I'm currently reading The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets by S. K. Golden. This is the third book in the Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series and will be released next week.
Though she'd prefer to be in her room at the Pinnacle Hotel with just her pets as companions, Evelyn Murphy has agreed to eat lunch in the Gold Room with her friend Henry. While admiring a tiara that was just delivered to her, ladies at a nearby table ask her to join them. As the hotel owner's daughter, Evelyn graciously sits with them and is soon given a sales pitch from Lois Mitchel, leader of the Ladies Love to Sparkle. As Evelyn peruses their costume jewelry catalog, Lois suddenly collapses. While it looks as if Lois suffered from a deadly allergic reaction, Evelyn's first thought is murder. While Evelyn Murphy has great difficulty with many aspects of her life, one thing she does well is find things...and that includes murderers.
I'm pleased to allow Diana Cameron to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can read about Diana in Hiding the Witness by Deena Alexander.
A Day in my Life By Diana Cameron
Until recently, my life was fairly routine. I can’t say boring, because I enjoy being a firefighter in Upstate New York, but since fleeing my home in Florida after a catastrophic break-up that led to the deaths of people close to me, I prefer quiet time. I like living in a remote area of the mountains, working with the few people I’ve come to trust to have my back, and trying to save as many people as possible. I can never make up for the lives that were lost, but at least I can try to save others.
But now, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do so. On my way home from work in the middle of the night, an explosion rocked the mountain. I ran toward the burning cabin to see if anyone was there and could be saved. When I went inside, I found a couple who’d been shot and a young child who appeared unharmed. Unfortunately, when I emerged from the cabin with the little girl in my arms, a sniper opened fire.
When the sheriff showed up, who also happens to be my only truly close friend, she insisted on providing protection—in the form of her overbearing brother—for both me and the child. I honestly didn’t think I needed a bodyguard, until the gunmen showed up at the hospital and opened fire with no regard for collateral damage.
Now, Chase and I are on the run with a little girl we haven’t been able to identify and no clue why someone is trying to kill her. To top it all off, both of us have trust issues. And we both want to do things our own way, which is fine when our ideas align, not so much when they don’t. But as we flee into the wilderness, I know we’re going to have to find a way to work together if we’re going to survive.
Hiding the Witness (Love Inspired Suspense) Inspirational Romantic Suspense Number in Series – Jameson Investigations #2 Setting - Upstate New York Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense; Original edition (February 25, 2025) Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
Rescuing a child makes her a killer’s target.
Racing into a burning cabin to search for survivors, firefighter Diana Cameron stumbles upon an unconscious child—and two bodies with bullet wounds. When a sniper targets their narrow escape, Diana has no choice but to team up with bodyguard Chase Mitchell to keep the little girl safe. Uncovering the identity of the murder victims is the only way to find the killer. But as they’re chased by gunmen into the mountain wilderness, can they protect a tiny witness from the unknown…when the truth is more sinister than they imagined?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
About Deena Alexander
Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena's love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn't sleep through the night, and she now works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor.
A SIDE DISH OF DEATH by T. C. LoTempio The Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery
Fox Hollow is abuzz about the murder mystery fundraiser to promote adopt-a-cat month and support the Fox Hollow Shelter. Celebrity chef Reynoldo Venery is overseeing the food preparation and not even a hurricane predicted for that night will stop people from coming to the sold out event. Shell McMillan, owner of the Urban Tails Pet Shop and former star of Spy
Anyone, is ready to enjoy the evening with her homicide detective boyfriend, Josh, with her cats acting as ambassadors, despite the fact that Patrick, her cheating ex fiance is in town. But when the storm knocks the power out at the event Shell finds a dead body...a real dead body. Someone has killed the temperamental chef! Although Josh immediately takes charge, with her ex a prime suspect Shell and her former television partner Gary can't help but start their own investigation. With some shrewd deductions and feline help will they solve another murder?
I was thrilled to be back in Fox Hollow for one of my favorite series. I really love the characters of the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries. Though former television stars, both Shell and Gary are down to earth people I would love to have as friends. They are smart and work well together. They also prove that men and women can just be friends without any romance! I like their significant others as well and hope that Shell and Josh will be able to share some non murderous time together. Of course, my favorite characters are the cats! While Kahlua and the visiting Serendipity are lovely, it's Purraday and
Princess Fuzzypants who truly are the stars of the show. I also have a soft spot for Dahlia!
The mystery itself was confounding with multiple possible motives. Limiting the number of suspects in this closed circle mystery didn't make solving the murder any easier. I enjoyed how Shell used the resources at hand to get to the bottom of things.
With smart humans and even smarter cats A SIDE DISH OF DEATH is a fast paced closed circle mystery that promotes cat rescue. A volatile chef, a hurricane, and murder make this one fundraiser that won't soon be forgotten!
When a celebrity chef is murdered, Shell McMillan has to cook up a plan to trap the killer of a man for all seasonings . . .
With adopt-a-cat month in full swing in Fox Hollow, pet shop owner Shell McMillan decides that hosting a night of murder mystery dinner theater will be a fun way to raise funds for the cause. But she didn’t realize that the celebrity chef she’d hired for the event would turn out to be a tyrannical snob, or that her scoundrel of an ex-fiancé would turn up with his own shady agenda. Still, the show must go on, and as the lighthearted plot on-stage unfolds, the scene off-stage turns decidedly darker when the chef is found murdered.
Rather than question an entire roomful of possible suspects, Shell determines that looking into the victim’s past will lead her to the culprit more quickly. What she finds is that the chef had left behind a disreputable past and a trail of disgruntled people, including a long string of women he’d wronged and a host of others who may have been out for revenge. But as Shell closes in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her. And she’s discovering that while too many cooks can spoil the broth, being a murderer’s next target can really ruin your appetite . . .
About Toni Lotempio
While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing. They also write the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries and the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mysteries, also available from Beyond the Page. A new series, Cozy Bookshop Mysteries, debuts from Severn House in July. Catch up with them at ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, or her website, www.tclotempio.net
BYE BYE BLACKBIRD by Elizabeth Crowens The Second Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery
The Private Investigator office of Babs Norman is overrun with critters,
big dogs, kittens, and birds! While unexpected guests have become the
norm, Babs and her business partner, Guy, are unprepared when a woman falls
into their office-dead. Adding to the confusion Humphrey Bogart enters
with a dead bird. With low funds and an unknown dead woman Babs takes
Bogart's case. As if one dead bird in a canopic jar isn't enough, bird
references and more dead birds start to plague the stars filming The Maltese Falcon. Is someone trying to halt the movie's production, or is something even more sinister at play?
In July of 1941 World War II is raging in Europe, but the United States has not joined the fighting. In the California heat Babs and Guy begin a most unusual case. People are receiving dead birds in odd ways, there are other bird references, plus more than one dead human body. As with the first book in the series a multitude of Hollywood stars inhabit the pages. In this case it's Humphrey Bogart who has the leading role. I love reading about all of the classic film stars and learning more about their personal lives. Some tidbits I knew about, Peter Lorre, some I didn't, Mary Astor, and I enjoyed seeing more of Sydney Greenstreet. The problem, though, is the large volume of characters. It's as if every star remotely involved in Hollywood had to make an appearance.
The mystery was puzzling and the pace consequently slow. It was also a bit bizarre with people being "birded". I certainly didn't like Detective Allgood and was surprised at Babs' dealings with him. Some of the subplots seemed unnecessary, the trip to see her mother, for example. I do like the fact that the book started in July and ended in December, a more realistic timeline for a murder mystery. I love the addition of all of the rescued animals along with the humor they bring. I really liked Chief Crow-Feather and am concerned about Babs' Japanese housemate!
BYE BYE BLACKBIRD highlights The Maltese Falcon in a star studded WWII era mystery combining fact and fiction in a unique tale.
In the summer of 1941, Hollywood heats up again when Humphrey Bogart arrives right after a female corpse with a dead bird stuffed inside her overcoat topples into the office of B. Norman Investigations. While filming The Maltese Falcon, Bogie found a mysterious ancient Egyptian hawk artifact on his doorstep containing a mummified black bird. Someone with dark intentions threatens the main cast, one by one, leaving dead birds, from crows to falcons, as their calling cards.
While more murders pile up, jeopardizing the film from being finished, Bogie hires private eyes Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, infuriating his volatile third wife, Mayo Methot, or Sluggy, as she’s known in some circles. Unraveling the personal lives of Mary Astor, John Huston, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook, Jr., Peter Lorre, and Jack L. Warner in their quirky, humorous way, the PIs turn the underbelly of Tinseltown upside down to stop the crazed killer from claiming another victim.
Praise for Bye Bye Blackbird:
"No author can seamlessly blend Hollywood history with and engaging mystery yarn better than Elizabeth Crowens. It’s a jaunty tale that could have been lifted from a Warner Bros. screenplay with all the principals from the studio’s famed stock company: The Maltese Falcon, Bogie, Mary Astor, Greenstreet, John Huston, and Jack L. Warner. Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride through 1940s Hollywood!" ~ Alan K. Rode, film historian and author, Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film
"Crowens does it again with Bye Bye Blackbird. Babs, Brandt, and Bogart make this rocking novel the stuff dreams are made of." ~ Reed Farrel Coleman. New York Times bestselling author of Blind to Midnight
"It’s like someone shook a movie projector and out tumbled Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and a duo from a struggling PI agency bringing all the lighthearted fun of a 1940’s Hollywood mystery. That someone is Elizabeth Crowens." ~ Tom Straw, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"A creative twist on The Maltese Falcon: Dead birds show up on doorsteps. Humphrey Bogart assumes the role of a real-life Sam Spade, and two young PIs rescue every oddball animal as they investigate. Even the mogul of a major movie studio is no match for a wisecracking myna bird who sounds like a Warner Brothers cartoon. If you’re a fan of Turner Classic Movies and the Golden Age of Hollywood, Bye Bye Blackbird will be sure to entertain." ~ Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Tracy Crosswhite Mystery Series
"Elizabeth Crowens’ Bye Bye Blackbird is a welcome addition to the Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery series. Set during the Golden Age of Hollywood and brimming with depictions of its personalities, Crowens succeeds in bringing Old Hollywood to life and offering readers another thoroughly entertaining installment to this series." ~ Annette Bochenek, Ph.D., author of the Hometowns to Hollywood series
"A delectable mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Elizabeth Crowens Bye Bye Blackbird is a fantastic addition to her Babs Norman series with a treat of a cast featuring Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and other screen legends from the era brought to stunning life." ~ Lee Matthew Goldberg, award-nominated author of The Great Gimmelmans and The Mentor
Bye Bye Blackbird Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Golden Age of Hollywood Private Investigator novel with satire Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: January 28, 2025 Number of Pages: 340 Series: Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery, Book 2 | Each is a Stand-Alone Mystery Book Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 1
Look at the Birdie!
Hollywood 1941
On Friday, July 4th, only the most essential, dedicated, or insane Los Angelenos punched the clock. Established businesses that usually stayed open closed early that afternoon. For the fledgling ones, like the young private detectives at B. Norman Investigations, there would be no weenie roasts, barbeques, or national holiday celebrations. Death would soon follow. Every electric fan they owned hummed its own tune. Between the fan blades whirring and the cats purring, panting dogs, who could qualify as hotdogs, an injured pelican with its wing in a sling, and their janitor’s wisecracking myna bird, the whole kit and caboodle at Hollywood Boulevard and N. Sycamore resembled a cross between the Humane Society and the Griffith Park Zoo.
Guy Brandt, more detective-partner than secretary, manned the desk upfront. On top of it: a shoebox of magazine clippings, scissors, and a stack of The Times and Herald-Examiner. He undid one more button on his clammy, sweat-stained shirt, flung his tie onto their hat rack, and took a swig of his warm Nehi orange soda, already flat. He hoped to find new clients from newspaper leads but wasn’t getting anywhere. Babs Norman, who always had every pin curl in place, patted off her sticky forehead with a handkerchief. Way beyond a simple touch-up with powder and fresh lipstick, only a masterful makeup wizard, like Perc Westmore, could bring new life to this wilted flower.
“Wouldn’t it be fine and dandy if we could afford to run an ad at least once a week saying that we’re private detectives, specializing in discreet celebrity cases?” she asked.
An adventurous kitten, who strayed from the pack, latched on to Guy’s sock and started to climb his leg. “Maybe we should ask if we can put a note in the downstairs lobby that we’re also a pet adoption service.” He unhooked its claws, returning him to his mama.
“You think that would pay off our debts?”
“Do you always have to sound like a broken record?” An Irish Wolfhound, in need of a bath, sauntered in from the doorway between the two offices. He went up to Guy and plopped his oversized, hairy head into his lap. “Dog days not agreeing with you, Sir Henry?” After rubbing the furry beast’s head, he went to their icebox and plopped chunks of ice in the various water bowls scattered around both rooms. Several prostrated cats laid on their backs, trying to find coolness on the linoleum floor.
From under his pile of clippings, he fished out a copy of Black Mask. Babs, with a wooden clothespin clamping her nostrils shut and carrying an odiferous box of shredded newspapers, walked into his office and stopped short when she caught him reading the pulp. “You think we’re going to find our next client from detective fiction? We need another high-profile case like when we rescued Asta, so MGM could go into production on their next Thin Man film. They paid us an unheard-of amount of money…until you lost it all.”
“Stop being such a sourpuss.” He refused to give her eye contact.
“Do you think I’m enjoying spending time in our stifling office? I’d rather be at the beach with the man of my dreams.” Her inflection had a hint of sarcasm.
“Who’s the lucky fella?”
She went over to their monstrous dog and kissed him on the nose. “Looks like it’s you, Sir Henry of the Baskervilles. Instead of my frog prince, you’re my dog prince. Ah, you’re such a good boy.” She stared at the bulldog in the corner. “But we really need to paper-train Bruno.”
Their adopted bulldog whined. “You hurt his feelings,” Guy said. “Give him a good scratch behind his ears and apologize.”
She scowled. “I’ll give him two more weeks, and it’ll be your job to train him. Otherwise, he can go back to Wiggins, and I don’t care if one of his kids breaks out in hives.” She headed out the door to dump the litter.
* * *
“Our phone rang twice while you were out,” Guy said. “But Wiggins’ stupid bird answered before I could.”
“Hello, sucker!” the myna bird cackled. “Down for the count…1…2…3. Knocked him in the kisser, didn’t ya?”
“By the time I picked up the receiver, whoever it was hung up,” he explained.
“It’s hard to believe a bird can be so smart,” Babs muttered.
“Smart-mouthed is more like it,” he said. “Sounds like Jimmy Cagney, who he’s named after. Maybe we should let him earn his keep. The bird can impersonate him at parties.”
Babs stared at the troublemaker. “The person on the other end probably thought it was a prank.” She looked around the room. “Keep it up and…I got a lot of hungry cats and canines who wouldn’t mind a bowlful of myna bird stew.”
Wiggins, the building janitor, propped their front door open, causing their ginger tomcat to disappear into the hallway faster than gunfire. “My wife said the same. What are the two of ya doing here on Independence Day? With the tenants gone, I heard yer bickering all the way in the basement. Sounded like a married couple in divorce court. How did ya get in?”
“We had an extra set of keys,” Guy said.
Wiggins planted his hands on his hips. “More like makin’ a copy of my set while my back was turned. There’s no foolin’ me. Come on now. Who’ll be the first to confess?”
Both detectives buried their noses in their newspapers.
“All right, if none of ya willin’ to come clean, why aren’t you out having fun?”
“Paying our overdue office rent is my idea of fun,” Babs replied.
Wiggins looked confused. Guy explained, “We’re hurting. Nothing but small potatoes since retrieving our dognapped canine stars.”
“We might be forced to move out, if we don’t land a decent case,” said Babs. “I’m not looking forward to setting up shop at my house.”
Wiggins inhaled but choked. “You make sure you keep this place spic-and-span. If your neighbors start belly achin’…”
From inside his desk, Guy took out a sardine from its wax paper wrapping and tossed it to their pelican.
“Sniff…sniff… If you don’t get rid of this stench,” Wiggins continued, “my boss’ll make sure he throws you out on your arse.”
She plucked a bottle of cheap toilet water from her purse and spritzed the room. “Better now?”
Wiggins pointed toward the exit. “Goin’ after that mouser. Left the back door open to the alley downstairs. He’s liable to slip out and get lost forever.”
Babs handed her partner a feather duster. “Do something.” Then she returned to her lair with a stack of discarded tabloids to make fresh litter and to do her own skewed interpretation of housekeeping.
Guy reset their wall clock, which was a few hours behind the last time they had a power outage, and gave the reception area the minimal once-over by removing accumulated grime from the top of file cabinets. He was just about to straighten the frame displaying his private investigator’s license, when out of the side of his eye, he noticed a shadow. A large, irregular object leaned against the pebbled glass window of their front door. At first he paid it no mind and continued his cleanup crusade.
When minutes passed and it hadn’t budged, he called out just above a whisper, “Do you mind coming over? Make it quick, but be quiet.”
A startled canary flew out their open transom as Babs breezed toward the front. Guy pointed to the silhouetted figure. “I tidied up, like you asked, but don’t recall hearing anyone approach. This thing…it appeared out of nowhere and hasn’t moved since.”
Babs called out to see if it was Wiggins, but whomever it was didn’t respond. She inquired again. “The door is open. Come on in. We’re too hot and tired for practical jokes.”
With a nod, she gave Guy the go-ahead to open the door, but when he did, a young woman they’d never seen before, wearing a hat and an oversized coat despite the heatwave, fell face-forward onto the floor.
“The casting office is on the fourth floor,” Babs said, until she realized the lady hadn’t moved or said a word. Horrified, she squealed and froze in place.
Guy, also shaking, reached for the phone and called Wiggins’ downstairs office. His voice broke up. “Come up—pronto!”
As soon as he put down the receiver, she demanded he call the cops. Without thinking, she leapt up on a wooden chair as if she’d seen a mouse. Her legs wobbled, and she continued to holler.
Wiggins returned, heaving as if he had skipped waiting for the elevator and sprinted up the stairs. He had the missing tomcat draped over his shoulders. “Heard screams echoing down the hallway. You better keep better tabs on your tabbies. What the blarney did ya think was so important—Holy moly! Mary, Mother of God!”
Guy poked the stranger with his feather duster. Not having any luck, Wiggins, who was bigger than the two detectives combined, got a firm toehold with his work boots and rolled her onto her back. All three stared at the stiff.
“Oh, she’s dead alright,” Wiggins assured them. “Ever seen her before?”
Both PIs shook their heads. Guy tiptoed around the corpse and closed the front door. Wiggins fended off their curious menagerie.
“Something dark and…fea-ther-y is protruding from her coat. Like she was trying to conceal whatever she was carrying.” Babs wrinkled her nose. “Smells like she or someone else doused her with…men’s cologne. Not flowery enough to be one a lady would wear. Wiggins, how do you think she got in?”
“Through the back-alley door, I suppose, ’cause I locked the front. Could’ve snuck in and been here a while. Maybe passed out in a stairwell while my back was turned and crawled up to your floor before she expired.”
Guy paced the room and checked the clock. “The cops seem to be taking their time.” He pulled a flask from his file cabinet and took a swig. He offered some to Babs, but she declined.
Wiggins wrested the flask out of Guy’s hand and finished it to the last drop. “Sure as hell, this would have to happen on a holiday when the police are short-staffed.” He took a swatter from off the wall and clobbered a pesky fly that landed on the stranger’s ear. Babs trembled.
“She can feel it no more than if you were all doped up at the dentist,” Wiggins said.
Babs commented that the police could examine the body. She wasn’t touching it.
Guy suggested to Wiggins to wait for the cops downstairs. “They’ll need you to unlock the building.”
Keeping his distance, Guy asked, “Babs, how do you think she died?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” She made it clear she wasn’t even interested in slipping on gloves to search for an ID.
He suggested that this could be the lead they’ve been looking for. She didn’t see it that way. “This is no way to spend a holiday. Let the police and the medical examiner do their jobs. They’ve expressed they don’t want us meddling in their homicide cases, anyway. I just want her out of here.”
Soon, they heard footsteps and the sound of crunching paper. She took for granted the cops had arrived. “Come in. It’s unlocked.”
She and her partner didn’t make a move until the front door creaked open.
Instead of the police, Humphrey Bogart stood there holding a parcel haphazardly wrapped in brown paper and twine. “I called twice. Assumed you had an answering service to leave a message. Dialed the right number, but someone with a peculiar voice like a Warner Brothers cartoon picked up. When I tried to explain my predicament, he mocked me and cracked a few jokes. Figured I better stop over.”
“How did you get into our building?” Guy asked.
“Your janitor recognized me. When I asked to see you, he figured I was harmless. He said he was waiting for—” Babs interrupted his train of thought. Still standing on the chair, she covered her eyes with one hand and pointed to the floor without making a sound. Bogie backed up. The blood drained from his face. “Whoa! Guess he wasn’t kidding when he said he was expecting the cops.”
A black cat jumped on top of the victim and started making biscuits. “Oh, no, you don’t.” Guy bent down to throw him off.
“Wh-a-a-t happened?” Bogie’s words came out choppy.
Babs regained her voice, which, at first, came out in squeaks. “Not sure. What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for a private investigator. You came highly recommended as some of the best private dicks in town.”
Babs flushed. She preferred a more ladylike elucidation. With no further introductions needed, she ushered Bogart into her office, and Guy followed, grabbing a notepad off his desk. Even though she hated staring at the corpse, she kept her door open to keep an eye out for the police. She kept reminding herself to take deep breaths and not to panic.
“Do you mind clearing your desk?” Bogie held out his parcel. “I’d like to show you what I found on my doorstep this morning.”
With one fell swoop of her arm, the papers went into a spare box, which Babs said she’d sort through later. Bogart put his parcel down on her desk and fanned out his jacket.
“I guess we can skip formalities when the weather beats us into submission. Mind if I take this off?” His shirt was soaked. “This has been one of those days where I’ve felt like an omelet slapped on the Devil’s griddle.”
Babs identified his mysterious object as a museum replica of an ancient Egyptian canopic jar of Horus, the Hawk, the offspring of Isis and Osiris.
“This is much smaller and lighter than the falcon prop in our movie. Ours is about forty-seven pounds of lead. If you dropped it, you could break someone’s toe.” Bogie lifted its lid and revealed a mummified object. Taking special care, he unwrapped its gauze, stained but far from looking ancient, to reveal a sizable dead crow.
“I have no idea what this is supposed to symbolize, but now it looks like I’ve got competition from what’s in your front room as to which gives me the worst case of the heebie-jeebies,” Bogie remarked.
Guy pulled the privacy shades down on the pebbled glass windows on the walls and door separating the front office from her inner sanctum. “One would presume to find a dead falcon, not a raven, considering you’re in the middle of production for The Maltese Falcon.”
* * *
Excerpt from Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens. Copyright 2025 by Elizabeth Crowens. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Crowens. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Crowens is bi-coastal between Los Angeles and New York. For over thirty years, she has worn many hats in the entertainment industry, contributed stories to Black Belt, Black Gate, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazines, Hell’s Heart, and the Bram Stoker-nominated A New York State of Fright, and has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook.
Awards include: Leo B. Burstein Scholarship from the MWA-NY Chapter, New York Foundation of the Arts grant to publish the anthology New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst (no longer in print), Eric Hoffer Award, Glimmer Train Awards Honorable Mention, Killer Nashville Claymore Award Finalist, two Grand prize, six First prize, and multiple Finalist Chanticleer Awards. Crowens writes multi-genre alternate history and historical Hollywood mysteries.
I'm currently reading Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens. This is the second book in the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series and was released last month.
The Private Investigator office of Babs Norman is overrun with critters, big dogs, kittens, and birds! While unexpected guests have become the norm, Babs and her secretary, Guy, are unprepared when a woman falls into their office-dead. Adding to the confusion Humphrey Bogart enters with a dead bird. With low funds and an unknown dead woman Babs takes Bogart's case. As if one dead bird in a canopic jar isn't enough, bird references and more dead birds start to plague the stars filming The Maltese Falcon. Is someone trying to halt the movie's production, or is something even more sinister at play?
I'm pleased to welcome Kelly Oliver back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Kelly writes the Detection Club Mystery series. THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE CONSPIRACY is the first book in the series and was released last week.
Kathy: THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE CONSPIRACY finds Agatha Christie a suspect in the murder of a member of the Detection Club. Why choose to work a mystery around this beloved figure?
KO: Because I love her too! And she is such an interesting character. When we think of Agatha Christie, we think of a matronly English lady, always smiling. But Agatha Christie was an adventurer. She went surfing in Hawaii, worked on archeological digs in the Middle East, and traveled the world. She suffered from depression after her first husband left her for his secretary. And in the middle of all this living, she wrote cleverly plotted mystery novels, earning her the moniker the Queen of Mystery.
She was an important member of the Detection Club. But my novel features other interesting members, too. Both Dorothy L. Sayers and Gilbert Chesterton are quite the characters with fascinating lives. And the club itself is so fun with its silly rituals and secret oaths.
Kathy: Is it easier or more of a challenge writing true historical people as characters in your books?
KO: Yes and no. I absolutely adore writing historical fiction. I love learning about figures from history, especially interesting women. My Fiona Figg Mystery series is devoted to reclaiming important women from the dustbin of history and bringing them to life in fiction. That series features women who did amazing things that we rarely hear about, like Mileva Einstein (Albert’s wife who collaborated on all his early and most important theories and publications) or the Dutch dancer Margaretha Geertruida Zelle aka Mata Hari who was falsely accused of espionage and betrayal or Lizzy Lind one of the first animal rights activists in England.
So, although they are by no means forgotten by history, it made sense for me to celebrate the Queens of Mystery in this way too.
Kathy: The Detection Club was a real club. If it were to exist today, would you want to be a member?
KO: Actually, the Detection Club does still exist today. Some of the world’s most established mystery writers are members and they still meet for supper in London. The current president is Martin Edwards.
And yeah, I would LOVE to be a member of that elite group.
Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?
KO: Yes. When reading about the Detection Club, I discovered that some members were very upset with Agatha Christie’s breakout novel THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. They didn’t think it played fair with the reader.
The Detection Club made members swear an oath to play fair with the reader and not use any trick solutions. The reader had to have enough clues to solve the mystery. Some felt Agatha Christie’s unreliable narrator was not fair. A few even proposed expelling her from the club!
That is the kernel around which I built this story.
Kathy: 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?
KO: I guess I’m a “plantser,” a combination of plotter and pantser, but more of a pantser. My “outlines” are often just a few lines scribbled on a napkin that get expanded into a slight page with one sentence chapter descriptions. And I never ever stick to my original plans. Lots of things change while I write. That’s why editing is one of the most important and magical parts of the writing process for me!
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?
KO: I love playing on Bookbrush making graphics. It’s a fun break from writing. Doing interviews like this one and guest blog posts is also a lot of fun! Anything to talk about the books. All of my historical mysteries include characters inspired by or based on real-life people, so I love talking about the fun facts I learned while doing research.
For example, during WW1 the British declared tea a “weapon of war” and protected commodity because it was necessary to camouflage the nasty taste of petrol in the cans used to carry water to soldiers at the front.
While I do enjoy marketing, it does take A LOT of time, which means time away from writing. It’s a bit stressful to keep all the balls in the air juggling writing, promoting, editing, marketing, etc. But it is also fun and keeps me off the streets (figuratively speaking since it doesn’t pay enough to keep a roof over my head, unless maybe I moved to a chicken coop).
Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?
KO: The ninth book in the Fiona Figg Mystery series (historical cozies), POISON IN PICCADILLY, came out recently. It features Edith Garrud who taught the suffragettes a form of jujitsu that became known as suffrajitsu. Other important suffragettes like Sylvia Pankhurst show up too. It’s fun.
Currently, I’m finishing the second book in the Detection Club Mysteries, THE CASE OF BLACKMAIL ON THE BLUE TRAIN, which is inspired by a secret Dorothy Sayers took to her grave. I had such an intriguing trip to the Dorothy Sayer archives at the Wade Center at Wheaton College where I read her personal letters and found out more about her secret and the lengths she went to in order to keep it secret. THE CASE OF BLACKMAIL ON THE BLUE TRAIN will be out in the Fall.
THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE CONSPIRACY by Kelly Oliver The First Detection Club Mystery
Tragedy has left Eliza Baker listless and unmotivated, living and being supported by her younger sister, Jane. Forced to find a job, Eliza has an interview for the position of secretary to the secretary of The Detection Club. While Eliza thinks these crime writers are a bunch of silly people, her sister believes someone in the group is selling state secrets and wants Eliza to find out who the traitor is. All Eliza finds are a dictatorial boss in the person of Dorothy Sayers and a bunch of squabbling writers playing games. But on the night of her friend Theo's initiation to the club another member winds up dead. The next day Agatha Christie goes missing. A sign of guilt as the victim was trying to expel her from the club? Eliza is determined to not only solve the murder, but find the missing author.
I love historical mysteries and one in which Agatha Christie as a murder suspect? Yes, please. Being somewhat familiar with the Detection Club and its rituals, I was delighted seeing it and them in action...and enjoyed watching Eliza having to gather some of the rather unusual props. Eliza is a unique protagonist. She's smart with a scientific and logical mind. She finds the authors childish and their books just as bad. I like the relationship between her and Theo Sharp which could be likened to a chess match, except each player thinks they're playing a different game!
While I found activities surrounding the Detection Club and its members pretty much spot on one comment did throw me. A character was described looking just like Santa Claus. But this is England, he should be described as looking like Father Christmas! Still, I enjoyed being in England in the 1920s and am looking forward to watching Eliza evolve.
THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE CONSPIRACY brings together some favorite authors from the golden age of detective fiction along with some memorable new characters in a devilishly clever mystery.
Agatha Christie is about to embark on a new, gripping murder case. But this time, she’s not the author – she’s a suspect…
1926 – Christie is a darling of the literary circuit and the most desired guest in London’s glittering social scene. She can often be found at meetings of the Detection Club – where mystery writers come together to share ideas, swap secrets and drink copiously. But then a fellow author's initiation ceremony takes a gruesome turn, and one of the group ends up dead. Now, Agatha is no longer just the creator of great mystery plots – she’s a player in one.
And when Agatha disappears the day after the murder, she’s widely assumed to be guilty. Only Eliza Baker, assistant to the Club’s enigmatic secretary, Dorothy Sayers, is interested in investigating the case. But in a world where murder is the ultimate plot device, can Eliza piece together the evidence and find the killer before it’s too late?
About Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries (7-book contemporary suspense); The Pet Detective Mysteries (3-book middle grade); The Fiona Figg Mysteries (9-book historical cozies).
The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, the first in her new series The Detection Club Mysteries just came out (February 2025).
Kelly is Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. And currently, she is the Immediate Past President of Sisters in Crime. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.
I'm pleased to welcome Rose Kerr to Cozy Up With Kathy today Rose writes the Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery series. DEATH AT THE SCOTTISH BROCH is the first book in the series.
Kathy: In DEATH AT THE SCOTTISH BROCH we meet Dr. Mia Reid, an archaeologist. I've always been interested in archeology. Has this been an interest of yours even before writing this series?
RK: I’ve been interested in archaeology since I read Agatha Christie’s MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA. My university studies took me in a different direction, but I still enjoyed hearing about archaeology. A few years ago, I took online courses in archaeology and in antiquity smuggling through Open Learn University. The courses helped me understand archaeology and the work of an archaeologist better. I’ve attended webinars and took more online courses. While taking the courses, I decided I wanted to write about a modern-day archaeologist, who will have to deal with artifact smuggling. It’s been fun learning about this career.
Kathy: This mystery is set on the Isle of Skye. Why choose this location for your series opener?
RK: I wanted the first book to be set outside of North America. Mia and Luke need to reconnect, and this was the way I could bring them together. I choose Scotland because the country has always fascinated me. And the Isle of Skye because it’s an island, atmospheric, and a beautiful part of the world.
Kathy: Mia and her team uncover a treasure with ties to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Were you familiar with this royal prior to writing this book?
RK: Not as much as I am now. My local librarians provided me with excellent reference materials on Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Jacobites, and his role in Scotland’s history. I read six books to gather as much information as I could about this royal and found reputable websites to find more information and photos.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
RK: I enjoy reading a mystery where I can solve the puzzle alongside the amateur sleuth. The supporting cast of characters often brings in many personalities that play off each other, often adding humor to the story. And there’s a satisfying ending when the criminal is brought to justice. I also like that there isn’t any violence on the page.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
RK: No, I’ve tried, but mysteries are the ones I enjoy.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
RK: Archaeologist, Dr. Mia Reid, loves digging up history. But when murder and smuggling interrupts her work, she turns her instincts and puzzle solving skills to discover who is behind the smuggling and are they the killer.
Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
RK: Mia is my favorite. She’s a strong, smart, independent woman. Close second, is Mia’s Gran, Marie Tremblay. She’s been a powerful influence on Mia throughout her life.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
RK: I wanted my series to feature a modern-day woman archaeologist. The instructor who taught the classes with Open Learn University was a woman, and she had qualities that Mia has as well.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
RK: At first, I just wanted to write a story. Then I joined a writer’s group, and we supported each other’s efforts. They encouraged me to query agents and, with every rejection (there were lots!), they continued to encourage me to keep trying. They were thrilled for me when I signed with my agent and then when I signed my contract.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
RK: Agatha Christie, Janet Evanovich, Vince Flynn, and Robert B. Parker
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
RK: An ARC of GOATS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN, by Janna Rollins
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
RK: I like walking the trails along our waterfront and taking photos, doing Diamond Art painting, reading, and scrapbooking. My husband and I like to explore the area we live in.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
RK: Cheese, pickles, salami, crackers
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
RK: I’m contracted for three books for the Mia Reid series. Hopefully there will be more from Mia. And I’m thinking about a new series that I’ll start working on as soon as book two in the Mia Reid series is done.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
RK: I love meeting readers of all genres. And making up characters and locations!
DEATH AT THE SCOTTISH BROCH by Rose Kerr The First Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery
Professor Mia Reid has finished the Spring semester at Lakeview
University and is ready to depart for a summer dig on the Isle of Skye.
After being cut off while bicycling to work on her last day before
leaving and then being called to the dean's office to be told there will
only be one professor position offered in the fall Mia is more than
ready to join her good friend Ethan in the field. Before she leaves
Canada Ethan tells her of a great find he and his students made and
warns her to be careful. When she and her student arrive at the dig site
in Scotland they find it surrounded by police. Ethan has been killed.
Stunned by the death she's also surprised to find another old friend on
the site. Luke is now working for the Antiquities and Art Recover Team
of Interpol. Could Ethan's death have been caused by a smuggling ring?
With an overzealous sponsor, a sneaky dean, and mysterious strangers Mia
will have to run the dig and protect the students. Will she also find a
treasure and help solve a murder?
I have long been fascinated with archaeology and was delighted to discover a new series featuring an archaeologist. I love how realistic the approach to archaeology was, from the difficulties in academia, the issues with sponsors, and the actual dig itself...not to mention the smugglers. DEATH AT THE SCOTTISH BROCH captured this reality and combined it with an engrossing mystery.
I really like Mia, she's strong, capable, and willing to show her emotions. She's forthright and capable of speaking up for herself. I'm sad that we didn't get to engage with Ethan more, but I enjoyed Mia's reconnection with Luke. I also really like Mia's Gran and hope we get to see more of her in future books.
The first Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery provides a bit of suspense and some thrills along with a solid mystery. I appreciate how Mia works with the local police, and, of course, Interpol in the person of Luke. Readers are given lots of clues along with lots of sketchy behavior.
Snippets of history, characters with depth, and a great setting provide DEATH AT THE SCOTTISH BROCH with a solid basis making it a wonderful start to a new series.
Dr. Mia Reid arrives on the Isle of Skye for a summer dig. She learns her friend and trusted colleague, Dr. Ethan Carter, is dead and valuable artifacts are missing.
Interpol agent and Mia’s former lover, Luke Forbes, is working the case with the police. They suspect murder and a smuggling ring.
Mia and her team uncover a treasure with ties to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Then two students are kidnapped, forcing Mia to trade the treasure for their release. During the rescue, she finds a collection of missing artifacts.
Are the smugglers and kidnappers the same people?
Can she dig up the truth before someone else dies?
About Rose Kerr
Rose Kerr writes cozy mysteries featuring strong, smart, women protagonists who must draw on their wits and resourcefulness to solve the crime.
Rose was born in a small community in Nova Scotia and has traveled across Canada.
More recently, Rose and her husband have moved to Southern Ontario. When she isn’t writing, Rose and her husband enjoy exploring the new region.
In Santa Barbara Detective Kate Flynn is called to the scene of a murder. The body of a woman has been found on a hiking trail, naked without a head, hands, or feet. And a body with no head is not the most unusual aspect of the case. Kate finds herself working with an Anglican monk who is an expert in Celtic studies, a megalomaniac whose ancient journal has been stolen, and the story of two Templar Knights.
TWIST OF TIME is a tale combining two stories, a modern day thriller involving a stolen journal and the story of two Templar Knights, Sir Ursus and Sir Brychan, the author of the missing journal. I've always been interested in the Templar Knights and the historical story was fascinating, keeping me spellbound. The modern aspect was a fast paced thrill ride, with multiple people trying to find the journal and Brother Thomas translating it. Lines are blurred between good and bad-certainly the man who originally had the journal and wanted Brother Thomas to translate it was bad, but what about all of the other people trying to get it? The ending had some major twists and some surprises, two of which did not sit right with me.
One of the more unusual aspects of the book was the psychic aspect. That was a unique and very interesting addition to the plot. I really liked the three main historical characters and Brother Thomas. My opinion of another became tainted by the end. However the character I found most fascinating was Leo. I'd love to learn more about him-what a backstory he must have. While there were many things I liked, and I certainly did enjoy TWIST OF TIME, you can certainly tell it was written by a man. It is not a necessity to continually describe women's breasts. Especially as those descriptions weren't relevant to the character or plot. Also one of those surprises I mentioned. Sigh.
TWIST OF TIME is a fast paced thriller combining history with modern day science.
A fast-paced thriller by Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter, producer, and director Gy Waldron
Detective Sgt. Kate Flynn of the Santa Barbara Police Department is called in to investigate a gruesome decapitation and homicide. Her first clue comes from a most unlikely source: an Anglican monk and Celtic studies expert.
Brother Thomas has been expecting the hand-delivery of a priceless diary of a fourteenth-century Templar Knight, but instead he finds the messenger has been murdered.
Kate and Thomas are pulled deep into a centuries-old mystery with roots in medieval Europe and branches that lead to government intelligence, the Vatican, and a top-secret private lab where untold powers were being alchemized that could alter the face of humanity forever.
It's a race against evil to uncover a plot that could lead them to centuries-old treasure-or to their own demise at the hands of a deranged tech billionaire who has nothing to lose.
With parallel quests for the truth taking place centuries apart, and a touch of mysticism, readers will be taken on a suspenseful journey with one twist after another in Twist of Time, an electrifying novel of intrigue and history.
Readers of thrillers and novels of suspense by Dan Brown, Ken Follett, David Baldacci will savor every surprise in screenwriter Gy Waldron's fiction debut.
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller Published by: First Fruits Publishing Publication Date: August 20, 2024 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 9798869378163 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Author Bio:
Gy Waldron is an Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter, producer, and director who has written chart-topping television sitcoms, dramas, miniseries, and movies. He has created three network series, including The Dukes of Hazzard, and is known for the action-comedy film Moonrunners, which he wrote and directed.He started his writing career in Hollywood working as a staff writer for legendary producer Norman Lear on hit shows such as One Day at a Time. After an eight-year run with The Dukes of Hazzard, he segued into true crime limited series. He received an Emmy Award nomination for the six-hour limited series Billionaire Boys Club, and wrote other projects, including The Menendez Brothers, Brotherhood of the Rose, Innocent Victims, and The Unabomber. His creative work for theater received an American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) Award.In 2024, Gy Waldron received a Grady Fellowship from his alma mater, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia. Whether writing for screen, for the stage, or for readers around the world, Waldron is widely known for his unique blend of action, comedy, and suspense, always leaving audiences highly entertained.With a background of serving in U.S. counterintelligence in Europe, Gy (a.k.a. Gyneth) has written about the fields of intelligence and crime. Stationed in Germany in the late 1950s, he was on the KGB desk working with captured Gestapo files and monitoring CIC (Counter Intelligence Corps) operations against various Communist intelligence services during the Cold War. Additionally, he worked with American operatives in executing orders from U.S. Command.He draws heavily on his experiences when writing fiction. Prior to his career in Hollywood, Gy worked in broadcast television at WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he was a director of specials, sports, and documentaries. Gy worked on many civil rights documentaries and directed feeds to NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report that focused on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his associates.A native Southerner, he now lives in Malibu, California, in a canyon between the mountains and the ocean where he is writing his next novel, Fugue.
I'm currently reading Death at the Scottish Broch by Rose Kerr. This book is the first in the Mia Reid Archaeologist Mystery series.
Professor Mia Reid has finished the Spring semester at Lakeview University and is ready to depart for a summer dig on the Isle of Skye. After being cut off while bicycling to work on her last day before leaving and then being called to the dean's office to be told there will only be one professor position offered in the fall Mia is more than ready to join her good friend Ethan in the field. Before she leaves Canada Ethan tells her of a great find he and his students made and warns her to be careful. When she and her student arrive at the dig site in Scotland they find it surrounded by police. Ethan has been killed. Stunned by the death she's also surprised to find another old friend on the site. Luke is now working for the Antiquities and Art Recover Team of Interpol. Could Ethan's death have been caused by a smuggling ring? With an overzealous sponsor, a sneaky dean, and mysterious strangers Mia will have to run the dig and protect the students. Will she also find a treasure and help solve a murder?
It's been a long time since chef Laura Harris has visited her mentor
Hattie Stenburg. When she finally arrives at the antebellum home she
finds the 93 year old Hattie more fragile, though she's still up for a
pleasant visit. Laura's more shocked at the brusque, almost hostile,
manner of Hattie's caregiver. The bad feeling intensifies so much on her
drive home that she turns around and returns to Hattie's where she
finds the elderly woman dead. Where was the caregiver who promised to
stay the night? Or the groundskeeper? Certain that Hattie's death was
not natural Laura demands answers only to find out that she's become a
suspect. As if dealing with her mentor's death and being a suspect isn't
enough, someone is maligning her friend's bakery and she's receiving
threats telling her to leave Texas. Will Laura find the answers she
seeks? Or will she become the next victim?
Laura Harris' return to Texas isn't quite what she expected. Though she's happy to be close to her father, his girlfriend is another matter. And while she got to see her mentor, the visit didn't go quite as planned. I did like attorney Brent Hill and, of course, I loved Moon Pie. I found
there were more characters I disliked than liked however. Duska is an odd character and I never really understood Laura's relationship with her. They didn't really act like good friends and I don't know why Laura was a silent partner. Interesting relationships and an exciting confrontation between Laura and the killer held my interest though.
An oppressive atmosphere envelops A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT highlighting an interesting mystery.
In the Bluegrass world of oak-cured bourbon, antebellum mansions, and Thoroughbred horse farms are secrets—deadly secrets!
Josiah Reynolds knows this with good reason. She’s solved many a murder, but Josiah prays that she does not stumble across another body. The stress is too much, and she is happy to be invited to a winter sledding party at Haze Corbyn’s home. Corbyn is a former syndicated critic for newspapers and magazines, who retired to the Bluegrass, dabbling in his love of horses.
The party is a kickoff for the Victoria Weathers’ film retrospective at a local theater. Miss Weathers is even coming for the showing of her first movie and Corbyn’s event. Josiah is excited to meet her movie idol, so it comes as a big surprise when Haze Corbyn turns up dead at his own party.
Kentucky is not called “the dark and bloody ground” for nothing!
About Abigail Keam
Abigail Keam is an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author who writes the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a Southern female beekeeper turned amateur sleuth living in the glamorous world of oak-cured bourbon, antebellum mansions, and Thoroughbred farms.
Besides loving history, Kentucky bourbon and chocolate, Abigail loves honeybees and for many years made her living by selling honey at a farmers’ market like her protagonist, Josiah Reynolds. She is an award-winning beekeeper who has won many honey awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award, which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition.
Miss Abigail has taken her knowledge of beekeeping to create a fictional beekeeping protagonist, Josiah Reynolds, who solves murder mysteries in the Bluegrass. While Miss Abigail’s novels are for enjoyment, she discusses the importance of a local sustainable food economy and land management for honeybees and other creatures.
She currently lives on the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters. She still has honeybees.
Tagline – Mystery With A Shot Of Bourbon!
Tagline – There’s justice, and then there is Josiah’s justice!
AWARDS: 2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee 2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers' Favorite for Death By Drowning 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee 2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design 2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking 2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon2 2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery 2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery 2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery - Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery 2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category - Murder Under A Full Moon 2022 Finalist the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category - Murder Under A New Moon 2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery 2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Bridal Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery 2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A British Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery Josiah Reynolds Mysteries Death By A HoneyBee Death By Drowning Death By Bridle Death By Bourbon Death By Lotto Death by Chocolate Death by Haunting Death By Derby Death By Design Death By Malice Death By Drama Death By Stalking Death By Deceit Death By Magic Death By Shock Death By Chance Death By Poison Death By Greed Death By Theft Death By Betrayal Death By Trauma Death By Mistake
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