Murder Plays Second Fiddle - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cassidy Jamison to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Cassidy on the pages of the Pearly Girls Mystery series by Heather Weidner. MURDER PLAYS SECOND FIDDLE is the second book in the series and was released earlier this year.

A Day in the Life of Cassidy Jamison by Heather Weidner
A Veronica Mars Meets the Golden Girls in a Multi-generational Cozy Mystery

I am Cassidy Jamison, and I am so excited. I signed a contract for a new project for Celebrations at Ivy Springs, my event planning service and location destination in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I normally host parties, weddings, and business retreats, but I jumped at the chance when the alumni planning team at the high school approached me about having their big reunion at my place.

I moved back to Ivy Springs a couple of years ago when my grandmother passed away. I have a marketing background, so taking over her business seemed like a good fit for me. I may have bitten off more than I expected. I am so grateful that my grandmother’s friends, the Pearly Girls, stayed on to help me keep things running. The Pearly Girls are an amazing group of retired women: Ruthanne Carmichael, a former CPA and my accountant; Kate Carlson, a former nurse; Aileen Roberts, former elementary school teacher, and Roxie Mathews, former interior designer and the group’s cougar. They have been so helpful with keeping our events calendar organized and helping with decorations. They are so talented, even if they are always prying into my dating life and trying to fix me up with any eligible bachelor. 

I have been so busy with the business that I haven’t done a lot of reconnecting with folks in town, and I was hoping that the reunion would help me get a jump start on that. We have meet and greets, a redux of the Homecoming dance, goat yoga and meditation in my Zen garden, a sock hop, a concert, and a golf tournament planned for the two-weekend event. 

Little did I know that the whole thing was going to make me flashback to high school. Some things never change, and the mean girls just got meaner. I spent most of my time with the planning team trying to calm tensions and solve over-dramatized problems. And then if things weren’t tense enough, two of the alumni ended up murdered on my property. The Pearly Girls and I had to jump in and help the sheriff’s office with the investigation in order to clear the name of an innocent suspect. 

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Review

 

 MURDER PLAYS SECOND FIDDLE by Heather Weidner

The Second Pearly Girl Mystery

 

Always looking to book new events at Celebrations at Ivy Springs Cassidy Jamison is happy to host the Class of 2009's high school reunion. The party will include several events held on two consecutive weekends which is definitely good for Celebrations' bottom line. However, Cassidy needs to grit her teeth and bear it as the reunion committee led by Brittany Mahoney is exacting with list after list of demands. Despite some drama the first event seems to be going well - until Britt's dead body is found. Britt's second in command takes over and insists the reunion events proceed. But the list of people interested diminishes as the list of suspects remain high. Amid thoughts of expanding her venue and romantic starts and stutters Cassidy and the Pearly Girls find themselves eager to solve another mystery and put this murderous reunion behind them. 

 

MURDER PLAYS SECOND FIDDLE makes me glad I never bothered going to my high school reunion...any of them. In the second Pearly Girl Mystery mean girls remained mean and there's even nastiness within the clique.

 

The mystery was well done. Though many people could have wanted Brittany dead, the way in which the murder was staged and the way clues showed up after police and Cassidy and her crew searched definitely pointed at an inside job. And when the second body was found...

 

Austin was a nice addition to the cast of characters, both to ogle over and make Detective Zac jealous without Cassidy even trying. The Pearly Girls remain a hoot, fun loving, yet also hardworking, and never too old to do a bit of ogling themselves. I love how people of all ages work and play together. Age is just a number and you might think Cassidy was the biological age of the Pearly Girls while the Girls act more like Cassidy's 20 something!

 

Friends that are as good as family, lots of laughs, and carefully constructed murder make MURDER PLAYS SECOND FIDDLE a delightful mystery.

 

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 Murder Plays Second Fiddle (The Pearly Girls Mysteries) by Heather Weidner

About Murder Plays Second Fiddle

Murder Plays Second Fiddle (The Pearly Girls Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Ivy Springs, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Publisher: ‎ Keylight Books
Publication Date: ‎ January 13, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 256 pages

The Pearly Girls return to solve a high school reunion murder in this sequel to Murder Strikes a Chord.

Event planner Cassidy Jamison and her not-so-helpful sexagenarian staff of Roxie, Kate, Aileen, and Ruthanne are up to their elbows with a high school reunion committee’s constantly changing requirements for an event that must be the most elaborate and memorable at all costs.

When well-known reporter, Darcy Branch, and former cheerleader, Brittany Mahoney, are found dead on her property, Cassidy and the gang have to find the killer before the party’s over. And the more Cassidy and her Chihuahua mix, Elvis, dig for clues, the more deadly secrets they uncover—including one that changes everything she knows about her family’s history.

The Pearly Girls need to solve the case before the Class of 2009 goes down in Ivy Springs history as the deadliest reunion.

About Heather Weidner

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, Murder by the Glass, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder, and Crime in the Old Dominion, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime: National, Central Virginia, Chessie, Guppies, and Grand Canyon Writers, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers, and she blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd named Cooper.

Author Links

• Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@heather_mystery_writer
• BlueSky: Heather Weidner (@heatherweidner.bsky.social) — Bluesky
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heather_weidner_author
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner
• Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name
• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
• Purchase Links - Amazon B&N BooksAMillion Bookshop.org

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Round up the Unusual Suspects by Elizabeth Crowens. This book is the third in the Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery series and was released earlier this year.

Babs Norman and her partner, Guy Brandt, have a new case. A body has been found on the set of Yankee Doodle Dandy and Jack Warner has hired the gumshoes to solve the case. With shooting ending on the Cagney film the detectives move their search for a killer to the set of Casablanca. But solving a murder isn't the only problem they face. The government is mandating the internment of Japanese residents, but Babs is intent on hiding her lodger, Mr. Otake. With trouble on the set including pilfering and Bogart's mercurial wife, not to mention an unfinished script, plus the threat of losing their PI license or even jail time for hiding Mr. Otake, will Babs and Guy be able to flush out a killer?

A Poetic Pox - A Review

 Review

A POETIC POX by Samantha Larsen
The Third Lady Librarian Mystery 

Loathe to leave her family, especially during the holidays, Tiffany Lathrop nonetheless agrees to accompany her friend and employer, Catherine, the Duchess of Beaufort on an overnight trip to visit an old friend. The Marquess of Harwood requested Catherine visit with her young son as he had just returned after years abroad and was dying. Upon their arrival staff tried to barr their entry, but they were no match for a determined duchess! Tiffany is stunned to find the abbey in disrepair, the valet dead, and the Marquess near death himself, both men seemingly poisoned. Though loving her role as a new mother, Tiffany is excited leave dirty nappies for a bit and solve another murder. Who wants to kill the Marquess? Does it have something to do with the smallpox epidemic that ravaged the town twenty years prior? Does a baseborn son believe he's entitled to an inheritance? With untrustworthy servants and a town filled with secrets Tiffany will have to rely on her wits and the support of her friends and their own staff to outsmart a villain! 

Trapped in a decaying mansion with murderer and a possible ghost A POETIC POX is a delightfully creepy mystery. The servants of Rosedean Abbey are as unwelcoming and unpleasant as the Abbey itself. Small hints are periodically left that Tiffany and the astute reader are able to catch to reveal the secrets hidden both in the Abbey and the town itself. I appreciate how Tiffany simultaneously cared for her baby and searched for clues to catch a killer. I also enjoyed how one after another layers of secrets kept for decades were slowly revealed.

Twists and turns in an decaying abbey make A POETIC POX a superb mystery. I love this series and can't wait to see what happens next!

Black Cat and the Immigrant Child - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to allow Elaine Faber to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. Elaine writes the Black Cat Mystery series. Black Cat and the Immigrant Child is the fifth book in the series.

Why Do Writers Write?

I’ll bet if 100 people were queried, at least 75% would claim that someday they plan to write a book, most likely a memoir. The remaining 25% would likely conclude that even though they may never get around to it, and the world will be the lesser for it, they could if they wanted to. The thousands of hours required to write, edit, and format a book for publication never enter the equation.

Yet a frightening number of us do spend the time and energy, and a zillion books DO get published every year. Most of them get posted on Amazon, where they are buried as deep as a sticker in a cow plop among millions of other books. Occasionally, one actually sells! 

Now, I’ve become one of those people who decided there was a book in me that would be a loss to the world if they did not delve into its pages. After about a skillion hours of writing, rewriting, editing, mentoring, and more rewriting, my novel was finally completed, formatted, published, and made available for sale to the millions of folks clamoring to be amused, entertained, charmed, and delighted by my scintillating characters. This became the first of twelve more novels to follow. 

In my cozy cat mystery series (the latest called Black Cat and the Immigrant Child) none have yet to become a New York Times Best Seller, but there is a cat who, with his ancestors’ memories, knows where the bodies are buried. In this adventure, he wants desperately to assist his inferior humans, who are usually too busy searching for bandits’ lost loot and protecting the little girl found on the prairie alongside a dead man. The story contains a smattering of romance, a few downright stinkerisms, cartels and drug lords, an innocent refugee child, and a cat that joins forces with a Maine Coone barn cat and a rat to help his inferior human catch a killer. 

So, why do I write when the hours are long, the glory is nonexistent, and the financial rewards are few and far between?

I guess I write because these characters are in me, screaming to get out, and even if I don’t have a Best-Seller, many of the good folks who read my novels come back and tell me about their reading experience. For just a little while, they left their troubles behind, traveled to a little resort town, and entered my make-believe world, where the good guy wins with lots of laughs along the way. For a few hours, they frolicked through the pages, with a cat determined to help Kimberlee solve the latest mystery.

That’s when I know. That’s why I write. That’s why it’s all worth it.

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Bio:

Elaine Faber has published 12 mystery novels and one ‘CAT’ anthology. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Northern CA Writers and Publishers, and Elk Grove Writers’ Guild. Her stories have also appeared in multiple magazines and anthologies.

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 Black Cat and the Immigrant Child (A Black Cat Mystery) by Elaine Faber

About Black Cat and the Immigrant Child

Black Cat and the Immigrant Child (A Black Cat Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 5th in Series
Setting - Texas
Publisher: ‎ Michael L. Faber
Publication Date: ‎ January 6, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 254 pages

A tale of corruption and deceit met with compassion and tenacity.

Kimberlee, Dorian, and their pets return to Grandmother Lassiter’s multimillion-dollar horse ranch on the Mexico/Texas border to settle her affairs following her demise.

On their first day in Texas, an illegal immigrant, likely carrying drugs, is found murdered on the Lassiter ranch. A six-year-old girl is at his side.

Black Cat and Angel overhear a ranch hand admit to the murder and declare to eliminate the child who witnessed his crime.

Determined to shelter the little girl, the family is thrust into affairs that include intrigue, humor, and mystery. Join the family as they ride with wild horses and search for a notorious Wild West bandit's undiscovered stolen treasure.

Black Cat joins forces with Murphy, his Maine Coon rival and compatriot, and Cedric, the resident barn rat, in an attempt to prevent another murder and capture the miscreant.

Sprinkled generously with Black Cat and Angel’s humorous relationship and interactions, this is another story that will delight Black Cat’s fans, cat lovers, or readers who enjoy light mysteries and humor.

About Elaine Faber

Elaine Faber lives in Elk Grove with her husband and cat. She is a member of Capitol Crimes, NCPA, and Elk Grove Writers Guild. She volunteers at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. Elaine has published 12 cozy mystery novels and an anthology of cat stories. Her books include a WWII historical fiction series, a series of cozy cat mysteries, and two paranormal mystery-adventures.

Author Links: Website: Facebook Goodreads 

 Purchase Link - Amazon

A Whiff of Murder - A Review

 Review

 A WHIFF OF MURDER by Angela M. Sanders

The First Sixth Sense Mystery

 

Lise Bloom has the unique ability of smelling emotion and even history. So after a scandal in Seattle, it's no wonder that it's a scent that leads Lise to settle in Astoria, Oregon. In an attempt to learn more about her gift Lise works in a New Age shop, but she's not finding the answers she needs. With encouragement from her housemates at Corrie House Lise e-mails in her resignation. Feeling some trepidation going to work the next morning she's surprised to see her boss's car in the alley with its tires slashed. She's even more surprised to see her boss's dead body. Did the toxic relationship with her ex-husband finally lead to murder? Did the changes she made to her will cause her untimely demise? The shocks keep coming when the detective in charge turns out to be a frenemy, emphasis on enemy, from Seattle. In order to save herself from a murder charge Lise will have to investigate herself and find a killer.

 

A WHIFF OF MURDER is a story about opposites - love and hate, young and old, living and dead. Yet even though some things are smack in your face, others are more nuanced. Important details are slowly revealed and I'm interested to see what will be uncovered in future books; Lise's gift, her origins, and even more compelling, the story of Corrie House itself and that library in particular.

 

The characters were unique. Lise was a bit underwhelming as a protagonist, but primarily because of the more interesting secondary characters. I love Teddy, the older owner of Corrie House who has a vibrant past and even more I adore the residents of Blavatsky Manor. I'm not a fan of Fran, even though I love some of her idiosyncrasies, but I am curious to see if she grows and changes. My favorite character, however, is Corrie House itself, and it is a character.

 

The mystery itself was well plotted with the various subplots enhancing the story. There are many subplots, all of which are captivating and none of which take away from the mystery.  

 

Humor alleviates the somewhat oppressive atmosphere and with a hint of the paranormal and a lot of foreshadowing A WHIFF OF MURDER makes a creative and intriguing start to a new series.