I'm pleased to welcome Jill Piscitello to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Jill writes The Music Box Mystery series. A SOUR NOTE is the first book in the series and was released last month.
Kathy: In A SOUR NOTE we meet Maeve Cleary who hopes to make a new start at the Music Box, her mother's music school. Do you play an instrument?
JP: I don’t have a musical bone in my body but always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Both of my children began piano lessons at six years old. Now at 20 and 21, they continue to play daily and have developed a lifelong appreciate for music. I suppose I’m living vicariously through them and have the benefit of enjoying hearing them play.
Kathy: Maeve has a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance. Do you believe that people can have this gift? Have you ever been to a psychic?
JP: Haven’t we all, at some point, experienced something we can’t quite explain? That gut feeling, intuition, vivid dream, or deja vu? Many years ago, I received a psychic reading and was surprised by a few of the obscure, how-did-she-know-that, statements. Unfortunately, there are people who prey on others’ need to connect with those they’ve lost or are desperate to hear their lot in life will improve. That said, so many things can’t be explained, and we’re all born with our own unique skillsets. Surely it’s possible some of us have gifts that aren’t easily understood. Maeve represents the person who casts reasonable doubt but is forced to sometimes recognize her cousin’s abilities.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
JP: Thanks to Bedknobs and Broomsticks, I was already a fan of Angela Lansbury when I began watching Murder, She Wrote with my grandmother. Unlike many of my friends, I couldn’t stomach horror movies and was drawn to mysteries revolving around crimes that occurred off-screen. As an adult, I continue to prefer stories that allow readers and viewers to put their sleuthing skills to the test without worrying about unnecessary graphic violence.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
JP: I have also written two sweet, holiday romances (HOMEMAKERS' CHRISTMAS and TINSEL & TEA CAKES).
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
JP: A SOUR NOTE is the first book in the Music Box Mystery Series. An unpleasant brush with fame, new beginnings, humor, and a dash of second-chance romance are found in this topsy-turvy mystery filled with a charming cast of characters set against the beautiful backdrop of Hampton Beach, NH.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
JP: Maeve is my favorite character. Rather than playing the victim, she’s sorting through all of the decisions that led to her current situation. She took some risks that didn’t pay off and is working toward recognizing those decisions as learning opportunities rather than mistakes.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
JP: I enjoy reading a variety of cozy mysteries and wanted to include elements of pet cozies and paranormal cozies in this series. However, instead of bonding with her mother’s four cats, Maeve is allergic to them. Also, instead of possessing her own clairvoyant abilities, she is skeptical of her cousin’s gifts and reluctant to accept her otherworldly advice.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
JP: For years, I accumulated a slew of incomplete manuscripts. Working full time with two children didn’t allow much time for polishing a draft until it shined enough to query publishers. But children grow up, and I found myself filling newly empty hours with writing and editing. Submitting my work was terrifying but better than the alternative of allowing those pages to collect dust for another decade.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
JP: Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Jane Austen, and Nora Roberts – and so many more…
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
JP: I’m currently reading THE BOOKSTORE SISTERS by Alice Hoffman (no surprise, it’s excellent).
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
JP: For the past few years, I’ve been slowly renovating a dollhouse.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
JP: Cheese, apples, yogurt, and the makings for a salad are always in my fridge.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
JP: I’m currently working on the sequel to A SOUR NOTE.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
JP: This is a difficult question to answer. I’ve never considered myself a particularly creative person. I don’t paint, draw, play an instrument, or even sufficiently decorate my home. But writing is my creative outlet.
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Review
The First Music Box Mystery
After a humiliating breakup Maeve Cleary has returned to her mom's house in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire to wallow and hide. Finally taking the plunge to go out in public she's happy to meet up with her old friend Paige and not so happy to meet Trixie, the social media influencer and new fiancé of Paige's ex. A trip to the dumpster behind her mom's music school, The Music Box, where Paige works leads to the discovery of Trixie's dead body. Knowing her old friends will be suspects in the murder, Maeve decides to look into the crime herself, despite her old boyfriend and the hunky detective's objections. Maeve soon finds herself in the killer's sights. Refusing to back down, will she be able to determine who killed the insufferable influencer or will she wind up the next victim?
Redefining oneself and second chances are the keys to the first Music Box Mystery. How people react to circumstances, both good and bad, and how people deal with others are also important aspects. Maeve has had a rough go of things and at first she wallows, but then she has to make several decisions. Will she go back to an early love, start with someone new, or return to the love she just lost? Her relationship with her mother and cousin also add conflict, and love, to the mix as Maeve has to learn from her past mistakes and redefine herself...all with a killer on the loose!
I enjoyed the complex relationships found in A SOUR NOTE as much as I enjoyed the mystery itself...a mystery that gave Maeve the impetus to stop wallowing and get back to living while giving her a purpose. While not the most adept investigator, I give her credit for the methods she uses, clumsiness sometimes helping, sometimes hindering. Maeve's someone thorny relationship with her mother will be an interesting one to see progress as the series continues. Although Calista didn't get a lot of "screen time" I found her to be my favorite character and I hope to see a lot more of her in future books. One thing I disliked was that the author turned the killer, a very clever killer, into a maniacal one upon discovery. It is a particular pet peeve of mine that the killer is described as crazy when the actions all along belong to that of a rational person. Insanity isn't a prerequisite to murder.
Interesting characters with intriguing dynamics give A SOUR NOTE a solid start to this new mystery series.
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A Sour Note (A Music Box Mystery) by Jill Piscitello
About A Sour Note
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Hampton Beach, NH
Wild Rose Press (June 26, 2023)
Paperback: 250 pages
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
About Jill Piscitello
Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand. A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.
Author Links:
Website: https://jillpiscitello.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillpiscitelloauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Piscj18
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillpiscitellobooks/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21978074.Jill_Piscitello
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jill-piscitello?list=author_books
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Apple Google Kobo BooksAMillion Walmart Bookshop.org
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review A Sour Note. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
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