Campfires and Corpses - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Nikki Weber to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Nikki writes the Maine Campground Mystery series. CAMPFIRES AND CORPSES is the first book in the series and was released

 

Kathy: In CAMPFIRES AND CORPSES Noelle Cooper returns to rural Maine to run her family’s campground. I admit I am not a fan of camping, only having gone a handful of times as a kid and then as a young adult. Did you grow up camping? Is it something you love?

NW: Ha! What a great question! I did grow up camping, but I’ve only slept on the ground in a tent a handful of times in my life. My parents purchased a tow-along camping trailer when I was five or six, and that is my preferred method of camping. I am not great at “roughing it”, but I do love the sense of community and camaraderie amongst campers. Also, there are always a lot of dogs around, which makes any day a good day. 


Kathy: Noelle stumbles upon the body of her high school rival. Did you have a rival in high school? Have you met as adults? Hopefully, if you did meet again you didn’t stumble over a body! 

NW: Oooh, another good question. I didn’t have a competitive rival, but there’s a guy that I really didn’t get along with in my larger friend group. Because of the group, we were always invited to the same events and in each other’s company. We’ve seen each other a couple of times in the twenty plus years since high school, and we just politely ignore one another. 


Kathy: Noelle gets help from her podcast-obsessed cousin. Are you a fan of podcasts? If so what type? 

NW: I am! I used to write a podcast recommendation and review blog called Podcast Maniac (that’s a little word play on “Maine”). The website is still live, but I don’t keep up with it these days. The podcast industry went quite “Hollywood” during the pandemic, and it’s difficult to keep up with all that’s out there these days. Some of my favorite podcasts are about books and reading (more on that in a minute), and I also enjoy a hilariously funny podcast on etiquette called Were You Raised By Wolves? 

Kathy: Noelle has an anxious rescue beagle. Why choose a beagle as her pet? Do you have pets of your own? 

NW: I had a beagle-mix growing up, and beagles are still my favorite breed. Noelle’s beagle, Corny, is actually the name I would give to a dog if I had one. The only thing I love more than dogs is traveling, and I don’t think it would be fair to any pet to be left behind so often.

Corny is actually based on many different beagles, specifically the ones who have been born and bred in research facilities. I’m a big fan of Beagle Freedom Project, a California-based organization that advocates for the release of research beagles and an end to animal testing. It’s important to me to draw attention to this practice and the wonderful work that Beagle Freedom Project does. 


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

NW: I first heard about the cozy mystery genre on a podcast! When the host started talking about the small towns and quirky characters, it just felt comforting. And familiar. I immediately imagined a murder mystery in the campground that I’ve been going to all my life.

As I started to research the genre and read a variety of different cozies, I learned that I really like ones that are fast paced, so I aimed to do that with my own series. I also love witty or sassy characters in my books, and cozies always have a few of those! 


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

NW: Not at this time, but I have had a very specific seed of a story in my head for YEARS. I imagine it would fall into literary fiction whenever I figure out how to develop it. I also love a good romcom, so I may try my hand at that some day. 


Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

NW: The Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series takes place in rural Maine, far away from the craggy coast and picturesque lighthouses. It has woodsy, small town, down-to-earth vibes. The books are told from the point of view of Noelle, a down on her luck event planner who has returned to her hometown for the first time in eighteen years. She reconnects with old friends and family, and meets a lot of new, eccentric characters. 


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

NW: There’s a side character named Tom Bosse who I really enjoy writing. Tom is the campground grump. He looks like he’s been living deep in the woods without a hairbrush or clean set of clothes. He has no sense of decorum and would prefer to be left alone. He definitely doesn’t think of himself as part of the “community,” and he would never consider doing a favor for anyone.

It’s fun to write a character who is so completely different from myself and the other fictional characters that I have created. Tom isn’t based on anyone I know, and he’s not representative of most Maine folks, but someone like him could definitely exist at our campground 


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

NW: As I mentioned above, the campground and small-town setting are heavily inspired by the real town my family camps at in Franklin County, Maine. But the characters are not. And that is on purpose. I didn’t want any of the real people in my life to think that characters were based on them. I think it is a slippery slope to have even one character closely based on a real person, because then everyone who reads the book is trying to guess who the other characters are based on.

I went out of my way to ensure that the Cooper family (who is at the center of the series) has a different family unit from my own personal family (different number of siblings, jobs, connections). I also tried to create roles for the characters that are unique and not connected to the real-life version of the campground. 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

NW: Oh, that was not much of a decision. I’m not the kind of person who writes words in private. I have never journaled. When I wanted to express my thoughts and opinions about podcasts, I started a blog and I promoted it to get as many readers as possible. So, when I decided to write a cozy mystery series, it was always with the intention of publishing it for the masses. 


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

NW: Ann Patchett, Fredrik Backman, Julie Mulhern, Nikki Erlich (This took me all of 10 seconds to answer/type.) 


Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

NW: I’m listening to the audio of HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS by Allison Larkin. Her book THE PEOPLE WE KEEP is one of my favorite books of all time.

I’m also reading a big ol’ brick of a book (576 pages) called LOS NUEVE REINOS (The Nine Kingdoms) by Santiago Diaz. It’s a historical fiction book set in Spain that my husband read and told me I must read. The last time he recommended a giant historical fiction book to me (also in Spanish), I loved it, so I had to give this one a try. 


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

NW: I took up tennis about twelve years ago and I really enjoy it. I take lessons and practice more for myself, just for the love of the game. I’m also on year thirty of trying to become fluent in Spanish. I live in Spain for half the year, so it’s sort of an essential skill that shouldn’t be treated as simply an “interest,” but when you spend your days writing and crafting dialogue in English, it’s hard to change the chip in your mind to Spanish. 


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

NW: Medjool dates, hummus, peanut butter, and soymilk.


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

NW: The second book in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery Series is coming out in June. It’s titled WHOOPIE PIES & ALIBIS and is available for preorder now at most stores. The third book, S’MORES & SUSPICION, is due out in October. If there are enough readers out there who like the first three books, I’ll write three more. And, yes, I definitely look forward to starting a new cozy mystery series in the future.

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

NW: That all of the stories in my head actually get out, and other people get to read them! I have always had stories in my head, it’s just how my brain works. It’s not easy putting it all together the way readers expect it, but I enjoy the challenge. 


Kathy: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. 

NW: Thank you very much for having me! I love talking about reading and writing. If your readers have any other questions for me, they can contact me via my website, http://www.nikkiweberbooks.com.

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Review

CAMPFIRES & CORPSES by Nikki Weber
The First Maine Campground Cozy Mystery 

 

Camping has never been Noelle's favorite thing, but after losing her job and apartment in Nashville and with her mother going into a clinical trial in Florida, the timing is right for her to return to her family's campground in rural Maine, if only to stay and run it for the summer. Her arrival isn't off to the best start. Instead of staying in the big house, Noelle learns she's spending the summer in a small camper. Then she breaks up a volatile argument on the beach between a metal detecting camper and an old high school rival, Delilah. Not only that, her ex-boyfriend happens to be the local game warden. Fortunately, her young cousin Mandy has the campground running like a well oiled machine. But as she takes her rescue dog for a walk the next morning, Corny pulls her towards the beach and the very dead body of Delilah. With a burn ban in place and a dead body on the beach Noelle still has to keep her campers happy. And when the state trooper in charge of the investigation sets his eyes on Noelle as the killer she and Mandy will have to discover the real guilty party.

 

I have never been one for camping, but I really like virtual camping and a campground makes the perfect setting. There are new characters coming and going and it's a small accessible site with people easily in each other's space and business. I also like the summertime vibe. I can hear the screen door slamming with kids coming in the tiny office to get ice cream and hear them shrieking with laughter. I like the fact that there are three different types of law enforcement featured: game warden, sheriff, and state trooper. Adding to that dynamic is the fact that the sheriff and trooper are half brothers. Noelle is an interesting protagonist. She's a bit prickly and often speaks before she thinks. I absolutely love the fact that she adopted a beagle formerly used in a research facility and kudos to the author for bringing attention to these poor souls. Corny is a sweet animal learning how to trust and simply be a dog.

 

I enjoyed the mystery; an unpopular victim, a variety of possible motives, lots of suspects, and suspicious behavior by most of them. People lie and not everyone can be trusted. There are lots of interesting personal dynamics as well. I had a feeling who the killer was before Noelle but enjoyed seeing all of the truths come out. An exciting confrontation will have your pulse racing as Noelle and the killer face off.

 

CAMPFIRES & CORPSES provides a good dose of summer fun and danger. You'll be hankering for a Popsicle or yearning for a campfire by the end of this delightful debut!

 

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 Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery by Nikki Weber

About Campfires & Corpses

Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery/ Cozy Animal Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: ‎ Independently published (February 24, 2025)
Paperback: ‎ 282 pages

When the campground becomes the scene of the crime, will Noelle's peaceful summer go up in flames?

Down on her luck event planner Noelle Cooper is returning to rural Maine to do the one thing she swore she would never do: run her family’s campground. But it’s only for the summer, and the timing couldn’t be better–she’s lost her job and has nowhere to live. She hopes that a change of scenery will be the thing she needs to regroup and reinvent herself.

But Noelle’s plans go up in smoke on her first morning back when she stumbles upon the body of her high school rival. She barely has time to process this before she comes face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend, meets the handsome county sheriff, and is questioned by an intimidating state trooper who gives her the creeps.

While she’s busy dealing with a group of pushy campers who insist that the murder means she must cancel the annual bonfire, Noelle becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. She’s convinced that someone is feeding false information to the police and is determined to clear her name.

With the help of her podcast-obsessed cousin, her anxious rescue beagle, and a few eccentric campers, Noelle compiles a list of other suspects and pokes around to uncover the real killer.

Can Noelle prove her innocence before getting tossed in jail? Or is she playing with fire? Read Campfires & Corpses now to find out.

*** This clean, contemporary cozy mystery is set in a small town with quirky characters and lovable dogs. Cozy mystery fans will enjoy dissecting the suspects’ alibis and following the clues along with Noelle and her gang. ***

Here's what you'll LOVE about this series!

These are just a few of the reasons you'll love Campfires & Corpses:

• The story is set in Maine
• During a summer heatwave
• There's a rescue beagle (and other great dog-themed references)
• It all takes place in a campground that's in a tiny town
• There's a fast-paced, page-turning ending

About Nikki Weber

Nikki Weber was born and raised in Maine, and spent her childhood summers camping with her family and their beagle. She loves to read, listen to podcasts, travel, and play tennis. Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery is her first book, and there are many more in the pipeline.

Author Links: 

Website: https://nikkiweberbooks.com/  

Sign Up for Nikki's Newsletter: Join the Cozy Book Club! | Nikki Weber  

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/nikkiweber  

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nikkiweberbooks 

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

Purchase Links Universal Book Link - Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org - Kobo -

 

Night of the Living Bread - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm happy to turn the blog over to Greer Gooder today. You can find Greer on the pages of the Sugar & Spice Mystery series by Mary Lee Ashford. Night of the Living Bread is the fourth book in the series and was released last month.

Hello Cozy Readers,

Greer Gooder here and I’m thrilled someone finally wants to hear from me. I’m not just in Night of the Living Bread as was mentioned above. I’m actually in all the Sugar & Spice Mysteries. You see, I’m Sugar’s landlady. That might sound like an old-fashioned word but I don’t know what the modern version would be so I’m sticking with landlady.

Sugar moved to St. Ignatius, Iowa and started up a community cookbook business with Dixie Spicer, whose family by the way has lived her for generations. About the same time, I got to thinking I was ready to move to a retirement community. After all I’ve been retired for a while. I don’t mind telling you my age. I’m 81, almost 82 though I sure don’t feel it at all. Inside I still feel as young as when my Louis and I bought the place. And though Louie has been gone for years now, I always thought I’d stay in our house until I kicked the bucket. But my friends Freda, Nellie, and Bunny had moved to The Good Life retirement village and they were having so much fun. Potlucks, a book club, cards, and yoga that you do sitting down. The truth is I kind of felt left out.

So the arrangement with Sugar was perfect. It allowed me to make the move and try out The Good Life and it gave her a place to live while she and Dixie attempted to make a go of their business. My new place is smaller but I’ve found I don’t mind having less space to keep up. Less time for cleaning, more time for reading, I say. And Sugar was a-okay with renting as is so I didn’t have to bother with cleaning out all the stuff in my attic. If I need something, the girl hunts it down and brings it to me. That’s the just the kind of person she is – kind, caring, and not afraid to stand up for what’s right. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be like Sugar. I don’t have a daughter, I have a son who is a poop, but that’s another story for another time.

Back to Sugar who is one smart cookie. She and Dixie have been instrumental in helping the local sheriff with a couple of murder investigations and now it seems there’s been another one. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to kill Marla Mercer, our local Historical Society’s board chair. Everyone loved her. But Sugar went to meet her about a cookbook project and found her dead – stabbed with a bread knife. Can you imagine?

I can’t and I read a lot of murder mysteries so I’m pretty versed on possible motives. But I’m sure Sugar and Dixie will get to the bottom of things. They’re that good. And, of course, I’m available to help. 

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 Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries) by Mary Lee Ashford

About Night of the Living Bread

Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Iowa
Publisher: ‎ Oliver Heber Books (May 27, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 223 pages

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are up to their aprons in community cookbook projects, but Sugar can't resist when the Jameson County Historical Society asks for their assistance with a cookbook featuring bread recipes. But they’ve barely begun when suddenly troubles are on the rise. Marla, the board’s president is stabbed with a bread knife, her best friend, Mame, is a suspect & some dough (of the money kind) is missing. As Sugar and Dixie try to save the cookbook project and help Mame, things take a twist with a second body. But what’s the connection? And who in St. Ignatius has been keeping secrets? And, mostly importantly, will Sugar and Dixie be able to figure out whodunnit before the killer catches up with them and they are toast.

About Mary Lee Ashford

Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. Prior to publishing, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.

She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops and blogs about creativity and the writing craft.

She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.

Author Links: 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/maryleeashford1  

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-lee-ashford  

Threads - https://www.threads.net/@authormaryleeashford  

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authormaryleeashford/  

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17806883.Mary_Lee_Ashford

• Purchase Links

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Kobo -  

Book 1 - Game of Scones is FREE now and through this tour. 

 

 

All You Need is Love - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a new release. All You Need is Love by Meg Macy.

 

Blurb:

Longtime friends Jack Riley and Juliette (aka Jules) Baxter are now partners in a new breakfast café, but they are surprised to be confronted by a wave of homophobia in a town known for its inclusive and diverse LGBTQA+ community. Their romantic lives are just as uncertain. Jack, a gay former actor and fashion model, has failed at committed relationships due to his unsavory past – until he meets Reese Baxter, his partner’s handsome, closeted cousin. Jules juggles several polyamorous relationships due to major trust issues, until she’s drawn to an intriguing artist. However his jealousy of her bestie Jack is getting out of hand. Is the vandalism against their café from conservative hate groups, or is it a focused personal attack?

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About the Author: 

National bestselling author Meg Macy is a reader first and foremost. She loves great books in a wide variety of genres — being an introvert, she prefers pages to people. With her cat Mr. Whiskers nearby.

Meg previously wrote the “Shamelessly Adorable” Teddy Bear cozy mystery series for Kensington, several Christmas-themed romance novellas with rescue dogs and cats, and is also one-half of the writing team D.E. Ireland for the Agatha Award-nominated (2015, 2017) historical mysteries featuring Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins.

She’s now turned her hand to writing M/M and M/F “quozy” romance — more spice, perhaps a dead body or intrigue, plus plenty of romance or a hint of it. Unique? Yep. Meg loves breaking the rules.

Visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, or her website at www.megmacy.com

A Whale of a Crime - An Interview, Review, Exceprt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Mona Marple to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mona writes the Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery series. A WHALE OF A CRIME is the first book in the series.

 
Kathy: In A WHALE OF A CRIME Ryan Kennedy returns to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home to care for his ailing gran. Have you ever returned to a place you thought you'd left behind?

I actually still live in my home town where I was born and raised, so not really! 

Kathy: Ryan and his gran, Iris, have a very observant dog named Bracken by their side. I love dogs, though at the moment I only have cats. Do you have dogs? Is Bracken based on a real dog, or is he completely fictional?

Bracken is totally fictional, but my heart does belong to a dog – Coco my Labradoodle. She is loyal, affectionate and funny. My reader group on Facebook actually helped my daughter and I persuade my sweet husband to agree to getting a dog! 
 

Kathy: Flamborough is a seaside town and Iris owns a chaotic seaside bookshop. Why choose the seaside and why a bookshop instead of another type of shop?

We own a caravan on a holiday park in Flamborough and the area has become really special to my family. It’s such a beautiful part of the world and relatively unknown, so I wanted to share my love of the area!

Why a book shop? Because I love them so much and it’s my dream to open one someday, so I guess I’m living through Iris a little! 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

My mum, who passed away in 2022. She was a huge fan of them and as a child I would watch Murder, She Wrote and Columbo and Midsomer Murders with her. She never used the term cozy mysteries, and my dad always teased her that as soon as she’d finished a book or show she had already forgotten who the killer was! 

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

I have a non-fiction book about Time Management for Authors, and I’ve been working on a women’s fiction novel for about three years – it’s not coming easily but I hope it will be finished one day!

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

My most popular series is the Christmas Mysteries series, set in Candy Cane Hollow, where every day is like Christmas and the Claus family are as real as your favourite festive cookie J

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

In A WHALE OF A CRIME, my favourite character is Iris. She’s quite feisty and can stand up for herself, but she’s fiercely loyal to her family and good fun too.

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

I’ve had the idea for Ryan’s character for years – a man who is very much an average person, who loved a celebrity who then died in an apparent suicide. That idea has interested me for a long time!

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

Again, it was my mum. A few years before she passed away, she had a stroke that completely changed her life and made her disabled. I had always wanted to write but got busy with life, like we all do, and it was my mum’s stroke that made me realise none of us are promised tomorrow, so I went ahead and got started.

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

Oh wow! Elin Hilderbrand and Fredrik Backman are two of my favourites who don’t write cozy mystery, Michael Rosen is such a legend I’d have to include him and thank him for writing books and poems my daughter loves, and from the cozy mystery world I’d invite Matilda Swift because I love her books and her podcast.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished THAT'LL TEACH HER by Maz Evans. It was a fun cozy mystery about a headmistress being killed, and the parents’ message group trying to solve the crime!

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

I’m very bookish. I love buying books, reading, wandering around bookshops, listening to podcasts about reading and writing! I’m getting into cooking more at the moment – as I write this I’m baking walnut bread and I keep having to go downstairs to check on it.

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

Fizzy pop (I’m addicted!), cheese, yoghurt and olives. 

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

Yes! The second book in the Yorkshire Coast series is already available for pre-order and my next release is the eighth book in my Christmas Mysteries series!

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

Connecting with readers. It’s so fantastic to get to know my readers and hear about their lives. As a huge book lover, I know how special it is to lose myself in a book and it’s amazing to hear that people get that feeling from my books. 

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Review

 

A WHALE OF A CRIME by Mona Marple
The First Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery 

Ryan Kennedy left the seaside Yorkshire village of Flamborough never expecting to return. But a call from his sister had him quickly leaving London and coming home. Something fishy is going on in the coastal town. Vic Drake has returned, financial irregularities are found, and a mysterious boat has come ashore. Not one to pussyfoot about, Ryan's gran, Iris, has him accompany her to an invitation only party on the beach his first night. But when the fog rolls in it gives one of the group the perfect opportunity and Vic winds up dead. Which one of the group killed him? Everyone had motive and everyone was acting suspiciously. Iris, Ryan, and Ryan's dog, Bracken, will work together to sort out the truth...even when it appears this murder may be somehow related to the death of Ryan's husband ten years prior.

I absolutely loved this book! Flamborough is not just any village, it's a true bit of Yorkshire. The language, the down to earth proud people with grit, everything is perfectly captured on the page. The family dynamic between Ryan, his gran, big sister, and mom is a wonderful mix of care, concern, and love with a dash of stoicism and some humour. I love that Iris has her poker playing pals and a romantic interest. Bracken is such a smart sensitive dog, as much a crime solver as Iris. And don't get me started on the mother cat and kittens....and what happens at the end (don't worry, it's a good thing).  Though they may have their differences the town comes together to help each other.

I admire Iris' investigative techniques and the final reveal was brilliant! In a clever move, information about the death of Ryan's husband is provided through a message board. This overarching mystery adds depth and makes me even more eager to read the next book in the series. 

While I'm generally not a fan of multiple POVs, I wasn't bothered at all and found it important to see the mystery through two separate eyes, those of Ryan, and his gran, Iris. Chapters were labeled so it was obvious whose point of view we were seeing. In addition the story was told in third person, which really worked. 

Marine conservation, murder, and a bit of Yorkshire pluck make A WHALE OF A CRIME an outstanding series debut. Grab a nice cup of tea, or perhaps a pint, and be ready for a captivating read!

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A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery) by Mona Marple

About A Whale of a Crime 

A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE COAST, ENGLAND
Independently Published (April 30, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 254 pages

After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget.

What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation.

When a mysterious boat appears on the beach and a body turns up at the exclusive Whale Watch Weekend picnic, all eyes turn to the cliffs—and to the secrets the village has been keeping. As Ryan and Iris dig into the tangled history of the victim, long-buried truths begin to surface, not just about the case... but about the night Ryan’s own husband died.

With the tide cutting them off, a killer on the loose, and a very observant dog named Bracken by their side, Ryan and Iris must work fast—because in Flamborough, the past doesn’t stay buried, and the sea has a habit of washing everything to shore.

For fans of twisty village whodunits, seaside charm, and heartfelt mysteries with a slow-burning emotional pull, A Whale of a Crime is the unforgettable first instalment in a brand-new series.

Excerpt “He hadn't expected it to feel like this—like being punched in the gut and wrapped in a warm blanket all at once.” “Welcome home, little brother.” “Because I very much doubt Vic decided to bash his own head in with a decorative whale.” “You could dress a Flamborough lad in all the fancy clothes you liked, but the salt air would always find a way in.” “They were trapped until morning. Six suspects, one murder weapon, and Iris’ grandson caught in the middle of it all.”

About Mona Marple

Mona Marple writes charming cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, twisty whodunits, and settings you’ll wish you could visit—especially if you love a bit of seasonal sparkle. Best known for her beloved Candy Cane Hollow series, Mona creates worlds where murder meets mistletoe and sleuthing pairs perfectly with a cup of tea. When she’s not writing, Mona can be found walking her Labradoodle, Coco, plotting her next murder (on the page, of course), or hosting reader parties in her cozy online community.

Author Links: 

WEBSITE: WWW.MONAMARPLE.COM  

FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MONAMARPLEAUTHOR  

FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332562544209625 

 INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/MONAMARPLE  

Purchase Link - Amazon 

 

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple. This book is the first in the Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery series.

Ryan Kennedy left the seaside Yorkshire Village of Flamborough never expecting to return. But a call from his sister had him quickly leaving London and coming home. Something fishy is going on in the coastal town. Vic Drake has returned, financial irregularities are found, and a mysterious boat has come ashore. Not one to pussyfoot about Ryan's gran, Iris, has him accompany her to an invitation only party on the beach his first night. But when the fog rolls in it gives one of the group the perfect opportunity and Vic winds up dead. Which one of the group killed him? Everyone had motive and everyone was acting suspiciously. Iris, Ryan, and Ryan's dog, Bracken, will work together to sort out the truth...even when it appears this murder may be somehow related to the death of Ryan's husband ten years prior.

Fleet Landing - An Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Wendy Gee to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Wendy writes the Carolina Crossfire Mystery series. FLEET LANDING is the first book in the series and will be released next week.

 

Kathy: In FLEET LANDING ATF Special Agent Cooper “Coop” Bellamy is forced to work with tenacious TV reporter Sydney Quinn as fires ravage the city. What makes firefighters such interesting protagonists? 

WG: IMHO, all first responders deal with the best and worst of us. Yet their missions are decidedly different. I think Coop says it best when Dino asks him why firefighters are more popular than cops: “[We] meet people on their worst day, armed with only a water cannon [or a defibrillator], and help them. Cops show up armed to the teeth and usually arrest someone. Or worse.”

Firefighters are humble, brave, and professional. They also have a wicked sense of humor (which I gravitate toward) to deal with what they see and do. It was my intention to honor that selflessness. 

Kathy: Coop has a strained relationship with his 11-year-old daughter. Why add a tween to the mix? 

WG: Most of the firefighters I have met are family men and women. I wanted to capture that tension between work-life with all of its rewards and perils. And I chose that age so Haley would be semi-independent, yet need her dad more than Coop recognized. 

Kathy: What first drew you to thrillers? 

WG: The excitement of a “ticking clock.” The way a writer can upend an ordinary person’s life with one bad decision or an inopportune presence. Solving a problem that continues to worsen, no matter how savvy or well-intentioned the protagonist is. And I love the dilemma of the underdog who perseveres under immense odds. I have always been drawn to problem-solving. Now, I have fun creating the chaos. 

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

WG: Traditional mystery, with thriller elements, best describe my work.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

WG: The Carolina Crossfire mystery series has three primary protagonists. Each story is intended to showcase one (the ATF agent, the TV reporter, and the police lieutenant), while the others support that lead. I am just getting started with publication, so that is my only working series. 

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

WG: I love all three of my protagonists equally, but Sydney is the aspirational “me.” My crit groups have really enjoyed the secondary characters who bring the snark and the colorful bits to the stories. I work hard on continuing to hone my craft so the antagonists are also well developed and realistic. My voice actor calls them “a hot mess.”


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

WG: I’d say the city of Charleston offered me a dynamite launching pad. The first writers I found in my local area were professional romance writers who welcomed me with open arms and encouragement. I would categorize that genre’s authors as very dedicated. They work within tight expectations, know their craft, and are willing to share what they’ve learned. Now that I hang around mystery and thriller novelists, the same can be said of that genre’s professional authors. 


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

WG: I wanted the privilege of sharing my hard work with others. I was awestruck when my first copies arrived and I could give them away (and tuck one on my own bookshelf alongside the giants in my genre).

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

WG: Only four? Then, let me sup with Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, and Robert Crais. 

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

WG: David Baldacci’s STRANGERS IN TIME, my newest purchase. He recently came to town on his tour. 


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

WG: I love to golf and volunteer when the opportunity permits. I’m presently working for the Friends of Lewes Public Library and Sussex County (DE) Habitat for Humanity. 


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

WG: Potato chips, mole sauce, spaghetti, and (of course) Diet Mountain Dew. Those might comprise my four favorite food groups (chocolate, carbs and Dew). Whoa boy, I better add more protein on my next trip to the grocery store.


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

WG: I hope to publish many more books in the Carolina Crossfire series. My second story (SIDE HUSTLE) features Sydney on the hunt for an audacious cybercriminal. Book three features Dino (THE PINEAPPLE), with a look at his first felony arrest and how that impacted his career. With more to come (SMELL TEST and YARD DOG—yet to be edited for publication). 


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

WG: I love, love, love when people I interview during research in a topical area are so willing to assist me (even as a pre-published writer). I think that’s because we all secretly aspire to craft the Great American Novel. It’s in our spirit—like baseball and apple pie. Those generous people who let me into their world want to help me succeed. That inherent goodness and consideration makes me try harder to be better, and honor them to the best of my ability.

Of course, those who deny my request for access (which is their undeniable choice)—well, that’s where antagonists are born (lol).

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Blurb:

ATF Special Agent Cooper “Coop” Bellamy's rigid adherence to rules has left his relationship with his 11-year-old daughter in ashes. When Charleston's fire chief calls him to investigate a series of mysterious nuisance fires ravaging the city, Coop sees a chance to redeem himself as a father and catch a dangerous arsonist. But as the fires turn deadly, he finds himself torn between family and duty.

Enter tenacious TV reporter Sydney Quinn, whose pursuit of justice for a man wrongly convicted of arson puts her on a collision course with a sinister figure known only as the Falcon. As Sydney uncovers a decades-old conspiracy, she receives chilling warnings to back off.

Forced to work together, Coop and Sydney must navigate a labyrinth of lies and corruption. Their investigation ignites a powder keg of danger, testing Coop's ironclad principles and Sydney's journalistic integrity. But when danger strikes too close to home, the stakes become personal. With time running out and lives on the line, Coop and Sydney must fight to extinguish the threat before everything they love goes up in smoke.

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About the Author:

After a successful career in the U.S. Navy, Wendy Gee now channels her boundless energy into community volunteering, leaving no stone unturned—or unpainted—at the Charleston Fire Department, Friends of the Lewes Public Library Board of Directors, and Sussex County Habitat for Humanity. A proud graduate of the University of Michigan, University of Arizona, Naval War College, and Old Dominion University, Wendy combines her academic prowess and life experiences into her writing.

Residing in Lewes, DE, she is an avid golfer, a diehard Detroit Tigers and Lions fan (even when they’re not winning, but so excited when they are), and a pickleball enthusiast who’s always ready to serve up some fun. Her work has been shortlisted with Killer Nashville and the Writer’s League of Texas. And as a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime, Wendy’s passion for the mystery genre is no secret—though she might leave a few clues lying around just for fun. Learn more at: www.wendygeeauthor.com 

A Witch Awakens - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Ellis Elliott to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Ellis writes the Fire Circle Mystery series. A WITCH AWAKENS is the first book in the series and was released earlier this month.

 
Kathy: In A WITCH AWAKENS we meet Cece (Tennessee) Brown who is a ballet teacher. As a theatre major I was required to study many years of dance and ballet was my favorite. Did you ever study ballet? Do you enjoy watching ballet?

EE: Yes! Ballet was my favorite, too! I’ve taught ballet for most of my adult life, taking in a local studio as a child from age 6 to 18, and then taking class in a regional ballet company while in college. I’ve been teaching since I was my teacher’s assistant in high school. I believe dance teaches us so much, besides the obvious physical benefits, and love the language of the body as much as words.

Kathy: Cece begins to realize she shares a family proclivity for a bit of second sight. Do you believe that some people have this gift? Do you know people who do? 

EE: Absolutely. I believe it comes from deep listening, consistent and deep attention, and the ability to accept and respond to the voice of your intuition. And I have had the privilege of knowing a couple of people who have cultivated this ability.
 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

EE: I love the puzzle of a mystery, and for cozies in particular, the setting and characters. The world is harsh enough, and cozies offer intrigue mixed with just enough reality. They then couple that with the gift of a delightful new world.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

EE: Yes. I am a poet and poetry lover. My first book, BREAK IN THE FIELD, was based on my grad school thesis and centers around my profoundly disabled son. After finishing that one, I wanted to try a different genre where I could let my imagination steer the ship awhile.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

EE: The series centers around Cece, an almost 30-year-old woman who fails at making a living as a professional dancer and returns to teach dance in her grandmother’s studio in the mountains of East Tennessee. While she has always been aware of her neurodivergence, she comes to understand there is more to it than she previously thought, when her grandmother and great-aunt begin to explain the lineage of “granny women” she is a part of. These mountain women, known for their herbal healing and intuitive wisdom, also each have particular psychic gifts. The series will follow Cece and her elders as she discovers her own gifts, learns the complicated and powerful legacy she is a part of, and works to discover how best to use her gifts in the world.

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

EE: I guess it would be our main character, Cece, but it is hard to pick! I choose her probably because I remember my younger self and how I was in such a rush to figure everything out, when with age we realize we never will.


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

EE: I spent summers with my mother’s family in the mountains of East Tennessee. The women in the book were inspired by my own grandmother and her sister. I discovered granny women from reading the memoir of my great-great-grandfather about his experiences in East Tennessee in the Civil War.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

EE: I relied on my editor, and the publisher of my poetry book, to help edit and shape my first cozy mystery. When they changed over to hybrid-publishing, I decided to use their services to put this book into the world. They’ve been wonderful. 

 

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

EE: Poets Mary Oliver and Ada Limón, along with writers Barbara Kingsolver and Agatha Christie.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EE: I usually have fiction, non-fiction, and poetry going at once. That simply means I have the attention span of a gnat and have to flit between the three. Right now I’m reading STONEYARD DEVOTIONAL by Charlotte Wood,  THE COMFORT OF CROWS by Margaret Renkl, and SALTING THE OCEAN: 100 POEMS BY YOUNG POETS from Naomi Shihab Nye.

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

EE: I build dollhouses and make miniatures, take yoga and dance classes, love the water, reading, writing, and traveling with my husband, especially to go see our kids.


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

EE: Yogurt, crunchy peanut butter, diet ginger beer, and jasmine rice.


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

EE: Yes, this is the first one in “The Fire Circle Mysteries” series.

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

EE: Writing has always been my way to process the world, but with fiction writing I get to discover my own imagination, which is a whole different kind of adventure.

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Review

 

A WITCH AWAKENS by Ellis Elliott
The First Fire Circle Mystery 

Something's brewing in Eureka Grove, Tennessee and it's not just the coffee.

After trying to make it big in the Big Apple without much success Cece Chagall has returned to Eureka Grove. Working at her Nana's dance studio and creating doll houses Cece is relatively happy. However, her "peculiars" are getting worse. Sudden scents assault her and sometimes she'll see an image, but unsure of their meaning they're more troubling than anything else. However, the charity ball has her too busy to do anything about it. After her dancers perform without mishap Cece is ready to relax and enjoy the event, until a panicked Calvin pulls her outside to the loading dock where he shows her the dead body he just found. Stunned at the loss of the woman she considered a second mom Cece is determined to help find the killer.

What a great book! While A WITCH AWAKENS has a murder mystery and an investigation the book is almost more about understanding yourself, where you come from, and finding your place in it. There's more than one puzzle to solve as well. There's a murder mystery, the mystery of Cece's "peculiars", and the mystery of the gold box. Everything comes together in this delightful debut. I love the characters, not only Cece, Nana, and Aunt Granny Hazel, but Aunt Granny's friends, especially Cat. I like the smidge of flirtation we get, wondering if Cece and Joe will rekindle the romance of their youth and smiling when she gets annoyed with his police professionalism. There are some laughs and lots of familial love. And of course. darling May!

My favorite part was the ending. Not when the murder was solved, I had an inkling about that, but the very ending. I was surprised at one thing, though I shouldn't have been, and then had a wide grin at the very last bit! I also really appreciated the author's note and the bibliography. I am proud to say I own one of those books and need to get more! 

Steeped in Appalachian lore A WITCH AWAKENS is a delightful debut featuring authentic characters in a neatly plotted mystery.

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 A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery by Ellis Elliott

About A Witch Awakens

A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - In the Tennessee mountains
Publisher: Hawkshaw Press (May 19, 2025)
Number of Pages: 238

A Witch Awakens is about an accidental detective Cece (Tennessee) Brown, who returns home to Tennessee after deciding the Big Apple just didn't suit her. While working as the local ballet teacher she helps her friend Bess to put on the annual Fall Ball. Unfortunately, during a thunderstorm the night of the ball, one of the town's most notable women is found dead. Cece was very close to the victim, and begins to have little dizzy spells where she starts to get pictures of things around her town, and feelings compelling her to visit certain locations. Under the guidance of her grandmother and her Aunt Granny, Cece begins to realize she shares a family proclivity for a bit of second sight. It's a story where Cece solves a mystery, but also begins to accept who she is, and where she's from, and what makes her little town, and herself, special. She solves the mystery of herself.

About Ellis Elliott

ELLIS ELLIOTT is a facilitator of the online writing group Bewilderness Writing. She also teaches writing and ballet in an after-school arts education program. Ellis holds an MFA from Queens University. She is a contributing writer for the Southern Review of Books, and serves as an editor/workshop instructor for The Dewdrop contemplative journal.

She is the author of the 2023 poetry chapbook, Break in the Field (Old Scratch Press), which KIRKUS calls “A deeply felt collection of candid verse.” Her work can also be found in numerous publications, including Signal Mountain Review, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine/Award Poem, Euphony Journal, and the Women of Appalachia Project Anthology. Ellis has a blended family consisting of six grown sons. She resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, Tim, and a feisty dog named Mabel.  

Author Links:

• Website: https://bewildernesswriting.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewildernesswriting
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliselliott2020
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ellis-gatewood-elliott-30ab4059

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