Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by A. J. Skelly.  

Lady Emma Grace Hastings is thrilled. She's received a coveted invitation to a Christmas party at Mistlethwaite Manor. The exclusive event also involves a game with the winner receiving a 10,000 pound prize! But delight turns to horror when she discovers the identity of her host, and the fact that the game requires that sordid secrets be revealed. Worried about her own past Emma Grace also has to deal with the secrets of her fellow guests, which include the man she hopes to marry as well as her former fiance. Before the night ends a dead body is discovered. As a winter storm rages outside Emma Grace will have to keep her wits about her even as the body count increases. Will she be able to survive or will hers be the next body to be found?

Goddess of the Flowers - An Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Stefanie Auerbach Stolynsky to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Stefanie's novel Goddess of the Flowers: One Girl's Journey was released earlier this year.

Kathy: In Goddess of the Flowers we meet Xochitl (pronounced “so-she”) Gonzalez, a fifteen-year-old Mexican girl taken by a Cartel leader. While your book is fiction, it is based on a real person. Why was it important to tell this story?

SAS: Well, I was counseling at-risk kids at the time I met the real Xochitl. I never used her last name in the book and she would not be recognizable now (25 years later), but at that time she was stunningly gorgeous. I mean “Miss Mexico” time. She was involved with a 31-year-old gang-banger who was in jail at the time and the company I worked for made me write out a child-abuse report and turn it in! I was not thrilled, worried I might be cornered somewhere, but as I counseled her for about 6 weeks, I was so upset that this beautiful child wasn’t getting the best out of life. Well, I left after getting my psychology hours, and I got licensed, etc.

Literally 25 years later, while my husband and I were watching America’s Most Wanted on TV, a picture of a vaguely familiar woman is shown on the screen and she is on the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. Then John Walsh, the host, names her and it’s my ex-counselee (not a client because I was working at the center). I almost fell off my bed.

I wanted to fill in the time between when I saw this kid as a teen to when she was sought for robbery and murder. What must have happened to her? Why did she do it? Was that guy her pimp? Someone who stole from her? I devised what I think might have happened between the time I counseled Xochitl and when she was put on the FBI’s list. In the book, I hope I do her justice in that I have basically a happy ending even though she went through some harrowing experiences. She comes out a winner, not a loser. That was what brought me to write this particular book.

Funny anecdote: The week after this book was published, the “real” Xochitl was apprehended and arrested in Chiapas, Mexico, a hot-bed of gang activity. Is that serendipitous or what? 

 

Kathy: How has being a psychologist framed your storytelling?

SAS: Human behavior is always fascinating and I think it’s the backbone to all storytelling. My clients, my studies, my framing everything in psychological terms might help people understand motives and the “why-s and wherefore—s” of a story.

Kathy: With all of the problems in the world, do you think it's important to have a "happy ever after" book?

SAS: Actually, I don’t think the problems of the world should be the reason for any ending, happy or not, to a novel. I think the only thing driving the ending should be the objectives of the protagonist and the antagonist which are the only criteria for whether or not the story ends happily, unless you are writing a political story.

Kathy: What first drew you to thrillers? 

SAS: I have always been a “noir” freak. I just love Dashell Hammet, Mickey Spillane and others and more recently Robert Parker (even though a lot of his stories are definitely tongue in cheek). I really wanted to write comedy/mystery which I have in my other books. This one is a stand-alone because I really thought Xochitl’s story could have gone either way. If she’d become a double-agent for the cartel and the U.S. Homeland Security, she’d have a much better chance (alive!!!) to become a series of ways she’s aided both countries in stopping human trafficking.

 

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?  

SAS: Yes, yes, and yes. As I mentioned in the question above, I write comedy/mysteries. My last five novels have all been comedy/mysteries where the protagonist is a bumbling idiot (well, not an idiot, but definitely confused) and because of their attention being on their own problems are inadvertently able to solve complicated mysteries where the FBI, CIA, Homeland, MI-6, were not able to.

Kathy: Tell us about your book.

SAS: Goddess of the Flowers is about Xochitl Gonzales, a fifteen-year-old street waif whose harrowing escape from the hands of a vicious drug lord, get her involved in solving a drug smuggling case for the gang-unit, aiding the U.S. to intercept human trafficking, international corruption, and the unbelievable amounts of money involved. Her story is shocking and eye-opening, not only in its life-threatening brutality and non-stop danger but for the sheer reach of the cartel’s power and influence. However, even the cartel is no match for her resilience, determination, and inextinguishable hope for a better life for herself and her unborn child.

Xochitl (meaning “Goddess of the Flowers”) is just days shy of her sixteenth birthday when cartel leader Carlos Morales, who keeps her as his sexual plaything, coldly murders a thirteen-year-old girl who is in their mansion headquarters to be trained to perform sexually for her buyer across the border in the U.S. She’s known all along that she’s just a cog in the horrific sex human smuggling machine and her usefulness to Carlos, too, would soon reach its expiration date as she aged. But Xochitl had connected with the younger girl when she’d arrived that day, and her ruthless execution galvanized Xochitl into action to get herself and two more of the new girls out of the cartel compound and to safety across the river.

Xochitl had been aware that Carlos had a network of connections in the U.S., but it wasn’t until she made her desperate run for freedom that she realized just how far and wide his reach really extended. He has eyes and ears everywhere she turns, and she constantly feels she’s still easily within his grasp and that he is just toying with her before snatching her back up. Xochitl quickly finds out she can trust no one and with good reason. Even the ‘good’ guys have agendas where she is just a pawn and an expendable one at that. There’s no respite for this poor girl: no real moments free from fear or pain. Still, she perseveres—and that’s my “author’s message.”

The story unfolds from Xochitl’s point of view, and I try to give her a voice, attitudes, and emotions that I hope will feel starkly authentic. The narrative is, at times, stream-of-consciousness, and the language and actions are raw, desperate, and uncensored. Characters are brutalized, and many die. The picture that is painted is shocking and grim, yet throughout it all, Xochitl continually taps into inner sources of strength, replenished by hope. My hope is that readers will flock to Xochitl ‘s side and appreciate her fight to find freedom and justice, compelling her to see the story through to its resolution.

The review in Reedsy—some of it quoted above--was most favorable and I truly appreciated that.

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

SAS: Well, I guess Xochitl would be my favorite character, but I think all the characters in the book focus toward pointing to a satisfying outcome. Each one contributes his or her bit to helping Xochitl or themselves to a piece of the freedom pie.

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

SAS: Sure: the girl herself. And the feeling that no one likes to feel controlled, dependent, unable to care for themselves. Even those who appear to be dependent, must at times hate the people who are “guiding them”, pushing them towards their own ends, and basically “lording” over them. And I think Xochitl’s demands on herself never to be controlled like that again, speak universally to audiences.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

SAS: Haha. I didn’t want to wait two years for an agent to push the book and then two more years for a publishing house to buy it, then fear of an editor changing my voice or what he or she wants in the book rather than having my own choices and sticking with them. It’s a control issue, again. But in this case, I think it’s warranted. I mean, I experienced this child first hand and know how she speaks, thinks, etc. and I want that to come across to our readers so they can justify some of the things Xochitl needed to do to survive. I wanted the book out there right now and then to advertise it as much as I can. A lot of the traditional publishers are demanding that author’s tout their own books anyway, so why not publish it yourself, too?
 

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

SAS: Well, first and foremost, simply because I love his work, Robert Parker. He definitely had a tongue-in-cheek writing style that automatically put me in a good mood. I love Donna Tartt, too although that is totally at the other end of the spectrum. I like John Grisham, but who doesn’t? And lastly, I guess Dickens, because his stories were so compelling and spoke to the government and the society of the day.
 

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

SAS: You know, I try to read everything I can. I usually start with the New York Times Best Sellers list and go down from there. Right now, I’m reading Brett Easton Ellis, although his work is very complicated and I’m not sure I would be published if I sent in some of the manuscripts he has. But he’s a satirist and I find myself going through his titles like I usually do with any author I like. I started with American Psycho and was confused how that one got published after Patrick Bateman kills a dog, for heaven’s sake. My husband would have stopped reading right there and then. But I also enjoy some of the works of B. J. Daniels who has simple objectives and wraps up her stories in a tidy knot. I love that she sees the arc before she writes. And I read a lot of Harlequin because I want to write for them someday. I love going through an author’s entire list of books. If I like their writing, I’ll read everything they write.

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

SAS: One of my biggest hobbies is traveling. I just love to go to Europe during Christmas and see the Christmas markets. I love cruising and have been on maybe five cruises, but it’s wonderful to feel relaxed on the water and then stop at a port and see a city, but eat on the boat and then travel down a waterway. I also love to cook and own a bunch of cookbooks. Someday I’d like to go through an entire cookbook’s recipes the way Amy Adams did in that movie about Julie and Julia, where she makes every recipe in Julia Child’s cookbook. That cracked me up. I also love tennis and swimming and taking short boat rides around harbors like in San Diego where my husband and I used to regularly take the harbor cruise.

 

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

SAS: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and chocolate. (Sees Candies, chocolate cake with chocolate icing), buttercream. Oh, and sometimes healthy stuff too: peas, carrots, fish, cranberry sauce, always donuts and pastries. Lots of bread, especially sour dough. Recently I wanted to make sourdough and my cousin talked me out of it saying the whole house will “stink” for a week with the dough that’s required. But I absolutely love sourdough bread.
 

Do you have plans for future books?

SAS: Right now, I’m back on the Harlequin track with a book for their Intrigue series about an author who leaves New York after writing a true story about her brother-in-law getting murdered when he pulled over to the side of the road on a trip up the eastern seaboard and was shot dead by unknown assailants. The dead man was a best friend of an actor colleague who never got over it.

 

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

SAS: My favorite thing would probably be the creative side of creating a character—sometimes out of whole cloth, sometimes a take on a real person—and you better be careful there, you don’t want anyone coming back at you accusatorially. 

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

Blurb: 

Gorgeous Xochitl (pronounced “so-she”) Gonzalez is a Fifteen year old street waif in rural Mexico who is seized with her mother, by Cartel leader, Carlos Morales, to be his “queen” at his massive hacienda.

Life becomes a dream of wealth, gold, expensive cars, bag loads of cash and jewelry. And all she has to do is “train” new girls to the tricks of the trade. How to please the men they will be sold to across the Rio Grande and into the U.S. Not realizing these girls will also be sneaking drugs and other contraband into the States, Xochitl entices them into the life of fantasy that a gang girl can have riches in America.

During a trafficking exchange, something goes terribly wrong, and Xochitl witnesses the brutal murder of a 13-year-old who appeared to be investigating Carlos’ cocaine stash. After realizing the same thing will happen to her when she “ages-out” at sixteen years old, she decides to escape the hacienda, taking with her two new girls, a stash of coke to trade at the border, and a gun.

She discovers she is pregnant with Carlos’ child and as she is chased down by the vicious gang, arrested by the U.S. Government, incarcerated in an El Paso detention hall, bailed out and saved by a Madame who puts her to work in an “upscale” brothel, she makes a deal with Carlos to trade her son for the release of her mother and other girls primed for slavery. If she can help other girls out of the life of crime and despair, her own life would be saved. Through strength and determination, she never realized she had, she escapes from them all.

When the politician who really owns the brothel is murdered, Xochitl puts into play her bribe with Carlos in order to save her mother, the new girls about to be enslaved and, and through fear and a desperate desire for safety, she is able to stop Carlos with the help of her new found lover, FBI agent Guy Morton, and emerge as one of the most powerful allies the country has ever had for rooting out the brutality of human smuggling.

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

Author links:

https://www.sastolinsky.com

https://www.facebook/sastolinsky.com

twitter; @sastolinsky

Pinterest: stefanie stolinsky

Tictoc: stefaniestolinsk1

Murder at the White Palace - A Spotlight

I read a lot of books and with so many great reads coming out, it's hard to keep up. I get behind in series without even realizing it!. Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on one such series. I read the first and today I discovered the sixth book in the series will be released this week. The book? Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair. 

Blurb: 

In post-WWII London, the matchmakers of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are involved in yet another murder.

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture—The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous—and never discussed—past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year’s Eve soiree for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building—only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim—stabbed several times.

To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks’ beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiancée. Gwen, too, is dealing with her own complicated love life, as she tentatively steps back into the dating pool for the first time since her husband’s death. Murder is not something they want to add to their plates, but the murderer may be closer to home than is comfortable, and they must do all they can to protect their clients, their business and themselves.

A Very Woodsy Murder - An Interview & Review

Today I'd like to welcome Ellen Byron back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Ellen starts a new series with A VERY WOODY MURDER which was released this week.

Kathy: You start a new series with A VERY WOODSY MURDER. Why branch out into the woods?

EB: My family had a cottage on a lake in the Connecticut countryside for over thirty years. I love the country and California is filled with gorgeous, bucolic regions my husband and I have visited. And on my very first trip to CA, my great-aunt took me to Columbia State Historic Park and the impression it made has lingered with me ever since. My agent and I were batting around ideas for a new series. He brought up Schitt’s Creek, which my husband and I watched from the moment it debuted on PopTV. We love Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara and will watch them in anything! Anyway, the mashup of Hacks meets Schitt’s Creek occurred to me. It was a way of incorporating my past as a sitcom writer into a series without having to set a series in the actual sitcom world, which felt too close to me.

 

Kathy: The Golden Motel is a prime example of mid-century modern. Is this a favorite design aesthetic for you? 

EB: It’s actually a rustic, ranchy mid-century look versus the sleek look of Googie architecture. I love it all! I grew up with a mother who loved historical architecture, hence the settings of my Cajun Country and Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. (Elegant 19th century homes in both cases.) My parents didn’t appreciate mid-century architecture when I was growing up. In fact, they hated it. But then Jer and I bought an MCM ranch house in Studio City, CA, and they became fans! I love it. I’m totally into the architecture of the 20th century. Really, of all eras. If I wasn’t a writer, I think I’d be an architectural historian. If there is such a thing.

 

Kathy: You share some career similarities with protagonist Dee Stern, both being screenwriters. Have you ever left a career to start a new one? One with which you had no experience? 

EB: In a way, my whole writing career fits the second description. After college, I worked – or looked for work – as an actress. I did some shows and quite a few commercial voiceovers. But I didn’t land enough jobs to keep me busy, so I used my free time to write a play. That kicked off my writing career. When I first began writing, I’d never studied it before. But the chairman of my college theatre department told me I should pursue writing. (She was a lit and crit prof.) I dismissed it at the time. Years later, when I was transitioning from TV to writing mysteries, I tracked Professor Baringer down and told he she was right!

 

Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story? 

EB: Aside from the fun of tapping into my former career as a sitcom writer, I loved the idea of finally setting a series in California, my adopted state. I’ve always said I’m a New Yorker who lives in California. With this series, I feel like it’s time to identify as a Californian. And be proud of it.

 

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? 

EB: I love coming up with new swag to share with readers and also coming up with fun takes on my Shameless Shilling Campaigns, which are my way of owning the fact I have to promote my books and letting my readers in on the journey. And I really enjoy creating my newsletters. What I don’t like is the time marketing can eat up. There are days when I’ve spent so much time marketing that I don’t have time to write. I also don’t like that I have no way of quantifying how much my marketing moves the sales needle.

 

Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books? 

EB: Yes! FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT, my 3rd Vintage Cookbook Mystery, launches on September 3rd. It revolves around Halloween in New Orleans. I’ve spent a few wonderful Halloweens in the Big Easy and incorporated some of my experiences into the book. I’m excited about it!

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

Review 

A VERY WOODSY MURDER by Ellen Byron

The First Golden Motel Mystery

Burned out from life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles Dee Stern is ready for a new start and finds it in a crumbling motel at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Convincing her best friend Jeff Cornetta to buy the Golden Motel with her the fledgling moteliers have their work cut out for them. Their first guest has an agenda, and it's not helping Dee's new business. When he winds up murdered, the friends are seen as pariahs...and suspects. With two law enforcement agencies battling to quickly close the case Dee and Jeff decide it's in their best interest to try to solve the murder themselves. 

 

Friends with zero hospitality experience decide to open a motel in the middle of nowhere. What could possible go wrong? Fortunately for readers a lot goes wrong-cue in one dastardly screenwriter, murder, and bad pastries, and a lot goes right, snappy dialogue, unique characters, and a lot of humor. There are a few running gags I particularly enjoyed, the one with Emmy and Oscar in particular always made me smile. I really love the relationship between Dee and Jeff and like how they work as a team. Some of the characters are a bit over the top, but fun to have around. 

I appreciate the balance between getting their motel up and running and dealing with the citizens of both towns while working with law enforcement and investigating on their own. Several suspects, lots of motives, and more than one red herring made for an enjoyable mystery.

 

So don't be a cidiot, grab your own copy of A VERY WOODSY MURDER.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron. This book is the first in the Golden Motel Mystery series and was released yesterday!

Burned out from life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles Dee Stern is ready for a new start and finds it in a crumbling motel at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Convincing her best friend Jeff Cornetta to buy the Golden Motel with her the fledgling moteliers have their work cut out for them. Their first guest has an agenda, and it's not helping Dee's new business. When he winds up murdered, the friends are seen as pariahs...and suspects. With two law enforcement agencies battling to quickly close the case Dee and Jeff decide it's in their best interest to try to solve the murder themselves.

Gone Crazy - A Book Blast! An Excerpt & Giveaway Too!

GONE CRAZY

by Terry Korth Fischer

July 23, 2024 Book Blast

Synopsis:

A RORY NAYSMITH MYSTERY

 

A formal declaration of love scares the bejesus out of small-town Detective Rory Naysmith. As Valentine’s Day approaches, he evaluates his relationship with bookkeeper Esther Mullins, and decides to take her on a romantic date that ends with a poet’s murder. Assigned to the case, Rory pushes his private life aside. Things gets tricky after Esther is appointed Executrix for the estate—then rumors start that place a priceless item among the poet’s many possessions.

The race is on to unearth the treasure and solve the murder, but it leaves Rory wondering if Esther will live long enough to become his Valentine—or end up as the murderer’s next victim.

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery, Cozy Crime
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: July 22, 2024
Number of Pages: 251
ISBN: 9781509255986 (ISBN10: 1509255982)
Series: A Rory Naysmith Mystery, Book 3
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

After a full hour devoted to hob-knobbing, everyone finally headed to the presentation room and the ceremony began. The Guild members sat at the front tables. A particularly distinguished looking gentleman stood at the podium. Rory held Esther’s chair as she took her seat. “What is it that you are so anxious to tell me?” she asked.

“In a moment,” he said, “Do you have the program?”

Esther pulled the pamphlet from her bag and handed it to him. “What are you looking for?”

“A woman in a tuxedo.” He opened the program and scanned the contents. It contained a short bio for each featured poet, including an author photograph. Phoebe Sheehan, retired librarian, Winterset Community College graduate, would read two selections from her chapbook. Her photograph was more glamor shot than portrait—and dated because her locks were more brunette than white.

Perry Benson, Winterset Library Poet-in-Residence, would present two works from his collection titled, Midwest Muddle. His picture revealed both arms tattooed from forearm to wrist, giving him the appearance of a shouting Prisoner-in-Residence at a state penal institution.

And last but not least, Lillie Anderson, comparative literature professor, Winterset Community College, reading from her published work, Wildfire Lies. Professor Anderson’s author shot confirmed she was the tuxedoed assailant—but not why she’d threaten Phoebe.

He turned to Esther. “I overheard Lillie Anderson and Phoebe Sheehan in the bar. Anderson accused Sheehan of plagiarism and following in her father’s footsteps, whatever that means. She said that if Phoebe didn’t admit her fraud, she, Professor Anderson, was willing and able to expose her.” Esther’s face clouded as he continued. “It sounded more like a disagreement about Phoebe being considered for tonight’s award than to the actual plagiarism. I’m guessing it wasn’t Lillie’s poetry in question.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. And Professor Anderson manhandled Phoebe Sheehan.”

“What does that mean?”

“Grabbed her by the arms and retained her against her will. You know, manhandled.”

“To be politically correct you should use the term strong armed.”

Rory opened his mouth but decided it was better to remain silent.

The waiter appeared, lit the candle on the table centerpiece, then took their orders for wine. When he stepped away, Rory said, “I’ve always heard the academic world can be vicious but didn’t believe it. Plus, this Lillie Anderson is dressed like a man.”

“How does a man dress?” Esther asked.

Rory cleared his throat and studied the program.

“There’s Phoebe now,” said Esther gesturing to the white-headed woman making her way up front to join the dignitaries by the stage. She stumbled, then reached out to a nearby table to steady herself. “It looks like she’s drunk.”

“She wasn’t an hour ago,” he said, “but a couple stiff ones...”

“She’s having a hard time finding her way.” Esther stood, hesitating and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I think I’ll see if she’s okay. It might just be nerves.”

Rory let her hand slip away. Patrons milled around in a confused manner, taking time to find their assigned seats, and seemingly reluctant to end conversations they’d started in the bar. He watched Esther thread her way through the tables and make her way to Phoebe. With an arm the poet’s shoulder, Esther helped her take a seat by the temporary stage and sat next to her, their heads bent in conversation. He wondered at the exchange. Soon she returned.

“Well, is she drunk?”

“No. But she isn’t feeling well. She says she started to feel ill this afternoon.”

“Presentation jitters then?”

The man at the podium tapped the microphone and a loud thump exploded from the overhead speakers. “Looks like we might be starting,” Rory said.

Esther fingered her pearls. “I think it’s more than being nervous or simple stage fright. Phoebe looks pale and if she complained that she felt nauseous...after all, she was in the bar trying to get a soda to settle her stomach. Which she didn’t manage to do. You were there along with the crowd, it was chaos. I think I’ll order her a hot tea.”

Esther waved at a waiter as he passed. Failing to get the waiter’s attention, she stood. “They’ll be a minute getting started. I’ll just pop into the bar, order the tea, and be right back.” Before Rory could object, she was gone.

The guests slowly took their seats. The man at the podium thumped again. “Testing. Testing. Can everyone hear me?” The guests at the tables quieted. Those roaming made for their seats.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Winterset Literary Guild Awards banquet. I’m George Martin, Guild President.” There was some modest clapping, and more chair scraping. “We have a lovely evening planned for you. Our State Poet, Adeline Yost will open, followed by three Winterset distinguished poets: Phoebe Sheehan, Lillie Anderson, and Perry Benson. From these talented poets, one will end the evening as the first Winterset Poet Laureate.” Gentle applause followed. “But first, let me introduce the literary board members.” He motioned for the front row to stand, and one-by-one introduced them, followed by more clapping. Rory hoped Esther would hurry. He didn’t want her to miss the presentation.

George Martin introduced Adeline Yost who, along with him, had a seat by the podium on the stage. Still no Esther. The overhead lights dimmed, and Adeline read a poem about open space and shooting stars that ended in glowing horizons. Rory was impressed with her melodic voice but thought poetry ought to rhyme. Less along the lines of “By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water”, and more “high-diddle diddle, the cat in the fiddle.”

Where was Esther? Should he check on her?

Yost finished and introduced Lillie Anderson. The professor mounted the stage with encouragement from the crowd, then confidently crossed the stage to join Adeline at the podium where she accepted the accolades with grace. Her tuxedo clad figure was a stark contrast to Adeline’s simple long skirt and flowing tunic top. In Rory’s mind the long coarse hair falling past Lillie’s shoulders was ubiquitous in academia, her suit a blatant statement against the role women played in a male dominated world. He recalled the menace in her voice as she accosted Phoebe Sheehan in the bar. Professor Anderson would make a formidable enemy.

As the spotlight highlighted the poet, Adeline Yost explained the structure for the piece Lillie had selected to read. “From her chapbook, Wildfire Lies, Professor Anderson will read a villanelle.”

Villanelle? It sounded as menacing as her accusations in the bar. Rory listened but continued to be more concerned by Esther’s absence.

“The villanelle,” Yost explained, “is a most difficult poetic form. Many artists avoid them, as it can be quite intimidating. The form has nineteen lines, adheres to a particular structure, and offers a rhyme scheme.”

Good. A rhyming poem. Right up my alley.

Adeline continued, “Five three-line stanzas, followed by a four-line stanza. You will notice the first and third lines are repeated three more times throughout the poem at dictated locations. Composing a villanelle is no easy feat. It is so difficult to write that I, myself, have only done so, once. And, I have no intention to attempt a second.” There was mild laughter. She paused for effect, then announced, “Professor Lillie Anderson, reading The Plains Echo.”

Adeline stepped from the spotlight, allowing Anderson to step to the microphone. She looked out over the room and waited for a silence to settle over the audience. When all was quiet, she took reading glasses from where they were tucked into her cummerbund, put them on, situated her printed page on the podium, and began.

Rory wasn’t impressed, but what did he know? Anderson had a stage presence and a flair for the dramatic. And Adeline Yost had set the tone by announcing the piece’s excellence. It was as Anderson raised her voice in the required repeated first stanza line that he saw Esther step into the room. Moving deftly through the tables with a large mug between her hands, she threaded her way to the front tables where Phoebe sat and drew the audience’s attention as she advanced. So intent was Esther in keeping the sloshing contents within the mug that she didn’t notice the disturbance she created.

Her advance, however, didn’t escape Anderson’s notice. The professor’s reading glasses slid down her nose and she glared over the rims. Clearly flustered, she said to George Martin. “Mr. President, are you going to allow this interruption? Must I ignore this blatant attempt by Phoebe Sheehan to undermine my poetry reading?”

Red-faced, Mr. Martin stood and stammered, “I a...assure you. Th…this is not the conduct expected from our members.” His focus on Phoebe, he demanded, “Miss Sheehan, are you quite finished?”

Phoebe, taking a gulp from the mug, froze. From Rory’s position at the back, he watched her rise. Once on her feet, she swayed and put a hand on Esther’s shoulder, and steadied herself. Esther took the mug from her hand.

“George...” Phoebe croaked, drifting to the left before righting herself. “George...” She fell forward and collapsed into a heap before the stage.

The audience gasped. A black clad waiter appeared from nowhere and rushed to the crumpled poet. He bent over her for a moment then announced, “Call an ambulance.”

George Martin took over the microphone. “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Wide-eyed, Esther met Rory’s gaze.

The detective nodded. Then reached for the light switch and flipped on the overhead lights.

***

Excerpt from Gone Crazy by Terry Korth Fischer. Copyright 2024 by Terry Korth Fischer. Reproduced with permission from Terry Korth Fischer. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Terry Korth Fischer is the author of the Rory Naysmith Mysteries, a cozy-crime series featuring a seasoned city detective relocated to small-town Nebraska. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two guard cats. When not writing, she loves reading and basking in sunshine, yet, her heart often wanders to the country's heartland, where she spent a memorable—ordinary but charmed—childhood.

Catch Up With Terry Korth Fischer:
TerryKorthFischer.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @terrykorthfischer
Twitter/X - @TerryIsWriting
Facebook - @TerryIsWriting

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

 

 

Enter Now for Your Chance to Win!

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Terry Korth Fischer. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

Moved to Murder - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Gianetta Murray to Cozy Up With Kathy. Gianetta writes the Vivien Brandt Mystery series. MOVED TO MURDER is the first book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In MOVED TO MURDER Vivien Brandt gets her wish and moves to a charming village in England. You have also made this move. What is the biggest challenge you each encountered by doing so?

GM: I was in my early forties when I did this, and it’s not a great time for making new friends. People my age were absorbed with their families and their careers, and I didn’t have a job the first year after I moved. I ended up joining a writing group, a choir, and a church; as a result, most of my first friends were people over seventy! They were all lovely but few of them wanted to “hang out” at hip restaurants or go see the latest Marvel movie. Vivien is more fortunate than I was, having some vibrant neighbors, but she too experiences the loneliness of being a stranger in a strange land.


Kathy: What is the biggest difference between Yorkshire and California for Vivien?

GM: Aside from the weather, probably just the conversational style, which is of course related to cultural identity. Even an introverted American looks extroverted by Yorkshire standards, where silence is strength and London is a noisy place you only go to if you must. Someone as friendly as Vivien is regarded with suspicion, which only makes her more loquacious! And for all that we supposedly share a common language, Yorkshire speak can still be challenging for me after 18 years living here.


Kathy: Vivien's cat, Sydney, also makes the transatlantic move. Is Sydney based on a cat you know or is he completely fictional?

GM: I did grow up with a cat who was part Siamese, so I know the howl is real. But generally, Sydney is an amalgam of the many cats I’ve known and loved, including Maddie, the elderly cat who kept me living in America for the first three years of my marriage for fear she wouldn’t survive the flight. Eventually I had to risk it, and she came through with flying colors, spending her last six months cozied up to a fireplace she didn’t have in California and enjoying the wide, radiator-heated English windowsills.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

GM: I’ve always been a fan of Golden Age writers, particularly Tey and Marsh, and now enjoy Kate Carlisle, Eva Gates, and many more. Cozies give me an escape from the world into a place free from gore and excess violence, but they still take on some serious issues that make you invested in the resolution. Characters are celebrated, murders are restrained (often not happening until the middle of the book!), and justice generally reigns. I especially like the funny ones.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

GM: I’ve published a collection of humorous paranormal stories (A Supernatural Shindig) and I also publish stories in other genres as part of anthologies, including a recent one about Greek gods playing with the fate of the world (in Spring Paths). But no matter the genre, my common thread is humor. I find it hard to write without it.


Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

GM: MOVED TO MURDER is the first book in the Vivien Brandt mystery series, although I’m halfway through writing the second and have plot outlines for two more. It’s about a fortysomething woman uprooting her life in California when she marries an Englishman and decides to move to Britain. Despite a deep, abiding love for the England portrayed in television and film, she finds reality more daunting, especially after the bodies start cropping up.


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

GM: I adore Vivian’s neighbor Hayley, who is deaf but more interesting for her apparent colorblindness in clothing. Coming up with crazy outfits for her is a lot of fun.


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

GM: A lot of the incidents in the book are taken from my own experience (barring the murders, of course). My writing group found a couple of them hard to believe, but it’s true, I did get in the wrong side of my car one morning and think for a moment someone had stolen the steering wheel. I’m also in Facebook groups with a wonderful bunch of American expats, and they tell the most hilarious stories about adapting to life in the UK. (Shout out to my Cali Girls!)


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

GM: As far as I can tell, I was simply born with the desire. I have degrees in English literature, which I owe to reading many published authors. In my past careers as a technical writer and librarian, I’ve had my work published in newspapers, journals, and manuals and felt that small thrill, which I then wanted to transfer to my favorite genre: mystery fiction. I simply enjoy writing, and hope that translates in a way that brings joy to readers. But even if it doesn’t, I will always write because of the joy it brings to me.


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

GM: Wow. Tough one. As mentioned previously, Josephine Tey would be there. There’s so much about her we don’t know. And maybe I’d have Nicola Upson, who writes a mystery series with Tey as the protagonist, just because it would make Nicola so excited to meet her. T.H. White, author of one of my favourite books, The Once and Future King, would be interesting, and finish off with C.S. Lewis, who has always fascinated me as someone who struggled with his faith. I guess I just likes me some tortured writers!


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

GM: SKIN LIKE SILVER, by Chris Nickson. He’s a local author I recently met while waiting in line (or “the queue”, as they say here!) for a Frances Brody book signing. I was accidentally rude to him, and my belated apology sparked a conversation. I spend a lot of time lately reading books by fellow authors I’ve met. Thank goodness most of them have been good, so I can look the authors in the eye when we meet again.


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

GM: You’ll get a good description of my TV tastes in Moved to Murder, as Vivien shares them. I’m a huge fan of cult shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls, rewatching frequently. Interior design also features, and I love touring all the stately homes here in Britain. My husband and I recently bought each other ukeleles and are just waiting for his retirement to become proficient (although we are already pretty good at the Skye Boat Song).


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

GM: I periodically make the 40-minute slog to Costco in Sheffield to ensure I have Skippy smooth peanut butter available (English peanut butter is an abomination) and a supply of Oreos. Taco shells (soft and hard) are a must, although it’s hard to find soft corn shells where I live. I make Mexican food at least once a week. And the English excel at cheeses, so you can always find a variety at our house.


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

GM: Other than the occasional contribution to an anthology, my goal right now is to get at least the first three Vivien Brandt books written and out there. If they are successful, I have an idea for a historical mystery series featuring Susannah Wesley, the mother of John Wesley, who started Methodism. She was a fascinating person who bucked religious and gender norms and had a huge influence on those around her. But Vivien first. The second book has her getting involved in local politics, and in the third we’ll get to know her American family more as they all take a cruise together.


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

GM: It’s probably a tie between the joy I feel when my imagination starts firing on all cylinders and waking up in the morning realising I don’t have to take a train to work. My last job involved a lot of train travel. In future I’m hoping it will be receiving the unstinting adoration of my readers. ;)

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

Review

MOVED TO MURDER by Gianetta Murray

The First Vivien Brandt Mystery

Vivien Brandt has been an Anglophile for as long as she can remember and now, in her forties, she's finally realizing her dream. Leaving sunny California behind, she's moving to Yorkshire and marrying Englishman Geoffrey Wooster. As she acclimates to English village life she meets neighbors, from the friendly Hayley and Will across the street to the local MP and his wife along with their sullen son, Sebastian. While hoping to work as an interior designer Vivien relies on former experience and begins working in the local library where she engages with many of the village teens and witnesses their bullying behavior. Seeing Sebastian as the victim of such bullying she offers him a job painting her shed and her home as a safe place. But when she returns home from shopping she finds a bleeding body on her floor. Unfortunately, her home was not safe.

An Anglophile myself I was delighted to read the first Vivien Brandt Mystery, especially as I have a friend who lives in Yorkshire! Vivien is a great protagonist. She has the knowledge and experience of a mature woman with the fun and joie de vivre of someone starting over on a new adventure with her cat Sydney. I love the book and television references (and the fact that there's a reference at the end of the book in case you were unfamiliar with any of them) and, though she's brusque and outspoken, I know we'd be friends.

I like that the book doesn't show an idyllic bucolic setting. The village has a dark side, and not just because of murder. There's bigotry, bullying, and threats of violence. There are also nice, caring, fun people. I like that the book tackles modern day issues from simple things like having a deaf main character to broader issues such as intolerance, homophobia, and bullying.

 

The mystery was complex and I appreciated Vivien's approach to it, mulling things over with her new friend Hayley as well as her husband, but primarily letting the police handle it. I also like that she doesn't fall into the trap of being "too stupid to live". She gathers some information and immediately informs the constabulary.

Great characters and a cutting edge story make MOVED TO MURDER a reyt good read.

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

 Moved to Murder: A Vivien Brandt Mystery by Gianetta Murray

About Moved to Murder

Moved to Murder: A Vivien Brandt Mystery
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - South Yorkshire, England
Publisher: ‎ Troubador Publishing Ltd (June 5, 2024)
Print length: ‎ 266 pages

Vivien Brandt (forty-something editor, librarian, and future interior designer extraordinaire) has spent decades dreaming about a life in England, and thanks to her marriage to second husband Geoffrey, her dreams are finally coming true. She and her cat Sydney (who is considerably less excited about leaving the warmth of California) are the newest inhabitants of a cosy South Yorkshire village.

But as Vivien meets the locals - including the vicar, a charismatic politician, and a pair of troubled teenagers - she finds she still has a lot to learn about her new home. Especially after she discovers a body in it.

Now she must work with her neighbor Hayley and a somewhat mistrustful police inspector to uncover the village’s secrets and find a killer. Preferably, before the killer finds her.

Because it seems when the chips (crisps?) are down, the only common language between America and Britain… is murder.

About Gianetta Murray

Like her protagonist, Gianetta is California-raised and moved to England twenty years ago after marrying her British husband. She has worked as a technical writer, knowledge manager, and librarian in both countries and is currently owned by two cats who are unimpressed by her accomplishments but willing to tolerate her in return for food.

Author Links:  

Website - https://gianettamurray.com, 

gianettamurray | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree  

Purchase Links - US Link: Moved to Murder 

UK link: Moved to Murder 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pentimento Mori - An Interview & Review

I'm pleased to welcome Valeria Corciolani to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Valeria writes the Edna Silvera Mystery series. PENTIMENTO MORI is the first book in the series and the first of her fourteen novels to be translated into English.

Kathy: In PENTIMENTO MORI we meet Dr. Edna Silvera, a renowned art historian. Are you an art lover? Do you have a favorite style of art or era?

VC: Art has always fascinated me. I’ve studied it all my life. Art reflects the tastes, customs, and fashions of a unique historical moment and each period has its own way of expressing itself in painting, sculpture, music, and dance. Each period has its own unique glories and fascinations. I can’t possibly choose one over another!


Kathy: What do you find most intriguing about art history?

VC: I’m most fascinated by the “grammar” that runs underneath it: the choice of one color over another, the brushstrokes, the symbology, the signs... in short, the whole universe of details that is there to reveal what is beyond the obvious and the visible, the clues to hidden worlds. It’s a little bit like what happens in detective stories. And above all what fascinates me is its intrinsic fairness. I know that sounds like an odd thing to say so I’ll let Edna explain. “… museums are born specifically to give us this: a feeling of well being without having to do anything other than open ourselves to beauty. … That is why art was born. Art helps us rediscover what we are, to break down the expectations that surround us from our first breath, the idea that we have to become a particular “someone” in order to be happy. Instead, all we need to do is experience what is around us. That’s it. Because the magic of art lies here: art doesn’t ask us to become anything different from what we already are. Art is made for everyone and belongs to anyone,” Edna smiles. “Art is fair. Like chaos, but less messy.”


Kathy: Edna finds a medieval painting in a junk shop. Have you ever discovered a treasure someone unknowingly discarded?

VC: Haha. Unfortunately, no. But the fun of writing (and reading!) also lies in trying to make real what “lives” in your imagination so I guess, in a way, maybe I have. And they do say that “life imitates art,” so who knows?


Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

VC: As someone said: “Noir is not a genre. It’s a color, a mood, a sensation.” I just said that “life imitates art,” but art is also about life. And that’s the most fascinating aspect of the mystery genre. The plot, the investigation, the case to be solved, these are only tools that allow me to observe and, I guess, plunder, the vibrant life that teems around us, to look at life from a new perspective. For example, I am never able to draw a clear division between “good” characters and “bad” ones. Can you do that in real life? Everyone has good and bad in them. It’s precisely the defects and weaknesses that make a good character – or even a good person – three-dimensional and give them substance. To me, a good mystery is not just about understanding the how but above all the why. That is, what leads a character to do what they do and why they choose to cross the line between the legal and the illegal, to rebel against society and carry out a criminal act. This has a long tradition in Italian Noir going back to the father of the Italian murder mystery, Augusto De Angelis. Before De Angelis, Italian murder mysteries had been copies of the British ones. De Angelis, with his focus on the human aspect, made them uniquely Italian. So yes, my affection goes to both “good” and “bad” characters and I doubt that in my pages you will ever find really good guys and really bad guys.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

VC: Yes, my penultimate novel is literary fiction. LA REGINA DEI COLORI (THE QUEEN OF COLORS) tells the story of Clotilde Podestà, an acclaimed interior designer, who suddenly, after having spent her first sixty years of life dealing with shades and colors, completely loses her color vision due to a rare illness and finds herself catapulted into a universe made only of whites, blacks and shades of gray which, as she claims, are a lot more than fifty! So, after being gone for many years, she decides to return to her hometown. As Clotilde re-engages with her family, she upsets the balance of things, her new way of seeing giving her a different perspective on her life and the lives of others. The absence of color in this novel becomes a sort of metaphor and a key to entering to enter the new and the unknown.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

VC: I’ve been wanting to include the rich world of art in my writing for a while now. I find it fascinating, full, as it is, of clues and mysteries. And so Edna Silvera was born, a highly talented art historian and restorer with a life spent paying attention to detail. Fifty-seven years old, she has recently left her university professorship to dedicate herself to her research. She often ends up getting into trouble, and for this very reason she prefers to remain isolated in her house on the Ligurian hills, far from everything and everyone, in the company only of her cat Cagliostro and her chickens who adore the music of ABBA and are named after movie stars. But, obviously, not everything goes as she hopes... This is a series completely different from my other series, whose protagonists were the maid Alma Boero and the police inspector Jules Rosset, a native of the mountainous Valle d’Aosta region who has been transplanted to the shores of Liguria. Edna and Alma are very different both in age and life experiences: one is the single mother of four children, the other from the baby point of view has only had to deal with the Baby Jesuses of the paintings that she studied and cleaned, and therefore accustomed to dealing only with herself... they are opposites, in short. Edna and Alma have in common the ability to observe, they both have to do a job that sharpens their gaze, every day the maid Alma enters into the folds of the micro universes that she tidies up and cleans, an occupation that inevitably leads her to discover “things” and sometimes see and grasp more than she would like. How are they similar? They are two women. Each with their own baggage, but united by the same pride and the similar desire to be true to themselves. Now that I think about it, they are also united by an obstinate desire to get to the bottom of things, even when they know they should just leave well enough alone!


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

VC: Perhaps Edna, because she is freed from the desire to be liked and to impress others at all costs, which leaves her with the wonderful freedom to say – almost always – exactly what she thinks. That’s true whether she’s dealing with her mother or her colleagues at work. Based on what I hear, in person, from readers and the tons of comments and messages I receive on social media, a lot of women are Team Edna and think she’s a great role model!


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

VC: Each novel is inspired by a real problem that is close to my heart. I like to believe that light really is all around us. Humor and playfulness are things I can’t do without, a bit like my written fingerprint. In all my books, we often smile, or even laugh, despite having to deal with crimes and corpses, while exploring challenging and “weighty” themes. This is to say that life itself is full of alternating drama and comedy and there is often absurdity in even the darkest moments. It ought to be natural to find this all coexisting peacefully, regardless of the literary genre.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

VC: I began my career in publishing as an illustrator, but ultimately writing isn’t that different, I just changed my “perspective”: before I told stories with images, now I also tell them with words, And yes, I absolutely love immersing myself in stories.


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

VC: Undoubtedly I would invite Astrid Lindgren, the “mother” of Pippi Longstocking, Harper Lee, Gerald Durrell and Italo Calvino. I grew up with them and I would have a lot to ask, assuming I was able to bring myself to utter a word in such company! And then I would also add George Simenon, Alda Merini and Fruttero & Lucentini… There’s nothing like a big dinner party!


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

VC: I’m rereading THE SUNDAY WOMAN by Fruttero & Lucentini. I love rereading the books I loved, to enjoy the details, the nuances and savor how they always appears different, perhaps because I myself have changed, and this little magic moves me. Every time.

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

VC: Besides reading, which is my “room all to myself”, where I cleanse myself of thoughts by immersing myself in stories that are not mine, I love photography, walking in the woods and cooking. The latter, however, only when it is outside of the obligatory meals of every day and I can do it for pure enjoyment. I also always wanted to learn to build furniture and learn basic English, learn how to whistle properly, dance the tango, walk on heels without looking like an ostrich or breaking a leg, glaze a Sacher Torte, sing “At Last” like Etta James and many other “one day I will learn to…” I won’t bore you about… I’ll just tell you that to date there are 72 of them.


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

VC: Yeast, to make bread (as a Ligurian I can’t imagine being without focaccia); apples, which I love in all shapes and colors; yogurt, which, with the next ingredient can be transformed into something rapturous, and lots and lots of dark chocolate, both in winter and summer… after all, black goes with everything, right?


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

VC: I’m working on Edna Silvera’s third adventure and they have asked me to write a mystery for children, which will see the light in the second part of 2025. With this latest venture, I’ll explore a different publishing world and I’m very excited about it.

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

VC: The excitement mixed with emotion when you have the freshly printed copy of your new book in your hands and every time it’s as if it were the first time; the moment when you re-read yourself and you ask yourself “did I really write that?”

I also never get over the wonder of seeing my name combined with the term “author”, because after fourteen books it still seems like a title that belongs to someone like Augusto De Angelis or Italo Calvino rather than me. And above all I carry with me the interactions I have had with other people because of my writing, the readers, other authors, even publishers like the wonderful Chiara Giacobbe who I now consider a good friend! That’s what I love most. Someone said that books are like bridges capable of uniting and creating bonds and now I can assure you that it’s really true. 

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

Review

PENTIMENTO MORI by Valeria Corciolani
The First Edna Silvera Mystery

 

An art historian and restorer Edna Silvera has little patience for academia…and everything else for that matter. Though she’d rather stay at home with her cat and chickens, she’s talked into representing the university at the Siestri Dante Festival. She immediately regrets that decision, as she deals with winding roads, bureaucracy, bad weather, and a dead body! The discovery of a medieval polyptych with some unusual aspects has her captivated. Now if she can unravel the mystery of the painting she just may solve a murder. A task that may prove easier than finding a new housekeeper for her cantankerous mother.

 

PENTIMENTO MORI was a joy to read. I only wish I was able to read in Italian as I think I'd get even more wonderful word play and nuances reading in the original language. As it was I enjoyed this translation even with the use of present tense.

 

I really enjoyed Edna Silvera as a protagonist. Perhaps as we're almost the same age I feel quite similarly about many things...having little patience, preferring to be home with my cat, and more. In fact, I enjoyed all of the characters, all of whom were imbued with uniquely memorable characteristics. The first Edna Silvera mystery is also replete with humor. I'm still laughing at the scene where Edna is learning about the row between her mother and her housekeeper. But what really sets this mystery apart is the art history. 

 

I learned so much about medieval painting, art, and symbology by reading this mystery. I found it all fascinating, and vital to the mystery. I really appreciated how Edna was focused on the mystery of the panel, leaving the murder to the police. Of course, both are intrinsically intertwined. It was wonderful seeing the relationship develop between Edna and Public Prosecutor Bassi and how they managed to work together.

Filled with quick witted characters, artistic detail, and plenty of laughs PENTIMENTO MORI is a fantastic start to a new series. I can't wait to see what happens next!