Holmes Away from Home = A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Samantha Larsen to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Samantha writes the Althea Adler Mystery series. HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME is the first book in the series and will be released October 6, 2026.

Miss Althea Alder’s Character Report 
By Samantha Larsen

1911, London. Lord Sheffield (William) first meets Miss Althea Adler in a department store when she steals a pearl pin from Miss Rosie Watson’s hair. He lifts the pin from Althea’s gloved hand and returns it to Rosie and wangles an invitation from her friends to a house party at Twickenham Towers. His true purpose is to look for the leader of the anarchist group, the Red Dawn. William follows Althea home and sees that she is staying at 221b Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes. Why was a beautiful thief staying with a world-famous detective? William adds her to his little black book of suspects:

Miss Althea Adler: Daughter of Irene Adler. Father unknown. Pickpocket. College student. Generous.

Approximate age: 19–20

Height: 5’2”

Weight: 105 pounds

Physical description: blue eyes, brown hair, face of an angel, nice figure.

While staying at Twickenham Towers, Althea breaks into William’s room and finds his little black book. She updates the information about her.

Miss Althea Adler: Daughter of Irene Adler. Father unknown. Pick-pocket. Student. Generous. Exquisite Soprano.

Approximate age: 19-20-22

Height: 5’2”

Weight: 105 pounds 110. It’s terribly rude to guess this sort of thing.

Physical description: blue eyes, brown hair, face of an angel, gorgeous figure. You are too kind.

William discovers his little black book open on the side table with a white knight chess piece. He realizes that Althea has seen his book and is aware that he is investigating her. But what William really wants to know is whether or not Althea intends to kiss him or kill him. Find out in, HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME (October 6, 2026).

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Holmes-Away-Althea-Adler-Mystery/dp/1448322405

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/holmes-away-from-home-samantha-larsen/1150070590

GoodReads Link

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250253909-holmes-away-from-home

Connect with the Author!

www.SamanthaHastings.com

https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor

https://x.com/HastingSamantha

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-hastings

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Review

 

 HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME by Samantha Larsen

The First Althea Adler Mystery

 

Althea Adler is a thief wanted in several countries who would like nothing better than to quit the family business and lead a respectable life in London. Unfortunately, she can never say no to her mother, the infamous Irene Adler. Never one to receive heartfelt letters from her mother, Althea receives the usual postcard with a clue and location of her next task. Instead of a location the most recent postcard features a picture of a cozy study with the phrase "Holmes away from home". Althea manages to infiltrate the great detective's home, but only has more questions when the only thing in his safe is a picture of her mother from years past. The hunt for answers leads Althea to a house party at Twickenham Towers. But before Althea makes any progress with her own mission the horrible Lord of the Manor is murdered. Althea teams up with the too handsome Marquess of Sheffield who is there for his own government mission. With despicable characters above stairs and very few servants downstairs will the pair solve the murder in time to complete their original tasks?

 

The game's afoot in this Sherlock Holmes adjacent mystery. Although neither he nor Irene Adler make an appearance both are intrinsic characters who are key to the story. Let me also say that I absolutely love Althea Adler, even more than Holmes or her mother! Highly intelligent, cheeky, and kind underneath that polished exterior she's a delightful protagonist. I also really like William and chuckle as Althea gives him a run for his money!

 

Aside from a well written fun historical story HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME is an intricately plotted mystery that also delves into addiction, sexual assault, and 1911 political themes, most notably Irish home rule. These serious themes are treated with respect and definitely add gravitas to a story that's also quite humorous.

 

Deft plotting, compelling themes, and delightful characters make HOLMES AWAY FROM HOME a thoroughly captivating mystery and an outstanding start to a new series. I absolutely loved it!

 

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 Holmes Away From Home (An Althea Adler Mystery) by Samantha Larsen

About Holmes Away From Home

Holmes Away From Home (An Althea Adler Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - London, 1911
Publisher: ‎ Severn House
Publication Date: ‎ October 6, 2026
Hardcover Print Length: ‎ 240 pages

Introducing Althea Adler, accomplished thief and daring heroine with a mysterious link to Sherlock Holmes.

A heart-racing game of wits, murder and romance is about to commence . . .

London, 1911. Althea Adler receives a mysterious postcard with just four words, ‘Holmes away from home.’ Surely her mother, notorious thief and opera star Irene Adler, is instructing her to break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe? But when she does, Althea makes a shocking discovery . . .

Still reeling from events at 221b Baker Street, Althea accepts an invitation to a party at Twickenham Towers, the ancestral home of Lord Slough, where a murder throws her into further turmoil―as does handsome fellow guest William, the Marquess of Sheffield, who has been tasked with staking out Slough by the British Government.

Althea and William form an unlikely alliance as they set about catching a killer. But can they trust each other when they both have something to hide?

An addictive new cozy mystery trilogy featuring a super smart, lively heroine, a dashing lord and a fiendishly good whodunnit, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes's classic mysteries, Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, and Netflix's The Residence.

About Samantha Larsen

Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. Learn more at: www.SamanthaHastings.com

Author Links Website Instagram Facebook X BookBub

Preorder Links Amazon - B&N

Masked Intentions - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to share a page from the diary of Bobbi Brooks. You can find Bobbi on the pages of the Camera Club Mystery series. MASKED INTENTIONS is the second book in the series and was released

Dear Diary,

It’s been a couple of days, and I’m sorry I haven’t written. I just couldn’t. It’s impossible to wrap my mind around everything that’s happened.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my porch swing wrapped in my down comforter watching the sun rise over the mountains. It’s so beautiful and peaceful that I can almost imagine that everything is okay. That everything is normal.

But it’s not.

So yeah, I’m questioning my life choices—again. Maybe that’s not fair. It’s not like I ever really stopped questioning them. Maybe I shouldn’t have moved here. Who would have thought that tiny little Stonebridge, Vermont would be more dangerous than Boston?

I suppose I should start at the beginning.

Two nights ago, the Harvest Festival kicked off with the masquerade party on the village green. It started off so well! I mean, seriously, nothing can rival October in Vermont. Cool, crisp fall air and the mountains ablaze with autumn foliage. Even after the sun went down, the red, orange, and yellow paper lanterns in the event tent mimicked the autumn leaves so perfectly. I was so proud of Alicia and the festival committee for all they did. And oh, you wouldn’t have believed the costumes! I was dressed as Annie Leibovitz, hoping some of her brilliance might rub off on me!

The band was playing, everyone was dancing, and all of us in the camera club were busy snapping photos. And then…

The scream.

There’s no other way to put it. Alicia and I were standing in line for a hot apple cider when we heard it. We’d just been joking about how Emma and Connor were wearing coordinating costumes—as if they totally aren’t dating. But what do I know? I’m only her mom, and she’s made it clear that I’m to Stay. Out. Of. It. (picture me zipping my lips)

Anyway… Alicia and I sprinted out of the event tent, and… I’ll never be able to erase the image of Emma cradling poor Iris. We thought the young woman must have tripped and fallen into the fountain. If only.

When Emma came home for the festival this weekend, I’m sure she was expecting a break from her nursing duties. Instead, as soon as we helped her move Iris to dry ground, she got right to work performing CPR. I have to admit, I was so proud to see her in action. I only wish the outcome had been different.

Oh, and I should probably also mention something—only because I’m still a little shaken by it. But it’s really not important. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Anyway… You must remember me mentioning a man last June. You know, the one I saw at The Crow—tall, piercing green eyes—the one who nearly made me fall off my barstool. Well, he moved to Stonebridge. Not that I care or anything. Not at all.

So yeah, I met him last night—in person. Let’s just say it was majorly awkward. That is, I was majorly awkward. And seriously, I’m completely bewildered. I don’t know what to do. It’s clear he and Nate have already become good friends. Huge yikes. The last thing I need in my life is a ridiculously handsome Irish guy who makes my heart race and turns me into a bumbling idiot.

But I’m way off topic.

Back to Iris. If you haven’t already guessed from my ramblings, she’s dead—murdered. It’s completely unthinkable. Now, with the dreaded Detective Cram poking that beaky nose of his around Harmony and her housemates, Harmony has asked me to help. I wanted to tell her, “no way.” I really, really did. Of all people, Harmony should know better. Besides, it’s not like I’m a detective or anything. But you know me. Like it or not, I can’t let her down.

There’s a murderer in Stonebridge, and everyone in the club is on board to help me investigate. The Stonebridge Keep It Snappy Shutter Club is on another case! Stay tuned. 

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Review

MASKED INTENTIONS by Kara Lacey
The Second Camera Club Mystery 

It's autumn in Vermont, the leaves are at their peak, the tourists are arriving en masse, and the Keep it Snappy Shutter Club, led by Bobbie Brooks, is ready to capture everything on film. Stonebridge’s annual harvest festival is off to a fun start with a masquerade party on the village green. But the good times quickly end when Iris is found unresponsive after apparently falling into the fountain. And then Mackenzie is rushed to the hospital! While Mackenzie is certain she made an error while foraging and ate poisonous mushrooms by mistake, Iris' fall was no accident, she was murdered. Now Bobbie and her camera club will search through their film for clues. Will Bobbie find a murderer or will the killer put an end to her first?

MASKED INTENTIONS is a study in relationships and choosing how the past shapes the present and future. Evolving relationships are at the heart of the story, indeed the mystery itself. 

I'm happy to be back in Stonebridge, Vermont, especially in autumn. There's a lot going on in the second Camera Club Mystery with an ambiguous murder, (who was the actual target?) a myriad of suspects, and a few subplots. I appreciate how every aspect was deftly handled with no one thing overshadowing another. I still like Bobbie, though I wish she's just face up to her reactions to a certain Irishman. I'm pleased to see that Emma has matured since the first book in the series.

MASKED INTENTIONS is a complex mystery that looks at relationships, desire, and murder with autumnal flair. Grab a cozy blanket and have your camera at the ready as you settle in for this delightful sophomore outing!

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 Masked Intentions: A Camera Club Mystery by Kara Lacey

About Masked Intentions

Masked Intentions: A Camera Club Mystery
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Vermont
Publisher: ‎ Level Best Books
Publication Date: ‎ January 27, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 270 pages Paperback

It’s autumn in Vermont, and the mountains are ablaze with color, just in time for Stonebridge’s annual harvest festival. The village is swarming with leaf-peeping tourists, and the celebration is off to a jubilant start as residents gather for their favorite kick-off event: a masquerade party on the village green. But the crisp fall air turns chilling when a party guest is found lifeless and another is whisked away in an ambulance, on the verge of death.

Photographer Bobbie Brooks vows to leave the investigation to the professionals until a tearful plea from a friend causes her to shift her focus from merriment to murder. The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club is on another case as Bobbie plunges into the world of herbal poisons and masked motives. The truth is concealed in the details captured through her lens. But as everything comes into focus, Bobbie finds herself in danger once again. Can she unmask the killer before the killer zooms in on her?

About Kara Lacey

Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mysteries. Along with her husband, she lives in a tiny village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, skiing, and getting cozy with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you can find her rambling through the forest with her husband and spirited Labrador retriever, camera in hand.

Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-New England.

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The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Theo Sharp to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Theo on the pages of the Detection Club Mystery series by Kelly Oliver. THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE WEDDING AFFAIR is the fourth book in the series and was released last month.

A Philosopher's Guide to Murder in Scotland 
By Theo Sharp

There are many reasons to visit Scotland.

The scenery, for one. The Highlands possess a rugged grandeur that makes one feel simultaneously insignificant and strangely alive. There are mountains wrapped in mist, lochs dark enough to conceal ancient legends, and enough dramatic weather to inspire generations of poets.

Murder, however, is not generally listed among the chief attractions.

Yet that is precisely what Eliza Baker and I encountered in THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE WEDDING AFFAIR.

The adventure began with what should have been a happy occasion. A wedding. Granted, not just any wedding. The wedding in question involved our friend Agatha Christie and archaeologist Max Mallowan, whose courtship was already the subject of considerable interest among their friends.

The trouble with weddings, however, is that they tend to gather people together. And whenever people gather together, they bring with them all the usual complications: old grudges, family disputes, hidden ambitions, jealousy, greed, and occasionally murder. For myself, I take a philosophical approach to these matters, which annoys my friend Eliza to no end.

A philosopher and a detective view human nature from opposite directions. A philosopher begins with grand theories about humanity and attempts to explain individual behavior. A detective begins with individual behavior and discovers how little grand theories matter when someone is lying about where they were at half past nine. Eliza naturally favors the latter approach.

If you’ve met Eliza Baker, this won’t surprise you. She trusts evidence. Footprints. Fibers. Bloodstains. Witness statements. She’s remarkably unimpressed by speculation. I, on the other hand, enjoy speculation far more than is probably healthy. By some messy miracle, this creates a productive partnership.

When I begin discussing motive, morality, and the human condition, Eliza reminds me to examine the mud on a suspect's boots. When Eliza becomes buried beneath facts and details, I occasionally help identify the larger pattern. At least that is my version of events. Eliza might describe matters differently.

The Scottish case proved particularly memorable because it unfolded in one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. There is something deeply romantic about the Isle of Skye. The landscape seems untouched by time. Ancient hills rise above lonely glens. Stone churches stand watch over villages that have existed for centuries. And the coastline has a life of its own.

Such beauty, however, can be deceptive. Indeed, one lesson I’ve learned through repeated exposure to murder investigations is that beautiful places are often excellent locations for terrible crimes. People assume evil prefers dark alleys and foggy streets. In my experience, it is equally comfortable in country houses with spectacular views. Perhaps more so.

The murder at the center of this mystery forced us to confront a question that appears often in our investigations. How well do we truly know the people around us? Every suspect possessed secrets. Every witness withheld something. Even those acting from the best intentions found themselves entangled in deception.

As a philosopher, I find this endlessly fascinating. Human beings are astonishingly skilled at constructing stories about themselves. We explain our actions. We justify our decisions. We convince ourselves we are the heroes of our own narratives. Indeed, we live by stories.

Then a murder occurs and all those carefully crafted stories begin to crack. The truth emerges through the fractures. That process is what makes detective fiction so satisfying. A mystery begins with confusion. Facts appear disconnected. Motives seem contradictory. Nothing makes sense. Gradually, order emerges from chaos. The pieces align. The truth reveals itself. And justice is restored.

As someone who spends a great deal of time thinking about meaning, I find comfort in that structure. The real world rarely offers such tidy conclusions. Life leaves many questions unanswered. Murder mysteries, by contrast, insist that truth and justice matter and that persistence rewards with one if not both. That’s a most reassuring notion.

Of course, readers may wonder whether I enjoy these investigations. The answer is complicated. I enjoy solving puzzles. I enjoy traveling. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with Eliza. I do not, however, enjoy being threatened, chased, attacked, or nearly killed. Unfortunately, the latter activities seem to accompany the former with alarming regularity.

Still, I wouldn’t trade my adventures with beloved Eliza for anything.

The Scottish case remains one of my favorites because it contains everything I love about our adventures. A missing Lord, a baffling mystery, an unforgettable setting, a cast of suspicious characters, and enough twists to keep even the most observant reader guessing.

It also contains a wedding, which is generally preferable to a funeral. Though, given our track record, I suppose it’s something of a miracle we managed to attend one without discovering another body.

Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t tempt fate. After all, wherever Agatha Christie and Eliza Baker go, murder has an uncanny habit of following close behind. And wherever murder appears, I seem destined to follow.

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THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE WEDDING AFFAIR by Kelly Oliver

The Fourth Detection Club Mystery

 

Some proprieties are necessary - the reading of the banns in preparation of marriage, for example. There's no mandate on where the banns need to be read, however, so in order to avoid nosey reporters Agatha Christie decided to have her banns read for three weeks on the remote Isle of Skye. Braving turbulent seas Eliza Baker and Theo Sharp join Agatha and Dorothy Parker, along with Agatha's young daughter and secretary. What they didn't realize was that the wedding party was sharing the lodge with a hunting party led by the obnoxious Lord Blackwood. When he didn't return from the days hunt with his companions, none of his party seem concerned, least of all, his wife. But Eliza's brain is turning - nearly everyone in the hunting party had reason to want the man dead. In addition, the Reverend and people from the lodge are acting strangely. Did someone murder Lord Blackwood? With Theo by her side Eliza will sift through clues and motives, but is she ready to face the truth the island is so desperately trying to hide?

 

A mystery set on a desolate island with stormy weather? Yes, please! What a perfect location for a murder...if there is a murder. At least it's a perfect locale for a missing lord. In addition to having a great setting, I loved the added air of spooky mystery with the possibility of curses, spectral shadows, and the pronouncement of birds.

 

In this fourth outing of the  Detection Club Theo Sharp spends most of the time rhapsodizing, primarily over Eliza, but also about his upbringing, parents, and the Isle of Skye itself. Indeed, the book would be a lot shorter if he kept his philosophical ramblings to himself. While Theo is waxing poetic, it's Eliza who looks to the certainty of clues and motives, with the help of her beagle, Queenie. These opposites support each other in more ways than one.

 

THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE WEDDING AFFAIR has plenty of adventure and drama with midnight ramblings and Lord Blackwood's mysterious hunt for "the boy", and more than one disappearance. The book also highlights class differences, the entitlement of the rich, and family.

 

THE CASE OF THE CHRISTIE WEDDING AFFAIR is an atmospheric historical mystery that brings shivers and shockwaves, and ultimately, a wedding.

 

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The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair (The Detection Club) by Kelly Oliver

About The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair

The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair (The Detection Club)
Historical Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting- Scotland
Publisher: ‎ Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: ‎ June 24, 2026
Hardcover Print Length: ‎ 242 pages
Paperback Print Length: ‎ 296 pages
Digital Print Length: ‎ 290 pages

Scotland, 1930: Agatha Christie is getting married. She invites fellow members of the Detection Club to the windswept Isle of Skye for a quiet break while the banns are read. But tranquility proves elusive when the formidable Lord Blackwood, leader of a hunting party sharing their lodge, vanishes from the moors.

Sharp-eyed assistant to the Detection Club secretary, Eliza Baker, suspects foul play as the strange occurrences pile up: a mysterious grave in the churchyard, a missing rifle, and late-night excursions across the rugged island. There may be no body—yet—but someone at Dunmara Lodge is hiding a deadly secret.

As a storm cuts them off from the mainland, Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate lies, half-truths, and a treacherous landscape... but can they uncover the killer in the stalking grounds… or will the moors keep their secrets forever?

Head to the remote Isle of Skye in this delightful and gripping golden-age mystery series, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright and T. E. Kinsey.

About Kelly Oliver

 

Kelly Oliver is the Agatha award-winning and bestselling author of four mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, The Fiona Figg Mysteries, and The Detection Club Mysteries. The Fiona Figg Mysteries have been on the most anticipated list of Mystery Magazine and won the Mystery and Mayhem Award and the Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Mystery. And The Case of the Christie Conspiracy, Detection Club Mystery book one, is currently nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery. Kelly is Past President of Sisters in Crime National, current Education Coordinator for SinC Guppies, and a Distinguished Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. To learn more about Kelly and her books, go to www.kellyoliverbooks.com.  

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The Case of the Bullfighting Builder - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cathy Carter Jefferson to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Cathy on the pages of the Buttercup Bend Mystery series by Debbie de Louise. The Case of the Bullfighting Builder is the sixth book in the series and was released earlier this year.

Hi, there. My name is Cathy Carter Jefferson. I’m thirty years old and live in the small town of Buttercup Bend in the Catskill mountains of New York. I’m a detective, but I didn’t start out that way. Ten years ago, I lost my parents in a tragic car crash in which I still carry a scar on my cheek. They were driving me home from college for the winter break. I woke up in the hospital with my grandmother and brother by my side. I have carried guilt about the accident all this time until I discovered recently that someone tampered with the breaks on my parents’ car.

But before I get to that, let me tell you more about myself. After my parents died, my brother and I moved in with my grandmother, Florence Wilson. Doug fell in love with the girl next door, Becky, and married her shortly afterwards. He and I opened a pet rescue center and animal cemetery. Having survived the crash that killed my parents, I found caring for animals a comfort.

A few years after I moved to Buttercup Bend, a woman named Maggie Broom who was known as a crazy cat lady because she kept numerous felines in her house and also cared for strays, was found murdered by the newspaper publisher for whom I take photos. I wouldn’t have gotten involved in this case because the sheriff was handling it. However, I soon learned that Ms. Broom had left my brother and I a sizeable share of her estate to use for our pet business. Because of this and prompting from my good friend, Nancy Myers, I decided to investigate Ms. Broom’s murder.

While that was my first case, I’ve had five others following it. I investigated the murder of my professor who had a parrot and was a member of a parrot club. I also went undercover to a llama farm with the local librarian to discover the cause of her friend’s mysterious death. After choosing one of my boyfriends as the man I wanted to marry, I traveled back to my old home on Long Island where I stayed with my great aunt while discovering that a wedding planner was killed on a whale watching cruise. Next, I even investigated the death of a receptionist at my honeymoon resort where my husband adopted her lizard.

My latest case involved the murder of the builder who was building a home for me and my husband in Buttercup Bend. It was during this case that I discovered the truth about my parents’ accident. I also was surprised to find that I was joining my sister-in-law and best friend in maternity. Knowing that I couldn’t enjoy my pregnancy without closure about my parents, I decided to investigate their murder along with that of my builder. Of course, I had help. Nancy insisted I was too close to my parents’ case so offered to take it on with our boss, Howard.

To investigate my builder’s murder, Nancy, her husband, the assistant deputy, and me and my husband attended a memorial for him at the ranch that his fiancée hosted. At the ranch, we also met Boris, a prize bull. My builder, Jose, had been a bullfighter in Spain before moving to Buttercup Bend and opening his construction business. He’d met his fiancée back in Spain when she was on vacation with her girlfriend.

While there were a few suspects in Jose’s murder, the sheriff was convinced his brother and fellow builder, Ferdinand, was guilty because the bullet that killed Jose was a match for a gun Ferdinand claimed was stolen from him. I believed Ferdinand and vowed to find the real killer.

During the memorial, another person is killed, and further evidence is found that points to Ferdinand’s guilt. When a young ranch hand reveals that he knows the killer but has been threatened by them, Nancy and I go back to the ranch to gather evidence to bring to the sheriff so that Ferdinand will be released from custody. We have no luck, and the ranch hand goes missing. Without a witness or any other proof, we’re stuck, but I can’t give up. Risking it all, I end up with a showdown with my builder’s killer after another showdown with the person who murdered my parents.

I’m relieved that both cases were solved and that I was able to enjoy my pregnancy and share the news with my husband and friends. But before I end this adventure, another murder occurs that may follow me into the next book.

If you haven’t read any of my books, please check them out. Although they can all be read as standalones, the characters evolve as the series continues. The first in the series, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady is perma free in eBook form. The following books, The Case of the Parrot Loving Professor, The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian, The Case of the Whale Watching Wedding Planner, and The Case of the Reptile Rescuing Receptionist are available in eBook and print formats. There are also two volume collections of the first 3 books and the current 3 books. Buttercup Bend Mysteries Books 3-4 and Buttercup Bend Mysteries Books 4-6.

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 The Case of the Bullfighting Builder (Buttercup Bend Mysteries) by Debbie De Louise

About The Case of the Bullfighting Builder

The Case of the Bullfighting Builder (Buttercup Bend Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 6th in Series
Setting - Buttercup Bend, New York (fictional town in the Catskills)
Publisher: ‎ Independently published
Publication Date: ‎ May 14, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 268 pages

When Cathy Jefferson’s builder is found dead at the construction site of her new home, she’s pulled into a murder investigation that will test her detective skills like never before.

While sorting through her grandmother’s attic, Cathy uncovers a secret about her parents, who died in a car crash years earlier. Now juggling two cases and determined to learn the truth about her parents’ death and catch her builder’s killer, Cathy teams up with her fellow detectives Nancy and Howard.

Their investigation leads them to a ranch where a prize bull is kept, and to Cathy’s estranged uncle and her college roommate. As secrets unravel and danger closes in from every direction, Cathy discovers that the biggest surprise of all may still be waiting for her.

Will Cathy catch her builder’s killer so that her new home can be finished, and will she receive closure about the death of her parents? Find out in THE CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER, the sixth book in the Buttercup Bend Mysteries series by Debbie De Louise.

About Debbie De Louise

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a retired reference librarian. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and the South Carolina Writers Association. She’s written over twenty books including three cozy mystery series: the Cobble Cove Mysteries, Buttercup Bend Mysteries, and her new series, Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries. She’s also written a paranormal romance, standalone mysteries, a time-travel novel, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in more than a dozen anthologies. Originally from Long Island, she moved to South Carolina where she now lives with her husband, daughter, and three cats. Learn more about Debbie and her books by visiting her website at https://debbiedelouise.com.

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Ghost Cat and the Haunted House - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to allow Blaze the cat to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Blaze on the pages of Ghost Cat and the Haunted House by Mollie Hunt. This book is the fourth in the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery series and will be released next week.

Excuse me. Can I say something?

I know you expected an essay from the heroes of Ghost Cat and the Haunted House. Camelia Collins possibly, or the ghost cat Soji herself. But they are busy infusing our author’s mind with stories yet to come. So you get me instead. Hello, I’m Blaze, Camelia’s companion cat.

I may not be a major character in the Tenth Life Cozy Paranormal Mystery Series, but I am important. As a real, flesh-and-blood cat (unlike tricksy Soji), I’ve been with Camelia for as long as I can remember. I am what Camelia calls a senior cat, so that’s a long time.

We lived in a city called Portland before Camelia decided to pick up and move to little Ocean Cove. She’d always dreamed of living on the Oregon Coast, and at the advancing age of seventy-something summers, I suppose she figured it was now or never. I was skeptical at first, hating change as much as the next cat, but I have come to appreciate the fresh air and quiet environment. Camelia loves it, and that counts more than anything, because she is my world. I need her, but she needs me too.

Soji the ghost cat has her moments— (Did I tell you Camelia’s little cottage is haunted? Well, no one told us either, so it was a surprise when the spirit of a cat from the early twentieth century turned up and started talking to us.) —but Soji is unreliable. I, on the other hand, am completely reliable, especially when it comes to mealtimes and naps.

In this newest book, I have an especially large role to play, though to be honest, it wasn’t really my idea. I kept disappearing to somewhere I couldn’t possibly be, like in a locked-room mystery. Only after several of those inexplicable excursions did Camelia discover the reason. It will astound you, I promise!

I also led Camelia to a place she needed to be just in time to prevent something bad from happening, hosted a feline houseguest she brought home unexpectedly, and sat on her lap when she was cold and scared.

I am quietly amazing.

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 Ghost Cat and the Haunted House (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery) by Mollie Hunt

About Ghost Cat and the Haunted House

Ghost Cat and the Haunted House (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Cat Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Ocean Cove, a fictitious town on the Oregon Coast
Independently Published
Print Length: ‎ 277 pages
Publication Date: ‎ June 30, 2026

Ghost cat Soji draws Camelia into an age-old web of secrets when a body turns up in the long-abandoned house on the hill.

Decades ago, Ida Jacks died a tragic death in her old ancestral home. Since then, the place has stood empty, just another of Ocean Cove’s moldering landmarks. Now paranormal investigator Griffin Gage is about to change all that. But Gage’s plan is to contact dead Ida takes a tragic turn when, instead of a spirit, he finds a corpse.

Ghost cat Soji has been acting strange, trying to tell Camelia something, but what, the octogenarian cannot discern. Is it about Ida? The Jacks House? The murder? And why does her own cat Blaze keep disappearing to the guesthouse with no apparent means of transport?

Handsome Sheriff Jamie can’t figure it out, and neither can Camelia’s clairvoyant confidant Vera nor her very special friend Ellery. Camelia is on her own to uncover the killer, but can she solve the mysteries in time to save innocent lives, and maybe a ghost or two?

About Mollie Hunt

 

Long: Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series: the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries featuring a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Tenth Life Paranormal Mysteries involving a ghost cat. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy presents extraordinary cats saving the world. She also released a COVID memoir she calls, "an ode to the very real and healing presence of cats." Her cat health memoir, “Creating Comfort for Your Senior Cat: Stories, Poems, and Illustrations of Cats in Their Golden Years,” recently won a Certificate of Excellence from the Cat Writers’ Association.

Mollie’s cat writing has earned her various other honors, including CWA Muse Medallions and World’s Best Litter-ary Awards. She is the recipient of the prestigious Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award (CWA) and the Catalyst Council Connect to Care Award, celebrating a true story of the profound connection between a shelter cat and its adoptive pet parent. Her mystery, Cat’s Paw, was a CIBA Mystery & Mayhem Semi-finalist. Mollie is on the Board of Directors for Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA) as well as being the librarian for the Cat Writers’ Association. Additionally, she is a member of Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers, and the Oregon Writers Colony. Mollie lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like her cat lady character, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

Short: Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy mystery series and a sci-fantasy tetralogy. She has also published a COVID memoir and a cat health chronicle, both of which won recognition from the Cat Writers’ Association.

Mollie is a member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA), Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, and Willamette Writers. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like the cat lady character in one of her cozies, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

Author Links: 

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: https://molliehuntcatwriter.com/  

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7768987.Mollie_Hunt  

Purchase Link - Amazon