I'm pleased to welcome Emily Harper to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Emily on the pages of the Great Maine Mystery series. MURDER MOST EASTERN is the first book in the series and was released last week.
From Boston to Jasper Beach By Emily Harper, amateur sleuth and recent inheritor of a lovely house on Jasper Beach
I didn’t move to Maine because I had a plan. I moved here because I inherited a house—and a mystery.
When my sister Becky died, everything shifted. I’d always imagined she’d be the one who settled down in some cozy coastal town, running on Dunkin’ and small-town gossip. Not me. I was the Boston one. A little too tightly wound, maybe, but predictable. Structured. Comfortable with my life in the city, at least on the surface.
Then came the phone call. And the funeral. And the house.
I’d never even heard of Jasper Beach before that week. But there it was—Becky’s house. Her cat. Her entire world tucked inside a weather-worn Victorian perched at the edge of the sea. And when I stepped inside for the first time, I felt it immediately: there was something unfinished. Something unsettled. Something that didn’t make sense.
She wanted me to stay. And at first I did, just to sort through her things. Then, to try to understand what really happened. And before I knew it, I wasn’t just sleeping in her bedroom—I was rethinking my entire life.
Becky left more behind than a house and a cat (Grayson, who is more opinionated than most people I know). She left questions. Secrets. Maybe even a trail she hoped I’d follow. And whether it was guilt, grief, or just sheer stubbornness, I couldn’t walk away.
I thought I was coming to Maine to say goodbye to my sister.
Instead, I stumbled into a murder investigation, befriended Becky’s attorney, Bill, and a retired librarian with more sass than sense (hi, Martha), and found myself navigating local scandals, secret codes, and one very nosy cat who seems to know when trouble’s afoot.
The truth is, nothing about this life was part of the plan. I’m not a detective. I’m not even all that brave. But I’ve discovered something important in this strange, windswept little town: sometimes the best parts of life are the ones you never see coming.
I still miss Becky every day. But in a way, she’s the reason I found this new purpose. She left me a home, a community, and a mystery—and I intend to honor that.
Even if it means chasing murderers in a pair of mismatched boots and figuring out how to keep a psychic cat out of the butter dish.
Although they weren't close, Emily Harper is devastated to hear of her
sister's death. Upon inheriting Becky's Victorian with the proviso that
she live in it a year, Emily leaves Boston behind and moves to rural
Maine. Once in Becky's house she is filled with a sense of foreboding
that even Grayson, Becky's cat, can't dispel. Though not one to believe
in the mystical, Emily finds herself having visions after wearing her
sister's bracelet, visions of the man she met at the lighthouse Becky
was researching. When Emily returns to the lighthouse she discovers the
man has been murdered. Does his death have something to do with the
secrets Becky wrote about in her journal? If that's true, was Becky's
death truly accidental? Will Emily discover the truth or will she be the
next to die?
I found the plot of the first Great Maine Mystery fascinating: an accidental death that may not be so accidental, shifty historians, a wise cat, hidden artifacts that may have a mystical purpose all set within the beautiful backdrop of rural Maine.
I'm not sure how I feel about Emily. Her attitude towards Grayson irked me. While Emily grew attached to her she thought it was odd to talk to a cat and saying that she was just a cat. I suppose non pet people may think that way, but it bothered me. I did like how she was suspicious of others, but at times her actions put her in the too stupid to live category. Bill is a great character and I really liked Martha, the plucky librarian. But the character I liked best was Grayson, the cat. Grayson is a sturdy cat. I understand that. However, it's not necessary for the author to continually use the word waddle to describe her movements. She waddled here, she waddled there, she waddled everywhere! Most annoying.
I enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story. While at times it did act a bit like a deus ex machina, it added another interesting layer to the story.
A little bit of mystery and a little bit of magick make MURDER MOST EASTERN an intriguing start to a new series.
Murder Most Eastern (Great Maine Mysteries)by Nellie H. Steele
About Murder Most Eastern
Murder Most Eastern (Great Maine Mysteries) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Maine Publisher: A Novel Idea Publishing, LLC Publication Date: August 28, 2025 Print length: 210 pages
A seaside Victorian. A skeptical artist. A cat with secrets. And a murder that won’t stay buried…
When struggling artist Emily Harper inherits a charming but creaky Victorian on the rugged coast of Maine, she expects a fresh start—what she doesn’t expect is cryptic notes, eerie visions, and a cat with an uncanny sense for trouble.
But nothing unsettles her more than the bracelet. A striking piece of tourmaline jewelry left behind in the house, it sends shivers up her spine whenever she wears it. At first, she chalks it up to stress—until she visits West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and is struck by a chilling vision of a man begging for his life. The next day, his body is found.
With a storm brewing, long-buried secrets rising to the surface, and a killer who will do anything to keep the past hidden, Emily must embrace the unexplainable—or risk becoming the next victim.
Fans of Ellery Adams and Carolyn Hart will love this twisty, atmospheric paranormal cozy mystery full of seaside charm, ghostly intrigue, and a heroine who refuses to back down—no matter how haunted her past may be.
Read now and sleuth the clues today.
About Nellie H. Steele
Nellie H. Steele is a storyteller who doesn’t just write books—she writes the stories her characters tell her. With distinct voices and minds of their own, her characters often take over, guiding her through tales of romance, mystery, adventure, and suspense.
A lifelong bookworm, Nellie vividly recalls sitting on the concrete floor of her childhood library, eagerly devouring Nancy Drew books and dreaming of solving mysteries of her own. Now an award-winning author, she spends her days crafting immersive worlds and unforgettable characters that feel like old friends. Her house is a zoo—literally—thanks to her rescue animals who seem perfectly happy napping while she writes.
Nellie’s writing process often involves background TV she never actually watches because she’s too wrapped up in her characters’ antics. When she’s not spinning stories, she works as a professor of statistics, where students who know her as an author are often surprised to find she really does teach math.
If you love twisty mysteries, soap-opera-style romance, and thrilling adventures, dive into Nellie’s books today and discover worlds you won’t want to leave. Connect with Nellie on Facebook at @NellieHSteele—she loves chatting with readers about characters, stories, and more!
I just finished reading Murder Most Eastern by Nellie H. Steele. This is Book 1 of the Great Maine Mysteries and will be released August 28, 2025.
Although they weren't close, Emily Harper is devastated to hear of her sister's death. Upon inheriting Becky's Victorian with the proviso that she live in it a year, Emily leaves Boston behind and moves to rural Maine. Once in Becky's house she is filled with a sense of foreboding that even Grayson, Becky's cat, can't dispel. Though not one to believe in the mystical, Emily finds herself having visions after wearing her sister's bracelet, visions of the man she met at the lighthouse Becky was researching. When Emily returns to the lighthouse she discovers the man has been murdered. Does his death have something to do with the secrets Becky wrote about in her journal? If that's true, was Becky's death truly accidental? Will Emily discover the truth or will she be the next to die?
MURDER, SHE WROTE: A BODY IN BOSTON By Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran The Sixty-First Murder, She Wrote Mystery
Jessica Fletcher is happy that she has time in her busy schedule to accept an invitation to go to Boston. Not only will she be speaking at a library function, she'll get to meet up with several old friends and get some sightseeing in too! She'll also have a travel companion as Seth is also headed to Boston for a medical lecture. Their happy reconnection with old friends is tainted, however, when Cookie's daughter Aileen rushes into the pub with bloodstained hands saying that her boyfriend is dead. Now Jessica, her PI friend Harry, and Seth will do what they can to provide the police suspects other than Aileen. The group soon learns that Aileen's young man was not so upstanding and there's more than one possible motive for murder. Will they find a killer in the midst of Boston while still managing to enjoy the sights of this historic town?
I feel the same joy as Jessica does when she meets up with Harry, Cookie, and her other Boston friends, as I consider Jess and Seth my old friends, though I know there'll be a murder whenever we get together while Jess may just suspect it! This sixty-first outing is an enjoyable mix of friendship, murder, and healthy dose of Boston tourism. I enjoyed visiting vicariously, seeing the statues of Tadeusz Kościuszko and the Marquis de Lafayette as well as the tour of the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, though I say forget the kids-I want to throw the tea overboard! I like that Jessica and Seth managed to fit in fun time with their work and their investigation. I also appreciated how everything dovetailed seamlessly.
I enjoyed how Jessica quietly went about solving the mystery. She didn't even intend to solve it, just drum up more suspects, but solve it she did. While I liked seeing Jessica's old friends I really enjoyed meeting some new ones as well. I loved Mahmood and his take on Jessica's adventures in particular.
MURDER, SHE WROTE: A BODY IN BOSTON brings familiar characters to Beantown where pharmaceuticals, libraries, and murder combine to make an enjoyable mystery.
Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Bostonby Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
About Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston
Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston Cozy Mystery 61st in Series Setting - Boston, Massachusetts Publisher: Berkley (July 1, 2025) Paperback Print length: 304 pages
Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.
Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell Jessica: he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse -- and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!
About the Authors
Terrie Farley Moran is the bestselling author of the Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series, including the Agatha Award-winning Well Read, Then Dead. Along with Jessica Fletcher, she co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series. She also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Terrie's short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and numerous anthologies. "A Killing at the Beausoleil" was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. "Inquiry and Assistance" received the Derringer Award for Best Novelette.
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.
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!
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.
VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER: A TRUE CRIME LOVER'S TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND VOLUME 1 By Dawn M. Barclay
True crime enthusiasts who like to travel, even if it's only via armchair, will appreciate VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER: A TRUE CRIME LOVER'S TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND VOLUME 1. This handy book gives each state its own chapter which is then divided into sections: basic crime statistics and brief segments about the crimes followed by a sampling of true crime books set in that state. The next section includes various places to see including accommodations, restaurants, and other attractions. Addresses, websites, and current hours and prices are also given as well as more snippets about the crimes that took place there. The last section for each state features the itineraries, multiple ones for each state giving driving directions to a set of true crime sights. As with any travel book the problem is that they can easily become outdated. Information such as prices and hours of operations can change quickly and the author urges people to call before making any definitive plans. In addition, the stories remain the same even if restaurants and tour companies fade away.
The book includes notorious true crime cases, such as Lizzie Borden and Kitty Genovese, and historical cases such as the Salem Witch trials and the Boston Strangler, however a large number of the cases are tawdry murders which only die hard true crime fans, or those with some association, would be interested. I personally wouldn't care to visit the site where a man repeatedly stabbed his neighbor, though I may want to pay respects nearby where a woman was hanged for witchcraft.
This book is exceedingly well researched with a wonderful bibliography and index at the end. I really enjoyed reading about the haunted restaurants and hotels and found those bit even more interesting than some of the true crime sections.
Well organized and easily readable VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER: A TRUE CRIME LOVER'S TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND VOLUME 1 is an enjoyable travel guide for fans of true crime and those interested in more unique travel destinations.
As Close as You Can Get to True Crime While Still Breathing!
For the true crime lover—finally, a travel guide from an award-winning travel journalist and suspense author that gives you the down and dirty on exactly where the major crimes occurred, and where the bodies are buried. For aficionados of paranormal, prison, and tombstone travel, there’s a goldmine of tourism suggestions for you here as well.
Along with summaries of the major crimes committed in New England, you’ll discover where to find the best crime and ghost tours; which hotels and restaurants are former jails, courthouses, or harbor paranormal activity; where infamous criminals are/were jailed, and which venues and attractions might feed your fancy for murder and justice. Reading lists in each chapter will guide you to books expounding on the crimes discussed.. Best of all, suggested itineraries bring all the pieces together to help you traverse New England’s criminal landscape in an organized and entertaining way. Up for a true crime road trip? Let Vacations Can Be Murder be your ultimate travel guide.
Praise for Vacations Can Be Murder:
"The perfect reference book for the U. S. crime traveler. Barclay rounds up a collection of known and obscure crimes, arranged by geographic area, that features museums, cemeteries, hotels, prisons, and private properties. She even offers itineraries, murder tours, a location-specific list of true-crime books, victim resources, and some ghost stories. This travel guide is a gem. Be packed and ready before you start reading because you’ll want to go explore." ~ Katherine Ramsland, author of Darkest Waters, The Nutcracker Investigations, and How to Catch a Killer
Vacations Can Be Murder Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: True Crime, Travel Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: March 25, 2025 Number of Pages: 340 Series: Vacations Can Be Murder, Book 1 Book Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Read an excerpt from Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England:
This is from the Crime Summaries section of the Connecticut chapter. The actual addresses of these crimes are all included in the Itineraries section of the chapter.
Hartford may be considered one of Connecticut’s most dangerous cities, but its suburbs have seen their fair share of crime over the years.
The Hartford Witch Trials occurred between 1647-1663. In all of Connecticut, there were 43 trials and 16 executions, many in Hartford and three in Wethersfield. On May 26, 1647, Alice (Alse) Young of Windsor was the first to be executed. Servant girl Mary Johnson was the first to confess to witchcraft in Connecticut but was likely coerced by extensive torture. She was executed somewhere between 1648-1650 (reports vary).
In 1839, The Amistad criminal and civil cases were tried at Old Statehouse in Hartford. The case revolved around a mutiny by, and subsequent charging of, 53 Mende African men, women, and children who had been captured and were being transported between Sierra Leone and Havana, Cuba aboard the ship to serve as slaves. The story was the subject of the Steven Spielberg film, Amistad. Several other Connecticut locations connected to the trial can be found at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/travelamistad/visit.htm.
Joseph “Mad Dog” Taborsky was a murderer sentenced to death after a string of brutal robberies and murders in Hartford and West Hartford in the 1950s. He was sentenced twice to be executed for two different crimes, but the first conviction was overturned due to the mental competency of a witness, his brother Albert, testifying against him. (Albert was later declared insane.) In December 1956, a little over a year after his release from prison, Taborsky launched a 14-month murder spree that killed gas station attendant Edward Kurpewski and customer Daniel Janowski, package store owner Samuel Cohn, shoe store customers Bernard and Ruth Speyer, and pharmacy owner John M. “Jack” Rosenthal. The second conviction stuck, and he died in the electric chair in 1960, the last execution in Connecticut until that of Michael Bruce Ross in 2005.
In 2004, Matthew Steven Johnson was convicted of the 2000 and 2001 slayings of three female sex workers he murdered—Rosali Jimenez (33), Aida Quinones (33), and Alesia Ford (37)—who were all found dead in the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford. Each of the women had drugs in their system and were found with their bodies stomped upon, strewn with Johnson’s semen, and with their pants pulled down around one leg. Johnson was found guilty and sentenced to three consecutive 60-year sentences at the Cheshire Correctional Institution.
Lazale Ashby became one of the youngest prisoners on Connecticut’s death row for kidnapping, raping, burglarizing, and murdering his neighbor Elizabeth Garcia in 2002, when he was just 18. He was suspected of another Hartford rape, as well.
Ashby has actually been tried and sentenced three times for Garcia’s murder, the final time in 2023, when he confessed to the crime. Now that Connecticut has abolished the death penalty, he’s been sentenced to 46.5 years in prison. In addition, he was convicted and received a 25-year sentence for the 2003 fatal shooting of 22-year-old Nahshon Cohen of Manchester, whose body was found on a street in the city’s North End.
Speaking of Manchester, in August of 2010, the city became the location of a mass shooting at a beer distribution company, Hartford Distributors. Disgruntled former employee Omar Thorton, forced to resign after video evidence revealed he’d been stealing and reselling the company’s beer, fatally shot eight coworkers and injured two others. He then committed suicide on site. Those who knew him cited racism as the reason for his upset, but these allegations were disputed by the firm and not substantiated by the investigation that followed.
William Devin Howell’s rape and murder spree, which started on New Year’s Day in 2003, took place in Seymour, West Hartford, and Wethersfield, as well as New Britain. Triggered by a fight with his girlfriend, Howell succumbed to years-long rape fantasies, Referring to himself as the “Sick Ripper,” he would lure female drug addicts, unlikely to be missed, into his “murder mobile.” There, he would rape them, often videotaping bizarre sex acts, before murdering them and disposing of the bodies in a seldom frequented area behind a strip mall in New Britain which he called his “garden.” He was arrested in North Carolina and plea-bargained his way into a fifteen-year sentence for the manslaughter of Mary Jane Menard. However, new evidence that surfaced while he was already in jail earned him six consecutive life sentences (360 years in prison) to be spent at the Cheshire Correctional Institution.
In 1986 at the Jamaican Progressive League, a club in Hartford’s North End, Bonnie Foreshaw stopped to get a beer and ended up committing a murder that bought her the longest jail sentence ever handed down to a woman in the state. Having endured a lifetime of sexual and spousal abuse, when Hector Freeman offered to buy her a drink and wouldn’t let up when she turned him down, the encounter triggered her. She drew her handgun to fire a warning shot, but Freeman protected himself by using a pregnant woman, Joyce Amos, as a human shield. Foreshaw’s bullet killed her accidently.
Foreshaw spent the majority of her jail time at the York Correctional Institution in Niantic where author Wally Lamb taught a writing class for prisoners. Lamb took up her cause, believing she’d been over-sentenced, and thanks to his help, Foreshaw was granted clemency after serving just 27 years of a 49-year sentence. Once released, she changed her name to Bonnie Jean Cook and helped other ex-convicts adjust to life on the outside until her death in 2022.
All of these murders pale in comparison to the crimes of Amy Archer-Gilligan. While she was charged with five deaths (though only tried for one), she may have killed as many as one hundred. Archer-Gilligan ran the Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids in the Hartford suburb of Windsor, where countless older residents were bilked out of money and then poisoned by arsenic, including the murderer’s own husbands. Other locations tied to Archer-Gilligan include Newington, where she and her first husband James Archer lived with John Seymour until he died, and then they transformed the home into Sister Amy’s Nursing Home for the Elderly. In 1917, she was convicted of the murder of Franklin Andrew and sentenced to death by hanging, but she appealed. During a second trial in 1919, she pleaded insanity and was convicted of second-degree murder, earning her a life sentence. In 1924, she was transferred to the Connecticut General Hospital for the Insane in Middletown, where she remained until her death in 1962. The play Arsenic and Old Lace is loosely based on her story.
Also in Hartford, the Circus Fire that killed 168 persons and injured 412-700 others through trampling and asphyxiation occurred on July 6, 1944 (“The Day the Clowns Cried”) and is considered one of the country’s worst fire disasters. The Big Top Tent was coated in paraffin plus gasoline or kerosene for waterproofing; therefore, it was highly flammable. On top of that, some of the exits were blocked by animal chutes. Arson was suspected; others blamed a carelessly tossed lit cigarette. A mentally ill man named Robert Dale Segee, 21, of Circleville, OH, confessed to setting the fire, as well as up to 30 other blazes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Ohio. He later recanted his confession and was never tried in Connecticut. However, Segee was indicted and convicted in Ohio on two charges of arson and served eight out of a four-to-forty-year jail sentence. He died in 1997.
Finally, on May 18, 1988, Billy “Hot Dog” Grant, a bookie who was in charge of Connecticut safe houses for New York’s five families, was reportedly murdered in the parking lot of the Westfarms Mall in Farmington. Grant, who had owned Augie and Ray’s Hot Dog and Hamburger shop in East Hartford, and later the South End Seaport restaurant on Franklin Avenue, was suspected of having given up details of the hiding spot of the brother of a mafia boss. He is supposedly buried underneath a Farmington residence.
***
Excerpt from Vacations Can Be Murder by Dawn M Barclay. Copyright 2025 by Dawn M Barclay. Reproduced with permission from Dawn M Barclay. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Dawn M. Barclay is a veteran travel trade reporter and an award-winning author who writes nonfiction under her own name and fiction as D.M. Barr. Her first nonfiction book, Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022) received a starred review from Library Journal, and won the 2023 Lowell Thomas Gold Award from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, Honorable Mention from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (Books that Make a Difference), and first prize in the Maxy Awards. When not writing, she edits for various authors and publishers, creates book trailers, ghostwrites (nonfiction only!), plays competitive trivia, rescues senior shelter dogs, travel, reads, and apparently, drives her family nuts...but they won't admit it, of course, since she knows a lot about murder.
MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER By Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early The Sixtieth Murder, She Wrote Mystery
Jessica Fletcher should have been enjoying a tropical cruise, but a slip on the ice has her not only stuck in snowy Maine, but confined to a wheelchair with the use of only one arm. Adamant about recovering at home, she grudgingly accepts the help of a live in aide. Fortunately, Alice is a personable young woman, unlike the man renting the house across the way who spends the days constructing X-rated snow sculptures. As Jessica recovers she learns of several mysteries occurring around Cabot Cove: the death of a food truck man and his missing wife and the "Bologna Kid" to name a few, and can't help but use her binoculars to check out things from her living room window. Has J. B. Fletcher turned into L. B. Jefferies?
MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER is a delightfully different mystery. For a good portion of the book readers aren't entirely sure what the mystery is. Sure, we know about the murdered man and the assumption that his wife killed him after an argument and fled which happened before the book started. We also know about a man stealing food and clothing. All this and everything that happens in the first portion of the book doesn't seem that pressing, but it's is laying the groundwork for the murder that happens right under Jessica's nose.
Spending time in Cabot Cove is like coming home. Reading the sixtieth Murder, She Wrote Mystery is like being wrapped in a cozy blanket with a nice cup of cocoa in hand. While it was fun hanging out with Jessica, Seth, and Mort nothing crucial appeared to be happening. It seemed that disparate events were occurring around town and I thought was too much time spent on a seemingly irrelevant subplot, however, by the end of the story everything joined together, proving things were indeed relevant and making a seamless whole.
MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER brings the warmth of good friends and a great mystery to a wintry Maine in a great addition to this long running series.
In a nod to Rear Window, this newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series finds Jessica Fletcher coping with an injury that leaves her homebound—and a murder just outside her window!
Jessica Fletcher has taken a nasty spill on the ice, leaving her in a wheelchair for several weeks. She tries to work on her latest manuscript but finds herself distracted by a new neighbor moving in across the street. There’s good reason for her to be distracted, because soon after unpacking his sparse belongings, Mr. Rymer is out in the front yard, building somewhat risqué (read: naked) snow sculptures.
While Cabot Cove debates whether the sculptures are a protected form of art or a public display of lewdness, someone starts destroying them at night. Rymer doesn’t seem upset. He just makes new ones. No need to get the police involved over a little snow, he says. Especially when there’s plenty more of it and a blizzard in the forecast.
The morning after the storm, Jessica looks out the window to see a new sculpture across the street—and the body of Mr. Rymer half-buried in the snow. Can Jessica catch a cold-blooded killer from her chair by the window?
About the Authors
Barbara Early earned an engineering degree, but after four years of doing nothing but math, developed a sudden allergy to the subject and decided to choose another occupation.
Before she settled on murdering fictional people, she was a secretary, a schoolteacher, a pastor’s wife, and an amateur puppeteer. She lives in Western New York State (Go Bills!), where she enjoys cooking, crafts, classic movies and campy seventies television, board games, and spending time with her granddaughters.
Before teaming up with Jessica Fletcher, she previously wrote the Vintage Toyshop Mystery series and the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (as Beverly Allen).
With just a few days before Christmas I thought I'd shine a spotlight on the most recent book in a series to which I'm woefully behind. I'll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series and was released last month.
Blurb:
It’s Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine, and the Historical Society
has launched a widespread campaign to celebrate the town’s 150th
anniversary. Descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have
returned for the first time, and Holly is determined to make the
family’s visit magical. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map,
Holly’s mother, a respected local baker, attempts to break a record by
baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans are whisked
away when Mr. Snow’s body ends up in the batter.
When Mr. Moore,
the local mistletoe farmer, is accused of the crime, Holly reprises her
role as amateur sleuth to protect the sweet older man. Between hosting
the inconsolable Mrs. Snow and other guests at the inn, receiving
threatening messages telling her to stop her investigation, and
preparing for her first wedding anniversary with Sheriff Evan Gray, she
might need a Christmas miracle to survive.
When someone breaks
into Holly’s office and scratches a warning into her desk, she knows she
has little time left. Can Holly uncover the killer before someone else
gets burned, or is her involvement a recipe for trouble?
MURDER, SHE WROTE: A KILLER CHRISTMAS By Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran The Fifty-Ninth Murder, She Wrote Mystery
Cabot Cove, Maine is gearing up for the holidays, but this year, instead
of the usual events, they're going all out. As Cabot Cove tries to
be named the state's best holiday destination Jessica Fletcher finds
herself on more than one committee! But holiday planning is interrupted
when real estate agent Eve Simpson tries to sell the old Jarvis place
to Boston tycoon John Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie. Not
only do the rich couple arrive in town, but so does long lost Kenny
Jarvis. It's not long after Kenny threatens Rose Marie, saying she'll
never live in his house that death comes to Cabot Cove. Was it natural
causes, an accident, or murder? Jessica will have to add solve a
mysterious death to her holiday to do list.
It's always a treat to visit Cabot Cove, a charming town with fun characters we know and love and murder! The majority of MURDER, SHE WROTE: A KILLER CHRISTMAS concentrates on providing a holiday atmosphere. From the Thanksgiving preparations and meal to the organization of multiple holiday events there was a hint of mystery with the long lost Kenny and sale of his childhood home, but no dead bodies until halfway through the book. That didn't bother me, however, as I enjoyed hanging around town with Jessica and getting into the holiday spirit.
There were a few mysteries going on in this fifty-ninth Murder, She Wrote Mystery. Where is Kenny and what is he planning to do? Are the judges for the Christmas contest coming to town? Just what's going on with this power couple and their entourage? The murder itself was curious; was it even a murder? It was. And a unique one at that. I love how Jessica goes about solving the case, quietly and unobtrusively, all the while preparing for the holidays.
If you're looking for a charming holiday themed mystery MURDER, SHE WROTE: A KILLER CHRISTMAS might just be your perfect cup of tea.
It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.
Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Marlene, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Marlene she will never live in his house.
When Marlene is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .
About the Authors
Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.
I just finished reading Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran. This is the fifty-ninth book in the Murder, She Wrote Mystery series and was released yesterday!
Cabot Cove, Maine is gearing up for the holidays, but this year, instead of the usual events, they're going all out. As Cabot Cove gears up to be named the states best holiday destination Jessica Fletcher finds herself on more than one committee! But holiday planning is interrupted when real estate agent Eve Simpson tries to sell the old Jarvis place to Boston tycoon John Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie. Not only do the rich couple arrive in town, but so does long lost Kenny Jarvis. It's not long after Kenny threatens Rose Marie, saying she'll never live in his house that death comes to Cabot Cove. Was it natural causes, an accident, or murder? Jessica will have to add solve a mysterious death to her holiday to do list.
MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE By Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran The Fifty-Eighth Murder, She Wrote Mystery
It's always exciting for an author to finish her manuscript, but it's doubly exciting for Jessica Fletcher as it allows her to accept her fun loving cousin's invitation to see her in a new theatrical review. Soon Jessica, along with friends Seth Hazlitt and Mort and Maureen Metzger arrive in Edmonton, Canada ready for a fun vacation. While the friends are able to see some of the wonderful sites, they are also plagued by lost items, surly and pushy people, and theatrical drama. When Jessica accompanies Emma for an after hours costume fitting they also find a murdered body! Who could have killed the part time stage hand who also worked as a bartender at their hotel? While the Canadian police have matters in hand, Jessica can't help but look into things as well. Jessica's vacation has become a working holiday in more ways than one!
Jessica Fletcher is one of the best cozy mystery sleuths of all time. She isn't reckless, she works with the police, and she notices everything! In MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE Jessica spends most of her time sightseeing, as she should when vacationing. When murder happens, she observes and her investigation is primarily a trip to the library and discrete inquiries. And yet, due to her acute observations, she solved the crime! Perfection!
I love the camaraderie between Jessica and her friends, as well as the effervescent Cousin Emma. Seeing Seth and Mort so enthusiastic about meeting their childhood idol was a welcome change from their more serious professions and it was fun seeing Jess and Maureen simply shake their heads at the men's antics. I also enjoyed the glimpses of Jess as a child as she and Emma reminisced.
The mystery was finely plotted with several things occurring in the book I thought for certain played a major role. I later discovered I was somewhat led astray and I enjoyed a few surprises along the way. I also really liked learning about Edmonton and was grateful for the opportunity to be an armchair traveler as well as armchair detective!
MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER BACKSTAGE combines the beauty of Edmonton, the drama of theatre, and a finely crafted mystery along with wit and friendship in a delightful mystery.
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstageby Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
About Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage
Murder, She Wrote: Murder Backstage Cozy Mystery 58th in Series Setting - Edmonton in Alberta, Canada Publisher: Berkley (April 2, 2024) Paperback: 272 pages
The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Jessica Fletcher’s British cousin, Emma MacGill, will be traveling to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to perform with internationally famous star of stage, screen, and television Derek Braverman in an old-fashioned musical review. Emma would love for Jessica to join her there and suggests she bring along some friends. Having just finished her latest book, Jessica is ready for a vacation and is delighted to agree. Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Sheriff Mort Metzger are huge fans of Braverman, so they are eager to tag along, and their fanboy behavior gives Jessica and Mort’s wife, Maureen, more than occasional cause to roll their eyes.
Upon arrival in Edmonton, Jessica is quickly outed as mystery writer J. B. Fletcher, and despite numerous protests, a hotel staffer arranges a book signing for her. This and touristy adventures arranged for the group make for a much busier trip than Jessica was expecting. When a hotel bartender, who also happens to be a stagehand for Emma’s play, turns up dead backstage at the theater, Jessica’s fun and relaxing vacation quickly becomes anything but.
About the Authors
Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.
I'm pleased to welcome Donna Clancy to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Donna writes the Braddock Mystery series. KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP is the first book in the series and was released last week.
Kathy: Bestselling mystery author Tammy Wright returns to her hometown in KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP. Why made your protagonist an author?
DC: I made Tammy a mystery author because I believed it would give her a leg up in solving mysteries. Besides, I enjoy being an author and creating stories so what better occupation to give my main character.
Kathy: Tammy has returned to help her aunt run her ceramic shop during the busy tourist season. I teach ceramics to my patients at work. We don't have a wheel, but rather pour slip into molds. Do you make ceramics?
DC: Back pre-children, I ran the ceramic shop for The Otis Air Force Base. And then, later, when the base closed, I worked at the Brewster Ceramic Shop giving classes and coordinating shows for the students to sell their pieces. I haven’t done any ceramics in many years but still have many of the pieces I did back then and they decorate my house on the holidays.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
DC: When I was eight years old, I read my first Nancy Drew book. I was hooked on the mystery without the gore. I also lived up in the sticks of Maine for nine years and liked the small-town vibe and the people who lived there. You can find so many different characters who have been there their whole lives. I also am an animal fanatic and like the fact that many cozies include cats and dogs.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
DC: I do. When time permits, I self-release a new Christmas Romance each year. I also love to read and write thriller/suspense and also have written in the YA genre, but most of my books are in the cozy genre.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
DC: I have signed a seven-book deal with Level Best Books for The Braddock Mysteries series. Tammy, an author returns to her hometown in Braddock, Maine and finds one mystery after another to solve.
Summer Prescott Books Publishing publishes two other cozy series of mine, Trash to Treasure Mysteries and a new one, Paint and Sip Mysteries. Trash to Treasure sees Sage Fletcher, flipping furniture and other items in between finding herself involved in mysteries. Paint and Sip centers on two retired art teachers, Jannelle and Anita, who open a business that offers wine tasting while creating art pieces.
I also have two self-published cozy series. The Shipwreck Café Mysteries feature a handsome male protagonist, Jay Hallett, who has purchased a lighthouse and surrounding buildings to turn into a café. Throw in a lighthouse keeper’s ghost and it’s great mysteries on Anchor Point. The Jelly Shop Mysteries, feature Tabby, who inherits her gran’s jelly recipes and turns it into a business. She has a nose for trouble and her mother insists she is a magnet for dead bodies.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
DC: I do. Gladys Twittle will always be my favorite out of all the characters I have written. In the Jelly Shop Mysteries, she is the town busybody, the town gossip, and if trouble is around you can be sure Gladys is right in the middle of it. She dyes her hair to match the big, bright flowered dresses she will be wearing. She can’t stand Tabby and cause most of Tabby’s problems around town. She is the character you love to hate.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
DC: I don’t have one specific inspiration. I write what catches my attention at the time although I am partial to Maine and Cape Cod as settings.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
DC: I told my mom way back when I was eight years old that someday I would be an author like Carolyn Keene. In 2011, I started to self-publish my works but always had that yearning to be traditionally published. I signed with a terrific agent, Cindy Bullard, at Birch Literary, and now my first traditionally published book, Kilned at the Ceramic Shop, has been released. I’m now sixty-five years old. Lesson here: don’t ever give up on your dreams.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
DC: I think the first author would be Stephen King. I used to love his books but they have become gory and dark. I would like to ask him why he changed his style of writing. The second would be Misty Simon, She seems like such a fun person to be around and I’m sure she would liven up the dinner party. Next would be Edgar Allen Poe. I would like to pick his brain and see where the stories came from that he wrote. And finally, it would be a toss-up between Ami Brunni or Adam Berry. They both deal with spirits and the afterlife which fascinates me.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
DC: I am currently reading LOST LIKE ME by Ivanka Fear. It is a new release, the second in her series, and it is excellent.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
DC: I have many hobbies. My favorite pastime is painting but I also love various other crafts. I dabble in cooking and trying new recipes, but my daughter, Meghan, is a much better cook than I am. For about twenty years I was a wedding planner but gave that up as the brides and families became more demanding. I also love floral arranging as I worked at a florist for eight years and did a lot of their designing and many of my bride’s wedding flowers.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
DC: I always have PopTarts, Campbells tomato soup, saltine crackers, and root beer. I have to have my daily bottle of A&W root beer while I am writing.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
DC: KILNED is the first of seven cozies signed by Level Best. I have twenty-two books laid out for all my different series and two new series that haven’t been started yet.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
DC: I love being able to work at home. My health isn’t what it used to be and I enjoy staying at home with my rescue Papillon, Zumiez, who is fourteen years old and no spring chicken either. It also make me extremely happy when people enjoy my stories. Many hours go into my writing and when it makes people smile and takes them away for the short time they are reading them, I can’t ask for more than that.
KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP by Donna Clancy The First Braddock Mystery
Bestselling author Tammy Wright has returned to Braddock, Maine to help
her Aunt Clara. It's tourist season and lifting the heavy slip and molds
as well as keeping up with customers is getting to be a bit much. Her
imagined boring summer at the ceramic shop becomes anything but when Tammy learns her aunt
is being pressured to sell her store. After encouraging her aunt not to
give in Tammy makes a grim discovery. Their delivery person has been
killed and left in Idle Chat and when Clara still refuses to sell she
disappears. Now Tammy will move heaven and earth to find her aunt and
restore Braddock to the peaceful neighborly town it once was.
I really enjoyed getting to know the people in Braddock. Tammy is smart, self reliant, and doesn't back down from a fight. She's resilient and no matter the problems, and there are some major ones in the first Braddock Mystery, she comes at them head on. Aunt Clara, though missing for a good chunk of the book, is a strong presence, one who doesn't suffer fools gladly. Zeke is a perfect romantic interest, as everyone can see, and a great friend. There are many great people...as well as some horrible bullies and nasties.
The mystery was well plotted with intricate sub mysteries and shocking events set so that interest never flagged. I appreciated how people worked together, not only to solve the crimes, but to help one another as well. Plenty of funny moments are interspersed with serious scenes. I still chuckle at Mabel and her shotgun.
A compelling mystery, a touch of romance, and the love of family and friends make KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP a wonderful start to a new series. I look forward to spending more time in Braddock!
Tammy Wright, a bestselling mystery author returns to her hometown to give her Aunt Clara a hand with running her ceramic shop during tourist season. She discovers that two vindictive realtors have been bullying her aunt and others into selling their properties to make room for new housing developments. Those who don’t comply pay the consequences.
Tammy stumbles upon a body, and when her aunt refuses to give in to either realtor she disappears without a trace.
With the help of an old schoolmate turned policeman, the writer must step out from behind her computer screen and her fictional mysteries to confront real life crime. If she doesn’t, she may never see her aunt again.
About Donna Clancy
Donna Clancy lives on Cape Cod. She has three grown children and one rescue Papillion named Zumiez. She has a seven-book deal with Level Best Books for The Braddock Mysteries, writes The Trash to Treasure and Paint and Sip cozy series’ for Summer Prescott Books Publishing as well as self-publishing The Shipwreck Cafe and Jelly Shop Mysteries. She loves to write in various genres including suspense, thriller, romance, and YA.
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