I'm pleased to welcome G. G. Calpo to Cozy Up With Kathy today. G. G. writes the Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery series. Hook, Line and Murder is the first book in the series and was released earlier this month.
Kathy: In Hook, Line, and Murder we meet Meg, a retired kindergarten teacher. Why choose this profession for your retiree?
GGC: My first writing project was a young adult urban fantasy. I had just finished the first draft of the trilogy and was looking for another writing project that would put my imagination on a different path. At that time, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, and she wasn’t doing well. I was having a hard time accepting that I would lose my sister soon. So when I decided to try my hand at writing cozy mysteries, it felt right to cast my amateur sleuths as retired teachers, specifically retired grade-school teachers, as my sister was.
Kathy: Meg and her friends happen to be women of a certain age. What made you decide on this age instead of younger...or older?
GGC: My mother used to say that she’s always surprised to see a stranger in the mirror when she first wakes up. In her mind, she is forever twenty (ok, maybe thirty) but the mirror says something different. I think the challenges women face resolving this dichotomy, feeling young in your mind and, at the same, feeling old in your body, give a character strength and versatility. And I love writing about strong female characters.
Kathy: Meg and her friends enjoy cozy lunches at Sweet Buns Café. Do you gather with friends at a local eatery as well?
GGC: There’s a local bakery/café nearby where my sister lived, and we used to go there for coffee and pastries. She loved the bread, pastries, and soup. The place was always jam-packed and noisy, but we’d wait to snag a table then settle down for a good long talk.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
GGC: I’m a voracious reader. Have been since my teens, but the cozy mystery genre is one that I keep coming back to, especially in times of stress. I love how cozies draw you into the character’s world so that you end up caring more about the characters than the mystery itself. Don’t get me wrong, I like solving whodunits and I usually tag the least suspicious suspect as the murderer (which I get half-right most times). But the cozy’s characters are what keeps me hooked.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
GGC: I write urban fantasy and have been working on a trilogy for some time. The first book is currently under revision, and the second has a completed first draft. The third and final installment is still at the concept stage.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
GGC: Hook, Line and Murder is Book 1 of The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series, starring a group of retired grade-school teachers who turn amateur sleuths to investigate the murder of a former student. “TOOTH” stands for Teachers Out On The Hunt. The series features an overarching storyline in which Meg—the central protagonist—uncovers clues tied to the unsolved murders of her husband and son. Alongside this larger mystery, each installment spotlights one of the retired teachers becoming entangled in a new murder case, with the rest of the group rallying to help their friend crack the case.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
GGC: Barbara Roker, the retired principal of Post Elementary School, and the self-appointed supervisor of the TOOTH. Beneath her gruff exterior is someone who’s generous with her heart, just don’t make her admit it. The sarcastic, no-nonsense attitude and the constant expectation that everyone should do as she says all come from a desire to protect her loved ones. She has had a lifetime of protecting kids and nurturing their potential. And these instincts never really turn off even in retirement. What makes her so endearing is the contrast: the eye-rolling impatience paired with quiet acts of kindness, and the reluctant teamwork that helps regardless of her misgivings. She may grumble, but when it matters most, she’s there by your side.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
GGC: The series is partly inspired by the life experiences of my sister as an early childhood teacher. The setting is set in fictional coastal towns inspired by real Long Island North Shore communities.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
GGC: It took equal parts courage and curiosity. I’m told many writers doubt their ability to tell a good story – and I count myself in that group. Friends and family loved my writing, but then they would, right? That’s what friends and family are for. So I decided to publish to get a more objective audience. And I’m excited that The Wild Rose Press took me on. It’s a day I would never forget when I read the acceptance email from TWRP.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
GGC: There’s so many to choose from! I’d invite Terry Pratchett, Lois Mcmaster Bujold, Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. Le guin. All four authors write fantasies, and there is only one word to describe their world building: Mesmerizing. I stand in awe of the details each author brings into their fantasy worlds and the consistency and variety. I’d love to sit and listen to them talk about their craft. It takes a very special person to hold a whole world in their mind.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
GGC: I just finished Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz, which I loved for its concept of a book within a book. It’s the third in the series, with the first two (Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders) adapted by Netflix into a series.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
GGC: I read – a lot, anywhere from one to three books weekly, crochet (blankets and sweaters), do latch hook rugs/pillow cases, and watch crime shows on TV. I try to walk about three miles daily. I’ve been psyching myself to take up lightweight training (to stop muscle mass loss), but that hasn’t materialized to date. I’m going to need more chocolate to get me going on that.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
GGC: Chocolate (who doesn’t?), cheese (Manchego preferably), fig preserves (gotta have that with cheese) and, of course, wine (love a good, chilled white wine at day’s end).
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
GGC: Yes! I’m currently finishing the final draft of Book 2 in The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series, and I’m hoping to have it out by the end of 2026. Book 1 of the TOOTH series centered on Edna, while Book 2 is all about Stefan. I’ve also started tossing around storyline ideas for Book 3, which will spotlight Barbara.
Kathy: What’s your favorite thing about being an author?
GGC: It’s watching your characters evolve. I love how an idea sparks a story and how storylines diverge and converge. Sometimes, I surprise myself with how a character resolves a storyline. And how everything ends up, wrapped neatly in a bow, in a novel. That creative journey is very satisfying and fulfilling.
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Hook, Line, and Murder (The Sweet Tooth Murder Mystery) by GG Calpo
About Hook, Line, and Murder
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: February 9, 2026
Print Length: 276 pages
What does Meg, a retired kindergarten teacher, do when the killer of her husband and only child still walks free a year after dirt had covered their graves? Go rogue, of course!
When the detective responsible for Meg’s nightmares takes over the murder investigation of her former student, Meg hunts the killer down with help from her friends. Their cozy lunches at Sweet Buns Café turn into tactical meetings while these retired grade school teachers get themselves in trouble better suited to those in their twenties. And to put the icing on their cream scones, someone is after Meg. Is it the killer? Or has Meg uncovered secrets better left buried with her loved ones?
About GG Calpo
GG Calpo is a retired lawyer and accountant who traded contracts and numbers for the far more enjoyable chaos of fictional crime. Now she writes cozy whodunits featuring warm-hearted golden-aged sleuths who’ve seen it all, heard it all, and will investigate a murder with zero hesitation. She loves stories where the stakes are personal, family, and friendships are paramount, with characters who refuse to follow the outline and endings that pull the rug out. When not plotting twisty crimes—on paper only, of course—she spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows, and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She lives in Central New Jersey with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget. Visit her at www.ggcalpo.com.
Author Links:
Website https://www.ggcalpo.com
Facebook https://facebook.com/gg.calpo
Instagram https://instagram.com/gg.calpo
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/62170493.G_G_Calpo
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