The twins, Christopher and Zaq did not live at home during their college years, but they were close, and she saw them much more frequently. Now that they’ve graduated, they have moved further away and visits aren’t nearly as frequent.

 

Do the “A” and “Z” in your title referring to the victim and her twin sister, Alva and Zelda? Yes. That’s where I got the idea for the title.

 

Does Sam identify with Lady Elizabeth? There are a number of similarities between Samantha and Lady Elizabeth. Neither woman had children of their own. Both are intelligent and strong. Both are excellent leaders. And both are great at solving mysteries. 

 

What was the Night of Broken Glass? The Night of Broken Glass or Kristallnacht, occurred on November 9-10, 1938 in Germany and Austria. Jewish business, homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked and destroyed. The attacks were retaliation for the assassination of a German diplomat by a 17-year-old Polish Jew who was living in Paris. Over 7,000 Jewish businesses were damaged or destroyed. The episode is referred to as the “Night of Broken Glass” because of shards of broken glass that littered the streets.     

 

What is a Fifth Columnist? Fifth Columnist are people who sympathize with a country’s enemy and work from within to sabotage and undermine a nation. This was a large fear during WWII. In England, there were many people with ties or connections to Germany and other Axis nations. After Pearl Harbor, fear that Japanese Americans would provide critical information to Japan resulted in the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

 

Was Paul Klee real?  Paul Klee was a German artist born in 1879 in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland. Klee was a modernist and was known for his use of color. Hitler objected to modern art. Klee and other modern artists’ works were labeled by the Nazis as “degenerate” and were banned (and in some cases destroyed) in 1937.  

 

The Marsh family sponsored three Jewish children, who now live with them, from the Kindertransport. Was this common? The Kindertransport or Children’s Transport, was an organized effort to rescue children, primarily Jewish children, from Nazi occupied areas between 1938-1939. More than 10,000 children were taken to the United Kingdom. Belgium, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands also took children, but the vast majority of children went to the U.K. The Marsh family are wealthy aristocrats who live in the country. They had the space, the staff, and the resources to care for the children.

 

Although only one young woman, Isabella, seems to mourn Alva’s death, she also has more than one reason to have murdered Alva. Why would Sam offer her a place to stay? Sam was touched by Isabella’s grief. She seemed to be the only person genuinely mourning Alva. Yet Isabella is also the person who is being taunted and harassed. Alva trusted Isabella and despite the circumstances, Sam was willing to trust her, too.

 

After Sam and Nana Jo interest the police in Alva’s death, the police find that arsenic killed her. From her research, Sam suspects the wallpaper in Alva’s bedroom was Scheele’s Green, a historic wallpaper, which was made with arsenic. Is this true? How did they find out about the arsenic and its poisonous effects? Sadly, this is true. Scheele’s Green was popular in the 18^th and early 19^th century. The vibrant color was made with an arsenic-based pigment. In the 19^th century, arsenic (in small doses) wasn’t considered lethal and was used in food, medicine, face powder, paints, and wallpaper. The vibrant colored wallpaper was often used in nurseries. High mortality rates in nurseries were troubling to 19^th century scientists. They believed flaking pieces of the wallpaper may have been consumed by small children. Fireplaces may have also combined with the arsenic to create a toxic gas. Hard to believe that the people knew that the wallpaper contained arsenic and did nothing?  Coca Cola used to contain cocaine.

If Nana Jo is a grizzly, and Jenna is a lioness, what animal is Sam? Sam is more of a golden retriever. She is friendly, good natured, and fun-loving. She is intelligent, calm, a quick learner, and she gets along with just about everyone. She isn’t known for aggression, but will do what she has to in order to protect those she loves.

 

Was Isabella’s necklace an Egyptian artifact that was given to her illegally? Isabella’s necklace was an Egyptian artifact. It was more than likely given to her illegally, although there is a slim possibility that it wasn’t. Years ago, archeologists often removed artifacts from dig sites. The practice was made illegal in Egypt in 1983.

 

Is there still missing art from WWII? YES. There is still a great deal of art that has been missing since WWII. Some art was stolen from museums, churches, and institutions. Other art and valuable objects were stolen from private collections and homes.

 

Who or what is John Wick? LOL – John Wick is the title character in an action/thriller. Wick is a former hitman who comes out of retirement to get revenge against the underworld thugs who kill his dog. Keanu Reeves plays the main character.

 

Did Winston Churchill really say, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”? (Loc 2932) Winston Churchill is attributed with making a similar quote, although it is believed that the word “appeaser” was added in the 1950s. On January 20, 1940, Winston Churchill gave a speech that was broadcast over the BBC. The New York Times reprinted the speech the next day. Referring to nations that remained neutral during the war, Churchill said, “Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last.” There was also a metaphor about a storm, which was confusing and eliminated in future publications of Churchill quotes.

 

Sam gets flashes of insight, and then loses the connection before making a realization. Why the lost connection? Too much information? Samantha and I share a lot of character traits. Sadly, one of them is getting a flash of insight, an idea, or a thought. But, within moments, it’s gone. Generally, if I stop trying to grab hold of the idea, it comes back.

 

Was the 2010 case of Cornelius Gurlitt real? Yes. Cornelius Gurlitt was the son of Hildebrand Gurlitt, an art dealer for the Third Reich. Art that wasn’t stolen was bought at ridiculously low prices from Jews. Cornelius Gurlitt was a recluse living in Munich, who was found to have had over 1,300 pieces of looted art in his Munich apartment that he inherited from his father, Hildebrand.  

 

Sam works on a notepad, do you? Sometimes. Most of the time, I write on my laptop. However, when I am away from home, I find that I’m more productive writing in a notebook.

 

What’s next for Sam, Jenna, Nana Jo and the rest of Nana Jo’s friends at the Shady Acres Retirement Village? Sam and Frank are finally going to tie the knot in the 12^th installment of the series. The working title is, A Prologue to Murder.

 

 

An Interview with Author Valerie Burns by E. B. Davis

 

Influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery has sold plenty of wedding cakes before, but before she turns one out for her and her fiancé’s wedding, she’ll have to solve a little case of murder . . .

Aunt Octavia would be so proud! Maddy has turned Baby Cakes Bakery—named for her 250-pound English Mastiff, Baby—into a runaway success, and she’s marrying the love of her life, veterinarian Michael Portman. #DreamWedding! Plus the timing couldn’t be better: the country’s biggest bridal expo has come to New Bison, Michigan, and Maddy has secured a spot for Baby Cakes to showcase their cakes. She’s also entered a contest for an all-expenses-paid wedding extravaganza offered by world-renowned wedding planner Serafina.

Unfortunately, supremely nasty Serafina truly takes the cake—she makes the worst bridezilla seem like a shy flower girl. But there’s one thing the wedding planner didn’t plan on—being impaled by one of the skewers Baby Cakes uses on their tiered wedding cakes.

While Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo, Maddy and her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, and even Baby join forces to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight . . . before wedding bells start to chime.

Amazon.com

 

Icing on the Murder is Valerie Burns’s fourth book in the Baker Street Mystery series. The possible murder of Maddy’s Great-Aunt Octavia is put on the back burner while Maddy and Michael plan their wedding. Although Michael wants a smaller wedding, for the chance of getting an all-paid-for wedding with wedding planner, Serafina, Maddy enters the Bridal competition. April, the former beauty-queen sheriff, isn’t the only one lacking confidence. Maddy, it seems, needs Serafina to make all the decisions fearing she’ll make mistakes. With Michael’s standing in the community, Maddy wants perfection.

 

From the start, I was dubious of Maddy’s choice of entering the contest, but in a way, Serafina’s murder took care of some of the complications with Michael that winning the event would entail. That’s callous, but once you get to know the wedding planner, you’ll probably agree.

 

Valerie has created a stressful environment at the Bridal Expo, in which a murder must be solved.  Please welcome Valerie back to WWK.                 E. B. Davis

Thank you for having me at Writers Who Kill. I’m thrilled to be back.

 

Maddy’s been in New Bison nine months. Is she jumping into another marriage too quickly?

After the first wedding debacle, Maddy realizes that she wasn’t in love with Elliot, her ex. However, Michael Portman is the real deal. Normally she struggles with making decisions, but she is learning to trust herself and to trust her heart. Choosing to marry Michael Portman is an easy decision because he’s the right one. When you know, you know.

 

After Maddy got left at the altar while being streamed live online, I was surprised she wanted a big wedding. Why does she feel the need? Is bigger better?                                                              Maddy, like many women, struggles with meeting expectations. She is in a new community. Her fiancé is a successful veterinarian, and she is now the owner of a successful bakery. A big wedding is what she thinks is expected, and she doesn’t want to disappoint. Many couples spend a ton of money on a wedding because they believe it is what is expected. In Maddy’s case, bigger isn’t better, but bigger is what she feels is expected.

 

When Maddy and Michael compromise on the wedding, why does Maddy still want Serafina as her planner? Why does Maddy have problems making decisions?

Good question. Maddy’s struggle with making decisions stems from a lack of self-confidence. She is the daughter of a navy admiral capable of making important decisions that impact millions. Her father, the admiral, loves her, but he doesn’t know how to show her (other than giving her money). Her wedding day is the most important day in her life. It’s also a day that will have a lot of attention. In her previous world as a social media influencer, she has experienced first-hand the cruelty that can be spewed by people with differing views online. Some of the comments posted by people like Brandi Denton were extremely hurtful. However, if a professional like Serafina makes the decisions, then it takes the pressure off. No one would dare criticize Serafina’s choices.

 

What is watercolor cake painting?

Watercolor cake painting is a technique for decorating cakes using edible paint or food coloring usually on fondant. Artists can then unleash their creativity. The cake becomes the canvas and the final product can be as simple or as complicated as the artist wants.

 

Why does Maddy decide to go with unconventional cakes for their booth at the Bridal Expo? What types does she choose?

Maddy owns a bakery, and she is also planning her own wedding. She has seen a lot of wedding cakes. Most are white with lots of roses and other flowers. Maddy is aware that there will be a lot of other bakers showcasing their cakes at the bridal expo. Leroy is a talented baker and cake decorator, but Maddy isn’t as skilled. What better way to stand out from the masses, than to showcase a cake that is outside of the norm which will, hopefully, appeal to couples who are not traditional.

 

Maddy was young when her mother died. Even so, she doesn’t seem to know that much about her. Why?

Maddy’s father was devastated when his wife died. He was building his career in the military while raising his daughter. Talking about his late wife only stirred up emotions he wasn’t willing (or able) to deal with. Rather than facing his grief, he buried his emotions.

 

How does Maddy know all the differences in naval uniforms back to 1949?

As a fashionista and daughter of navy admiral, she has spent her entire life surrounded by men and women in uniform. Maddy is really into clothes. Many people might not notice whether or not the women’s uniform has pockets, but someone like Maddy would. She takes her love of clothing very seriously.

 

When Maddy finds an old quilt that had been in the attic with a note attached from Great-Aunt Octavia, why does she post #FromSlave2BusinessOwner?

The quilt that Maddy finds has been handed down from generation to generation in her family. It is a part of her heritage, and she’s amazed by the journey that the quilt has undergone. Her family has come a long way. Originally created by a former slave, the quilt has now found its way into her hands, owner of Baby Cakes Bakery.

 

Did the Underground Railroad go up through Michigan to Lake Michigan? Were slaves smuggled out of the country into Canada via boats?

The underground railroad did go through Michigan and there are at least 34 confirmed locations where enslaved individuals or “freedom seekers” found shelter. Confirming the locations used for the underground railroad is often challenging, but records from white abolitionists have aided in identifying specific locations. Michigan was believed to be one of the last stops in the United States before making the trip into Canada. Slaves were transported to Canada using a variety of vessels including schooners and steamboats to cross the Detroit River, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie.

 

You mentioned four types of apples harvested during September and October. Only one type, Paula Red, I’m not familiar with. But I don’t associate any of those apples as “cooking apples.” In the East, cooking apples come out in July (Early or Yellow Transparents) or August (Rambos). They are so tart you really can’t eat them fresh—they have to be cooked with sugar, which makes for a tart/sweet flavor that can’t be beat! Eating apples are harvested in September and October. Are the four types you mentioned grown mainly in the middle of the country or in Michigan? Have you worked with those apples?

The four types of apples mentioned in Icing on the Murder were: Honeycrisp, Red Paula, McIntosh, and Red Delicious. All four of these apples are grown in Michigan. To my knowledge, none are so tart that they can’t be used in baking. Red Paula apples are available after late August, while the other three are available starting in early September to late September. I LOVE Honeycrisp and Red Delicious apples.

 

Is Daisy Baby’s sister?

Daisy isn’t Baby’s sister. They are not related, but have become good friends.

 

Are you sure God is in Las Vegas?

I’m pretty sure God is everywhere, including Vegas. Las Vegas is called the “wedding capital of the world,” so I’m going to assume that God is present for those nuptials.

Why does black icing take so long to make?

Black icing takes a long time to make because of the volume needed for cakes and also to get the deep color.  It often requires time for the colors to oxidizes so that you get the black color as opposed to gray or brown.

 

Was the story about the hair coloring fiasco during the pandemic true?

Sadly, yes.

 

How does Maddy afford a $70,000 Rivian SUV?

Maddy inherited a bakery and a house from her great aunt Octavia. She got money from the insurance company after the bakery fire. She gets money for stud fees for Baby. Plus, she has expanded the bakery’s scope with baking classes and social media marketing. Plus, she was a successful social media influencer before moving to New Bison. Social media influencers with over one million followers can make anywhere from 5K to 25K per sponsored post.

 

How is police jurisdiction determined? The Expo is in New Bison, so April should be in charge. But the Expo is in the Native American-owned Casino. If the suspect is not a tribal member, then what? It’s Federal? But the FBI doesn’t solve murder cases, they are thrown back to the local police. Why does Trooper Bob, who is a state policeman and not a fan of Maddy, show up?

The question of jurisdiction where Native American land is concerned is a tricky one. By law, the FBI is responsible for investigating violent crimes on Native land. Under normal circumstances, the case with a non-native victim and non-native subject would be investigated by the State (in my case, Trooper Bob). According to the FBI Agent that I contacted, the jurisdiction is “sticky” because the victim and the subject have not been identified. In cases like this, the FBI would work together with the Tribal Officer and the state police. This makes things easier when the case goes to prosecution.

 

Baby has a date with a Grand Champion Mastiff? Maddy is loaning out Baby for stud fees? Is he in demand?

Baby is a champion show dog. His official name is Champion Crooner Ol’ Blue Eyes, One for My Baby. His call name (i.e. Nickname) is Baby. She makes quite a bit on stud fees.

 

The best collard greens I ever had were at a wedding! They were small cut and not mushy. How do Dru Ann and Sister Sylvia make them?

I asked Sister Sylvia and Dru Ann to share their recipe, but they refused. Actually, they said, they “would, but then they would have to kill me.” I can say, that their collards are cut small with pork and a bit of a kick from red pepper flakes. Sorry.

 

Now that Maddy and the team solved the murder, what’s next?

Social media queen-turned-small-town baker Maddy Montgomery, her feisty friends, and her faithful English mastiff know you have to break a few eggs to solve a murder. . .

 

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

 

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

 

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Valerie Burns

If you've ever watched the Westminster Dog Show, you'll hear the announcer give some very elaborate names for the dogs. That's called the dog's "Registered" name. If the dog is a champion, that title comes first. Often, the breeder will include the name of their kennel next. For example, if the kennel is, "Cinnibon," that's what comes next. Last, is usually something entertaining that will make the dog stand out in a show ring, like "Bedrock Bombshell." In real life, people aren't standing outside saying, "Champion Cinnabon's Bedrock Bombshell, Come." That's too much for anyone. Instead, the dog also has a "Call Name." The call name is a nick name or what you call the dog. In the above example, Champion Cinnibon's Bedrock Bombshell's call name is Wilma. Get it? Bedrock Bombshell? The Flintstone's? Wilma, Fred's wife? In case you're curious, this is the name of a real dog, a boxer that showed at the Westminster Dog Show. Yabba, Dabba Doo!

In my Baker Street Mystery series, Maddy Montgomery inherits a champion show dog, an English mastiff. When Maddy's Great Aunt Octavia registered him with the American Kennel Club, she gave him a memorable name. Octavia loved Frank Sinatra, so she chose, Champion Crooner Ol’ Blue Eyes, One for My Baby, as his registered name in honor of Frank Sinatra (Ol’ Blue Eyes). One for My Baby is the name of one of Sinatra’s biggest hits. Baby is his call name.

Mastiffs are giants. They're heavy-boned, muscular dogs. Males are around 30 inches from the shoulder to the ground (that’s nearly 3 feet) and range in weight from 170-230 lbs (females are smaller). The breed is known for being protective, but lovable, docile, and kind to their humans. They're often referred to as "gentle giants," and make great pets. However, owning a strong, giant breed like this is a commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Training is important and patience is critical. The breed has a large head, and droopy jowls. If you don’t like drool, this isn’t the breed for you. Seriously, they drool like fountains.

One of the best parts about including dogs in my books is that I get to live vicariously through my characters. I don’t own a mastiff, but I get to experience the joy of owning one, with none of the work. If you’re curious what it’s like to live with a 250 lb English mastiff check out my Baker Street Mystery series. The third book in the series, A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death released on July 23, 2024.

 

Figure 1 American Kennel Club

Location, Location, Location by Valerie Burns

I’ve bought quite a few houses in my time (nine to be exact), and I’ve heard the three most important things to consider when buying a house are location, location, location. Why? Because you can easily change just about everything else about a house, but you can’t change the location. Well, not easily. So, what does buying real estate have to do with writing a cozy mystery? In my opinion, EVERYTHING. Why? Because, just like in real estate, location is a key component in a mystery, especially a cozy mystery.

The very name, “cozy mystery” conjures up different scenes for each person. For some, this might be a cabin tucked away in the mountains. Others may get a picture of a small New England town with fishing boats, diners selling lobster rolls, antique shops, and a lighthouse converted into a library. When I think cozy, I think of a quaint town with handmade furniture, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, unique craft stores, a bakery with lots of delicious goodies in the window, and a bookstore with comfy chairs, a fireplace, and a sizeable mystery section. Cozy mysteries aren’t set in cookie cutter towns overflowing in big box stores, but lacking in personality and charm. No. A COZY mystery’s location does more than provide a geographic location to ground the reader. It sets the mood for the book and instills things in the reader’s mind that aren’t always on the page. Okay, I can feel your skepticism. How can the location or setting of a book do all of that, you ask? Let’s look at a couple of cozy mysteries.

First, let’s look at a cozy set in the South. Kate Young’s, Southern Sass and Killer Cravings, A Marygene Brown Mystery. The book’s location, on Peach Cove Island off the Georgia coast, creates a southern vibe that radiates from the pages. Without the author stating that the locals have a southern drawl, readers will hear that drawl based on the phrasing. In Debra H. Goldstein’s Sarah Blair Mysteries, which are set in Birmingham, Alabama, you know that each, ‘Bless your heart,’ is spoken with sarcasm. Why? Because, the book’s location is set in the South. If you’re from the South, you know. If you’re not. . .ask a Southerner.

Cozy mysteries set in New England like Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake Mystery series or Shari Randall’s Lobster Shack Mysteries, create a mental picture of the place and the people. Even without a written description, readers familiar with the area, and even those who have only watched Murder, She Wrote on television, will conjure up images of the beautiful New England coast with seagulls flying overhead, fishing boats and lobster buoys bobbing in the water, and quaint shops with saltwater taffy. The locals’ dialect, their passions, and their interests practically leap off the pages when the setting is right.

Location was a key factor when I chose to set my Mystery Bookshop Mystery series in Southwestern Michigan. The series is set in the fictional town of North Harbor, Michigan. Southwestern Michigan isn’t as popular  a setting for cozy mysteries as New England. However, readers familiar with the area easily recognized specific elements of Lake Michigan’s coastline, lighthouses, and often turbulent weather. Storms, tornadoes, and lake effect snow are normal for the region, and residents know how to “hunker down” and stay safe through the harshest weather Mother Nature throws at them. In the eighth book in the series, a storm comes through and damages the local library. Samantha Washington’s bookstore doesn’t sustain any damage, and she offers to host one of the library’s book clubs. That’s when her troubles begin. I would argue that the plotline in Bookclubbed to Death works because of the book’s location. Just as a hurricane could work as a great starting point for a book set in New Orleans, or an earthquake in California. Why? Because location really does matter.

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About the Author

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, and Edgar Award-finalist. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color. 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 Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at vmburns.com.

 

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Bookclubbed to Death

 by V. M. Burns

When the bookshop she owns becomes a crime scene, mystery writer Samantha Washington discovers there is such a thing as bad publicity . . .
 
After the local library in North Harbor, Michigan, is flooded in a storm, Sam offers her bookstore as a new venue for the Mystery Mavens Book Club. Unfortunately, she immediately runs afoul of the club leader, Delia Marshall, a book reviewer who can make or break careers—something Sam can ill afford with her debut historical mystery soon to be published.
 
But the next morning, Sam opens her shop to find the unpleasant woman dead on the floor, bashed with a heavy—apparently lethal—tome: the Complete Works of Agatha Christie. While Sam is busy writing her latest British historical mystery in which the queen mother is suspected in the murder of a London Times correspondent, a pair of ambitious cops suspect Sam of the real-life crime. When she gathers Nano Jo and their friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village to review the case, they discover every one of the Mavens had a motive. With her novel about to hit the stores, Sam must find out who clubbed Delia before a judge throws the book at her . . .

BUY LINK

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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