I'm pleased to welcome Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Ashley writes the Carribean Island Mystery series. THE BUSH TEA MURDER is the first book in the series and was released last month.
Kathy: In THE BUSH TEA MURDER we meet Food journalist Naomi Sinclair. Naomi is adept at solving puzzles. Aside from plotting murders, do you enjoy puzzles? What kind?
ARMB: I love brain teasers and riddles! My kids and I enjoy looking for new opportunities to stump each other, but the older they get, the harder this is! I also enjoy word-based puzzles and games like Wordle and Connections. Sudoku? Not so much!
Kathy: Naomi has recently returned to St. Thomas. What makes this island the perfect setting for your series?
ARMB: I’m a 7th generation Virgin Islander, and I grew up on St. Thomas and had my 3 oldest kids there. My grandmother was also a culture-bearer, author, and historian (after a long career in elementary education!) . Because of this, I have a deep love for St. Thomas and want to convey this love in the stories I write. The Virgin Islands might not be as well known as larger islands like Jamaica and Trinidad, but our culture is vibrant and strong. St. Thomas is a smaller island, full of deep community ties that may be harder to come by somewhere larger. It also has plenty of delightful vistas and a lovely historic downtown area which I feature in the novel.
Kathy: You include recipes in the book. Do you enjoy cooking yourself? Do you have a favorite Carribean recipe?
ARMB: I do enjoy cooking—just not so much all the cleaning up afterwards! Luckily, my husband is happy to clean up after I cook something delicious and messy. We have 5 kids, and although life gets VERY busy, we certainly want them to grow up with the special flavors and cuisine of the Virgin Islands (and Caribbean as a whole!). Like Naomi, I’m a fan of simple dishes done well—johnnycake and cheese, coconut dumbread; saltfish “pate” (which is almost like an empanada, but with fluffier dough). I’m also a huge fan of sweets like Virgin Islands Vienna Cake, coconut or guava tart, and sugar cake, which is made with grated coconut. My favorite recipe? There are so many to choose from, but I know my kids would likely vote for my johnnycake or my saltfish fritters.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
ARMB: It all started with my grandmother, who loved her some “Murder, She Wrote”! When Jessica Fletcher was on, nobody in the house was allowed to change the channel, and I wound up falling in love with the quirky characters in Cabot Cove. It’s all about the community connections for me—a cozy done well means a town full of characters a reader would love to live in, and who doesn’t love that?
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
ARMB: I don’t write in any other genres, but I do write in both short and long form! I have 13 short stories in print, with several others scheduled to come out this year. THE BUSH TEA MURDER reads like a big, overarching mystery with six smaller mysteries embedded within. Three of those smaller mysteries were originally published as short stories over the years.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
ARMB: My series follows the adventures of St. Thomian food journalist Naomi Sinclair, who juggles clues, connections, and Caribbean cuisine in the mysterious situations that always seem to pop up when she’s around.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
ARMB: My grandmother—who I mentioned in a previous answer—had a library room in her house full of the books she collected over her 99 years of life. I inherited most of them when she passed away 8 years ago. Many of the books are 50-70 years old!
Those books included a set of books featuring Virgin Islands recipes and advice about local plants, herbs, and bushes. It’s no secret that Naomi’s adventures were inspired by the contents of these books!
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
ARMB: I first wrote about Naomi in a short story called “Rise”, which came to me while I was walking through a grocery store. Over the next two weeks, I wrote the story of a missing johnnycake recipe and the sleuth who dug into the mystery, and by the time I’d finished writing “Rise”, I knew I’d be writing more stories featuring Naomi. I sent “Rise” to my dream publication, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, on a whim. Nobody was more shocked than I was when it was accepted! That acceptance gave me all the encouragement I needed to keep writing and submitting.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
ARMB: Agatha Christie and Barbara Neely to talk about mysteries, and Shel Silverstein and Louis Sachar to talk about funny children’s books. I don’t write for children, but I teach first grade and have five children, so I read a lot of books for young readers!
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
ARMB: I just bought WRECK YOUR HEART by Lori Rader-Day a couple days ago, and I can’t wait to start reading!
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
ARMB: I love, love, love to get outside in nature! Since we moved to North Carolina, we’ve tried to hike in as many state and county parks as possible. Getting on a quiet trail is such a mood-booster–and it does wonders for writers block, too!
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
ARMB: Spindrift sparkling water (my kids might say I have a minor obsession!), a variety of tea bags, almond essence, and cheese sticks.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
ARMB: I hope so! I definitely have more adventures for Naomi and crew in mind. I’d love to tell more of her stories.
Other series? Now that I’ve written lots of stories centered on food, I’d like to try to do something similar with music. We shall see!
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
ARMB: I love the joy of seeing my words and characters “exist” on the page in magazines, anthologies, and now, my novel! It feels like such a full-circle moment from the multiple drafts on my computer and with my critique group. I love the evolution of a story from first to final draft. And, of course, there’s nothing like a reader reaching out and saying, “Hey, you did a great job. I loved what you wrote.”
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THE BUSH TEA MURDER
by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
April 20 - May 15, 2026 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
A CARIBBEAN ISLAND MYSTERY
Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.
Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn’t expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.
Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough—a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.
Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.
Praise for The Bush Tea Murder:
"Zigzagging between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, this debut offers plenty to enjoy . . . Fun-filled and fulfilling."
~ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Rich in history and culture . . . Fans of Joanne Fluke, Vivian Chien, and Mia P. Manansala will delight in this mystery-plus-food concoction."
~ First Clue Reviews
"Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s The Bush Tea Murder is the perfect blend of intrigue, family drama, mystery and Caribbean culture. You’ll want to savor it to the last drop."
~ Olivia Matthews, author of the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries
"At its heart, this is a charming, immersive cozy mystery steeped in Caribbean culture, vibrant characters, and sun-drenched intrigue—a fresh and flavorful delight. The mystery unfolds at a measured, satisfying pace, allowing the rich worldbuilding and character dynamics to shine. I especially loved the subtle tension between Naomi’s stateside ambitions and her deep-rooted love for her island home, which adds emotional depth beyond what’s typical for the genre. With engaging twists, well-developed characters, and a beautifully flowing plot, this is a cozy mystery that lingers long after the final page."
~ Debra Sennefelder, author of the Food Blogger mystery series
Book Details:
Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 21, 2026
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 9798892425230
Series: A Caribbean Island Mystery, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Penguin Random House
Read an excerpt from The Bush Tea Murder:
Chapter One
Present
I’ve been told my entire life that the perfect cup of bush tea is magic, and this morning I hope with every fiber of my being that this is true. There are some hard truths I have to spill, and I’ll take every ounce of help I can get. I’m settled in one of the scarlet chairs in the EAT TV conference room, directly across the table from Travis Spriggs and his nauseating brand of bright, crisp-cut perfection—just right for television, but less like sunshine and more like a fluorescent spotlight at four in the morning. He’s flanked by two people whose names I’ve only seen in producer credits at the end of some of the highest performing shows on network television: my boss’s bosses, both sporting dark suits and expressions like cliff faces. Bronwyn, the studio exec who oversees me, Travis, and the other on-air talent at EAT TV, sits in the plush chair at the head of the table, her usual pleasant expression as drained as the tumbler of coffee in her hand.
They’re all here for me.
“I’ll get things started, Miss Sinclair,” Bronwyn says, looking at me but speaking to the executives. She hasn’t called me Miss Sinclair since the interview when she hired me three years ago. “Mr. Revilla and Ms. Abbott called this meeting. I’m sure you know why. They’re very ready to start work on the show—”
“My show,” Travis murmurs with a smug smile.
“That hasn’t been officially decided,” Bronwyn says. “We can’t have a conversation about our next steps because—well— because we don’t have your ending yet, Naomi.”
“You’ve given us a lot, Miss Sinclair. Lord knows—” Mr. Revilla gestures with a meaty hand at the chunky beige file folder in front of him. “You’ve given us a hell of a lot here.”
“But you haven’t closed the case,” Ms. Abbott speaks up. Woman’s got a twist-out with impressive volume, and I’m glad I’m not the only hair naturalista in the room. Her coils jiggle as she leans toward me. “You still haven’t told us who killed Ursula Merchant.”
I glance at my mug. The Universe seems to be following a recipe for an uncomfortable morning, blending each ingredient together artfully like the chefs I interview on A Word from the Kitchen. But if there’s a recipe for a poisonous morning afoot, I’ve got the antidote here in the cup in front of me. Bush tea—balsam, mint, and lemongrass—picked from the window herb garden in my townhouse kitchen, and brewed fresh daily the way my parents and Virgin Islanders before me have done for generations. Even with the early morning, smarmy coworker and hard truths, one sip can take my mind away from the over
cast Charlotte cityscape beyond the conference room window straight to the sunny green hills of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. I’ve lived in North Carolina for eight years now, but St. Thomas will always be home—and anything that gets me there this fast is magic indeed.
But not right now. I need to stay here, in everything this moment means. Immersed in all that’s led to it. Focused on the possibilities it will usher through. A sip will have to wait.
“That’s what you’ll get from Naomi, Ms. Abbott,” Travis says, injecting his tones with the most bored affect he can muster up. “She’s supposed to be giving you the details for one story, but instead you’ve got—what, five of them in here?” “Six,” Mr. Revilla mutters.
Travis’s brown eyes go wide. “Well, damn, sir, she’ll go off on a tangent or two, but I wouldn’t have guessed as high as six! For a journalist like me, who focuses like hell on the one story he’s got, that’s incomprehensible.”
“We read all six. And we enjoyed them,” Ms. Abbott is quick to assure me.
“But that’s not the point, is it?” Travis asks. “We were each asked to investigate one unsolved food-based mystery for this show you conceived. I gave you that. Naomi’s brought more stories than you can count on one hand, but she hasn’t given you what you asked for. She hasn’t answered the big question.” There’s enough sauce in the smile he beams at me to cover ten full racks of ribs. “You even know who killed her, Nay?”
Bronwyn looks caught between checking Travis’s tone and waiting out my answer. Her bosses follow suit. I sip my tea, still piping hot, and decide to address both. “Of course I know who killed Ursula Merchant,” I answer. “It’s right there in that folder I gave Mr. Revilla. That’s what these are—my notes on the investigation.”
Mr. Revilla and Ms. Abbott exchange a look. She’s ultimately the one who responds. “There’s . . . certainly a story here. Several. You’ve solved quite a few problems on St. Thomas over the past year. But when it comes to the story of Ursula Merchant, the one you were supposed to be investigating the whole time . . . there doesn’t seem to be much of anything.” “Nothing at all,” Mr. Revilla echoes.
“Naomi, they’d really like to make a decision,” Bronwyn says. “Travis presented a fine investigation on the Barbecue Sauce Killings—”
“The Carolina Barbecue Murders,” Travis speaks up. Bronwyn waves him away.
“He’s given us history, interviews, and a compelling hypothesis . . . along with a deep sense of the process, flavor, and sizzle of both styles of Carolina barbecue,” Bronwyn says. “The case you’ve been investigating, this—tea maven in St. Thomas being shot to death in her locked office—it’s equally intriguing. But while you’ve given us so much, you still haven’t given us an ending.”
“You’re right. I haven’t,” I say. “That was intentional. I’m hoping to do that today. Right now, as a matter of fact.” I clasp both hands around my mug.
Travis leans back in his seat, pressing the tips of his fingers together. “You sure that’s what you want? Naomi’s going to take you on a circular journey, which is the way she operates on A Word from the Kitchen. A ton of loose threads—”
“—which she always weaves together. The connections are there,” Bronwyn interrupts. “The best thing we can do right now is just hear you out, Naomi. You say you know how the story ends and what happened to Ursula Merchant. So let’s hear it. Who killed her, and how did all of this lead you there?”
I’m not at the head of the table, but all eyes are on me— Bronwyn’s perfectly lined and shadowed gray eyes are full of hope and curiosity, Mr. Revilla’s and Ms. Abbott’s are expectant behind their eyeglasses, and Travis seems to be trying to will his into lasers capable of slicing me to shreds. I take a deep breath, letting the scent of the brew in my cup ground and fortify me. I’d had a hot cup of bush tea that morning, too. The morning that started it all. The magic in my mug was what set this whole thing into motion—as bush tea always manages to do.
***
Excerpt from The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. Copyright 2026 by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. Reproduced with permission from Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s work has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Stone’s Throw, Smoking Pen Press, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious and Mystery Most Humorous, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, and other esteemed anthologies. Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. Ashley-Ruth is a 2022 winner of NCWN’s Jacobs-Jones award, a 2023 SMFS Derringer finalist, a Killer Nashville Claymore finalist, a 2024 recipient of MWA’s Barbara Neely grant for Black mystery writers, and a 2026 Agatha Award nominee. THE BUSH TEA MURDER (Crooked Lane Books, 2026) is her first novel-length work. She currently lives with her family and teaches first grade in Apex, North Carolina.
Catch Up With Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier:
www.ashleyruthbernier.com
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YouTube - @ashley-ruthm.bernierauthor7192
Instagram - @armbernier
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