Muffalettas and Murder - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Jann Franklin to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Jann writes the Small Town Girl Mystery series. MUFFALETTAS AND MURDER is the first book in the series.

Kathy: In MUFFALETTAS AND MURDER we meet Evangeline Delafose who agrees to help her brother solve a murder. What's the most unusual thing a relative has asked you for help with?

JF: To bury a dead body. No, just kidding! My cousin asked me to make 8 pounds of potato salad once for a family reunion. I think I'd rather have helped bury a dead body.


Kathy: The Small Town Girl Mystery series takes place in a small town in Louisiana. What makes this such a great setting?

JF: No one knows much about Louisiana, and so it's misunderstood. Most people think it's full of alligators and all we eat is crawfish and gumbo. My hope is that people will learn a little more about the Pelican State.


Kathy: I was lucky enough to have a muffaletta from Central Grocery in New Orleans when I visited in the 1980s. What are some of your favorite Louisiana dishes?

JF: Shrimp and grits are my hands down absolute favorite! Everywhere I go, if a restaurant has that dish on its menu, then I must try it.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JF: Honestly, I don't like romance. How healthy is a relationship if the people can't stand each other at the beginning? And they are predictable. Dead bodies? Yes, please!


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JF: I have a 5 book thriller series in my head, but honestly I'm having so much fun writing cozies that I can't find time to put thoughts to paper.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

JF: Small Town Girl Mysteries-I have had a blast writing about Ev Delafose and her exasperating PI, Shorty Cormier. Ev is a lot like me-quiet, logical, prefers book to people. She's coming into her own as she gains confidence in her sleuthing skills. And she finds time for a little romance, because her children are grown and her husband has passed away. She's learning to embrace her small town and even defends it against people who just don't understand the charm of a tiny community.


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

JF: Shorty Cormier is probably my favorite, because he's so fun to write! I don't think we'd ever be best friends in real life, but I could always count on him for a battery jump or a ride to the grocery store. He's got a good heart, but is a bit rough around the edges. He struggled in high school because of his inability to sit still, and went into the Army. He lost his lower right leg in the Gulf War and spends his time on the family farm. He earned his PI license for fun and is thrilled to assist Ev with her mysteries. Of course, he thinks he knows more than she does, since he's the PI. But he's also protective of her and would defend her with his life. As we say in the South, he's good people.

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

JF: I love what makes a small town thrive, from the helping hands to busy bodies. Everyone knows everyone, and everything about them. Those characteristics make for great stories.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JF: My wonderful husband encouraged me to begin a weekly newspaper column with our small town paper, then supported me as I began my first book. He's always challenged me to go farther and do more.

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

JF: Oscar Wilde sounds like the life of the party, and of course Jane Austen. She was a pioneer of females writing books. Mark Twain would tell the best stories! Maybe Edgar Allen Poe, but he might bring the party down...so probably Agatha Christie. Yes, I love the classics :)

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JF: I tend to read my friends' writings, because I love supporting fellow indie authors. Currently I'm reading Savanna Loy's "The S.K. Series: Case #1 Jedidiah Walker."


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

JF: My husband and I just started a food truck called Tin Roof Chef. Is that a hobby? It certainly takes up a lot of time! We also own a camper and love traveling to RV parks state campgrounds in our quest to see the country.


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

JF: Eggs, rice (it's Louisiana so that's a given), maple syrup, and Aha brand sparkling water-my favorite!


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

JF: Small Town Girl Mysteries-My fifth book, "Sweet Tea and Suspects" comes out July 11.

3 Dog Mysteries-I'm working on my first in series, "Beds, Breakfasts, and Beta Blockers", due out this fall. Ro also lives in a small town, and she and Ev are first cousins. But that's were the similarities end. Ro is early thirties, never married, and a bit spoiled. She's not mean or bratty, but she doesn't know how to boil an egg or keep a plant alive. And yet, she's decided to take the farmhouse she's inherited and turn it into a bed and breakfast for humans and their canine besties. Of course Ro doesn't own a dog, so she decides she needs one (or more) because of her new venture. And of course there's a murder in her small village of Belle Bayou, so she'll need to stick her nose in the middle of that as well.

 

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

JF: Talking to my fellow authors and my readers! They're all so kind and excited to read. It reminds me that there are still lovely people in the world.

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Review 

 

 

MUFFALETTAS AND MURDER by Jann Franklin

The First Small Town Girls Mystery

With her children grown and on their own, widow Evangeline Delafose has moved back home to the small town of Graisseville, Louisiana. Ever since her husband died in the line of duty, Ev has been at a loss. She no longer has it in her to write her popular mysteries as the protagonist was based on her husband. She's stopped being interested in food and stopped being interested in life. Concerned about her, her brother Nate has an idea. In order to jump start a spark in her he gives Ev the case file of an old murder investigation that has him stumped. Partnering up with an old friend, Ev isn't just reading through the files, she's interviewing suspects. Ev gets a new lease on life...but could she be putting that life in jeopardy?

 

I had fun on my first visit to Graisseville. Evangeline has some growing to do and in MUFFALETTAS AND MURDER she makes a great start. She's a grown woman with adult children, but is still a bit naive. She acts much younger than a 50 year old widow. I also question some things. Ev has a PhD, teaches English, and writes crime fiction, but doesn't know the meaning of the word "saunter"? Still I do like her...and her teal pen. Shorty is a hoot and the two make a fun pair of investigators.

Like most cold cases, the mystery here was complex. Lots of interesting characters...most acting a bit hinky. There were lots of twists and turns and more than one surprise. I enjoyed following Ev's thought process and her reasoning with herself.

The Small Town Girls Mystery series is a faith based series, Baptist to be specific. Therefore there was a good bit of praying and calling on Jesus. Although it was a bit much for me, it didn't interfere with the storytelling and though was a mite preachy, it wasn't proselytizing.

MUFFALETTAS AND MURDER is a book about starting over and finding purpose. An engaging book filled with Louisiana charm, laugh out loud moments, and the constant of good friends and family make an enjoyable start to a series.

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 Muffalettas and Murder: Small Town Girl Mysteries by Jann Franklin

About Muffalettas and Murder

Muffalettas and Murder: Small Town Girl Mysteries
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Louisiana
Publisher: ‎ Rougarou Press (January 30, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 238 pages

Evangeline Delafose is finding Graisseville, Louisiana just as she remembered—boring and uneventful. Until her brother Nate asks her to help solve a murder. Follow Ev as she navigates clues, dead bodies, and quirky small-town residents to solve a mystery. And of course, show her little brother that she's still got it. If you like cozy mysteries with twists and turns, deep South settings, and a hint of romance, you’ll love this series! Let’s not forget quirky yet charming characters who remind you of family—sometimes you want to hug them, and sometimes you want to disown them. Enjoy small town Graisseville with Ev as she solves crime with help from her family and friends. This is a clean faith based read with no profanity, sex, or graphic violence. This book is the first of the Small-Town Girl Mystery Series.

About Jann Franklin

Jann Franklin is a faith-based cozy mystery writer living in Grand Cane, Louisiana with slightly less than three hundred other people. Many of her stories are based on the tales she hears from residents.

She and her husband John enjoy Sundays at Grand Cane Baptist Church, dinner with family and friends, and watching the lightning bugs in their backyard. Their kids come to visit, when they aren’t too busy living their big-city lives. Visit her at www.jannfranklin.com

Author Links: 

Webpage: https://jannfranklin.com  

Blog: https://jannfranklin.com/blog  

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

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jannfranklinauthor/  

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22583014.Jann_Franklin  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Bookshop.org -

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