I saw a post the other day on one of the cozy mystery pages I follow. It was from a male cozy reader who was wondering about male protagonists in cozy mysteries. The majority of cozy mysteries are written by women and feature female protagonists. However, some female authors have male protagonists, and there are male cozy authors who have both male and female protagonists.
So who are some of these male leads?
One of my favorite series is The King Harald Mystery series by Richard Audry. King Harald is actually a dog (male at that) and the human protagonist is Andy Skyberg. Andy is a laid back, ordinary guy whose lovable dog keeps finding trouble in Minnesota. Grab some Biberschwanz Pilsners and settle in for a fun time.
Jeffrey Cohen writes a few mystery series using a few names. I first was introduced to him via his Double Feature Mystery series. Elliot Freed owns the Comedy Tonight cinema in New Jersey where he only shows comedy films. I loved this laugh out loud series, which sadly, is only comprised of three books. Some of his other series feature female protagonists, but he has another male protagonist in his current Asberger's Mystery series.
Tim Myers is another prolific mystery writer. Writing under the names Time Myers, Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, Casey Mayes, Jessica Beck, and Chris Cavender, Tim features both male and female protagonists. The Lighthouse Inn Mystery series (Tim Myers) first introduced me to this author. I really enjoyed Alex Winston. I also liked both his Candlemaking series with Harrison Black, and Soapmaking Mystery series with Benjamin Perkins.
I love John J. Lamb's Bear Collector's Mystery series. It features retired homicide detective Brad Lyon who now makes collectable teddy bears with his wife.
Miranda James in actually Dean James who pens a few mysteries. As Miranda James he features librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, in the Cat in the Stacks Mystery series while as Dean James he has the Simon-Kirby Jones Mystery series set in England.
Terry Ambrose writes a few series including the Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery series. These feature single dad Rick Atwood and his precocious 10 year old daughter. Jeffrey Allen writes the Stay at Home Dad Mystery series set in Texas with Deuce Winters. Tim Cockey's protagonist is undertaker Hitch Sewell, featured in the Hitch Sewell Mystery series while Stephen Kaminski has Damon Lassard in his Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series.
There are several female authors who chose male protagonists for their series. Of course, we have our founding traditional mysteries which include Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael. Lilian Jackson Braun features Jim Qwilleran, a journalist, in her long running Cat Who Mystery series. The Barnabas Tew Mystery series features a male Victorian private investigator who investigates in the Egyptian Underworld in his first outing by female author Columbkill Noonan. Nupur Tustin features Kapellmeister Joseph Haydn in her historical mystery series while Sheri Cobb South features bow street runner John Pickett in her Regency Mystery series.
I haven't really touched on the traditional mysteries, many with well known male protagonists such as Father Brown and Hamish Macbeth, and I'm sure I've left out many other male cozy protagonists. Have you read any of these mysteries? Do any of these men rank as a favorite protagonist for you? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.
Showing posts with label Audry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Audry. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Sunday, November 5, 2017
King Harald's Snow Job - Review & Giveaway
Review
KING HARALD'S SNOW JOB by Richard Audry
The Third Canine Cozy
Andy Skyberg is looking forward to a weekend of fun with old pals and
a new lady friend. But before he heads out for his weekend down in the
Cities he agrees to help his Aunt Bev. She's managing a Girl's Weekend
Out event and Holiday Faire at the Beaver Trail Resort and Andy will
be there to make sure the vendors are happy and have everything they need. But King Harald has a bad feeling about
all of this. Something bad is going to happen and Andy just won't
listen to him! But what could go wrong helping for a few hours on a cold
December day?
I always enjoy hanging out with Andy Skyberg and I love King Harald. The two make a great duo, never wanting to get involved, but always landing in the midst of a crime. Yet, without really trying...and definitely not knowing what they're doing (in regard to criminal behavior at any rate) they always figure things out! In KING HARALD'S SNOW JOB a blizzard, as well as his own moral compass, force Andy to take a more active role in investigating the crime, in this case assault and theft.
Unique characters and a definite sense of place are the foundations of this story, combining to make it feel like home, regardless of where your home truly is. My favorite part of the Canine Cozy mysteries is when the story is told from Harald's perspective. We get a glimpse into the canine mind and get Harald's take on things without humanizing him.
The December snow, the holiday shopping, and the laid back demeanor of Anders and Harold make this the perfect book to cozy up with!
*********************************************************************
About The Author –
Unique characters and a definite sense of place are the foundations of this story, combining to make it feel like home, regardless of where your home truly is. My favorite part of the Canine Cozy mysteries is when the story is told from Harald's perspective. We get a glimpse into the canine mind and get Harald's take on things without humanizing him.
The December snow, the holiday shopping, and the laid back demeanor of Anders and Harold make this the perfect book to cozy up with!
*********************************************************************
About The Author –
Richard Audry is the pen name of D. R. Martin. In addition to his career as a journalist and copywriter, D. R. has written a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction. His current projects include a fantasy adventure trilogy, a canine cozy mystery series, and historical mysteries set at the turn of the last century.
Author Links:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richardaudryauthor/
Webpage - http://drmartinbooks.com/
Purchase Links: Amazon B&N
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Currently Reading...
I just started reading King Harald's Snow Job by Richard Audry. This book is the third in the Canine Cozy Mystery series. Andy Skyberg is looking forward to a weekend of fun with old friends and a new lady friend. But before he heads out for his weekend down in the Cities he agrees to help his Aunt Bev. She's managing a Girl's Weekend Out event and Holiday Faire at the Beaver Trail Resort and Andy will make sure the vendors are happy. But King Harald has a bad feeling about all of this. Something bad is going to happen and Andy just won't listen to him! But what could go wrong helping for a few hours on a cold December day?
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
A Daughter's Interview and Giveaway
I'm pleased to welcome Richard Audry back to the blog today. This time we're discussing his Mary MacDougall Mystery series. A DAUGHTER'S DOUBT was released just last month.
Kathy: A DAUGHTER'S DOUBT is the third book in your Mary MacDougall Mystery series and is set in 1902. What made you decide upon writing a historical cozy and why this era?
RA: Back in the ’90s I created the first version of Mary. She came out of an epiphany I had when I first saw A Room with a View, starring Helena Bonham Carter. Wouldn’t it be fun to mash up Lucy Honeychurch with Sherlock Holmes? That first book was the result. But the mistakes I made were to emulate Holmes’s cool temperament for Mary and write in an archaic style. It had a good plot, but the cool, detached Mary was wrong and the style was off-putting. I set that book in 1903 because it was still the era of Holmes and there were certain real historical circumstances that the plot required.
Fast forward two decades. My wife had been urging me to revive Mary—but a more sympathetic, friendlier Mary in more of a cozy style. So, three years ago I wrote the first new Mary novella, A PRETTY LITTLE PLOT, as a birthday present for her. The reaction from my beta readers was good enough to encourage me to write a second story and now a third.
Kathy: Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?
RA: I had done a lot of library research back in the ’90s, for the first novel. For example, I discovered that lady detectives—while not common in that era—were working here and there. Much of that detail has carried over. Now, of course, with Google and Wikipedia, no more trips to the library are required. I don’t worry about conveying every little historical detail, but work at getting the important things right.
Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?
RA: Yes, there were several. There was a certain incident that involved my great-grandfather—according to family lore. And my research turned up other situations from roughly that period. They provided the jumping-off points for the plot. Unfortunately, any further details I could give would be spoilers.
Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Mary MacDougall?
RA: I plan to write at least two more novels. The first will have Mary unraveling a deadly plot involving a royal house of Eastern Europe. The next will be that very first story that I wrote twenty years ago, rebooted with the new, friendlier Mary and in a cozy style. I even have the title ready for that one—Blood on the Birches.
Kathy: The protagonist is a woman in the Mary MacDougall Mystery series, while your King Harald series features a man (and a male dog) in the lead role. Does a different gender point of view affect the way you write? Is one way easier?
RA: It does indeed. When your protagonist is female and you’re male, you need to look at things differently. Just as you would if your POV character was older or younger than you, richer or poorer, educated or uneducated. I write Mary based on my best assumptions of a smart, headstrong young heiress of 1902. And then I have my editors and beta readers—all female—review what I’ve come up with. To answer your second question, yes, it’s easier for me to see Andy’s POV than Mary’s. I just have a lot more in common with him. But having said that, a good writer should be able to write any POV, no matter how dissimilar to herself or himself.
Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pantsers, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a pantser, or do you fall somewhere in between?
RA: I’m a plotter. Writing a book can take hundreds of hours, and I could end up with something useless if I wrote as a pantser. So I like having a road map of where I’m going and the primary stops along the way. It’s fine to improvise and adapt and tweak a bit, but that map is what propels me forward.
Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?
RA: The next two or three books I’m writing will be King Harald canine cozies. I’m working now on the first of those, in which Andy and Harald are stranded by a blizzard at a resort hotel. And I expect to get back to Mary MacDougall sometime in 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kathy: A DAUGHTER'S DOUBT is the third book in your Mary MacDougall Mystery series and is set in 1902. What made you decide upon writing a historical cozy and why this era?
RA: Back in the ’90s I created the first version of Mary. She came out of an epiphany I had when I first saw A Room with a View, starring Helena Bonham Carter. Wouldn’t it be fun to mash up Lucy Honeychurch with Sherlock Holmes? That first book was the result. But the mistakes I made were to emulate Holmes’s cool temperament for Mary and write in an archaic style. It had a good plot, but the cool, detached Mary was wrong and the style was off-putting. I set that book in 1903 because it was still the era of Holmes and there were certain real historical circumstances that the plot required.
Fast forward two decades. My wife had been urging me to revive Mary—but a more sympathetic, friendlier Mary in more of a cozy style. So, three years ago I wrote the first new Mary novella, A PRETTY LITTLE PLOT, as a birthday present for her. The reaction from my beta readers was good enough to encourage me to write a second story and now a third.
Kathy: Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?
RA: I had done a lot of library research back in the ’90s, for the first novel. For example, I discovered that lady detectives—while not common in that era—were working here and there. Much of that detail has carried over. Now, of course, with Google and Wikipedia, no more trips to the library are required. I don’t worry about conveying every little historical detail, but work at getting the important things right.
Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?
RA: Yes, there were several. There was a certain incident that involved my great-grandfather—according to family lore. And my research turned up other situations from roughly that period. They provided the jumping-off points for the plot. Unfortunately, any further details I could give would be spoilers.
Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Mary MacDougall?
RA: I plan to write at least two more novels. The first will have Mary unraveling a deadly plot involving a royal house of Eastern Europe. The next will be that very first story that I wrote twenty years ago, rebooted with the new, friendlier Mary and in a cozy style. I even have the title ready for that one—Blood on the Birches.
Kathy: The protagonist is a woman in the Mary MacDougall Mystery series, while your King Harald series features a man (and a male dog) in the lead role. Does a different gender point of view affect the way you write? Is one way easier?
RA: It does indeed. When your protagonist is female and you’re male, you need to look at things differently. Just as you would if your POV character was older or younger than you, richer or poorer, educated or uneducated. I write Mary based on my best assumptions of a smart, headstrong young heiress of 1902. And then I have my editors and beta readers—all female—review what I’ve come up with. To answer your second question, yes, it’s easier for me to see Andy’s POV than Mary’s. I just have a lot more in common with him. But having said that, a good writer should be able to write any POV, no matter how dissimilar to herself or himself.
Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pantsers, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a pantser, or do you fall somewhere in between?
RA: I’m a plotter. Writing a book can take hundreds of hours, and I could end up with something useless if I wrote as a pantser. So I like having a road map of where I’m going and the primary stops along the way. It’s fine to improvise and adapt and tweak a bit, but that map is what propels me forward.
Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?
RA: The next two or three books I’m writing will be King Harald canine cozies. I’m working now on the first of those, in which Andy and Harald are stranded by a blizzard at a resort hotel. And I expect to get back to Mary MacDougall sometime in 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, December 11, 2015
King Harald Interview, Review, & Giveaway
I'm happy to welcome Richard Audry to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Richard pens the Canine Cozy Mystery series.
Kathy: While Andy Skyberg may be considered the protagonist, King Harald is probably the hero! Is King Harald based on a real dog?
RA: The whole thing started with a real dog back in the ’90s. My brother-in-law, who lives on a farm, had a big ol’ Chesapeake named Gus. He was a moose of a mutt and not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was very good-natured. Funny thing was, he got pushed around something awful by the farm’s other canine, a little rat terrier named Augie. There was no doubt who was top dog. I thought a mystery revolving around a pooch like Gus—but much cleverer—would be fun. It took me about fifteen years to get around to it, but King Harald is the result.
Kathy: The Karma of King Harald deals with many things including one legendary (but lost) ebelskiver recipe. They sound delicious! Have you ever made ebelskiver?
RA: I have, a few times. But the process is kind of fussy and requires a special pan. Fortunately, we live just a brisk walk from the Danish-American Center in Minneapolis, which has a Sunday ebelskiver breakfast once a month through the winter. They’re real pros with an ebelskiver pan.
Kathy: In King Harald's Heist, King Harald gets into trouble with a thousand-dollar bill and a naughty garden gnome. Do you happen to own a garden gnome? What are your thoughts of these garden dwellers?
RA: I have just one, the little guy I photographed for the back cover of the paperback edition. He stands next to my wi-fi router, behind my desk. He’s peeking at me as I write this. And I should mention that there is nothing naughty about him. He is a proper gentleman. I don’t have any deep connection with garden gnomes, I suppose, but I remember having a copy of Rien Poortvliet and Wil Huygen's classic book on gnomes, and loving it.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
RA: Until I was in my thirties, I was mostly a reader of science fiction and fantasy. In fact, I was the SF/fantasy reviewer for the Minneapolis newspaper for many years. But when I acquired my wife—best move of my life—some of her love of cozies rubbed off on me. Particular faves include M.C. Beaton, Dorothy Sayers, and Carole Nelson Douglas (full disclosure: she’s an old friend). Though a bit off the traditional cozy axis, I love Lawrence Sanders’ Archie McNally books and David Handler’s Stuart Hoag and Lulu series. I should mention also that as a kid, I read dozens of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books—which in hindsight sure seem like cozies.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
RA: Yes, I do. I also have a historical mystery series and a middle grade fantasy adventure series.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
RA: The Mary MacDougall Mysteries chronicle the investigations of a young, wannabe sleuth in the first decade of the 20th century. She’s an heiress firmly determined to never marry, so of course I’ve thrown her in with a handsome artist whom she’s trying desperately not to fall in love with. The two Johnny Graphic novels (written under my real name, D.R. Martin) are rousing pulp ghost adventures set on an alternate earth in the 1930s. The final book is yet to come. And the King Harald Mysteries follow the crime-sniffing careers of Andy Skyberg and his big mutt King Harald in the quaint tourist town of New Bergen, a couple hours up the Interstate from the Cities.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
RA: It’s got to be Andy Skyberg in my King Harald series. He’s just an ordinary guy trying to get his life back together after reverses in business and marriage. It’s not his intention to become a sleuth. But he has this lovable hound that keeps landing him in the doo-doo, not to mention friends and relatives who entangle him in various tricky situations. He’s kind of the center of gravity around which a collection of eccentric characters orbit.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
RA: As I noted above, it started with a dog named Gus. And I wanted to create a little universe like Lake Wobegon or Midsomer, where readers would love to visit for a day or two—someplace charming and friendly, aside from the occasional murder.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
RA: The timing was such that my first novels came together when the e-book and independent publishing revolutions really got going. I followed the indie route because I wanted to keep control of my material. And of course I work with two professional editors, some very smart beta readers, and an excellent designer to get the books in the best shape possible. I couldn’t do it alone.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
RA: Douglas Adams, because he was funny as hell. The historian Barbara Tuchman, for her take on the utter mess the world seems to be in. The mystery-suspense master John D. MacDonald, because I’m a huge fan of his Travis McGee series. And the great essayist on food, M.F.K. Fisher, for her stories about all the magnificent meals she had shared with fascinating people.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
RA: Daniel Silva’s The English Spy. Nobody these days writes a better espionage yarn.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
RA: I’m also a photographer, a cook, an ardent collector of movies and TV shows, and an enthusiastic hiker (though knee tendonitis has put a crimp in that lately).
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
RA: Peanut butter, green olives, Dijon mustard, and a chilled bottle of white wine.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
RA: The third book in my historical mystery series will be out this winter. Then I plan to write two or three King Harald stories in a row. At some point, I’ll finish the last book in my middle grade fantasy trilogy.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
RA: I’ve always thought there was something magical about creating worlds out of thin air. And I would hope that those I’ve created will be special enough to touch readers now and long after I’m gone.
*************************************************************************
Review
The Karma of King Harald by Richard Audry
The First Canine Cozy Mystery
King Harald is a lovable big mutt who has a penchant for escaping his yard and wandering about town. Andy Skyberg, King Harald's "Boss" is a laid back man looking for peace surrounded by a cast of unique and, most definitely not laid back, characters including his Deputy Sheriff girlfriend, former sweetheart turned current new age store owner, and a mean spirited church leader, who once saved Andy's life. King Harald makes a delightful, for him, yet horrendous, for everyone else, discovery. Murder, threats, and religious intolerance are just the beginning while the search for a missing recipe leads to more than Andy could have possibly imagined!
Andy is continually shocked by the nasty goings on in what used to be a peaceful little town. I personally found the first crime to be quite disturbing, as it's a particular nightmare of mine. Andy tries to find peace and calm in the ongoing chaos surrounding him, never really intending to become so involved in the criminal activity brought to the forefront by his dog!
Just as King Harald takes meandering walks, the mystery is a meandering stroll through New Bergen. The action starts during one of King Harald's solitary excursions with a most dreadful discovery; which is the start of the mystery. But lots of time passes with more twists as seemingly unrelated, yet interesting, paths are taken and explored. We have what appears to be federal agents spying on a cranky old socialist and a search for a long lost recipe as well as the various suspects and all of their many motives. Yet the roads all meet at an amazing juncture and we're left with a satisfying conclusion.
I am completely enamoured of good natured King Harald. Audry's descriptions of this wonderful dog are spot on giving us deep characterization as well as meaningful views and commentary. I certainly wouldn't mind having some ebelskivers and a Biberschwanz Pilsner with Andy and sharing some Slim Jims with King Harald!
*****************************************************************************
For a chance to win 1 set of e-books (The Karma of King Harald and King Harald's Heist) leave a comment on this blog post no later than 11:59pm EST Saturday, December 12, 2015. Tell us if your pet has ever led you into trouble! Be sure to leave an e-mail address as well as what format of e-reader you would like should you win. Be sure to enter the rafflecopter as well.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kathy: While Andy Skyberg may be considered the protagonist, King Harald is probably the hero! Is King Harald based on a real dog?
RA: The whole thing started with a real dog back in the ’90s. My brother-in-law, who lives on a farm, had a big ol’ Chesapeake named Gus. He was a moose of a mutt and not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was very good-natured. Funny thing was, he got pushed around something awful by the farm’s other canine, a little rat terrier named Augie. There was no doubt who was top dog. I thought a mystery revolving around a pooch like Gus—but much cleverer—would be fun. It took me about fifteen years to get around to it, but King Harald is the result.
Kathy: The Karma of King Harald deals with many things including one legendary (but lost) ebelskiver recipe. They sound delicious! Have you ever made ebelskiver?
RA: I have, a few times. But the process is kind of fussy and requires a special pan. Fortunately, we live just a brisk walk from the Danish-American Center in Minneapolis, which has a Sunday ebelskiver breakfast once a month through the winter. They’re real pros with an ebelskiver pan.
Kathy: In King Harald's Heist, King Harald gets into trouble with a thousand-dollar bill and a naughty garden gnome. Do you happen to own a garden gnome? What are your thoughts of these garden dwellers?
RA: I have just one, the little guy I photographed for the back cover of the paperback edition. He stands next to my wi-fi router, behind my desk. He’s peeking at me as I write this. And I should mention that there is nothing naughty about him. He is a proper gentleman. I don’t have any deep connection with garden gnomes, I suppose, but I remember having a copy of Rien Poortvliet and Wil Huygen's classic book on gnomes, and loving it.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
RA: Until I was in my thirties, I was mostly a reader of science fiction and fantasy. In fact, I was the SF/fantasy reviewer for the Minneapolis newspaper for many years. But when I acquired my wife—best move of my life—some of her love of cozies rubbed off on me. Particular faves include M.C. Beaton, Dorothy Sayers, and Carole Nelson Douglas (full disclosure: she’s an old friend). Though a bit off the traditional cozy axis, I love Lawrence Sanders’ Archie McNally books and David Handler’s Stuart Hoag and Lulu series. I should mention also that as a kid, I read dozens of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books—which in hindsight sure seem like cozies.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
RA: Yes, I do. I also have a historical mystery series and a middle grade fantasy adventure series.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
RA: The Mary MacDougall Mysteries chronicle the investigations of a young, wannabe sleuth in the first decade of the 20th century. She’s an heiress firmly determined to never marry, so of course I’ve thrown her in with a handsome artist whom she’s trying desperately not to fall in love with. The two Johnny Graphic novels (written under my real name, D.R. Martin) are rousing pulp ghost adventures set on an alternate earth in the 1930s. The final book is yet to come. And the King Harald Mysteries follow the crime-sniffing careers of Andy Skyberg and his big mutt King Harald in the quaint tourist town of New Bergen, a couple hours up the Interstate from the Cities.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
RA: It’s got to be Andy Skyberg in my King Harald series. He’s just an ordinary guy trying to get his life back together after reverses in business and marriage. It’s not his intention to become a sleuth. But he has this lovable hound that keeps landing him in the doo-doo, not to mention friends and relatives who entangle him in various tricky situations. He’s kind of the center of gravity around which a collection of eccentric characters orbit.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
RA: As I noted above, it started with a dog named Gus. And I wanted to create a little universe like Lake Wobegon or Midsomer, where readers would love to visit for a day or two—someplace charming and friendly, aside from the occasional murder.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
RA: The timing was such that my first novels came together when the e-book and independent publishing revolutions really got going. I followed the indie route because I wanted to keep control of my material. And of course I work with two professional editors, some very smart beta readers, and an excellent designer to get the books in the best shape possible. I couldn’t do it alone.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
RA: Douglas Adams, because he was funny as hell. The historian Barbara Tuchman, for her take on the utter mess the world seems to be in. The mystery-suspense master John D. MacDonald, because I’m a huge fan of his Travis McGee series. And the great essayist on food, M.F.K. Fisher, for her stories about all the magnificent meals she had shared with fascinating people.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
RA: Daniel Silva’s The English Spy. Nobody these days writes a better espionage yarn.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
RA: I’m also a photographer, a cook, an ardent collector of movies and TV shows, and an enthusiastic hiker (though knee tendonitis has put a crimp in that lately).
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
RA: Peanut butter, green olives, Dijon mustard, and a chilled bottle of white wine.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
RA: The third book in my historical mystery series will be out this winter. Then I plan to write two or three King Harald stories in a row. At some point, I’ll finish the last book in my middle grade fantasy trilogy.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
RA: I’ve always thought there was something magical about creating worlds out of thin air. And I would hope that those I’ve created will be special enough to touch readers now and long after I’m gone.
*************************************************************************
Review
The Karma of King Harald by Richard Audry
The First Canine Cozy Mystery
King Harald is a lovable big mutt who has a penchant for escaping his yard and wandering about town. Andy Skyberg, King Harald's "Boss" is a laid back man looking for peace surrounded by a cast of unique and, most definitely not laid back, characters including his Deputy Sheriff girlfriend, former sweetheart turned current new age store owner, and a mean spirited church leader, who once saved Andy's life. King Harald makes a delightful, for him, yet horrendous, for everyone else, discovery. Murder, threats, and religious intolerance are just the beginning while the search for a missing recipe leads to more than Andy could have possibly imagined!
Andy is continually shocked by the nasty goings on in what used to be a peaceful little town. I personally found the first crime to be quite disturbing, as it's a particular nightmare of mine. Andy tries to find peace and calm in the ongoing chaos surrounding him, never really intending to become so involved in the criminal activity brought to the forefront by his dog!
Just as King Harald takes meandering walks, the mystery is a meandering stroll through New Bergen. The action starts during one of King Harald's solitary excursions with a most dreadful discovery; which is the start of the mystery. But lots of time passes with more twists as seemingly unrelated, yet interesting, paths are taken and explored. We have what appears to be federal agents spying on a cranky old socialist and a search for a long lost recipe as well as the various suspects and all of their many motives. Yet the roads all meet at an amazing juncture and we're left with a satisfying conclusion.
I am completely enamoured of good natured King Harald. Audry's descriptions of this wonderful dog are spot on giving us deep characterization as well as meaningful views and commentary. I certainly wouldn't mind having some ebelskivers and a Biberschwanz Pilsner with Andy and sharing some Slim Jims with King Harald!
*****************************************************************************
For a chance to win 1 set of e-books (The Karma of King Harald and King Harald's Heist) leave a comment on this blog post no later than 11:59pm EST Saturday, December 12, 2015. Tell us if your pet has ever led you into trouble! Be sure to leave an e-mail address as well as what format of e-reader you would like should you win. Be sure to enter the rafflecopter as well.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Currently Reading...
I'm currently reading The Karma of King Harald by Richard Audry. King Harald is a lovable big mutt who has a penchant for escaping his yard and wandering about town. Andy Skyberg, King Harald's "Boss" is a laid back man looking for peace surrounded by a cast of unique and, most definitely not laid back, characters including his Deputy Sheriff girlfriend, former sweetheart turned current new age store owner, and a mean spirited church leader, who once saved Andy's life. King Harald makes a delightful, for him, yet horrendous, for everyone else, discovery. Murder, threats, and religious intolerance have made an appearance and now a search for a missing recipe has begun!
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