Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Cafe - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Richard Dee to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Richard pens the Andorra Pett Mystery series. ANDORRA PETT AND THE OORT CLOUD CAFE is the first book in the series.

Kathy: Andorra Pett wants a do over. In order to help get over her ex, she decides to invest in a cafe, even though she can't cook. Have you ever done something out of your own wheelhouse when on the rebound?

RD: Many years ago, I was dumped by a girl who I later found was very ill. Because I was working at sea, she thought I wouldn’t be there to look after her and didn’t want to make me choose. It upset me at the time, looking back I think she was very wise. As a result, I hid away, volunteered for long trips and drank a little more than I should have done. Then I met my wife, quite by chance. The rest, as they say….

 

Kathy: Andorra is accident-prone and can’t make toast without a recipe and a video. How would you rate your cooking skills? Similar to Andorra or are you a culinary whiz?

RD: When I retired for the first time, I set up and ran an organic bakery, selling Sourdough bread, rolls and biscuits. It was a commercial success but far too time-consuming and I was unable to expand without financial support, which was sadly unavailable. I still bake for myself and my family and I cook a lot. Some of my favourite recipes are on my website and can also be found on my old blog.

Kathy: Setting can play a huge part in mysteries and you've picked a unique one. Why set your series on a space station?

RD: I wanted to try and make the stories different and an amateur detective in space seemed like a good idea. I hadn’t seen the concept explored before, there’s a lot of potential for mystery in space. In many ways, a colony on another planet or a space station is the same as a small town on Earth, with a closed population and nowhere to hide. I hoped the sci-fi element might attract a wider audience.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

RD: I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Raisin, the British amateur sleuth. And Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who is perhaps not as cozy but still a wonderful crime-solver. I like setting an apparently impossible puzzle but giving enough subtle clues to solve it. The best crime to write about is always one where nobody (except the sleuth) realizes that it is a crime.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

RD: I write Science Fiction adventures, as well as some Steampunk. I have several series and stand-alone novels and have just released my first High Fantasy tale.
 

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

RD: In all, I have over twenty novels and short story collections, this is a brief overview.

Andorra Pett is a light-hearted journey through the solar system with an accident-prone lady who things keep happening to. She has solved crime orbiting Saturn, on Mars, Earth and on an interplanetary space liner. Her latest adventure will be set on the Moon (coming soon).

In my Dave Travise series, we meet a man on the run, hiding behind another person’s identity. This complicates his relationships and means he has swapped one set of problems for another. It also gives him a past that can come back and haunt him.

In the Balcom series, there are corporate misdeeds on a Galactic scale, a missing heiress and a disgraced journalist searching for the truth.

In my Steampunk adventures, we travel to Norlandia, a land of Steam and Clockwork. And Dragons. It’s a society in change, as science advances it has as many problems as our own world. There are heroes and villains, dastardly deeds and a good cup of tea.

My stand-alone novels explore such topics as the frailties of human nature, dual-lives, gang warfare on a planetary scale, artificial life and the winged creatures of legend.

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

RD: Andorra Pett is my favourite, she is based on a combination of my wife and my three daughters. She has all their good qualities as well as some of the infuriating ones.

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

RD: As well as Agatha Raisin and Miss Marple, there was a British T.V. series called Jonathon Creek, in which a man solved impossible problems using logic and his peculiar way of looking at things. It certainly made me aware of the capacity of quirky puzzles to entertain.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

RD: At first, I wrote for my own amusement. I showed the results to a novelist who my wife knew, she persuaded me to publish them. I only meant to do one but the ideas kept flowing and people seemed to like them so I carried on.

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

RD: Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Wilbur Smith.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RD: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir.

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

RD: As mentioned above, I cook and bake bread. I also do Cross-stitch embroidery and love walking along the cliffs near my home.

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

RD: Various snacks, locally brewed beer, Greek yoghurt and strong Cheddar cheese.

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

RD: I have about ten half-finished stories, in various series, as well as some stand-alone ideas. I write something every day, yet no matter how fast I go, new ideas keep coming into my head and that number never gets any smaller.

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

RD: I have my own worlds that I can escape into. I share it with people whose lives are exciting.

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Review

ANDORRA PETT AND THE OORT CLOUD CAFE by Richard Dee
The First Andorra Pett Mystery

When Andorra Pett finds her boyfriend in bed with her so-called best friend, she decides to get as far away from him as possible. She leaves earth and sets up shop in a space station circling Saturn, turning the now defunct cocktail lounge into a cafe. She soon learns the previous owner was a womanizer who kept a book detailing his activities. She also discovers he hasn't left the space station, as everyone believes. His dead body is currently taking up space in one of her freezers. As Andi starts her new business she has to deal with people searching for the book, a landlord who acts more like a mob boss, and, oh yeah, that dead body. Will Andi find the book and solve the murder? Or will she be taking up freezer space?

 

I absolutely loved the idea of a mystery set in outer space. A different, completely unique setting that still has relatable characters, charm, and a well plotted puzzle to solve. Andi is fun and Cy makes a great best friend. I adore Maz and like the women that will become Andi's core friends on the space station. There were lots of clues sprinkled about and when Andi decided to learn something a bit out there for her, I knew that it would be important later on.

There were lots of twists and turns and everyone was suspect. The majority of characters showed more than one persona and everyone had secrets. Not knowing who to trust and watching people reveal their true colors as Andi and Cy not only tried to fit in and run a new business, but figure out the secrets of the dead body made for delightfully engaging reading. I loved learning about the space station itself, which lends itself to innovative plotting. The manner in which Andi revealed the killer was brilliant.

 

ANDORRA PETT AND THE OORT CLOUD CAFE is a unique mystery full of fun that tackles modern problems with an out of this world twist!

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 Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café by Richard Dee

About Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café

 

Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
4Star Scifi (September 25, 2017)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages

Andorra Pett has left her old life behind. But has she only swapped one set of problems for another?

Andorra's on the rebound. Her only thought is to get a world away from her cheating ex. With her best friend Cy in tow, she invests her meagre savings in a run-down cafe. Never mind that it’s on a space station orbiting Saturn, or that Andorra is accident-prone and can't make toast without a recipe and a video. Surely running a cafe can’t be that hard, right?

Unfortunately, her dreams of a quiet life are not to be, she's bought into a mystery, trouble is just around the corner.

When the body of the previous owner is found in the freezer, Andorra’s plans hit some turbulence. She quickly finds that the dead man had enough information about the darker side of station life to embarrass a lot of people, they all want to know what he knew. And she’s in the way.

Andorra needs to find out where he’s hidden his book of secrets. Before anyone else does.

One of local residents must know more than they are letting on. As the body count begins to rise, can Andorra turn her luck around in time to catch the murderer before they strike again?

After all, she might be the next victim.

The answer to this cozy mystery is out of this world!

About Richard Dee

Richard Dee is from Brixham in Devon. Leaving school at 16 he briefly worked in a supermarket, then he went to sea and travelled the world in the Merchant Navy, qualifying as a Master Mariner in 1986.

He has also worked as an Insurance Surveyor, Lockmaster, Harbourmaster and Ships Pilot, taking over 3,500 vessels up and down the Thames, passing through the estuary, the Thames Barrier and Tower Bridge.

Since the publication of his first Science Fiction novel, Freefall, in 2013, Richard has written another twelve novels, a textbook and a selection of short stories. He has been featured in several anthologies, including 1066 Turned Upside Down, Connections and Tales from Deepest Darkest Devon.

He writes Science Fiction and Steampunk adventures and also chronicles the exploits of reluctant amateur detective Andorra Pett.

Richard is married with three adult children and five grandchildren.

Author Links: 

Website- richarddeescifi.co.uk.  

Facebook at RichardDeeAuthor 

Twitter at Richard Dee Sci-Fi  

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15289756.Richard_Dee  

Purchase Links - Amazon 

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