I'm pleased to welcome Rachele Baker to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Rachele writes the Rylie Sunderland Mystery series. TRAGEDY IN TAHOE is the first book in the series and was released last month.
Kathy: In TRAGEDY IN TAHOE we meet Rylie Sutherland. This veterinarian is working as a caretaker at an old Tahoe estate turned B&B. Why choose this summer job instead of finding work as a vet?
RB: Rylie’s world is turned upside down when the veterinary hospital where she’s worked since she graduated from veterinary medical school burns to the ground in the Lightning Complex fire. Now she’s at loose ends trying to figure out where to go next with her life.
When her mother’s friend, Elizabeth Whitaker, asks her mother if she knows anyone that could help out at her rental cottages in Lake Tahoe for a few months over the summer, Rylie’s mother thinks it’s a great opportunity for her. It will give Rylie some time to rest and relax and enjoy the lake while she’s trying to sort things out.
As a result, Rylie’s work as a veterinarian doesn’t have much of a role in Book 1, TRAGEDY IN TAHOE. However, it will come into play in Book 2, Vengeance in the Vines.
Kathy: Rylie has a golden retriever named Bella. Why choose this breed for her companion? Is Bella based on a real dog, or is she purely fictional?
RB: Bella is based on my own golden retriever, Savanna, who passed away quite suddenly and unexpectedly a few years ago right around her tenth birthday. Savanna was the love of my life, and I’ve enjoyed bringing her back to life in the character of Bella.
Kathy: Setting plays such an important part in a mystery. Why choose Tahoe City for your series? Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
RB: I lived in Tahoe City for over seven years a number of years ago, so I’m very familiar with the area. The inspiration for me to write TRAGEDY IN TAHOE occurred in September of 2018 when I drove a couple of hours up to Lake Tahoe to meet up with a friend for lunch.
After lunch, we went on a tour of an old Tahoe lakefront estate called the Thunderbird Lodge that was built by a very wealthy man named George Whittell in 1936. There are a number of buildings on the estate including the main house, the Card House, and the Boathouse. Whittell was somewhat reclusive and had a 600-foot-long underground tunnel carved out of the granite bedrock below the estate to enable him to move between the Card House, Boathouse, and main house without being seen by people passing by in their boats.
After we looked through the rooms in the main house, our tour guide led us down into the granite tunnel that runs two stories underground. Our tour guide stopped briefly to show us a room off the tunnel called the Opium Room. It was creepy with devils on the fireplace screen and a red glow behind them. I was fascinated by this room and stayed there taking photos while the rest of the group continued on.
It looked like the perfect place for a murder. That granite-walled room captured my imagination and became the inspiration for me to write TRAGEDY IN TAHOE. In TRAGEDY IN TAHOE, the murder victim, Colin Matthews, is found in a room that looks just like the Opium Room, except in my book it's called the Absinthe Room.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
RB: At some point in the past ten years or so, I started reading cozy mysteries and really enjoyed them. I like cozy mysteries because they have all the intrigue of a mystery without any graphic violence, sex, or swear words.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
RB: Not at this time.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
RB: TRAGEDY IN TAHOE is Book 1 in the Rylie Sunderland series. I’ve been a veterinarian for over twenty-two years, so it seemed natural for me to create a protagonist who is also a veterinarian. Veterinarians are, by nature, problem solvers, so it’s not surprising that Rylie would take on the role of amateur sleuth, especially when she needs to clear her name of suspicion in a murder investigation.
In Book 2, VENGEANCE IN THE VINES, Rylie again needs to use her sleuthing skills, because her best friend’s husband finds himself the primary suspect in a murder investigation. VENGEANCE IN THE VINES takes place in the Napa Valley, California, wine country.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
RB: I’d have to say that Rylie’s golden retriever Bella is my favorite character.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
RB: I want to share my work with the world and, more specifically, with readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite four authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
RB: Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Jack London. An eclectic group, I know.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
RB: I’m not currently in the middle of a book, but I have a huge TBR pile.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
RB: I’ve never had a hobby until recently when I started making beaded bookmarks. I use gemstones and other natural stones and pair them with very pretty hand painted watercolor bookmarks that I got from an artist on Etsy. It’s fun and relaxing and allows me to express my creativity.
Kathy: Name four items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
RB: That would be hard because sometimes my fridge and pantry get pretty bare if I haven’t taken the time to go shopping for a while. But I would say that there is usually Macadamia milk, some kind of juice, and several vitamins and supplements in my refrigerator.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
RB: Yes! I’m currently writing Book 1 in an entirely new cozy mystery series set in a small college town in northern California. The protagonist is a woman who owns an Italian deli with her brother. It’s the second location for her family’s deli business. Her mother and father own and operate the first location in the same town. She comes from a big Italian family which is really fun to write about.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
RB: Writing a new cozy mystery.
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Blurb:
After the veterinary hospital where she worked burns to the ground, Rylie takes a summer job as a part-time caretaker at an old Lake Tahoe estate turned B & B called Whitaker Cottages while she tries to figure out what to do next with her life.
Then just a few days after she arrives in Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City bakery owner Colin Matthews is found dead in a secret tunnel that runs under the cottages. When Detective Felton informs Rylie that they found a note in Colin’s pocket with her name and cell phone number on it, she’s shocked. She’d only just met Colin. How did he get her cell phone number? Is she now on the suspect list?
With her golden retriever Bella by her side and the help of friends both old and new, Rylie works to find the evidence needed to clear her name. As her search continues, she discovers clues to the mystery in unlikely locations around the lake, and the list of suspects grows.
“This mystery is for anyone who loves suspense, twists and turns, lovable characters, and a surprise ending.”
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In her free time, Rachele enjoys exploring northern California wine country, Lake Tahoe, and areas along the California coast like Mendocino, Monterey, and Big Sur. Some of her favorite things include freshly brewed coffee in the morning, walks in nature, and, of course, golden retrievers.
You can sign up for Rachele’s monthly e-newsletter to get info about her books, photos from her adventures, news for book lovers, and the opportunity to participate in fun contests and giveaways. You’ll also receive a free digital 8-page booklet about what inspired Rachele to write Tragedy in Tahoe including some cool photos.
You can also visit her website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BookBub, and Goodreads.
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