Friday, March 31, 2023

The Raven Thief - A Review

 Review


THE RAVEN THIEF by Gigi Pandian
The Second Secret Staircase Mystery

Finished with her philandering has-been of a husband Lavinia has not only divorced him, she’s hired Tempest Raj and the Secret Staircase Construction Company to convert his office into a magical space of her own. To celebrate the renovation Lavinia decides to throw a party having convinced Sanjay, the Hindu Houdini, to hold a fake séance to banish Corbin Colt once and for all. Tempest gives a small group a tour of the new space before the séance begins, then, with everyone joining hands, the scene is set. Just as the call comes to rid Corbin from the space evermore his body comes crashing down onto the table. Murdered. But how? When her grandfather becomes the prime suspect Tempest knows she has no choice but to solve the impossible crime.

Locked room mysteries are a thinking person's genre and with four impossibilities the murder of Corbin Colt is a complex cerebral puzzle to solve. The plot of the second Secret Staircase Mystery is ingenious, especially in how it ties in Tempest's own family mystery to the current murder. I enjoyed seeing Tempest unravel the disparate clues and find the truth-that the crime was not impossible, merely extraordinarily complex.

One of my favorite things about the Secret Staircase Mysteries is the constructions they devise. From the unique home of Tempest and her family to Lavinia's new space, they are dreams made into concrete reality. Another gripping aspect to the series is the characters. The secrets, the drama, the relationships, and the food so willingly shared. Like almost everyone, I adore Grandpa Ash and only wish I could avail myself of his temping fare-I'll have a vada donut...and a cardamom scone with blackberry jam...and...

Filled with surprises THE RAVEN THIEF gives readers a cerebral workout while engaging their imaginations. The mysterious family history, dare I say curse, will keep you enthralled and eager to see what will be revealed next.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Little Shop of Murders by Lise McClendon, Diane Kelly, and more. 

Little Shop of Murders is an anthology of fifteen short stories, all cozy mysteries. All the mysteries included are set in shops, although some are businesses rather than actually stores. I've read about brazen thieves, missing money, a missing cat, skeevy real estate agents, vandalism, and more. There's some burgeoning romance, paranormal beings, and lots of pets. Some characters are part of established series, some will soon get their own series, and some are special to this book. Each story can easily be read in one sitting and I'm enjoying getting to know several authors who are new to me.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Cinnamon Twisted - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a new release that's on my TBR pile. Cinnamon Twisted by Ginger Bolton is the seventh in the Deputy Donut Mystery series and is being released today!


 Blurb:

An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Deputy Donut Cafe owner Emily Westhill becomes one that will remain baked into her memory from the moment a customer gives Emily’s cat a toy donut and then flees Deputy Donut, dropping an earring in her panic. Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring . . . only this time the customer doesn’t have a pulse. Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope addressed to Emily at the murder scene. The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily’s house.

Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut? With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out. But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property—while stopping the real culprit from ensuring her fate is done and sugar-dusted . . .

 

Sunday, March 26, 2023

A Flicker of a Doubt - A Review & Giveaway

 Review


A FLICKER OF A DOUBT by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Fourth Fairy Garden Mystery
 
Courtney Kelly is happy to create a series of fairy gardens for Violet Vickers who is hosting a fancy tea and art show on her estate. Unfortunately, temperamental artists take center stage when Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend returns to town as the featured artist of the show. Meaghan put the kibosh on their getting back together and then someone coshed him on the head and left him dead on her lawn. When Meaghan's business partner becomes the police's prime suspect Courtney and her righteous fairy, Fiona, will have to sort through clues and a slew of suspects to find the real killer of the mercurial artist.
 
The fiery temperament of artists, from art gallery owners to painters and even musicians, take center stage in the fourth Fairy Garden Mystery. Though Meaghan had a tumultuous relationship with the victim and his body was found on her property, it's her business partner who catches the eye of the police with an even better motive propelling Courtney into another murder investigation. There's a good mix of suspects including a volatile brother, another artist, and a bevy of women, all with solid motives making for a complex mystery. I love Courtney's approach to investigating. And she has a lot to investigate this go around. There are lots of red herrings to muddy the waters along with complications to her personal life as well.

It's not just the murder mystery that makes for a compelling read. We learn more about Fiona who faces some challenges of her own and see the relationship between Courtney and Brady progress. From friendships to family, human and fairy, it's the character dynamics that make this series stand out.

A FLICKER OF A DOUBT is an enchanting mystery that will captivate you with its engaging characters, well plotted murder, and fairy lore.

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 A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

About A Flicker of a Doubt 

A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting – California
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 320 pages

Fairies are trending hard, especially when it comes to fairy garden décor in Walmart and Target and on Amazon. The latest installment in the nationally bestselling Daryl Wood Gerber's Fairy Garden mysteries is a perfect read for Laura Childs readers and all fans of whimsy and charm.

With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.

There’s a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan’s business partner, who’s like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they’re missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

 

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Daryl loves to cook, fairy garden, and read. She has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line. And she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and hitch-hike around Ireland alone. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

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Purchase Links – AmazonB&NKoboBookshop

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Friday, March 24, 2023

Intrigue in Istanbul - A Review

 Review


INTRIGUE IN ISTANBUL by Erica Ruth Neubauer
The Fourth Jane Wunderly Mystery

After traveling abroad Jane Wunderly is finally returning to Boston. While she never thought she'd remarry, she's happily engaged and looking forward to introducing Redvers to her father. However, instead of a warm welcome they find a cold empty house and concerning letters. With the threat of losing her family home looming, the couple quickly head back to Europe in search of her father. Once in Istanbul they discover that he has been hunting for a fabled treasure and has gone missing. Is he in danger? Will they be able find him and save the family home in time? Solving these puzzles is a race against the clock with friends and foes popping up to help and hinder when least expected.

With a little bit of romance and a lot of intrigue INTRIGUE IN ISTANBUL is one adventure after another. What starts as a simple bring the fiance home to meet dad becomes a cross continent race to find a father and save a home while also solving an ancient mystery. I love how the mystery develops from a "simple" missing person to a hidden historical artifact, a possible scam, and spies thrown in for good measure.

The characters are wonderfully complex and I love how the relationship between Jane and Redvers continues to evolve. They make such a fantastic team in just about every way possible. Aunt Millie continues to make me laugh and I appreciate the calming presence of her beau.

At times funny, at times pulse pounding, INTRIGUE IN ISTANBUL has puzzles to solve, characters to love, and rich historical and geographical detail. I adore this series and was completely enthralled with this latest addition.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian. This book is the second in the Secret Staircase Mystery series and was released yesterday. 

Finished with her philandering has-been of a husband Lavinia has not only divorced him, she’s hired Tempest Raj and the Secret Staircase Construction Company to convert his office into a magical space of her own. To celebrate the renovation Lavinia decides to throw a party having convinced Sanjay, the Hindu Houdini, to hold a fake séance to banish Corbin once and for all. Tempest gives a small group a tour of the new space before the séance begins. With everyone joining hands, the scene is set. Just as the call comes to rid Corbin from the space evermore his body comes crashing down onto the table. Murdered. But how? When her grandfather becomes the prime suspect Tempest knows she has no choice but to solve the impossible crime.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Death by Bubble Tea - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book nominated for Best Humorous Novel at the Lefty Awards. It's also on my TBR pile. Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow is the first book in the L.A. Night Market Mystery series.

Blurb:

When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job at her local bookstore, she feels she has no choice.
 
Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, it eventually picks up thanks to Celine’s surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They’re quite shocked that their bubble tea, in particular, is a hit—literally—when one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Star Tangled Murder - A Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm happy to turn over Cozy Up With Kathy to Nancy J. Cohen today. Nancy writes the Bad Hair Day Mystery series. Star Tangled Murder is the eighteenth book in the series and was released last week.

History and Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen


Bringing history into a contemporary mystery can give added depth to a story. I’ve used this technique several times in my Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. These books feature hairstylist and salon owner Marla Vail, who lives in South Florida with her family and two dogs. While I enjoy reading historical mysteries, I couldn’t bear to do the research required to write one. But I can bring historical elements into my current stories. For example, in Facials Can Be Fatal, I used actual excerpts from my father’s journal detailing his 1935 trip to Florida. Dead Roots takes place at a haunted hotel with a ghost story that traces back to Marla’s Russian roots. And Peril by Ponytail delves into copper mining in Arizona.

For Star Tangled Murder, my latest title, I was inspired by a visit to Yesteryear Village in West Palm Beach. This living history experience has costumed guides who describe early twentieth century life in Florida. It’s a fascinating place to visit and gives a glimpse into our state’s past. I loved the place so much that I decided to set my mystery in a similar location. I renamed it Pioneer Village and populated it with buildings similar to those I’d seen at Yesteryear’s history park. This task was made easier by videos and maps posted online. Next came the fun part of creating characters. This was easy since there was a built-in cast. The schoolhouse, old jail, stately mansion, church, fishing shed, blacksmith shop, farm and general store supplied major players in terms of tour guides who would become suspects.

Then I had to select a victim. Once I’d figured out who had to die, I determined where and how it would happen. But when would this story take place? I’d never done a Fourth of July book, so why not center it around that holiday? Marla and her homicide detective husband, Dalton, attend a historic battle reenactment over Fourth of July weekend at the village. But which battle to use?

I researched reenactments in Florida and decided the Seminole Wars would be the most suitable. Dade's Battle of 1835 acted as a model for my event. Again, I watched videos online to get a sense of the scene. Therein lies the danger of falling down the research rabbit hole. From battle scenes to Fourth of July celebrations to historic descriptions of the pioneer village, I had fun researching this story and learning something new. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Do you appreciate a historical angle in a cozy mystery? 

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 Star Tangled Murder (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) by Nancy J Cohen

About Star Tangled Murder

Star Tangled Murder (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 18th in Series
Setting - Florida
Orange Grove Press (March 14, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 284 pages

Hairstylist Marla Vail and her husband get tangled up in murder when their Fourth of July visit to a living history village ends with a bang—and a body.

Salon owner Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk in his head.

As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?

In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing might blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she'll become the next victim. Recipes Included!

About Nancy J. Cohen

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and the RONE Award, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, have won the FAPA President’s Book Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.

Author Links:  

Website: https://nancyjcohen.com 

 Blog: https://nancyjcohen.com/blog  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen  

Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-j-cohen  

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/njcohen/  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nancyjcohen  

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@NancyJCohen  

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Friday, March 17, 2023

Christmas Cloches and Corpses - A Review

Review


CHRISTMAS CLOCHES AND CORPSES by Gayle Leeson
The Third Ghostly Fashionista Mystery 

Something fishy is going on at the Winter Garden Nursing Home. Within days residents have suddenly died and Dwight believes he may be next. Amanda Tucker wonders if her ghostly friend’s nephew is merely being paranoid, but a visit to the facility has her worried. Shifty administrators and nasty nurses too eager to sedate the residents give credence to Dwight’s belief that something’s not right. Will Amanda be able to help, even if the man’s daughter doesn’t want her involved?  

I really enjoyed this third visit with Amanda, Max, and the gang. I love the relationship between Amanda and her grandfather, as well as seeing how the love reaches out to Max, Zoe, and Dwight. Most of the characters here are great, including the precocious girl who comes to visit and even the dour Ms. Oakes.

I enjoyed the mystery and the sad reality that people in some nursing homes face. Despite that reality, the Ghostly Fashionista Mystery series is positive and uplifting. There's such a sense of community, from the shop owners of Shops on Main who come together to celebrate Christmas and help a young detective to Max's family and friends-all coming together to protect one of their own. There is one character, whoever, who really made me mad. I can't stand Maggie. While many people make excuses for her, I find her behavior intolerable. I wouldn't mind if she was the victim in a future story, although I suppose keeping her alive adds conflict to the stories.

Although I am far from being a fashionista, I love reading the details about the vintage clothing Amanda makes. Add the fun of a ghostly spitfire who also has a heart of gold and you have a heartwarming series that makes you smile and laugh out loud.

With the backdrop of Christmas CHRISTMAS CLOCHES AND CORPSES delivers a fun, yet touching mystery.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico. This book is the fourth in the Catering Hall Mystery series and will be released March 28, 2023.

Reality TV has come to Belle View! The production company for The Dons of Ditmars Boulevard have arrived filming the pilot they hope to sell to the networks. Now Belle View Catering Hall is filled with wannabe reality stars, including some Family members looking to become TV celebrities. When the production company's smarmy  CEO winds up dead Little D becomes the prime suspect, after all he is the son of a real Don and is romantically involved with the victim's ex-wife. Mia Carina will have to prove his innocence while corralling the dons and donettes as the film crew tries to create more drama. At least she can count on Shane for support. Or can she?

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

All That is Hidden - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a brand new release. All That is Hidden by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles is the nineteenth book in the Molly Murphy Mystery series and is being released today! This series was a favorite of mine, but I managed to get way behind. It's now being co-authored by Rhys and her daughter.


Blurb: 

New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things.

So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue―and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York―Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out.

In this next installment in this beloved series
All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Lemon Curd Killer - A Review & Giveaway

 Review


LEMON CURD KILLER by Laura Childs
The Twenty-Fifth Tea Shop Mystery
 
Fashion is the word in Charleston as the town braces for its own Fashion Week. Delaine's sister, Nadine, has started working for Lemon Squeeze Couture and Theodosia Browning and the gang are catering their first major event. When Theo returns to the kitchen to get more goodies for the masses she finds Nadine dead, face down in the lemon curd.
 
If you love fashion, food, and a fast paced mystery, LEMON CURD KILLER is a fantastic read. If you get frustrated with cozy protagonists who think they're above the law, you might get a bit annoyed by the twenty-fifth Tea Shop Mystery. You see, Theodosia Browning is at it again, insinuating herself in a murder investigation. While her motives are good, Nadine's daughter did ask her to find the murderer, her actions crossed the line for me twice. Police specifically told her to keep a clue quiet. Everyone knows she'll tell Drayton, and that's fine, but she told a suspect! And it wasn't even an accident, blurting out the information. It was a calculated move to check his reaction. Later, after finding something important, instead of giving it to the police she uses it to break in to a suspect's house to snoop! I used to really like Theo, now... 

The mystery leads readers on exciting twisty ride with many possible motives and suspects clouding the waters. There's action, suspense, and danger along with details about fashion and delectable descriptions of the food and tea served by the Indigo Tea Shop. As always, Drayton brings style and sensibility to the story while Miss Dimple radiates joy.

With a focus on fashion LEMON CURD KILLER is a mystery both tart and sweet.
 
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 Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

About Lemon Curd Killer

Lemon Curd Killer (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 25th in Series
Setting - South Carolina
Berkley (March 7, 2023)
Hardcover: ‎ 320 pages

High tea and high fashion turn deadly in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.

As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: WebsiteFacebook

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound - PenguinRandomHouse -

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Friday, March 10, 2023

Path of Peril - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review

PATH OF PERIL
By Marlie Parker Wasserman

In 1906 President Teddy Roosevelt traveled to Panama to check on construction of the Panama Canal. This was the first time a US President traveled outside of the states while in office. Accompanied by his wife Edith, White House secretary Maurice Latta, and several others, the trip was risky in many ways. While yellow fever had been eradicated, other dangers persisted, primarily from a number of anarchists. Giving voice to many of those involved, we learn the stories that brought these people together and what happened on that fateful trip.

Teddy Roosevelt is an intriguing and dynamic character. He was a force of nature and, while I support much of what he stood for, there are some beliefs I dislike amid a lot of questionable actions. I have a feeling a lot of people were conflicted about him along with many who out and out despised the man. PATH OF PERIL makes good use of these feelings providing ample conflict. Although he is the raison d'etre of this book, his role is primarily on the sidelines. We get glimpses, but rarely hear from him directly, which is a smart move; better to have a fictional account from fictional characters and less well known people.

An abundance of characters and storylines could have made the book cumbersome, but the author managed everything deftly. Short chapters helped while hastening the reading of this fascinating tale. I enjoyed discovering the backstories of the different characters and what led them to their 1906 dealing with the president. I found myself frequently referring to the cast of characters listed at the front of the book to see if a person in question actually existed or was purely fictional. 

Wasserman conveys the humid uncomfortable atmosphere of Panama as she describes, not only the weather and environs, but also class systems, prejudices, and political beliefs. Combining historical facts with fictional details PATH OF PERIL provides readers a fascinating look at a little mentioned, but important, piece of history.

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Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman Banner

Path of Peril

by Marlie Parker Wasserman

February 27 - March 24, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman

Would the assassins plotting to kill Theodore Roosevelt on his visit to the Panama Canal succeed?

Until this trip, no president while in office had ever traveled abroad. White House secretary Maurice Latta, thrilled to accompany the President, could not anticipate the adventures and dangers ahead. Latta befriends watchful secret service agents, ambitious journalists, and anxious First Lady Edith Roosevelt on their hot and humid trip, where he observes a country teeming with inequalities and abounding in opportunities. Along the way he learns about his own strengths—what he never imagined he could do, and what he discovers he can’t do.

Theodore Roosevelt did visit Panama in 1906, accompanied by White House staffer Maurice Latta. Interweaving the stories of real-life characters with fictional ones, Path of Peril imagines what the newspapers feared to report and what historians never discovered about Roosevelt’s risky trip.

Praise for Path of Peril:

"Nothing better than settling down with a good, crisp, detail-rich assassination thriller. Someone is after Theodore Roosevelt, and author Marlie Wasserman tightens the screws, ratchets the tension, and twists the plot again and again. Read it."

William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Lincoln Letter and December '41

"A feast of characters, scenery and history, Wasserman sets the table for a tremendous read. Path of Peril is a privileged walk with TR, his wife, his staff and dozens of characters struggling to create one of the “greatest engineering feats of the century."

Chris Keefer, author of No Comfort for the Undertaker, a Carrie Lisbon Mystery

"Path of Peril is enjoyable and engaging and places the reader at the center of a fast, explosive and intriguing plot—making this new book one that should not be missed."

Mel Ayton, author of Plotting to Kill the President

"Wasserman’s Path of Peril gives readers an exciting leap back in time... Buy this book—you’ll love it!"

Michael Conniff, historian of Panama

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Crime Fiction
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 2023
Number of Pages: 320
Series: This is a Stand Alone Novel
Book Links: Amazon

Read an excerpt:

Maurice Latta

Sunday, January 19, 1947

For forty-one years I honored my oath to President Theodore Roosevelt and his bodyguard to conceal the events of November 15th and November 17th, 1906. On each of those days I agreed to a conspiracy of silence. Last year, that bodyguard died, and TR is long dead. Before I follow them to the grave, I will disclose the perils we faced during the President’s historic trip to Panama, to clarify the record and to unburden myself.

My tale begins in the White House clerk’s office, where I served as a stenographer during the McKinley administration and where I serve now, with a higher title, fifty years later. At first, I felt no connection with the other fifteen fellows in the clerk’s office. I suppose I looked the part, with my regular features and unremarkable bearing. If my appearance fit in, my background did not. Most men working for the President, even at the turn of the century, were college boys. Some had taken the grand tour of Europe. A few had gone to universities in New England. Three, fancying themselves adventurers, had traveled to the West with President Roosevelt, that is, President Theodore Roosevelt. Two of the older gentlemen had been heroes in battles in the South during the Civil War. Most of the White House office workers had nothing to prove, to the President or to themselves.

I followed a different path to Washington. After an unmemorable youth on a Pennsylvania farm, I moved to Oklahoma, where I took my first job as a junior clerk. I filled in paperwork for the more memorable 1893 land rush. Over time my responsibilities and the commands of the head clerk grew distasteful. A friend back in Pennsylvania recommended me for a position as a clerk for a state senator in Harrisburg. I worked for that state senator for one year and two months. Forgive the precision—I like to be accurate with details. Then the legislator was elected to Congress and took me to Washington. Three years later, almost to the day, word spread across town that President William McKinley’s office needed a stenographer. By that time I had married Clara Hays Bullen and had two sons. I aimed to improve my lowly position and my meager salary.

I moved down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. My official duties, those that were known, started on August 8, 1898. Three years and one month after I started, all hell broke loose in the office. Of course I wouldn’t have used such language then. Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, assassinated President McKinley. Like other Americans, I felt sorrowful. I had seen McKinley pass down the hall daily, but I had never been introduced to him and he never spoke to me.

My clerk’s job continued. Theodore Roosevelt became President. Little changed in the routines of our office, except now the President knew me by my first and last name. Maurice Latta. To be precise, Maurice Cooper Latta.

When the President’s Secretary, William Loeb, promoted me from Stenographic Clerk to Assistant Secretary on June 4, 1906, I hoped I might have the opportunity to travel, at least up and down the East Coast. Two months later, I heard rumors that TR wanted to assess progress on his canal. Oh, let me interrupt myself for a moment. While conducting my official capacities, I called the President President Roosevelt. Informally I called him TR. By the way, he was the first president to be known by his initials. And some called him Teddy, though I never did so. I am told his relatives called him Teedie. You will hear all these names in my tale.

This trip would be the first time a president, while in office, had ever left the United States. Many Americans thought a president should not travel to foreign soil. That seems odd to us now, after Versailles and Yalta. But in 1906 most Americans didn’t give much thought to the rest of the world, not until TR changed that.

I assumed Secretary Loeb, always interested in the press, would accompany the President to the canal. Mr. Loeb would want to shape the stories in the dailies and weeklies. Reporters called him Stonewall Loeb because of the way he controlled their access to the President. To my shock, Mr. Loeb asked me to go in his place.

Today, even after working in the executive offices of nine administrations, now for President Truman (no, I never call him Give 'Em Hell Harry), and managing a staff of 204 clerks, my title, a rather misleading title, is only Executive Clerk. I am proud, though, that the New York Times has acknowledged my worth. Four years ago, in a Christmas day article my family framed, the reporter wrote, “The actual ‘assistant president’. . . is an official who has been in the White House since 1898 and knows more about its procedure than anyone else. He is Maurice C. Latta, now seventy-four and known as ‘Judge’ Latta to the White House staff.” In truth I know more about what is happening, and what did happen, than most of the presidents I served. That statement is for this memoir only.

I won’t dwell on my years in the White House after Panama, but rather on four days in 1906, in and around the Canal Zone. For the public, I want to add to the historical record, which is silent on certain momentous events. For me and my family, I want to remember the turning point, when I came to realize both my limitations and my strengths. I am writing the tale of what I know, what I saw myself. If you wish, you can fill in gaps with stories you gather from the others present that November, the stories I couldn’t see.

William Loeb

Monday, October 15, 1906

“I’m tired, Maurice. I followed that wild man to Yellowstone and Yosemite three years ago. Still haven’t recovered. None of us could keep up with him.” Mr. Loeb, Secretary to the President, was talking to me about Theodore Roosevelt’s two-month long trip to the West. “Now he’s sailing to Panama. He’ll itch for another frenzied schedule. I can’t do it this time. Here’s the question. Are ready for that kind of a trip? Interested in going in my place? I’m forty, you’re thirty-six. Those four extra years make a difference, right?

William Loeb sat three feet away from my face, at his desk in the White House. When he questioned me he leaned forward, putting his square jaw one foot from my weaker jaw. What answer did he expect? Modesty? Confidence?

“You surprise me, sir. I have never traveled beyond Oklahoma. I have never sailed, and I’ve never been responsible for a presidential trip. But I have watched you. I assisted you from afar when you traveled with the President. I will be honest, it would be a big step for me. I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

Mr. Loeb sat back, slouched. I had disappointed him already.

“Sir, if you will walk me through the responsibilities, I would be honored to accompany the President.”

I will never know if Mr. Loeb truly believed I could handle the job, or if he had no one else in reserve. He shook my hand, sealing the arrangement. A day later he called me back to his office for instructions.

“Above all, Maurice, keep to the schedule. I’ll help you prepare it. We start with essential meetings. Officials of Panama and representatives from other countries. Then we fill in as needed.” Mr. Loeb was in his element, flaunting his expertise. “Second, control the access of journalists. Give priority to Frederick Palmer, he’s a favorite of Teddy’s. And I’ve been asked to add in a local journalist named Herbert de Lisser. Limit access to those two. Manage the press like I do. Third, names. Keep on you, in your pocket, the identities of the people Teddy is to meet. Whisper him reminders. He’s smart, but that makes him seem even smarter. Fourth, keep notes. You’ll need them later for Teddy’s reports. Last, prioritize telegrams. The pundits are worried that the President, abroad for the first time, won’t be in charge of the business of the country. I’ve reminded them that telegrams will reach his ship and will reach Panama. Sort through dispatches when they arrive and make sure he deals with them.”

I feared Mr. Loeb would notice my twitching right leg. Instead, he looked down and hesitated. For more than a second.

“I need to be frank with you about another matter. There could be danger. Jimmy Sloan, the Secret Service agent who heads Teddy’s protection detail, he tells me he hears rumors of anarchist plots against the President. He has people checking ships arriving in Panama, looking for suspicious travelers. May not matter. Hunting for an assassin is like finding a needle in a haystack. And there’s more. Mrs. R. is frantic. Jimmy—fine to call him Jimmy—won’t talk to her. Teddy tells him not to. She tries to get information from me and I won’t talk to her either. She’ll see you as easy prey and try you too. A word to the wise—be wary of that elegant lady. She’s lived through three assassinations and she’s no fool.”

I could think of nothing to say. I was so anxious about my coming secretarial duties that I had forgotten about the President’s safety.

“Enough of the serious stuff,” Mr. Loeb said. Get yourself new clothing for the trip. Two suits and evening wear. Can’t have you looking like a farmer.” He must have seen me widen my eyes in a question.

“No extra allowance for that. Hope your Assistant Secretary’s salary will stretch.

Edith Roosevelt

November 1906

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt married late, at age twenty-five, pleased to be Theodore’s second wife. His first, empty-headed Alice Lee, had been prettier, but only her memory was competition. Society column reporters called Edith an elegant, good-looking woman. Even the carpers acknowledged that her sharp nose and chin didn’t mar the impression. Those reporters never called her intelligent, but she knew she was that, and Theodore knew too. At age forty-five, after five children and two miscarriages, the last just three years earlier, she remained slender and attractive.

In the White House Edith stayed busy, watching over sons Ted, Kermit, Archibald, and Quentin, her daughter Ethel, and her rambunctious stepdaughter Alice. Thank goodness Alice had just married, even if it was to Nicholas Longworth III, a bald politician, much older than Alice, with a reputation as a playboy. The wedding nine months earlier had been the social event of the season in Washington. With that extravaganza over, Edith’s burdens did not disappear, but she could begin to reorder them. The stepdaughter now moved from second place to third. Worries about Quentin, her youngest, and his mischievous antics rose to second.

Fear for Theodore remained first in Edith’s list of worries. The year before, she convinced her husband to buy a rustic house, known as Pine Knot, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. A private retreat. Almost private. Always watchful, she arranged for two Secret Service agents to protect the house every evening, without the President’s knowledge.

Sounds. They drove her crazy. The pulsating wind and the rattle of cedar shingles at Pine Knot. The scraping sounds of old window frames and squeaky plumbing at the White House. With each sound Edith heard an alarm. She had trusted Theodore’s first bodyguard, “Big Bill” Craig. In a carriage accident four years earlier Bill died and Theodore was injured. Now Jimmy Sloan oversaw protection. Jimmy was a good agent. Could even a good agent handle the task ahead? The trip to Panama would attract an international cast of cranks. Edith hoped they were cranks, not trained assassins. After each attempt on Theodore’s life, a reporter invariably mentioned the statistics. Three of the last ten presidents had been assassinated, three in about forty years, all in her lifetime. She imagined these numbers branded on her forehead.

Edith needed to identify a member of the trip’s entourage who might keep her informed about threats. Jimmy Sloan and his agents had pledged secrecy. Or they dismissed a woman’s worries. Thought her hysterical. They would be no help. And Theodore refused to acknowledge her fears, refused to listen. Thought she didn’t notice he carried a pistol in his pocket when he mingled with crowds. She would think creatively. She would curry favor with someone else on the trip, someone with knowledge. Maybe that Assistant Secretary who was taking the place of Secretary Loeb. Maurice Latta. He might know and he might share. She would keep an eye out for him aboard ship.

***

Excerpt from Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman. Copyright 2023 by Marlie Parker Wasserman. Reproduced with permission from Marlie Parker Wasserman. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Marlie Parker Wasserman

Marlie Parker Wasserman continues to write historical crime fiction. Her first book, The Murderess Must Die, was published in 2021. After spending many years in New Jersey, she now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Historical Novel Society.

Catch Up With Marlie Parker Wasserman:
www.MarlieWasserman.com
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Thursday, March 9, 2023

A Deadly Combo - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Karen A. Phillips to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Karen writes the Rocky Nelson Boxing Mystery series. A Deadly Combo is the first book in the series and was released last week.


Kathy: Rocky and her sister, Bridget, visit a vintage trailerfest in A Deadly Combo. When I think of trailers I always think of the movie The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Before writing this book, were you a vintage trailer fan?

KAP: I mention the movie The Long, Long Trailer toward the end of the book just prior to the exciting climax! I fell in love with vintage trailers after attending my first trailerfest at a winery. In fact, that is where I got the idea for A Deadly Combo. I thought of how much fun it was to go inside each trailer and talk to the owners about their work restoring the trailer to its former glory. And then it struck me, this would be a great place to find a dead body!


Kathy: Rocky loves boxing, and I'm a fan too. In fact, my dad took me out of grammar school one day when Sugar Ray Leonard came to town so we could see him train! Are you a boxing fan?

KAP: What a great experience for you. I became a fan of boxing after I decided to take boxing lessons to get in shape. It is a very difficult sport to learn. I have a renewed appreciation for those who do well at it. Did you know Mohammed Ali’s daughter, Laila, is a former professional boxer? She retired undefeated.


Kathy: The Rocky Nelson Mystery series has been described as cozy noir-two quite different genres. Why did you decide to fuse the two? Could it be described as a traditional mystery?

KAP: I started out writing A Deadly Combo as a cozy, but the story turned a bit dark. “Cozy noir” is a new term gaining popularity and I feel it fits. A Deadly Combo is a traditional mystery with cozy elements, such as an amateur sleuth, a small town setting, and the murder happens off of the page.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

KAP: I like the simplicity of a cozy—if I can describe any mystery as simple? What I mean is, there are a small number of characters and they seem to know each other. The setting is a small town which feels new for the reader, yet familiar. One of my favorite cozy series is the Agatha Raisin mysteries by M.C Beaton.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

KAP: I enjoy writing poetry and young adult fiction, however I haven’t published anything in those genres yet.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

KAP: A Deadly Combo is Book One in the Rocky Nelson Boxing mystery series. This is my first mystery series. I am working on Book Two now and hope to release it in the spring of 2024.
 

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

KAP: I love Rocky’s dad. He adds humor to the story and some say he steals every scene he’s in.

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

KAP: I have lost two brothers much too soon. I wanted readers who have lost a loved one to relate to Rocky and Bridget having lost their mother at a young age. I come from a dysfunctional family and I don’t believe there is such a thing as a normal family. My story is about family and how far one might go to protect the ones you love.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

KAP: It took me years to finish A Deadly Combo. I guess you can say I’m a slow learner. But seriously, it took me a long time to learn the craft and feel confident I had written the story to the best of my ability. Since Rocky’s dad is patterned after my own father, who turned 87 this year, I wanted the book to go out in the world so he could hold it in his hands and be proud. I honestly feel it is a fun story and readers will enjoy it.

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

KAP: M.C. Beaton, C.J. Box, Stephen King, and Agatha Christie. Doesn’t that sound like a fun group?!

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

KAP: Good question! I am searching for the next good read. I keep starting a book but haven’t found one that really engages me. I hope A Deadly Combo engages the reader. It is fast-paced, with the story taking place over seven days.
 

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

KAP: I take boxing lessons! I enjoy Plein Air painting – that’s a fancy term for painting outdoors. I have a degree in Applied Art & Design and love to create book covers.

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

KAP: You ask the best questions! I have cheese (usually Manchego), Fuji apples, Kale and grapefruit.

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

KAP: Oh, yes. Book Two should be out in the spring of 2024. The working title is “A Deadly Scheme."

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

KAP: Creating fun, interesting, characters and living vicariously through them. 

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A Deadly Combo by Karen A. Phillips

About A Deadly Combo

A Deadly Combo: A Rocky Nelson Boxing Mystery
Traditional/Cozy Blend 1st in Series
Setting - California
River Rock Press (March 1, 2023)
Number of Pages: 270

What do boxing and vintage trailers have in common? Rocky Nelson. 

Meet Raquel Nelson (AKA Rocky), a retired single woman with an attitude. In Rocky’s opinion, independent ruffians, relentless heat, wildfires, and unhealthy AQI are all part of living in the Sierra Foothills of California.

Sisters Rocky and Bridget are enjoying each other’s company at a vintage trailerfest until they stumble over a corpse. The dead guy is none other than the local trailer restorer and Bridget was overheard threatening to kill him. Mounting evidence leads police to focus on Bridget as a person of interest. Desperate to prove her sister innocent of murder, Rocky dons her own deerstalker cap and goes sleuthing. Rocky knows a little about the job requirements, having caught her sister’s last husband in an illicit affair. Detective Thompson is on the case and isn’t happy about Rocky poking around, and lets her know in no uncertain terms. But Rocky is tenacious if not stubborn. Combined with a 78-year-old father who insists on assisting, Rocky uses her courage and skills from boxing lessons to protect her family and keep from becoming the killer’s next victim.

This is the first book in The Rocky Nelson Boxing Mystery Series – a perfect series for lovers of small town mysteries with a cozy-noir feel featuring boxing and an amateur sleuth who will stop at nothing to save the lives of those she loves.

About Karen A. Phillips

Author Karen A. Phillips lives in Northern California and writes humorous, fun, action-packed mysteries. She has several short stories published in various anthologies. Her characters are engaging and fearless. “A Deadly Combo” is her first full-length novel. In real life, Karen takes boxing lessons but would hesitate if she had to punch anyone in the face. Let’s face it. Karen wouldn’t last one round in the ring.

Author Links: 

Website: https://karenaphillips.com/ 

Facebook: KarenAPhillips/Author 

Instagram: kannphillips 

Twittter: @phillips_writes  

Purchase Links -- Amazon - B&N - Kobo 

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Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Currently Reading...

I’m currently reading Christmas Cloches and Corpses by Gayle Leeson. This book is the third in the Ghostly Fashionista Mystery series.

Something fishy is going on at the Winter Garden Nursing Home. Within days residents have suddenly died and Dwight believes he may be next. Amanda Tucker wonders if her ghostly friend’s nephew is merely being paranoid, but a visit to the facility has her worried. Shifty administrators and nasty nurses too eager to sedate the residents give credence to Dwight’s belief that something’s not right. Will Amanda be able to help, even if the man’s daughter doesn’t want her involved?

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Path of Peril - An Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Marlie Parker Wasserman back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Make sure you return on Friday to read my review of her latest novel, PATH OF PERIL.

Kathy: PATH OF PERIL deals with an assassination plot on Theodore Roosevelt during a trip to Panama. Why choose this moment in history for you book?

When I learned that Teddy Roosevelt’s trip to Panama in 1906 was the first time a president, while in office, had ever left the United States, I couldn’t get that fact out of my mind. Today, every time we hear the news, a president is flying to review the troops overseas, or to attend a summit meeting, or to commemorate an anniversary of an event. When I began to research presidential trips, I discovered that one of the deterrents, obviously, was how long it would take a president to reach a destination in an era before air travel. Another deterrent was limited communication in the era before international telegraph service.

In addition to researching Teddy Roosevelt, I also read about Panama’s amazing history. Many of us know that the gold rush in California and Alaska attracted people from a variety of places, and the land rush in Oklahoma did the same. But I didn’t know that Panama, in the early years of the twentieth century, also served as a magnet for people seeking adventure or a better life. Engineers from the States traveled to Panama for professional advancement, teachers and nurses came for jobs, workers sailed from Barbados and Jamaica for a chance to earn a living, salesmen came from all over the world to sell equipment and supplies, and many people fled disgrace or bankruptcy in their native land for a new life along the Canal. Once in Panama, these folks, speaking different languages and with different backgrounds, needed to co-exist. They did so against a backdrop of Jim Crow racism, where access to almost everything in Panama was determined by skin color. The prospect of writing about an adventurous trip while telling a bit about a country little known to many readers appealed to me.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

One particular book inspired my plot. Decades ago, I read Frederick Forsyth’s Edgar Award-winning thriller, THE DAY OF THE JACKAL. The 1971 book is a fictional account of a plot to kill France’s president, Charles de Gaulle. Readers at the time knew that the assassin failed at his task. Yet that knowledge didn’t matter. Relating the scheming and planning in detail, Forsyth created and sustained tension. I knew I could never write like Forsyth, but I began to imagine a similar plot for Panama.


Kathy: What makes White House secretary Maurice Latta the best protagonist for this story?

Maurice Latta is a historic character who is little known. That is a shame, because he worked in the White House for presidents from McKinley to Truman—a long period of time. I researched his background and found that he never attended college and grew up on a farm, so I began to imagine what it must have been like for him to find himself surrounded by supposedly sophisticated people of wealth and education, and then to land in the middle of an historic event. How would I feel in those circumstances? I loved imagining Latta with what we might now call social anxieties and imagining that he sometimes overcame them and sometimes did not. I’ve considered writing a whole series about this remarkable character, each centered around his relationship with a different president.


Kathy: Prior to researching this story, were you a fan of Teddy Roosevelt?

To fulfill my bucket list, I want to visit every one of the sixty-three national parks in the United States. As of today, I’m at forty-two. I enjoy those parks. Teddy Roosevelt, who loved the outdoors, contributed significantly to the national park system and I’ve always appreciated that legacy. On the other hand, TR’s imperialist tendencies—in the novel, represented by his determination to build the canal and conquer the seas--disturb me. As far as his attitudes toward race, well, I would need three hundred pages to deal with that topic adequately. He was a man of his times, in some ways better and in some ways worse. I do try to convey his attitudes fairly in the novel. So, in short, TR was a mixed bag.


Kathy: Although things may be slightly different in regard to historical fiction, but 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?

I am an extreme panster. I had no outline for this novel, just hundreds of pages of research notes. I like my characters to talk to me, to give me ideas. What I did have for this novel was a framework based on the chronology of TR’s visit to Panama. I knew what day he left Washington and what day he returned, and what he did each day along the Canal, and with whom. I wanted to stay close to the historical facts. The chronology presented both opportunities and limitations for the plot.


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?

Marketing takes almost as much time as writing, and most novelists, including me, prefer the latter. I do enjoy interviews such as this one, and I enjoy talking to book clubs. I don’t enjoy social media. In short, I like those marketing activities where technology is minimal.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

I am almost finished with my third novel, entitled INFERNO ON FIFTH. In1899, in the middle of Manhattan, the luxurious Windsor Hotel burned to the ground. The number of fatalities could have been as high as 90—we can’t be certain. The coroner ruled the fire accidental. I imagine how six women—three educated and wealthy, three less educated and struggling—made life-changing decisions amid the fire and its aftermath. I also question whether the fire truly was accidental. 

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

Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman Banner

Path of Peril

by Marlie Parker Wasserman

February 27 - March 24, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman

Would the assassins plotting to kill Theodore Roosevelt on his visit to the Panama Canal succeed?

Until this trip, no president while in office had ever traveled abroad. White House secretary Maurice Latta, thrilled to accompany the President, could not anticipate the adventures and dangers ahead. Latta befriends watchful secret service agents, ambitious journalists, and anxious First Lady Edith Roosevelt on their hot and humid trip, where he observes a country teeming with inequalities and abounding in opportunities. Along the way he learns about his own strengths—what he never imagined he could do, and what he discovers he can’t do.

Theodore Roosevelt did visit Panama in 1906, accompanied by White House staffer Maurice Latta. Interweaving the stories of real-life characters with fictional ones, Path of Peril imagines what the newspapers feared to report and what historians never discovered about Roosevelt’s risky trip.

Praise for Path of Peril:

"Nothing better than settling down with a good, crisp, detail-rich assassination thriller. Someone is after Theodore Roosevelt, and author Marlie Wasserman tightens the screws, ratchets the tension, and twists the plot again and again. Read it."

William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Lincoln Letter and December '41

"A feast of characters, scenery and history, Wasserman sets the table for a tremendous read. Path of Peril is a privileged walk with TR, his wife, his staff and dozens of characters struggling to create one of the “greatest engineering feats of the century."

Chris Keefer, author of No Comfort for the Undertaker, a Carrie Lisbon Mystery

"Path of Peril is enjoyable and engaging and places the reader at the center of a fast, explosive and intriguing plot—making this new book one that should not be missed."

Mel Ayton, author of Plotting to Kill the President

"Wasserman’s Path of Peril gives readers an exciting leap back in time... Buy this book—you’ll love it!"

Michael Conniff, historian of Panama

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Crime Fiction
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 2023
Number of Pages: 320
Series: This is a Stand Alone Novel
Book Links: Amazon

Read an excerpt:

Maurice Latta

Sunday, January 19, 1947

For forty-one years I honored my oath to President Theodore Roosevelt and his bodyguard to conceal the events of November 15th and November 17th, 1906. On each of those days I agreed to a conspiracy of silence. Last year, that bodyguard died, and TR is long dead. Before I follow them to the grave, I will disclose the perils we faced during the President’s historic trip to Panama, to clarify the record and to unburden myself.

My tale begins in the White House clerk’s office, where I served as a stenographer during the McKinley administration and where I serve now, with a higher title, fifty years later. At first, I felt no connection with the other fifteen fellows in the clerk’s office. I suppose I looked the part, with my regular features and unremarkable bearing. If my appearance fit in, my background did not. Most men working for the President, even at the turn of the century, were college boys. Some had taken the grand tour of Europe. A few had gone to universities in New England. Three, fancying themselves adventurers, had traveled to the West with President Roosevelt, that is, President Theodore Roosevelt. Two of the older gentlemen had been heroes in battles in the South during the Civil War. Most of the White House office workers had nothing to prove, to the President or to themselves.

I followed a different path to Washington. After an unmemorable youth on a Pennsylvania farm, I moved to Oklahoma, where I took my first job as a junior clerk. I filled in paperwork for the more memorable 1893 land rush. Over time my responsibilities and the commands of the head clerk grew distasteful. A friend back in Pennsylvania recommended me for a position as a clerk for a state senator in Harrisburg. I worked for that state senator for one year and two months. Forgive the precision—I like to be accurate with details. Then the legislator was elected to Congress and took me to Washington. Three years later, almost to the day, word spread across town that President William McKinley’s office needed a stenographer. By that time I had married Clara Hays Bullen and had two sons. I aimed to improve my lowly position and my meager salary.

I moved down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. My official duties, those that were known, started on August 8, 1898. Three years and one month after I started, all hell broke loose in the office. Of course I wouldn’t have used such language then. Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, assassinated President McKinley. Like other Americans, I felt sorrowful. I had seen McKinley pass down the hall daily, but I had never been introduced to him and he never spoke to me.

My clerk’s job continued. Theodore Roosevelt became President. Little changed in the routines of our office, except now the President knew me by my first and last name. Maurice Latta. To be precise, Maurice Cooper Latta.

When the President’s Secretary, William Loeb, promoted me from Stenographic Clerk to Assistant Secretary on June 4, 1906, I hoped I might have the opportunity to travel, at least up and down the East Coast. Two months later, I heard rumors that TR wanted to assess progress on his canal. Oh, let me interrupt myself for a moment. While conducting my official capacities, I called the President President Roosevelt. Informally I called him TR. By the way, he was the first president to be known by his initials. And some called him Teddy, though I never did so. I am told his relatives called him Teedie. You will hear all these names in my tale.

This trip would be the first time a president, while in office, had ever left the United States. Many Americans thought a president should not travel to foreign soil. That seems odd to us now, after Versailles and Yalta. But in 1906 most Americans didn’t give much thought to the rest of the world, not until TR changed that.

I assumed Secretary Loeb, always interested in the press, would accompany the President to the canal. Mr. Loeb would want to shape the stories in the dailies and weeklies. Reporters called him Stonewall Loeb because of the way he controlled their access to the President. To my shock, Mr. Loeb asked me to go in his place.

Today, even after working in the executive offices of nine administrations, now for President Truman (no, I never call him Give 'Em Hell Harry), and managing a staff of 204 clerks, my title, a rather misleading title, is only Executive Clerk. I am proud, though, that the New York Times has acknowledged my worth. Four years ago, in a Christmas day article my family framed, the reporter wrote, “The actual ‘assistant president’. . . is an official who has been in the White House since 1898 and knows more about its procedure than anyone else. He is Maurice C. Latta, now seventy-four and known as ‘Judge’ Latta to the White House staff.” In truth I know more about what is happening, and what did happen, than most of the presidents I served. That statement is for this memoir only.

I won’t dwell on my years in the White House after Panama, but rather on four days in 1906, in and around the Canal Zone. For the public, I want to add to the historical record, which is silent on certain momentous events. For me and my family, I want to remember the turning point, when I came to realize both my limitations and my strengths. I am writing the tale of what I know, what I saw myself. If you wish, you can fill in gaps with stories you gather from the others present that November, the stories I couldn’t see.

William Loeb

Monday, October 15, 1906

“I’m tired, Maurice. I followed that wild man to Yellowstone and Yosemite three years ago. Still haven’t recovered. None of us could keep up with him.” Mr. Loeb, Secretary to the President, was talking to me about Theodore Roosevelt’s two-month long trip to the West. “Now he’s sailing to Panama. He’ll itch for another frenzied schedule. I can’t do it this time. Here’s the question. Are ready for that kind of a trip? Interested in going in my place? I’m forty, you’re thirty-six. Those four extra years make a difference, right?

William Loeb sat three feet away from my face, at his desk in the White House. When he questioned me he leaned forward, putting his square jaw one foot from my weaker jaw. What answer did he expect? Modesty? Confidence?

“You surprise me, sir. I have never traveled beyond Oklahoma. I have never sailed, and I’ve never been responsible for a presidential trip. But I have watched you. I assisted you from afar when you traveled with the President. I will be honest, it would be a big step for me. I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

Mr. Loeb sat back, slouched. I had disappointed him already.

“Sir, if you will walk me through the responsibilities, I would be honored to accompany the President.”

I will never know if Mr. Loeb truly believed I could handle the job, or if he had no one else in reserve. He shook my hand, sealing the arrangement. A day later he called me back to his office for instructions.

“Above all, Maurice, keep to the schedule. I’ll help you prepare it. We start with essential meetings. Officials of Panama and representatives from other countries. Then we fill in as needed.” Mr. Loeb was in his element, flaunting his expertise. “Second, control the access of journalists. Give priority to Frederick Palmer, he’s a favorite of Teddy’s. And I’ve been asked to add in a local journalist named Herbert de Lisser. Limit access to those two. Manage the press like I do. Third, names. Keep on you, in your pocket, the identities of the people Teddy is to meet. Whisper him reminders. He’s smart, but that makes him seem even smarter. Fourth, keep notes. You’ll need them later for Teddy’s reports. Last, prioritize telegrams. The pundits are worried that the President, abroad for the first time, won’t be in charge of the business of the country. I’ve reminded them that telegrams will reach his ship and will reach Panama. Sort through dispatches when they arrive and make sure he deals with them.”

I feared Mr. Loeb would notice my twitching right leg. Instead, he looked down and hesitated. For more than a second.

“I need to be frank with you about another matter. There could be danger. Jimmy Sloan, the Secret Service agent who heads Teddy’s protection detail, he tells me he hears rumors of anarchist plots against the President. He has people checking ships arriving in Panama, looking for suspicious travelers. May not matter. Hunting for an assassin is like finding a needle in a haystack. And there’s more. Mrs. R. is frantic. Jimmy—fine to call him Jimmy—won’t talk to her. Teddy tells him not to. She tries to get information from me and I won’t talk to her either. She’ll see you as easy prey and try you too. A word to the wise—be wary of that elegant lady. She’s lived through three assassinations and she’s no fool.”

I could think of nothing to say. I was so anxious about my coming secretarial duties that I had forgotten about the President’s safety.

“Enough of the serious stuff,” Mr. Loeb said. Get yourself new clothing for the trip. Two suits and evening wear. Can’t have you looking like a farmer.” He must have seen me widen my eyes in a question.

“No extra allowance for that. Hope your Assistant Secretary’s salary will stretch.

Edith Roosevelt

November 1906

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt married late, at age twenty-five, pleased to be Theodore’s second wife. His first, empty-headed Alice Lee, had been prettier, but only her memory was competition. Society column reporters called Edith an elegant, good-looking woman. Even the carpers acknowledged that her sharp nose and chin didn’t mar the impression. Those reporters never called her intelligent, but she knew she was that, and Theodore knew too. At age forty-five, after five children and two miscarriages, the last just three years earlier, she remained slender and attractive.

In the White House Edith stayed busy, watching over sons Ted, Kermit, Archibald, and Quentin, her daughter Ethel, and her rambunctious stepdaughter Alice. Thank goodness Alice had just married, even if it was to Nicholas Longworth III, a bald politician, much older than Alice, with a reputation as a playboy. The wedding nine months earlier had been the social event of the season in Washington. With that extravaganza over, Edith’s burdens did not disappear, but she could begin to reorder them. The stepdaughter now moved from second place to third. Worries about Quentin, her youngest, and his mischievous antics rose to second.

Fear for Theodore remained first in Edith’s list of worries. The year before, she convinced her husband to buy a rustic house, known as Pine Knot, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. A private retreat. Almost private. Always watchful, she arranged for two Secret Service agents to protect the house every evening, without the President’s knowledge.

Sounds. They drove her crazy. The pulsating wind and the rattle of cedar shingles at Pine Knot. The scraping sounds of old window frames and squeaky plumbing at the White House. With each sound Edith heard an alarm. She had trusted Theodore’s first bodyguard, “Big Bill” Craig. In a carriage accident four years earlier Bill died and Theodore was injured. Now Jimmy Sloan oversaw protection. Jimmy was a good agent. Could even a good agent handle the task ahead? The trip to Panama would attract an international cast of cranks. Edith hoped they were cranks, not trained assassins. After each attempt on Theodore’s life, a reporter invariably mentioned the statistics. Three of the last ten presidents had been assassinated, three in about forty years, all in her lifetime. She imagined these numbers branded on her forehead.

Edith needed to identify a member of the trip’s entourage who might keep her informed about threats. Jimmy Sloan and his agents had pledged secrecy. Or they dismissed a woman’s worries. Thought her hysterical. They would be no help. And Theodore refused to acknowledge her fears, refused to listen. Thought she didn’t notice he carried a pistol in his pocket when he mingled with crowds. She would think creatively. She would curry favor with someone else on the trip, someone with knowledge. Maybe that Assistant Secretary who was taking the place of Secretary Loeb. Maurice Latta. He might know and he might share. She would keep an eye out for him aboard ship.

***

Excerpt from Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman. Copyright 2023 by Marlie Parker Wasserman. Reproduced with permission from Marlie Parker Wasserman. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Marlie Parker Wasserman

Marlie Parker Wasserman continues to write historical crime fiction. Her first book, The Murderess Must Die, was published in 2021. After spending many years in New Jersey, she now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Historical Novel Society.

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