Fried Chicken Castañeda - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Suzanne Stauffer to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Suzanne writes the Couriers Mystery series. FRIED CHICKEN CASTAÑEDA is the first book in the series.

Kathy: In FRIED CHICKEN CASTAÑEDA we meet Prudence Bates. Prudence is bored with her conventional middle-class life and heads West. Have you ever tried to liven your life up?

SS: Oh, my, yes. Many times. I think that I did all of the things that Prudence didn't do -- I went away to college, I moved to New York City after I got my master's in library science and lived there for ten years. I'd probably still be there, but my income wasn't keeping up with the cost of living, so I moved across country to got to school at UCLA and get my PhD. Los Angeles is a pretty exciting place to live -- but also expensive. In 2006, I went to Australia to meet a man I'd been corresponding with via email for 10 years. We got married at the Riviera in Las Vegas NV in December of that year. He continues to liven up my life! After I retired in 2024, we moved to Albuquerque and I started a third career.

Kathy: Prudence is befriended by Castañeda Hotel employees and she is invited to dances and the local hot springs. Which of these activities would you prefer?

SS: Oh, neither one. Prudence is the extrovert that I wish I were! I wish that I could dance, but it's not one of my skills. My husband loves hot springs and I tolerate them. Prudence and I share a love of Golden Age mysteries.

Kathy: Prudence follows in the footsteps of her favorite fictional detectives, Tommy and Tuppence. If you were to solve a mystery in real life, which sleuth's footsteps would you like to follow?

SS: Probably Miss Marple. I'd be watching quietly from the sidelines, gathering clues and making connections while I knitted away. Or possibly rare book librarian Helen Shandy in the Charlotte MacLeod Professor Peter Shandy series. I'd love to work at Balaclava College!

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

SS: It's more that the mysteries I have always loved got retconned into being cozy. I started with Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton, then moved on to Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Marjorie Allingham. I also love the hardboiled mysteries of Dashielle Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross Macdonald. I think it's the focus on character and character development that drew me to them. Human beings and their motivations are central to the story and the mystery. I don't much care for graphic descriptions of blood and guts or sex, either.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

SS: I've written several short stories in other genres and have plans for others. Strangely enough, the two that I wrote in the hardboiled genre -- "Effie's Tale" and "Detour to Murder" -- have been published. The others are available on my Substack https://smstauffer.substack.com/ along with additional Fred Harvey recipes.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

SS: The Couriers Series follows Prudence from Cleveland to New Mexico, as she prepares to train as a Courier, and then on the Detours that she leads.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

SS: I think that's like asking a parent who their favorite child is! By the time I've spent 60-70,000 words with them, it's impossible to pick. And, Prudence meets new people in each book. If I absolutely had to pick one in "Fried Chicken Castaneda," I think it would be Clara, the desk clerk. She's just so grounded and confident. She knows who she is and what she wants.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

The Fred Harvey Indian Detours and the Couriers who led them. I learned about them on a visit to the Grand Canyon, and realized they would make a great basis for a cozy mystery series.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

SS: That was always the goal -- to write a book that people would read and enjoy. As you probably can guess, I've been a reader for as long as I can remember (and my mother read to me before I could even talk), so it seemed natural to someday write and publish books, as well.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

SS: My immediate response is "The Four Queens of Crime, of course." Christie, Sayers, Marsh, Allingham. Then I think it might be more fun to invite Barbara Mertz (Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels), Charlotte Macleod, Caroline Graham, and Sarah Caudwell. They all write/wrote such witty, clever, humorous books.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

SS: I just finished the "Mr. and Mrs. North" series (all 25 books) by Frances and Richard Lockridge.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

SS: Cooking, as you might have guessed, gardening, knitting/crocheting/embroidery/sewing, Western history, travel.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

SS: Tea, flour, sugar, yeast

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

SS: Yes, the second book, "French Toast ala Santa Fe" is scheduled for release on October 13. Prudence goes on a 3-day Detour with 10 other tourists. Secrets are revealed. I just finished the third, "Cold Vichysoisse Cream." Prudence investigates the murder of an acrobat in a vaudeville troupe appearing at the KiMo theater in Albuquerque. In the fourth, which I'll be starting in a month or so, Prudence leads her first Detour to Taos.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

SS: The freedom to create these new characters and new situations and see where they take me. I was a professor for 20 years and, although I did a lot of writing, my work always had to be documented and otherwise based on evidence. Writing fiction frees me from that! Of course, it all has to make sense in the end and play fair with the reader, but no one asks me to cite my sources! I do include an author's note, though, explaining where I took liberties with the facts and giving links to further information about real people and places -- I can't help myself!

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Review

FRIED CHICKEN CASTAÑEDA by Suzanne Stauffer
The First Couriers Mystery 

Bored. There's no two ways about it, Prudence Bates is bored. Sure she enjoys her job as a librarian, helping patrons find the perfect book. But even they seem to be requesting the same boring books. But after hearing a talk about the the Southwestern Indian Detours, she's inspired. The scenery, so different from Cleveland, the different cultures...Prudence is entranced. Despite qualms from her mother and Wally, the friend, who wants to be more than just a friend, Prudence decides to do something for herself for a change and decides to head West to try to become the a courier for the touring company. Traveling alone, Prudence is quick to make friends, from the Navajo teacher she meets in the train to the staff at the Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico where she decides to stay for a week. But, along with good food, she soon discovers prejudice and murder!

I found FRIED CHICKEN CASTAÑEDA to be fascinating, not just for the mystery, but for all of the history. I never knew there was a Las Vegas, New Mexico and I was unfamiliar with the Harvey Houses and Detours. I really appreciated the author note as the end which provided more details and resources! I can see me delving into more rabbit holes of research for fun! I appreciated the light shined on prejudice in the West in 1929. The conundrum Native peoples faced, from selling their wares to tourists to living the traditional way or a more modern one. And not only the Navajo and other Indigenous people, but the way you were treated if you were considered Spanish, rather than Mexican...or Indian.

As for the murder, Prudence is first shocked by the number of alcohol related deaths, surely considered murder. She's also seen enough of Tom's bad behavior so that his murder isn't much of a shock, but just who did it?  I liked how she quietly inserted her way into the investigation. The resolution was unique. The romance, heart stopping.I enjoyed the various characters and the whole concept of this series. I'm fascinated to see what happens on her next stop.

Stepping back to 1929 FRIED CHICKEN CASTAÑEDA provides a delicious mystery amidst a stunning Western backdrop.

************************************************************************* 

 Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer

About Fried Chicken Castañeda

Fried Chicken Castañeda
Historical Culinary Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Las Vegas, New Mexico, in June 1929
Publisher: ‎ Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: ‎ May 6, 2025
Print Length: ‎ 228 pages

At the Castañeda Hotel you'll find romance, gourmet dining, bootleggers, and murder!

Bored with her conventional middle-class life, Prudence Bates escapes Cleveland by heading west to qualify as a Courier for the Southwestern Indian Detours. On the California Limited she meets Jerry Begay, a charming Navajo school teacher. They feel an instant rapport, but he's headed for Gallup, so it's but a brief encounter.

In Las Vegas, New Mexico Prudence is befriended by Castañeda Hotel Harvey Girls Martha and Anne and desk clerk Clara. They take Prudence under their wing and invite her along to dances and the local hot springs.

Four days later, Martha's brother, Tom, is found murdered. Was it because of his bootlegging activities? Or his amorous relationship with Liz Kearney, daughter of the richest man in the area and rumored mob boss? And was that really Jerry Begay whom Prudence saw meeting with Tom in secret the day before he was killed?

Following in the footsteps of her favorite fictional detectives, Tommy and Tuppence, Prudence is determined to solve the murder. But one wrong step and she may end up in the sights of the bootleggers.

About Suzanne Stauffer

 

After 20 years as a librarian and 20 as a professor of library science and library historian, Suzanne Stauffer has moved on to a third career as a mystery novelist. She currently lives in Albuquerque with her Australian husband and brown and white spotted rat terrier dogter, Treme. Her debut novel, Fried Chicken Castañeda (Artemesia Publishing, May 2025), won the CIPA EVVY Bronze Medal in Mystery/Crime/Detection and the New Mexico Book Award for Cozy Mystery.  

Author Links:  

Blog https://couriersseries1926.blogspot.com/  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/couriers1926/  

Substack Newsletter Amuse-Bouche https://smstauffer.substack.com/  

Purchase Links: Publisher Amazon B&N Bookshop.org

Round Up the Unusual Suspects - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review

ROUND UP THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS by Elizabeth Crowens
The Third  Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery

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? 

In addition to being a line from the film Round up the Usual Suspects also happens to be a film about the making of the movie Casablanca. It's no wonder the slight variation, ROUND UP THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS is the title of the third Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery. While the dead body on the set of one film is the murder Babs and Guy are hired to solve, the book itself is less of a mystery and more a behind the scenes look at the filming of this classic. It's interesting and I enjoyed learning about it, but found little mystery involved. In fact, I didn't see much investigation at all. Sure they corralled the stars of the film to help talk to the extras, but what were they asking? How were they investigating? I liked the fact that real people such as Dashiell Hammett, Humphrey Bogart, and Ingrid Bergman were important characters. And I loved seeing Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet again. But if the killer didn't admit to what happened no one would have known!

I enjoyed the various glimpses at different aspects of life at the time. I find the whole concept of the internment of the Japanese to be abhorrent and the subplot of Mr. Otake was the most emotional part of the book. I'm not sure the lavender marriage was a good idea, certainly the pair doesn't live together well. 

ROUND UP THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS provides rich historical details within the Casablanca setting making an interesting and informative WWII murder mystery.

 

******************************************************************** 

ROUND UP THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

by Elizabeth Crowens

March 9 - April 17, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery

 

Against the backdrop of WWII, no one expected to find a murdered stagehand on a Warner Brothers sound stage. With so much at stake, Jack L. Warner hires Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, the two young private eyes who recently resolved his high-profile Maltese Falcon/Blackbird Killer Case. Social justice crusader Leon Lewis suspects local Nazi sympathizers are responsible. Lewis assigns a German stuntman, a veteran of the decadent subculture of Weimar Berlin nightlife and one of his newest operatives, to join forces with the private detectives.

According to Warner, the show must go on, but everything from bomb scares to the Japanese internment, to unruly parrots, forbidden love, and family crises conspires against solving the crime. “As Time Goes By,” actors Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and the rest of the Casablanca ensemble join the professional private eyes to round up the unusual suspects and capture the killer.

Love 1940s classic movies? Treat yourself to the award-winning Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles (Book 1) and Bye, Bye Blackbird (Book 2) of Elizabeth Crowens’ Babs Norman’s Golden Age of Hollywood mystery series by Level Best Books.

Round Up the Unusual Suspects Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery with humor
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Number of Pages: 328
ISBN: 979-8-89820-189-0 (paperback)
Series: A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery, Book 3 || Amazon, Goodreads
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Mystery Series

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | BookBub

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Read an excerpt from Round Up the Unusual Suspects:

Chapter One

“Nobody’s allowed to die on one of my sets!” hollered Jack L. Warner. “Who’s the jackass who wants to halt my production?”

Flanked by his personal assistant Bill Schaefer, Jack dragged Hal B. Wallis, his head of production, over to the sound stage filming Yankee Doodle Dandy, starring James Cagney. He swung open the door as soon as the red warning light turned off and stormed inside.

Michael Curtiz, the film’s director, dumped his megaphone and threw down the gauntlet. The parade band on stage accompanied his rage with a drumroll and cymbals.

Warner nabbed Curtiz’s discarded megaphone. “Rally the troops—all of them! I have a studio-wide announcement.”

Curtiz, turning red, clamped his hands over his ears. The actors and background extras, dressed in woolen military uniforms, stopped marching and sweltered under the hot lights. The live orchestra fell silent.

“Sir, maybe we should check out the dead body first,” Schaefer suggested with hesitation.

At Warner’s command, an assistant rolled back a piece of movable scenery to reveal a prone figure, an unknown young man wearing bloodied street clothes, but with a swastika carved on his neck.

“Are you sure he’s dead?” Warner asked. “He looks like he’s just sleeping on the job.”

Backing up a few steps, Wallis broke out in a cold sweat. “Has any-one been a-ble to i-den-ti-fy him?”

The assistant director strained to keep self-control but trembled. “Every-one denies knowing him. Our director, however, insisted we ignore the victim and stay on schedule.”

Wallis, turning green, gulped down his rising bile but regained his voice. “That’s unconscionable. We should secure the set. Everyone will have to swear to secrecy, and under no circumstances is the press to know about it.” Schaefer clutched his stomach, and his knees became unsteady. He grabbed a chair to brace himself.

Jack L. strutted the sound stage like Napoleon planning a counterattack and examined the casualty of war with a sense of unnerving calm. He wrinkled his nose and instructed his assistant, “Better call the Burbank PD. Won’t take long under these broiling lights for him to stink to high heaven.” The actors, who’d remained in the stance of military attention, were about to wilt. Offstage, on both sides, waited singers and female tap dancers dressed in skimpy satin costumes as a tribute to Uncle Sam.

“At ease!” Warner shouted, accompanied by a round of relieved sighs. “You think you can direct my film picture?” Curtiz shouted in his choppy version of Hungarian-bastardized English.

“I can and I will,” Warner barked. “Don’t forget, I sign your paychecks! Furthermore, I still can’t understand why you summoned half the musicians’ union to play instruments off-camera when you could’ve used a recording. Money wasted!”

Curtiz glared, with fire in his eyes. “It’s because they’re featured on camera at the beginning and the end of the scene!” He cursed in his native Hungarian tongue and stormed off the set.

Jimmy Cagney, the star of the show, followed. “You can find me in my dressing room.”

Undaunted by his director and lead actor’s histrionics, Warner demanded to see the production notes. After a quick glance, he scraped his fingernails through his receding hairline.

“Too much…can’t picture it. Summon your editors and set up a projector—somewhere—anywhere, on the damned wall if we must. I’d need to see the dailies and bring me that hot-headed Hungarian Goulash Gulag Meister and his la-di-da lead actor.”

Wallis broke the point of his pencil by slamming it down on his notepad. “All these delays…I don’t want to hear a word from you about going over budget.”

“I’m the one who makes the final decisions. Respect your commanding officer!” Warner admonished his confused subordinate.

Wallis gave him a weak salutation, but only out of respect. “Aye! Aye, sir!” Warner gave one last look at the body. “Go ahead, call the police,” he said to Schaefer. “And hire those two private detectives.”

Wallis scratched his head with a look as if a screwball comedian had thrown a cream pie in his face. “Who?” he asked.

Warner clenched his jaw. “Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, those young kids who solved the Blackbird Killer Case and saved the cast of The Maltese Falcon. That was a close call for everyone.”

* * *

The phone rang at B. Norman Investigations. Guy picked up and said Jack Warner’s assistant was on the line. Babs motioned for him to hand over the receiver.

“The Big Boss desires your company,” Schaefer told her.

“If he doesn’t mind throwing in two mouth-watering prime-rib dinners at the Smoke House for us,” Babs said, who hadn’t eaten all day, “we’ll consider that his consultation fee.”

The two PI partners headed downstairs to their building’s garage, where they now had their own assigned adjacent parking spaces instead of playing roulette for empty spots on the street. Babs put her key into the ignition of her ailing Crosley—the Clown Car, the brunt of Guy’s constant jokes, with a paint job that resembled a motley patchwork. The moment she put her foot on the gas pedal, it made a bone-shaking screech of metal against metal and emitted exhaust that would’ve choked a triceratops.

“We’re taking mine,” Guy said after he stopped wheezing. He rolled up his windows to keep out the foul scent. “Can’t believe you never had the sense to replace that fossil since it never ran well.”

They pulled out of the garage, and he donned his sunglasses. “Now, you’re stuck with it since our government stopped new automobile production and only people in vital professions, such as doctors and clergymen, qualify to purchase remaining inventories.”

“Private eyes don’t have priority?”

He shook his head. “Not in your sweet life. Those assembly lines are being converted to produce tanks, aircraft, and weapons for the military. Mark my words. Next thing you know, they’ll demand that we ration fuel and rubber for our tires like they do in England. Read the papers if you don’t believe me.”

Guy flashed his Warner Brothers pass to the gate security guard. Babs panicked as she searched inside her purse. “I must’ve left mine in my car.”

“Try flirting,” Guy whispered.

She snorted in defiance. “I will not!”

Much to her surprise, he sweet-talked his way into saying, “She’s with me,” and pulled into an empty guest parking slot.

When they arrived at the Yankee Doodle sound stage, the crime scene investigation was well underway. The Burbank PD sectioned off the area where the deceased lay, but nearby, Curtiz insisted on conducting rehearsals even if it was too noisy to roll sound. He ordered the gaffer and his electrical crew to prep the lights for the next set of shots, but they went berserk, thinking a light was shorting out every time the crime scene photographer’s flashbulb went off.

Curtiz insisted his captive cast and crew finish what they started. He’d work around the police, even if it meant yelling and screaming, at the risk of losing his voice, to make sure they kept quiet.

“Isn’t Jimmy Cagney your star?” Guy looked around for the missing actor.

Curtiz made an unintelligible grunt and spat into his handkerchief. “We shall work around his crybaby tantrums.” He launched a new battle with Wallis. “You complain that clocks ticking means money. Then why does Warner have to be such a stingy fat cat?”

Wallis bit his lip to keep from laughing at the director’s deliberate jabs at the English language. “Our detectives-for-hire are here.” He pointed out Babs and Guy. “Jack wants you to perform the entire number, Yankee Doodle Dandy, from start to finish.”

The director stood his ground. “That’s not how we shoot it. We fall behind schedule. Then Jack gets more and more angry.”

Warner paced the floor, bellyaching to himself and to any of the cops who would listen. “What if Cagney had been the intended victim? Not that I’m glad this man is an unknown Joe Palooka, but you get where I’m coming from.”

The moment Babs saw the corpse, her stomach lurched. Guy took his handkerchief and covered his nose and mouth. “Did you find any ID?”

“Found a driver’s license in his wallet,” said one cop. “He’s got a German-sounding name: Gerhard Sauer.”

Warner, holding a script, muscled in on their conversation. “I want to see this scene played out from start to finish.”

Since Cagney left the set, Guy volunteered to stand in and improvise his choreography, but the studio head ignored his suggestion. “If that fussy thespian wants to act like a child, I’ll just have to take over and go through the motions.”

Babs took her notepad out of her pocketbook. “Did anyone hear any strange noises?” She looked around for reactions but got none. “Did you consider that someone killed Sauer elsewhere and, for whatever reason, dumped his body backstage?”

Babs blew her anger out of her nose. No one seemed to listen. Wallis gave the PIs an overview to get them up to speed. “The film, Yankee Doodle Dandy, is about the life of lyricist and composer George M. Cohan. He performed with his family, and they called themselves The Four Cohans. Playing his father, we’ve got the famous actor who played the shot-up Captain Jacoby from The Maltese Falcon, Walter Huston.”

“Give My Regards to Broadway is also one of Cohan’s famous songs,” Guy mentioned.

“We’ve included that one, along with Over There. All patriotic numbers that helped us endure WWI. Just think, we have a song for every star and a star for every stripe.”

Wallis stopped and scratched his chin. “You know…I rather like that line. Must insist on using that quote for our trailer. However, what you’ll see on screen is a show within a show, as if our cinematographer was shooting a documentary. At the beginning and the end of the scene, the camera will pan, showing an establishing shot of everyone inside the theater. That’s where our live orchestra comes in.

“The Cohans perform in a stage production of a show titled George Washington, Jr. The song-and-dance medley scene we had been shooting before everything went haywire centers on Grand Old Flag. Once edited, it will look like we shot it from start to finish, but since Warner told me you used to be actors, you probably know that most of the time we shoot scenes out of order. We’ll stop within sections to film close-ups and from different angles. Everyone’s curious to see if there are clues about the killer in the footage we’ve shot so far.”

Babs asked Wallis if he’d drop her a line when the footage was available for viewing.

Jack Warner, however, seemed to have his own agenda. He took over as director and insisted on doing a dry run. “Up with the curtain! Places, please. Stand by, and on with the show of the century. It’s the most original thing to hit Broadway. You know why? Cagney…or Cohan, to be more accurate, is the whole darned U.S. of A. squeezed into one pair of pants.”

Wallis asked the PIs to follow him and take seats with the extras in the audience.

“How many actors does the scene start off with?” Babs asked.

“Not including the live orchestra and the packed seats filled with the audience, I guess there are about thirty-five, but more join in later.”

Lighter on his feet than expected, Warner skipped across the stage and justified substituting for Cagney, who refused to leave his dressing room. “Believe it or not, I’ve had experience as an entertainer. When my brothers and I started our family business, I used to sing in the aisles in between screenings.”

Wallis drew a deep breath and released it. “There he goes again. The boss loves telling everyone the story of his debut in show business. Often, I wonder whether Jack secretly always wanted to be a performer instead of running a studio.” He explained the upcoming scene while everyone blocked the action. “Jimmy sings Grand Old Flag. Twenty young Boy Scouts stride in from the top of the stairs. Betsy Ross sews the flag, upstage center. Eight more adults, who look like members of a military band, join them in song and advance from upstage right. After that, we cut away to five or six members of a fife and drum corps.”

The PIs made every effort to follow Wallis while Warner danced on stage with the hired actors. “Upstage left, a variety of singers march forward, representing the common man and the working class—policemen, bakers, bankers, a nurse, miners, railroad workers—showing their solidarity. Everyone turns toward the flag and breaks into My Country, ’Tis of Thee in front of people manning an anti-aircraft gun.”

Guy, who had been counting on his fingers, lost track. “How many would that add?”

“Probably another thirty. Central Casting must’ve broken out bottles of champagne after receiving our requisitions. Then the stage curtains close, and the spotlight falls on Cagney, downstage right. In come the tap- dancing dames, many bearing American flags. This is where we rival MGM’s schmaltzy musicals with their elaborate costumes and choreography. Enter Uncle Sam, played by Walter Huston, and the Statue of Liberty. Then Jimmy wows everyone with his signature dance steps. More female flag bearers emerge from behind the rear curtain. Our stage crew has rigged the floor with conveyor belts, giving the illusion that the actors are marching toward the audience while they’re actually staying in place.”

“Otherwise, they’d march right off the stage,” said Babs.

“Correct, but we wouldn’t want them to do that,” Wallis explained. “As the cinematographer pulls back and widens the focal length of his lens, background curtains continue to open until we see a painted backdrop of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. I’m no expert in visual effects, but it gives the audience the feeling there must be well over a hundred people proceeding down the boulevard. Pretty spectacular, don’t you think?”

The assistant director leapt onstage and reminded Warner that the soldier actors were still suffering under the scorching lights and waiting for their next order. “Sir, we’re not rolling camera. We should dismiss them.”

“Tell them it’s a wrap until further notice. I won’t approve an exorbitant dry-cleaning bill for everyone schvitzing in their costumes.”

With military precision, the assistants rounded up the various groups of performers and shuttled them toward wardrobe. Curtiz and James Wong Howe, his cinematographer, remained to discuss how they’d execute the rest of that scene.

Warner scribbled a note and handed it to his assistant. “Bill, tell these two to drop everything. I’m calling a meeting to order and want them present.”

Schaefer reviewed his memo pad. “Sir, you scheduled one with them already.” Then he checked his watch. “They should be there…right now.”

Jack pointed to Babs and Guy. “Then you’re coming with me and away from the crime scene.” In a rush, he sprinted ahead.

Babs shouted loudly enough for him to hear her as he gained distance. “We’ll need to sign a contract to make our assignment official!”

“Pick up the pace, you slowpokes, and I’ll cut you a check after we get there.”

***

Excerpt from Round Up the Unusual Suspects by Elizabeth Crowens. Copyright 2026 by Elizabeth Crowens. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Crowens. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Crowens is bi-coastal between New York and Los Angeles, where she has worn many hats in the entertainment industry. Awards include Lefty nominee for Best Humorous Mystery, Agatha nominee in multiple categories, MWA-NY Chapter Leo B. Burstein Scholarship, NYFA grant, Eric Hoffer Award, Glimmer Train, Killer Nashville Claymore finalist, Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Top Picks, two Grand prize and six First prize Chanticleer Awards. Crowens writes Golden Age of Hollywood mystery with humor and alternate history in her Time Traveler Professor series. She also has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Crowens:

www.ElizabethCrowens.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @ecrowens
Instagram - @crowens_author
X - @ECrowens
Facebook - @thereel.elizabeth.crowens
BlueSky - @elizabethcrowens.bsky.social

 

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Death at the Dock - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Carmen Radtke back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Carmen writes the Alyssa Chalmers Mystery series. Death at the Dock is the third book in the series and was released last month.

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Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

CR: More like serendipity (I like that word!).

Alyssa’s movements were always restricted by history. In The Prospect of Death she’d landed in British Columbia, which was back then in its infancy. The railroad wouldn’t reach the Pacific Northwest for several more years, so boats and horse-drawn wagons or mule trains were the main mode of transportation.

Due to its location, Portland was the main shipping hub for the whole region. That gave me the logical setting. I also knew it had to be Captain Moore who needed her help, because he’d originally struggled to accept her as equal. In his defence – he was very concerned about the well-being of the women in his care. Not unusually in the Victorian era, he expected them to be meek and gentle and not take charge in the way Alyssa tends to do. It felt right to have him come to appreciate Alyssa for her mind as well as her compassion.

From there on and with a growing port city that already had prosperous and seedier parts, my story evolved.

Kathy: The Alyssa Chalmers Mystery series is set in the 1860s. Why choose this time period for this series?

CR: I used to be a journalist, which makes for a tendency to stick to factual background. The series started with a true event. A group of young women were sent in 1862 from recession-hit Melbourne in Australia to Canada, to be married to prospectors. The scheme originated with a British woman called Maria Susan Rye. The bride transport from Australia to Canada ended after the inaugural voyage because the original brides all disappeared during a stopover.

I wrote The Case of the Missing Bride because I wanted these women to be remembered. I’m saving most of them on the page. Also, this whole era in the New World is fascinating. We’ve got a gold rush, rules from Queen Victoria in Canada and again different rules across the border. The War Between The States seems far from Oregon, yet it affects so many aspects of everyday life all across the country. Among other things, prices for a gallon of whisky rose from 25 cents in 1860 to 35 dollars in 1863. That was more money than a labourer earned in a month!

Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Alyssa?

CR: If she continues with her sleuthing, the next stop would be answering a call for help from London …


Kathy: Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?

CR: It hasn’t changed much from my reporter days, with the exception that due to its tendency to make up things people want to hear, AI makes it harder to verify facts, and a lot of old articles are no longer to be found that easily. My favourite way of research is trips to museums. It’s endlessly fascinating to see what emigrants took with them, from crockery and silverware to knickknacks and books. And I love to read in old newspapers and magazines. (Cue Ar Foo’s tea store and the marshal and his “door rattlers”.)

Advertising tells you so much about what people aspired to! Census reports and cost of living statistics are another research tool I use frequently.

My sleuths are usually not rich aristocrats, and they investigate in a world where it’s not always easy to make ends meet and where a few coins can make all the difference.


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

CR: I definitely fall in between! I know my main characters with all their flaws and strengths, I know the victim, the motive, and the culprit, but I only have a loose outline and no template. The story evolves as I write it, which keeps me on my toes. There are always characters who only reveal their importance to me along the way.


Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

CR: That’s a sore point. It’s taken me years to accept that marketing is part of the job. As a reporter you know that it’s always about the story and never about you. As an author, you’re part of the story!

That said, I love interacting with readers. It’s the best way to connect with people who also love books and tropes and ideas. We live in what can be lonely, scary times. I like to think that books allow us escapism, but also help form bonds.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

CR: My next release end of April is Blackmail & Broomsticks, a Willowmere midlife magic mystery. It’s currently with my editor.

With historical mysteries, I stay as close to the facts as I can, because history matters to me. But when it comes to contemporary cozies, I can’t think of anything better than to add a sprinkle of magic to my mysteries. That said, even with witchcraft and a talking cat, these characters could be your neighbours or your friends. I wouldn’t mind trading places for a bit (although my cat is already wonderful). 

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 Death at the Dock: An Alyssa Chalmers Historical Mystery by Carmen Radtke

About Death at the Dock

Death at the Dock: An Alyssa Chalmers Historical Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Portland, Oregon, in 1862
Independently Published
Publication Date: ‎ February 27, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 191 pages

A sharp tongue. An even sharper mind. A Victorian sleuth criminals overlook at their peril.

1862. A new home in a prospectors’ town, a new life, and two steadfast admirers: Alyssa Chalmers’ future is secure among her friends.

But when Captain Moore sends a message, begging for her help, she can’t say no. With the doctor and the First Officer by her side, she travels to Portland, Oregon. She finds a situation worse than she feared. Two of the captain’s crew have gone missing and the local marshal is adamant they simply jumped ship. Even the discovery of a body is unable to change his mind. Captain Moore knows better. He is convinced that something sinister is going on, and he needs sharp-witted Alyssa and her sleuthing partners to figure it out. But dark secrets and vices are lurking everywhere. Alyssa needs all her wits to figure out who to trust - and how to save the missing men before there’s another murder.

Death at the Dock is the third mystery in this captivating series that transports readers back to the 1860s, with a heroine determined to make her own way in a society made for men. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy and Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody.

About Carmen Radtke

Carmen has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.

She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents.

When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life.

The shaken but stirring novel made it to the longlist of the Mslexia competition, and her next book and first mystery, The Case Of The Missing Bride, was a finalist in the Malice Domestic competition in a year without a winner. Since then she has penned several more cozy mysteries, including the Jack and Frances series set in the 1930s. The cozy midlife witch series featuring Bex Merriweather and her cat familiar are the latest addition to her literary output.

In real life, she’s only spilled blood once, when she swatted a fly, and even that was an accident. Although she’s a devoted cat servant, her feline companion doesn’t talk. Yet.

Carmen now lives in Italy with her human and her four-legged family.

Author Links:  

Website - https://www.carmenradtkeauthor.com  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/carmenradtkeauthor  

Purchase Link: Amazon

Best Historical Mystery

I  recently heard that The Anthony Awards will not be recognizing Historical Mysteries as their own category. I find this a travesty! I am, therefore, creating the CUWK Award for Best Historical Mystery. The first step is the nomination process. To be eligible the book must have been published in 2025 and take place prior to 1980. Authors, feel free to nominate your own book...or those of others. Readers, feel free to nominate your favorites. You may nominate as many books as you like, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Feel free to comment with your nomination or message me privately. Thanks!

Something Prowling in Paradise Park - A Guest Post, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Kate Tessler to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Kate on the pages of the Accidental Detective Mystery series by Kris Bock. Something Prowling in Paradise Park is the seventh book in the series and was released earlier this month.

 
In The Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty.


Accidental Detective Kate Tessler on what she learned during a recent case. 

I spent 30 years as a war correspondent before a bombing injury ended that career. Now I’m working on becoming a private detective. (Okay, my sister Jen and I have been amateur PIs for a while now, but the licensing takes time so we can’t technically charge for it.) 

Like journalists, investigators get to explore all kinds of interesting topics. Recently, family friends (and troublemakers) Clarence and Arnold brought a case to our attention. A “snowbird” couple that usually didn’t return to Arizona came back early because their electric and water bills were unusually high. They thought maybe they had a water leak, but they found squatters living in their house. The squatters had a forged rental contract, so the police said it has to go through the courts. That could take months. 

You can read all about how we dealt with that issue (and how things went dreadfully wrong) in Something Prowling in Paradise Park. In the meantime, here’s a scene where I talked about the situation with my boyfriend, Todd, and his kids, Finn and Alec.



Over dinner, I mentioned Clarence and Arnold’s request for help with the squatters.

“Oof, that’s a tough situation,” Todd said. “Unfortunately, it’s too common in Phoenix, with so many people leaving their homes empty over the summer.”

I wound spaghetti around my fork, making sure I had plenty of the chickpea-rosemary sauce. “Is it really that hard to get rid of squatters?”

Todd paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “It’s tricky. It’s easier to get rid of a trespasser.”

“What’s the difference?” Alec asked.

“I’d have to check the legal terms,” Todd said, “but as I recall, trespassing is illegal entry for a short period of time. So if someone is living in the house and another person comes in without permission, it’s trespassing. Squatters stay for a long time and can make a claim of ownership.”

Finn shook his head. “How can somebody claim ownership of a house that someone else already owns?”

“There’s a legal concept called adverse possession,” Todd explained. “The idea goes way back, centuries, I think. Now there are different laws for each state. But basically, if someone moves into a property and isn’t evicted quickly, they can claim they have a right to be there or even that they own the property now.”

Alec’s nose wrinkled. “Sounds wrong.”

“I don’t think many squatters today actually gain legal right to a property,” Todd said. “But they can claim they have a legal right to be there, and the police don’t know who’s telling the truth. So the homeowner has to take it to court to prove ownership.”

“I’m glad I thought to mention the problem,” I said. “How do you know all this?”

“I’ve had some local residents complain to me over the years.” Todd rubbed his forehead as if the mere mention gave him a headache. “I had to look into how the system works. I now have a standard email and letter to help people make the correct legal response.”

“Send me a copy?” When Todd nodded, I went on, “Clarence thought maybe they should move in and try to drive out the squatters, I guess with bad jokes. I advised against it, since people who illegally try to take over a stranger’s home could be dangerous.”

“Good call,” Todd said. “These situations usually don’t turn violent, but I wouldn’t want to get into a competition for worst roommate. They might trash the place before they leave, or trash the place and still refuse to leave.”

I pictured the damage someone could do if they didn’t care about where they were living. “Good point, I’ll make that clear.”

“Also, the squatters might claim the shared habitation is evidence that the homeowners allowed them to live there,” Todd said. “Legally, there are things you should and should not do. The experts don’t even advise changing the locks or shutting off utilities to make the property less appealing.”

That surprised me. “Doesn’t the owner have the right to shut off utilities or change locks? Although I guess I can see not wanting people living in your house without running water. They’d probably leave an even bigger mess.”

It would be bad enough to have clean strangers living in your house. Worse if they were filthy and stinky from days without washing and they let dishes pile up. Granted, squatters might not bathe or wash dishes anyway. But without running water, you’d get overflowing toilets, or people just pooping anywhere, in the yard or even on the floor.

Todd grimaced. “Why do we have these lovely conversations around dinner? Yeah, they could make a mess, and also you could get in legal trouble. It’s probably just better to go through the eviction process, even if it takes a month or two.”

“And meanwhile the actual homeowners have to pay to stay somewhere else.” I was getting good information but that didn’t mean I liked anything I’d heard.

I mulled over what he’d said so far. I didn’t know enough about the squatters in the current situation. “I’m going to text Jen and warn her to make sure Clarence and Arnold don’t do anything drastic before we have more information.”

“Oh, surely they wouldn’t do anything outrageous,” Todd said. We both laughed.

I sent my text. “Do you have any other suggestions on dealing with squatters?”

Todd shrugged. “Hope they’re engaged in another criminal activity? Then you might be able to get them arrested on different charges. Once they’re out of the house, remove their stuff, change the locks, upgrade security—and most importantly, be there physically.”

I hope you don’t ever have to use this information! But you never know when something you learn might turn out to be useful. 

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 Something Prowling in Paradise Park: A Kate Tessler Amateur Sleuth Mystery (The Accidental Detective Book) by Kris Bock

About Something Prowling in Paradise Park

 

Something Prowling in Paradise Park: A Kate Tessler Amateur Sleuth Mystery (The Accidental Detective Book)
Humorous Mystery 7th in Series
Setting - Arizona
Publisher: ‎ Tule Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ March 2, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 192 pages

Three cases. One body. Zero chance of staying out of trouble. Kate Tessler may have thought her days of chasing danger were over. But the former war correspondent’s “retirement” in sunny Paradise, Arizona, is anything but quiet. With her eccentric circle of friends and colleagues, Kate has built a new life—full of mysteries, mayhem, and the occasional stakeout—as she works towards earning her PI license. After wrapping her last case, Kate wonders what’s next when three cases—all brought by friends—fall into her lap. Squatters in a snowbird’s house, local pedigree dogs disappearing, and smash and grab burglaries at local pot shops. Kate juggles the cases with help from her usual cast of amateur crime solvers, including the teen sons of Paradise’s mayor. As she digs, Kate suspects at least two cases are connected. But things turn deadly when a late-night stakeout leads Kate and one teen sidekick, interested in investigative work, straight to a body. Was it a gruesome accident—or something far more sinister? With humor and high stakes, The Accidental Detective mysteries prove that danger and friendship don’t retire quietly.

About Kris Bock

Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance, often with smart, snarky heroines finding adventure (sometimes against their will) in the Southwest. She lives in New Mexico, where she enjoys hiking with her spouse and playing with their ferrets.

In the Reluctant Psychic Mystery series, a quirky loner who can read the history of any object with her touch gets drawn into mysteries at the museum of oddities where she works. In the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kris’s romantic suspense novels include treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue. Readers have called these novels “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.” She is also the author of the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series and the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series.

Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter and get an Accidental Detective short story and other freebies. Then every two weeks, you’ll get fun content about pets, announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Author Links: 

Find Kris: Website Blog BlueSky Instagram TikTok Facebook GoodReads Author Page BookBub Amazon US page or Amazon UK page  

Website https://www.krisbock.com/  

Blog https://swarmchairtraveler.blogspot.com/  

BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/krisbock.bsky.social  

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Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KrisBockAuthor/  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mysteryandromance/ 

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BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-bock  

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/krisbock  

Purchase Links Amazon B&N Apple Google Books Kobo Publisher with links to all retailers Universal link Series universal link

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
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