Haunting and Homicide - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book being released today. Haunting and Homicide by Ava Burke is the first book in the Ghost Tour Mystery series.

Blurb:

Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher has a gift: she can see dead people. But in New Orleans, Louisiana, this is not a drawback. On the contrary, her ability to see ghosts helps her host viral ghost tours through the historic Garden District. When rival tour guide Adam Brandt–who accused her of faking her encounters to undercut his business–is found murdered, Lou is the only one who can see him . . . his ghost, that is.

It’s no secret Adam and Lou were feuding and with the absence of a suspect, she’s the only one with a clear motive. After detective Dylan Finch, Lou’s longtime crush, reveals the murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger from Lou’s shop, she’s officially declared the prime suspect. Determined to prove her innocence, Lou starts investigating right away.

Weaving her way through Adam’s business partnerships, friendships, and kinships, Lou must uncover who wished to see him dead before the killer tries to silence her forever.

Currently Reading...

I am currently reading French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron. This book is the third book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series and was released last week.

New Orleans loves a holiday and it’s going all out for Halloween. With a multitude of activities all over town Ricki James-Diaz and her co-workers decide to get in on the action by transforming the Bon Vee  Culinary House Museum into a haunted house with tableaus inside the mansion and an old shed turned into a crypt outside. During the dress rehearsal the staff are shocked to find a real dead body inside the crypt. The victim happens to be the insufferable assistant of their new next door neighbor, the same woman making their lives a misery. With the New Orleans Police Department beyond busy with all of the Halloween happenings and since pretty much everyone at Bon Vee is a suspect it only makes sense they work together once again to solve yet another murder at their property.

Murder at the Pontchartrain - An Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Kathleen Kaska to Cozy Up With Kathy. Kathleen writes the Sydney Lockhart Mystery series. Murder at the Pontchartrain is the sixth book in the series and was released last week.

Kathy: The Sydney Lockhart Mystery series is set in the 1950s. Why choose this timeframe?

KK: I was born in the 1950s. I love the decade’s fashion, music, and movies. It was an exciting time for women. WWII had ended, and more women were claiming their independence and entering the workforce. I wanted my protagonist to be a young woman ahead of her time, struggling to make it in a man’s world.

Kathy: In Murder at the Pontchartrain, Sydney, and her boyfriend/partner have come to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. New Orleans has a truly unique ambiance with voodoo and hauntings being the norm. How have these things influenced your book?

KK: A book set in New Orleans calls for elements of voodoo, which I included in the story. My Sydney Lockhart series is a lighthearted and humorous cozy. In Murder at the Pontchartrain, which comes out on June 28, one of the victims visits the House of Voodoo in the French Quarter because she believes her hateful deceased husband is abusing her from his grave. As a result, Sydney’s investigation begins with a visit to the current voodoo queen, the historic St. Louis Cemetery, and eventually to the nearby swamps where she came close to being lost forever.

Kathy: Sydney relies on Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

KK: Tough questions. There is so much we don’t know, and more we can’t understand. I like to think that the human mind has not yet evolved to understand the strange phenomena that occasionally occur. I’ve never had a ghostly encounter, but I have experienced odd happenings that I couldn’t explain. One time I just started reading A Son of a Circus by John Irving. The novel begins with a family of circus dwarfs. I was on page two when I heard a racket coming from a vacant lot next door. I went to investigate and found a family of dwarfs in an old station wagon, listening to rock music. My husband, still to this day, thinks I imbibed too much wine.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

KK: I love reading cozies. They are void of explicit violence and sex, and most are humorous. I read other mystery genres, but reading and writing cozies help me relax and put me in a good mood. Who doesn't like to laugh? Some of my favorite cozy authors are Carl Hiaasen, Spenser Quinn, Elizabeth Peters, Ben Rehder, and Janet Evanovich. Several readers have told me that my Sydney Lockhart series reminds them of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Sydney has also been compared to the delightful Mrs. Maisel character from the Amazon Prime series.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

KK: I just completed a hardboiled detective story set in Manhattan in the 1940s. Since I love reading Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Mickey Spillane, I wanted to try writing a gritty detective story. I had great fun delving into New York City of long ago. My protagonist is a down-and-out ex-cop who lands a high-profile case. It’s his one big chance to pull himself out of the Hell’s Kitchen gutter he calls home. I lived in Manhattan in the 80s when Hell’s Kitchen was a rough, dangerous neighborhood. I think that’s when the seed for this mystery began to germinate.

I also wrote three mystery trivia books on Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, and Sherlock Holmes. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book is in its third printing.


Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

KK: Allow me to use a fellow author’s flattering review of the Sydney Lockhart series. “What is it like reading a Sydney Lockhart mystery? Picture, if you will, Carl Hiaasen writing a classic film noir featuring the zany, red-haired reporter Sydney Lockhart who somehow gets herself into more tight situations than Lucille Ball did in a whole season of I Love Lucy.”

My Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Series is a suspense mystery. Each book centers around an animal-right issue in which my protagonist, Kate Caraway, finds herself caught in the middle of doing what’s right and what's ethical, which are not always the same. She’s not a vigilante, but she's relentless when it comes to righting a wrong.


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

KK: In my Sydney series? It’s hard not to love all the characters, even the bad guys. In Murder at the Driskill, the fourth in the series, Lydia LaBeau showed up, and I instantly fell in love with this girl. She was a big hit with many of my readers, too, so she’s going to stick around. Lydia is twelve years old and possesses the wisdom of a seventy-year-old. She runs her neer-do-well’s father’s live theater in downtown Austin. Having a prop and costume room at her disposal, Lydia often dresses in whatever reflects the case Sydney is trying to solve. In Murder at the Pontchartrain, her chosen costume was that of a voodoo queen.


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

KK: Since I love reading humorous mysteries, I wanted to try writing one. Sydney showed up in my imagination and began to tell her story. I just had to listen and write it down. Thankfully, Sydney has not stopped talking.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

KK: I love writing. It’s an excellent way to connect with people; to do that, I needed to publish my work.

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

KK: I used to work in marketing at a publishing company. Brainstorming ideas with my colleagues was a blast, and those sessions enhanced my creativity. So, at this special dinner party, I would invite Agatha Christie, Martha Grimes, Raymond Chandler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

KK: I’m rereading Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series to get in the right frame of mind because I’m working on a British crime mystery. Grimes is a fabulous writer and a true inspiration. She’s a master of metaphors. Looking through her books on my bookshelf, you will find that many of the sentences are highlighted because they deserve to be reread.


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

KK: I love the outdoors and spend a lot of time birding. I also enjoy running, and I do two or three marathons a year. I have the most fun attending baseball games with my husband and hanging out with my three fabulous sisters.


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

KK: You will always find a bottle of gin in my freezer, and olives, leafy lettuce, blueberries, bananas, lemons, and almond milk in the fridge. I always stock sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, oatmeal, and olive oil in the pantry. As you might guess, my husband and I dine out a lot.


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

KK: I have three hotels on my list for the next three Sydney Lockhart mysteries. And I have a list of hotels suggested to me by my readers. I just hope I get to all of them.

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

Creating something out of my imagination. Writing is an art that doesn’t require going to the store for supplies. I also get to meet other authors and readers.

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 Murder at the Pontchartrain by Kathleen Kaska

About Murder at the Pontchartrain

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous) 6th in Series
Setting - New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 280 pages

“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.

My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.

I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not. So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”

About Kathleen Kaska

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6^th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

Author Links:

Website http://www.kathleenkaska.com  

Twitter https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor  

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska  

Instgram https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/  

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska  

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/www.kathleenkaska.com  

Purchase Links - Anamcara Press - Amazon

Bayou Book Thief - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron
The First Vintage Cookbook Mystery

After spending most of her life in California, Ricki James decides to return to New Orleans, the city of her birth, after the death of her husband. A lover of vintage cookbooks and kitchen accoutrements, Ricki has a great idea to open a culinary themed gift shop in Bon Vee, a Garden District mansion turned museum. Fortunately, the grande dame of the estate loves the idea and Ricki is soon selling wares and making friends. While going through boxes of donations, she makes a grisly discovery, the body of the cantankerous tour guide who was recently fired for stealing books! When the police appear to shrug off the clues Ricki's found, she decides to stop sharing and start sleuthing.

 

The elegance as well as the attempts to hide fading glory and the gritty realness that is New Orleans imbue the first Vintage Cookbook Mystery with a real sense of this wonderful city. That reality also reminds us not to judge a book by its cover! Miracle James-Diaz has a tendency to jump to conclusions. As a book lover she should remember the adage to never judge a book by its cover and readers would be wise to keep that in mind.

 

The characters truly make BAYOU BOOK THIEF stand out. A young widow with loving and fun parents who nonetheless would like to discover more about her birth, a hot chef with a damaged heart, a lost soul, a rowdy senior, and more intriguing people inhabit the pages and not only make me want to learn more about them, but make me start to care for them. I like Zellah and Kitty while I'm not a fan of Cookie, and I absolutely adore German and want to learn more about Mordant. I'm also a huge fan of Gumbo and Jambalaya.

The murder was intriguing leading to several additional mysteries. I like that while the murder is solved, there are lots of other questions still raised and I'm eager to see developments as the series progresses.

 

BAYOU BOOK THIEF brings together quirky characters and an engaging mystery in a wonderful setting. Vintage cookbooks, memorable characters, and the intoxicating setting that is New Orleans make this a fantastic start to a new series. Just remember, looks can be deceiving. 

 

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 Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery) by Ellen Byron

About Bayou Book Thief

Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - New Orleans, Louisiana
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (June 7, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback: ‎ 304 pages

A fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans after her showboating actor husband perishes doing a stupid internet stunt. The Big Easy is where she was born and adopted by the NICU nurse who cared for her after Ricki’s teen mother disappeared from the hospital.

Ricki’s dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular former Garden District home of late bon vivant Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet, the city’s legendary restauranteur. Ricki is excited about turning her avocation – collecting vintage cookbooks – into a vocation by launching the museum’s gift shop, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware. Then she discovers that a box of donated vintage cookbooks contains the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired after being exposed as a book thief.

The skills Ricki has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations. But both her business and Bon Vee could wind up as deadstock when Ricki’s past as curator of a billionaire’s first edition collection comes back to haunt her.

Will Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware be a success … or a recipe for disaster?

About Ellen Byron

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Bayou Book Thief will be the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. She also writes the Catering Hall Mystery series under the name Maria DiRico.

Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. An alum of New Orleans’ Tulane University, she blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster. Please visit her at https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Author Links: 

Newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/ https://www.facebook.com/CateringHallMysteries/ 

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/ 

 Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-dirico  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23234.Ellen_Byron https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19130966.Maria_DiRico  

Purchase Links Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Books - Alibris - IndieBound - PenguinRandomHouse  

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron. This book is the first in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series and was released yesterday!

After spending most of her life in California, Ricki James decides to return to New Orleans, the city of her birth, after the death of her husband. A lover of vintage cookbooks and kitchen accoutrements, Ricki has a great idea to open a culinary themed gift shop in Bon Vee, a Garden District mansion turned museum. Fortunately, the grande dame of the estate loves the idea and Ricki is soon selling wares and making friends. While going through boxes of donations, she makes a grisly discovery, the body of the cantankerous tour guide who was recently fired for stealing books! When the police appear to shrug off the clues Ricki's found, she decides to stop sharing and start sleuthing.

 

The Physicists' Daughter - An Interview, Review, & GIveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Mary Anna Evans to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mary Anna's latest novel, THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER, will be released June 7, 2022.

 
Kathy: THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER is set in New Orleans. Why did you choose this location for your novel?

MAE: THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER is based on the true story of a secret project carried out by the American government at a New Orleans factory in the final months of WWII. I grew up near New Orleans and I've written two books set there--WOUNDED EARTH and FLOODGATES--so building a novel around this real-life story was a natural fit for me.


Kathy: Justine Byrne works in a factory during World War II. My great aunt was a "Rosie-the-Riveter" for a time. Has WWII always held an interest for you?

MAE: I think that WWII holds a strong interest for many of us. It's still within living memory, although that window is rapidly closing. Hitler's atrocities make him a clearcut enemy, and we don't often have that clarity in these complex times. The dropping of the atomic bomb ended the world that humanity had always lived in, beginning a new world that we still don't really know how to navigate. Because of all these things, the time period around WWII generates endless story possibilities.


Kathy: What first drew you to historical fiction?

MAE: I'm fascinated with the past. It's a place that we can only visit through documents and records and photographs and, of course, through fiction.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

MAE: THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER is a suspense novel, which is a form of crime fiction that differs a bit from the mystery fiction of my previous work. There are thirteen books in my Faye Longchamp archaeological mystery series and, though I think my readers will enjoy strong capable Justine in the same way that they've enjoyed strong, capable Faye, I think they'll see differences that enable Justine to shine in her own way. My standalone novel, WOUNDED EARTH, is probably more similar to THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER, as I'd categorize it as suspense, too I also write short stories in a number of genres, including a recent alternative history story published in THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT. I write essays and book-length nonfiction, including the upcoming BLOOMSBURY HANDBOOK TO AGATHA CHRISTIE, which I co-edited with JC Bernthal. I've dabbled in science fiction and fantasy stories, as well. When it comes to genre, you can never be sure of what I'll do next!


Kathy: Tell us about your book.

MAE: I pitched the book as Rosie-the-Riveter-meets-Bletchley-Park. It features factory worker Justine Byrne, the daughter of two physicists who taught her enough physics to let her recognize that her boss is lying to her. She and her coworkers are not building what they think they're building. She can also see that somebody is trying to sabotage their work. Justine must use her unusual-for-a-woman-in-1944 knowledge to save everyone around her from someone who doesn't care if they live or die.


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

MAE: Well, it would have to be Justine. She's smart. She's loving. She's loyal. Yeah, she's a little socially awkward. And yeah, she's got no experience in the ways of the world. But she's got heart.


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

MAE: In real life, the workers in the Carbon Division at Higgins Industries, many of them women, participated without their knowledge in a secret project that was critical to the Allies' plans for winning WWII. I imagined what might have happened if one of them had figured out the secret, and that insight gave me Justine Byrne, the daughter of physicists. And it gave me this book.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

MAE: I write for readers. I like to imagine how they'll react to the exciting scenes and the emotional scenes. Writing fiction for others to read is a form of communication that's important to me.


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

MAE: Wow, that's a hard one. Well, I've done a good bit of writing about the work of Agatha Christie, so I would certainly want to invite her. Mary Shelley created a book that we're still reading after two centuries, and I'd love to talk to her about that. (And about Percy Shelley and Lord Byron and about her mother Mary Wollstonecraft!) Jane Austen, too, wrote books that have stood the test of time, so I would invite her. And, like so many women, LITTLE WOMEN was a book that marked me for life, so I would invite Louisa May Alcott.


Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

MAE: I just finished FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST, a lovely historical novel by Julia Bryan Thomas.


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

MAE: I love to play the piano and cook. I spend a lot of time on the phone talking to faraway loved ones. And my husband and I enjoy board games, movies, and TV.


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

MAE: Hershey's syrup. Vanilla ice cream. Coffee. And Coca-Cola.

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

MAE: Yes! I'm almost finished with the sequel to THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER. It's called THE TRAITOR BESIDE HER. It takes Justine to Washington, DC, where she welds together ships and goes undercover among America's codebreakers, searching for a spy who is stealing their decoded messages.


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

MAE: I love hearing from people who have enjoyed my work. It makes my day to know that the liked it well enough to reach out to me.

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Review

THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER

By Mary Anna Evans

 

In 1944 New Orleans Justine Byrne is proud to be doing her part working in the secret Carbon Division of Higgins' Michaud plant. Although she's merely putting unknown pieces together, she's able to use her welding skills to fix the assembly line which keeps breaking. With the breaks happening far too often Justine is certain there's a saboteur. Is it someone who has a grudge against Higgins? Or is there a traitor in their midst working for the Nazis? With her scientific background and inquisitive mind Justine is determined to figure out what they're actually making in the Carbon Division thereby deducing who wants it stopped. Meanwhile, her abilities have attracted the attention of at least two others. Are they possible suitors or spies? 

 

You're going to wish you paid more attention in science class! I love the scientific detail, especially as it combines with historical fact, even if at times I was shaking my head like Georgette. I really appreciate the portrayal of smart, competent, capable women found here. Justine's methodical problem solving combined with Georgette's loyal street savvy were a delight to see. I also like that although most of the story was told from Justine's point of view, we also got to see the points of view of two spies. 

Engaging characters and a compelling mystery had me hooked. As the story progressed so did the drama and thrills including a pulse pounding climax. I questioned so many things including Gloria's mental state and the identity of the spies. Questions that kept me glued to the pages.

Sabotage, espionage, and lots of science combine to make THE PHYSICISTS' DAUGHTER an enthralling novel filled with cunning characters, growing friendships, and cloak and dagger adventure.

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The Physicists' Daughter: A Novel by Mary Anna Evans

About The Physicists' Daughter

The Physicists' Daughter: A Novel
Historical Fiction
Poisoned Pen Press (June 7, 2022)
Paperback: ‎ 352 pages

The Nazis are no match for the physicists' daughter.

New Orleans, 1944

Sabotage. That's the word on factory worker Justine Byrne's mind as she is repeatedly called to weld machine parts that keep failing with no clear cause. Could someone inside the secretive Carbon Division be deliberately undermining the factory's war efforts? Raised by her late parents to think logically, she also can't help wondering just what the oddly shaped carbon gadgets she assembles day after day have to do with the boats the factory builds...

When a crane inexplicably crashes to the factory floor, leaving a woman dead, Justine can no longer ignore her nagging fear that German spies are at work within the building, trying to put the factory and its workers out of commission. Unable to trust anyone—not the charming men vying for her attention, not her unpleasant boss, and not even the women who work beside her—Justine draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.

About Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans is the author of The Physicists' Daughter, the first in her series of WWII-era historical suspense novels featuring Rosie-the-Riveter-turned-codebreaker Justine Byrne. Her thirteen Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries have received recognition including the Benjamin Franklin Award, a Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal, the Oklahoma Book Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals. She is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches fiction and nonfiction writing, including mystery and suspense writing. Her work has appeared in publications including Plots with Guns, The Atlantic, Florida Heat Wave, Dallas Morning News, and The Louisville Review. Her scholarship on crime fiction, which centers on Agatha Christie's evolving approach over her long career to the ways women experienced justice in the twentieth century, has appeared in the Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie (coming September 22, 2022), which she co-edited, and in Clues: A Journal of Detection. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers-Camden, and she is a licensed Professional Engineer. She is at work on the second Justine Byrne novel, The Physicists’ Enigma.

Author Links: 

Website: https://maryannaevans.com/  

Twitter: @maryannaevans  

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-anna-evans  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12395.Mary_Anna_Evans  

Purchase Links Bookshop IndieBound Barnes and Noble Amazon Booksamillion Nook Kindle Kobo

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Physicists' Daughter by Mary Anna Evans.

In 1944 New Orleans Justine Byrne is proud to be doing her part working in the secret Carbon Division of Higgins' Michaud plant. Although she's merely putting unknown pieces together, she's able to use her welding skills to fix the assembly line which keeps breaking. With the breaks happening far too often Justine is certain there's a saboteur. Is it someone who has a grudge against Higgins? Or is there a traitor in their midst working for the Nazis? With her scientific background and inquisitive mind Justine is determined to figure out what they're actually making in the Carbon Division thereby deducing who wants it stopped. Meanwhile, her abilities have attracted the attention of at least two others. Are they possible suitors or spies?

The Seer - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE SEER
By Eva Shaw 

Dr. Thomas Ling has a plan, he's going to deliver the package as requested, then disappear. In February 1942 anti-Asian sentiments are running high. Never mind that Thomas is Chinese and not Japanese, life could become very difficult for him. Beatrix Patterson is a seer and a finder of lost things. When Thomas decides to enter Beatrix's home to avoid the police he's concerned he's encountered a witch, and he's not a superstitious man. Beatrix saves him from the police...but just what is her intention? 

THE SEER had so many elements that piqued my interest, the fantastic location of New Orleans, a fascinating time period, that of World War II, and an apparent psychic. Despite the great possibilities the book never hit the mark. The plot is meandering and I never really discovered what the book's focus was supposed to be. 

Both Thomas and Beatrix had amazing back stories and fascinating characteristics, but the unlikely duo never gelled. Each appeared as two dimensional characters, despite their intriguing backgrounds. I didn't feel any chemistry between them. So many things seemed contrived and not genuine, as well as unrealistic.

I loved the historical details found in THE SEER. While I knew that the United States interned people of Japanese descent during WWII, I didn't know about Camp Algiers or how integral New Orleans was during the war, though, upon reflection it makes complete sense.

THE SEER sheds light on some relatively unknown, but very important, facts about WWII. It's an interesting story, but not as compelling as it could have been.

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For an opportunity to own a paperback copy of THE SEER, simply leave a comment on this blog post no later than 11:59pm Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I may contact you should you be the winning comment. Sorry, US addresses only.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Seer by Eva Shaw. 

Dr. Thomas Ling has a plan, he's going to deliver the package as requested, then disappear. In February 1942 anti-Asian sentiments are running high. Never mind that Thomas is Chinese and not Japanese, life could become very difficult for him. Beatrix Patterson is a seer and a finder of lost things. When Thomas decides to enter Beatrix's home to avoid the police he's concerned he's encountered a witch, and he's not a superstitious man. Beatrix saves him from the police...but just what is her intention?

The Key to Murder - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Jen Pitts to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Jen writes the French Quarter Mystery series. THE KEY TO MURDER is the first book in the series and was released last year.

Kathy: In THE KEY TO MURDER Samantha Richardson follows a diary around the French Quarter of New Orleans. Do you keep a diary?

JP: I actually don’t keep a diary. I spend so much time writing fiction that I don’t write facts. Although I must admit I use some details from my own life in my books.


Kathy: Setting plays such an important role in a mystery and that is certainly the case in this book. New Orleans is almost a character unto herself. What draws you most to this city?

JP: On my first visit to the city twenty-five years ago, I fell in love. New Orleans is full of such unique neighborhoods, but I felt at home in the French Quarter. Walking down the streets, I admired the mix of the old and the new, the quiet spots juxtaposed with the party-like atmosphere. I loved the food rich with history and flavor; the musicians playing on street corners along with artists showcasing their work. Every time I visit, I find new people, places, food, music, and art to fall in love with.


Kathy: In the first French Quarter Mystery Samantha is hopeful she’ll discover about her past, as she was orphaned as a toddler due to a hurricane. Have you ever been in a hurricane or experienced other major weather events?

JP: The first time my husband and I went to New Orleans together was in September 2002. We were there for Hurricane Isidore. We had lunch at Redfish Grille and when we came out of the restaurant, we couldn’t see across the street because of the sheets of rain. Our hotel took care of us with dinner and extra towels for leaking windows and we slept through the storm. The next morning, we headed to the French Quarter where everything was open like nothing had happened.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JP: The deep sense of community drew me in to cozy mysteries. I love that no matter if the community is a neighborhood or a small town, the relationships between the characters are important. I also like that most cozy mysteries are series, so I get to know the characters and see them grow.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

JP: Not right now. I have a few ideas for a few standalone mysteries, but I really enjoy writing cozies.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

JP: The French Quarter Mysteries finds Samantha Richardson learning about her new hometown while solving mysteries of the past and present. In the first book, THE KEY TO MURDER, Sammy is researching her past and following the clues in a strange diary. THE GATES TO THE AFTERLIFE finds Sammy settling into her new life. When one of her best friends is accused of murder, she needs to prove his innocence and stop a Voodoo ritual that has turned to murder. In book three, A DEADLY CHECK-IN, Sammy now has to prove her own innocence when her cousin is murdered in a haunted hotel.


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

JP: I love them all, but I am fond of Sammy. I love her curiosity, her sense of humor, her love of coffee, and her loyalty to her friends.


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

JP: My love of cozy mysteries and New Orleans was my inspiration. Since I don’t live in the city or solve mysteries in real life, I get to live there and solve mysteries in my books.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JP: About two years ago, I joined a critique group. Besides my husband, no one else had read my work in progress, THE KEY TO MURDER. My nerves were on edge at our first meeting, but quickly subsided. Our group is supportive, but offers constructive criticism. When I finished my revisions, my fellow writers told me I was ready to either send it to agents or self-publish. I took their advice and published it on my own.


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

JP: Agatha Christie is first on the list as she is still my inspiration as a mystery writer. I would also love to have Anne Rice join us to discuss New Orleans. I’d also love Julie Smith to come as I love her Skip Langdon and Talba Wallis series. Another idol of mine is Louise Penny. While I’m not a big fan of cold weather, I’d live in her town of Three Pines.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JP: I’m reading the Dr. Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. I love reading books set in England and I’m fascinated by archeology. This series is a bit cozy, a bit police procedural, and definitely interesting.

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

JP: Right now my hobbies are unpacking boxes. We just moved to a new home and unpacking never seems to end. But when I’m settled, I enjoy reading, watching mysteries, traveling, and spending time with my husband and two teenagers.


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

JP: Coffee, coffee creamer, peanut butter and jelly.
 

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

JP: I’m writing book four of The French Quarter Mysteries, BURY THE PAST. I have at least two more books planned. I’m researching for a new series that will also take place in New Orleans. It’s a paranormal cozy series.


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

JP: I love I get to create character, worlds, and stories that are my own. And I love connecting with other readers and writers who enjoy mysteries as much.

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Review

 

THE KEY TO MURDER by Jen Pitts
The First French Quarter Mystery

Turning 30 seemed an appropriate time to make a new start so Samantha Richardson packed her bags and moved to New Orleans. Renting an apartment in the Thibodeaux Mansion in the French Quarter, Sammy quickly makes friends with the other residents. She's discovered a unique book in her apartment, a diary that acts as part romance novel and part scavenger hunt. None of her new friends know anything about the book and all deny the unique gift left subsequently at her door. Deciding the book would be a great way to get to know her new city, Sammy starts following clues...until they lead her to a dead body. Is someone setting her up? Sammy is sure one of her new "friends" is lying, but who?

The first French Quarter Mystery lays the groundwork for a fascinating series. I loved the intricate detailing of this very special portion of a unique city. I felt I was walking the streets and discovering both the charm and danger of New Orleans. Sammy is a great character, equally strong and vulnerable. The other characters are just as interesting with deep backstories I hope we get to explore. Most everyone is troubled to a degree, some much more than others. A hint of romance, neighbors as family, and a sense of community deepen the attachment for both Sammy and readers alike.

The mystery was unique and unexpected, as were the bead bodies. There was more than one surprise which was refreshing and kept me quickly turning the pages.

THE KEY TO MURDER is an engaging trip through the French Quarter. Interesting characters, an intriguing diary, and the chance to start again make for a compelling read and a great start to a new series.

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 The Key to Murder: A New Orleans Cozy Mystery (The French Quarter Mysteries) by Jen Pitts

About A Key to Murder

The Key to Murder: A New Orleans Cozy Mystery (The French Quarter Mysteries) 
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Publisher: ‎ Independently published (March 4, 2020)
Paperback: ‎ 282 pages

Samantha thought following a mysterious diary around the French Quarter of New Orleans would be a harmless way to learn about her new hometown until it became about murder.

As the newest resident of Thibodeaux Mansion, West Coast transplant Samantha is looking forward to starting her thirties in a new place. Drawn to New Orleans for its music, food and history, she's excited to start her future in this unique city. But Samantha is also hopeful she'll find her past since she was adopted from Louisiana after being orphaned in a hurricane as a toddler.

An anonymous diary, unusual key, and a distinctive doll are left in her furnished apartment and her mostly friendly neighbors all deny leaving the gifts. Samantha, now Sammy to her new friends, can't believe any of them could be a liar. When the diary leads her to a dead body, Sammy needs to find out what these clues mean and what the murderer is trying to tell her.

Although her best friends Sissy and Andrew are happy to help her with this mystery, her other friends aren't sure the murder and diary are about Sammy. Not wanting to lose her newfound friendships and possible love interest, Sammy decides she must uncover the answers on her own.

Sammy moved to New Orleans looking for a new future, but is it her past that found her first?

THE KEY TO MURDER is the first book in the The French Quarter Mysteries featuring West Coast transplant Samantha Richardson settling into her new hometown, New Orleans. Her neighborhood is full of music, food and history as well as interesting people. Join Sammy as she explores the Big Easy by solving the mysteries of the past and present in this new modern, cozy mystery series.

About Jen Pitts

   

Jen Pitts is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling, reading, and enjoying life with her children and husband in the Pacific Northwest.  

Author Links:  

www.jenpittsauthor.com  

www.facebook.com/jenpittsmysteryauthor 

 www.instagram.com/jenpittsmysterywriter/ 

 www.twitter.com/JLPSch  

www.goodreads.com/jenpitts

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