The Mysterious Case of the Missing House - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING HOUSE
By Michele Pariza Wacek
The Fourth Redemption Detective Agency Mystery 

The Redemption Detective Agency is not your normal detective agency. While Emily Hildebrandt has been using her office management skills in an attempt to bring a modicum of organization and sanity to the office, she hasn't been entirely successful. Her Aunt Tilde runs it more like a hobby than a business, rarely even accepting payment. And neither Tilde, nor her friends Mildred and Nora, are licensed private investigators. That's why Emily is filling our a job application for the school district, although she hasn't been successful in completing that either. When the phone rings with a new case it seems fairly straight forward. Tilde and Mildred's old friend Amelia Clark has been on a cruise and is worried that her niece, Brandy, hasn't been watering her rose bushes. So Emily and the others drive to Meli's house only to find it isn't there. Instead there's a country club and spa! Only in Redemption could a house disappear. With a missing house and a missing niece will the Redemption Detective Agency be able to discover what happened?

Once again oddness and zaniness ensues in Redemption, Wisconsin. That being said, the impossible and wacky are treated with logic, mostly, and respect, and it turns out a missing house isn't such an oddity after all. THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING HOUSE is the fourth book in the series and you need not have read the previous books to enjoy this one. I should warn you, however. Jerome is a jerk! It doesn't really show too much in this book, but trust me. Knowing that makes certain things more understandable. I feel for Emily, love Nick, and think Tilde and Mildred are a hoot! I'd certainly want these guys on my side if I was in trouble.  

Funny, but still showing a considerable amount of depth, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING HOUSE will make you laugh while taking an honest look at  family and relationships while proving the seemingly impossible just might be possible after all. 

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 The Mysterious Case of the Missing House (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing House

The Mysterious Case of the Missing House (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Redemption, Wisconsin, in the 1990s
Publisher: ‎ Love-Based Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ July 15, 2026
Number of Pages 177

Emily has a big decision in front of her. But before she can make it, Amelia Clark, one of Aunt Tilde's friends call The Redemption Detective Agency with an emergency. Apparently Amelia can't get a hold of her niece, who's been house sitting, and she's worried that her niece forgot to water her rose bushes. Should be fairly straight forward, right? Drive to the house, see if the niece is there, and make sure the roses aren't dead as well. Except...the house is no longer there. It's now a fancy health club. Nor is the niece. Needless to say, Emily has no choice but to figure out what happened to Amelia's house and her niece before she makes any decisions about her career. Or her love life. A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty, romcom cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases, cats, dogs and an opposites attract love triangle. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

 

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes, and more, at MPWNovels.com. Michele grew up in Wisconsin (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links Website Facebook Instagram

Purchase Link - Amazon

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading The Mysterious Case of the Missing House by Michele Pariza Wacek. This book is the fourth in the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

The Redemption Detective Agency is not your normal detective agency. While Emily Hildebrandt has been using her office management skills in an attempt to bring a modicum of organization and sanity to the office, she hasn't been entirely successful. Her Aunt Tilde runs it more like a hobby than a business, rarely even accepting payment. And neither Tilde, nor her friends Mildred and Nora, is a licensed private investigator. That's why Emily is filling our a job application for the school district, although she hasn't been successful in completing that either. When the phone rings with a new case it seems fairly straight forward. Tilde and Mildred's old friend Amelia Clark has been on a cruise and is worried that her niece, Brandy, hasn't been watering her rose bushes. So Emily and the others drive to Meli's house only to find it isn't there. Instead there's a country club and spa! Only in Redemption could a house disappear. With a missing house and a missing niece will the Redemption Detective Agency be able to discover what happened?

A Mysterious Christmas Collection - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome both Charlie Kingsley and Emily Hildebrandt to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Charlie in the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series and Emily in the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series, both penned by Michele Pariza Wacek. Sometimes they each appear in each other's mysteries and such is the case in A MYSTERIOUS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION. 

Charlie Kingsley: I’m so glad we can sit down together. Would you like some tea? Oh, wait, you’re more of a coffee gal, aren’t you?

Emily Hildebrandt: I definitely prefer coffee over tea. No offense as I know you make a lot of teas.

CK: None taken. I prefer tea but I drink coffee as well, especially when I’m in the middle of a case and haven’t had much sleep.

EH: Nothing beats coffee then.

CK: Exactly. So, we’re finally in a mystery together.

EH: Yes, and it’s about time. As you can imagine, I’ve heard so much about you.

CK: I hope it was good.

EH: Are you serious? You’re everyone’s inspiration! All I hear is good things!

CK: Well…err…look, I’m sure it’s not like that. It’s just because The Redemption Detective Agency is a spin off from the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries, that’s all.

EH: I think there’s more than that going on. But yes, I’m sure Mildred and Aunt Tilde both appearing in one of your earlier Charlie Kingsley Mysteries definitely had something to do with it. How was it working with both of them?

CK: It was…interesting. Mildred was sure her next door neighbor was a vampire. I was a little worried she was going to show up on his doorstep with a stake.

EH: What, you mean she didn’t do that?

CK: It was touch and go for awhile. And Tilde is definitely very enthusiastic at the idea of being a detective. I know Pat isn’t exactly sold on the idea of Tilde owning a detective agency, but I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. There are an awful lot of unsolved cases in Redemption, it’s probably a good thing to have someone willing to look at them.

EH: Well, I suspect we’re not going to have the same touch you do with our cases, but hopefully we’ll still make you proud.

CK: Don’t be silly. You already make me proud. I’m just thrilled Michele finally started listening to me and went down the cozy mystery path, otherwise all this would have been missed!

Check out not one but TWO Christmas cozy mysteries in A MYSTERIOUS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, one from Charlie Kingsley Mysteries (Secret Santa Murder) and one from The Redemption Detective Agency (The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf).

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Review

A MYSTERIOUS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION by Michele Pariza Wacek
Short Stories from 
The Charlie Kingsley Mystery Series and The Redemption Detective Agency Mystery Series 

A MYSTERIOUS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION is comprised of two short stories, Secret Santa Murder and The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf. The former is part of the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series while the latter is from the Redemption Detective Agency series, but both have their characters crossing over.

In Secret Santa Murder Charlie is invited to a Christmas pot luck and Secret Santa exchange-except the majority pf people invited had to cancel at the last minute and Pat, the hostess, has filled the party with people not normally invited to parties. When one of the guests drops dead it's up to Officer Brandon Wyle to start the investigation, with Charlie's help, of course.

The Redemption Detective Agency has a new case in The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf. Although an adult, Mindy is scared of Santa.When she was a little girl an elf dropped dead in front of the crowd while she was seeing Santa. Since then she can't bear the thought of visiting Santa, but doesn't want to deprive her own daughter of that joy. Though officials declared the death an accident, rumors persist that it was murder. Will Emily and the gang be able to solve this cold case and bring back holiday joy? 

I really enjoyed both of these quick reads, while I'm up to date in the Redemption Detective Agency series I haven't read any of the Charlie Kingsley mysteries. Even with no prior knowledge I was able to jump right in and appreciate everything going on-so feel free to start here even if you are unfamiliar with these series! I now intend to go back and read Charlie's stories. I was already a huge fan of the Redemption Detective Agency and this short story cemented that love. Though short, there's depth to both of these stories and with humor and a hint of romance, a fine mystery in each.

You get two for one with A MYSTERIOUS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, two delightful short mysteries bringing characters from two series together in a great holiday collection.

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A Mysterious Christmas Collection: A Charlie Kingsley/Redemption Detective Agency Crossover Christmas Cozy Mystery Anthology by Michele Pariza Wacek

About A Mysterious Christmas Collection

A Mysterious Christmas Collection: A Charlie Kingsley/Redemption Detective Agency Crossover Christmas Cozy Mystery Anthology
Cozy Mysteries
Setting - Wisconsin
Publisher: Love-Based Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ November 19, 2025

Number of Pages: 150

In this charming Christmas cozy mystery collection, you get not one but TWO Christmas mysteries--one from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series (Secret Santa Murder) and one from The Redemption Detective Agency (The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf).

Even better, the characters in both series will make a crossover appearance in the other mystery.

Here's a peek of each story:

Secret Santa Murder: A Secret Santa party goes off the rails when a guest is murdered after opening their gift. Can Charlie get to the bottom of who did it in this locked door mystery?

The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf: Emily and the gang take on a case to help a young mother get over her childhood Christmas trauma. Can they go back in time and solve the mystery of a dead elf to save Christmas before it's too late?

Includes TWO Christmas cookie family recipes!

The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries

The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is funny, clean & twisty cozy series takes place in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. They're perfect if you enjoy small town cozy mysteries with quirky characters, pets, tea, culinary, a touch of romance, 1990s nostalgia and loads of fun. If you like books by Agatha Christie, Louise Penny and Maddie Day, you'll love these books.

The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is a continuing series with books that are standalone and can be read in any order.

The Redemption Detective Agency

A spin off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. This cozy romcom mystery series also takes place in the 1990s and features a fish out of water amateur sleuth, pet detectives, a cast of silver sleuths (some you'll recognize from the main series), cold cases and a hefty dose of romance. Think The Thursday Murder Club meets Bridget Jones's Diary, but in small town Wisconsin. Also great for fans for The Golden Girls (if they started solving mysteries), Only Murders in the Building (without a podcast and takes place in Wisconsin) and Murder She Wrote.

All the books are clean, twisty and funny. They can be read in any order but to get the best experience, I would recommend starting with Book 1, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links:  

Website https://MPWNovels.com  

Facebook https://Facebook.com/michelepwauthor 

Instagram https://instagram.com/themichelepw

Purchase Link - Amazon 

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Emily Hildebrandt to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can fine Emily on the pages of the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series by Michele Pariza Wacek. THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER is the second book is the series and was released last week.

Musings From Emily Hildebrandt about “The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker”

Let me begin by saying I’ve never been a dog person. Nor have I ever been a detective.

I like order. And calmness. I’m happiest when everything is in its proper place and I have a tidy to-do list where I can cross tasks off as I complete them.

Dogs and investigations are none of those things. There’s always an air of chaos and messiness surrounding both being a detective and having a dog.

Which is why this particular case was so aggravating. Not only was I the one in charge of the case, but it was a case about a missing dog.

Except I was told the dog wasn’t missing. Actually, that’s not true. I was told the dog never existed in the first place.

Ugh. Talk about things not being neat and tidy.

Anyway, despite being everything that I hate, I have found myself starting to warm up to being both a dog person and a detective.

Much to my surprise.

Let’s start with becoming a dog person. I never thought I would EVER own a dog, much less a large, scruffy, yellow lab mix that sheds constantly.

And yet…I now have Scout. Although, in all fairness, Scout chose me.

He was a stray who wouldn’t let anyone touch him until I came around. And it’s a good thing he did, because I never would have cracked this case without his help.

Which leads me to becoming a detective. I’m discovering that I have a bit of knack for investigating. I never dreamed this would be the case, but it seems I’m pretty good at cracking cases.

And, dare I say it, I’ve even discovered that I’m enjoying it.

Just a little. I still prefer my spreadsheets and checklists and bringing order to a chaotic detective agency. But I’m finding it’s a nice break to get my hands dirty with a case or two. 

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THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER is Book 2 of The Redemption Detective Agency, is a funny, twisty, romcom cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases, cats, dogs and an opposites attract love triangle. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club. 
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Review

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER 

By Michele Pariza Wacek
The Second Redemption Detective Agency Mystery 

 

Emily Hildebrandt continues to find herself in the most mind boggling situations since moving to Redemption and becoming the office manager of her Aunt Tilde's detective agency. A dog that may or may not have existed and may or may not have gone missing, a husband who may be a rotten cheating scoundrel with a wife who is way too interested in an influential family are not the themes of a television show, but rather the new cases of the Redemption Detective Agency. While her aunt and friends prepare for their stakeout, including who's bringing what in the way of snacks, Emily starts to look into the case of the dog who went missing a year ago. However, she comes up with more questions than answers.

 

The second Redemption Detective Agency Mystery brings lots of laughs as Emily tries to navigate the confusion and outlandishness that is the detective agency and its "detectives". Quick comments that go round and round, at times I felt I was in the middle of an Abbot and Costello routine, and laughing just as hard. The aunt, the cousin, what dog, who? I'm still grinning. I also am enjoying the romantic aspect...or non romance as it were. I know where, or more importantly who, Emily should be placing her attention, despite Mildred. I have a feeling more is going on with another character-and it's not good. 

 

I'm really drawn to the uniqueness that is Redemption. I love learning more about its past and can't wait as more comes to light. I have a feeling there's a lot more shadiness coming and hope the Redemption Detective Agency is ready for it. I also enjoy that the series is set in the 1990s. At one point Emily was trying to memorize something on a sheet of paper and I was thinking why doesn't she quickly take a picture of it with her phone. Then it dawned on me this was the 90s. Heck, in 1990 I didn't even have my own computer let alone a mobile phone and was sending my film out to be developed! I certainly appreciate the difficulty of detecting without our current tools.

 

Lots of laughs, quirky characters, and a puzzling mystery make THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER a fantastic fast paced read. I love this series and can't wait to learn more about this mysterious town that truly is one of the characters.

 

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 The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - 1990s Wisconsin
Publisher: ‎ Love-Based Publishing (June 18, 2025)
Print Length ~200 Pages

Emily Hildebrandt is not having a good week.

First off, she’s tasked with looking for, of all things, a missing dog. And not just any missing dog, but one owned by the aunt of Nick Stewart’s girlfriend, Trisha.

Like she wants anything to do Nick. Ever. She’s dating someone new and ready to take her life back.

Except…that missing dog case takes a strange turn when the owner tells her she never had a dog.

Why would Trisha lie about a missing dog? Or is Trisha’s aunt the one is lying?

As Emily digs deeper into the case, she uncovers far more than she bargained for.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

About Michele (PW) Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links: 

Website https://MPWNovels.com  

Facebook https://Facebook.com/MichelePWauthor  

Instagram https://instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Link Amazon  

It will be available on Kindle Unlimited soon. The 1st book in the series - The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive is now available on Kindle Unlimited. 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive - An Interiew, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Michele Pariza Wacek back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Michele writes the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series. THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE is the first book in the series and was released October 15, 2024.

Kathy: The Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series is a spin off of your Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. What called you to make a spin off?

MPW: I was feeling called to do a cozy series that was lighter and funnier than the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries. (While the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries does have humor, I would say the emphasis of that series is on the mystery—similar to an Agatha Christie book). A couple of the side characters also stepped up to let me know they wanted to be in the new series, so really, I didn’t have much choice in the matter.


Kathy: In THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE Emily Hildebrandt moves in with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption, Wisconsin. Have you ever gotten caught up in an eccentric relative's schemes?

MPW: I have not, but it might be because some of my relatives might consider me the eccentric relative. [Looks around furtively.]


Kathy: Other than the Charlie Kingsley mysteries, was there a specific inspiration for this story?

MPW: I always loved cold cases, so having a series based cold cases was very appealing to me. I also loved the trope of opening up an investigation into a convicted murderer’s case to discover the actual truth, which is what this case is about.


Kathy: This series is set in the 1990s. Why that time period instead of modern day or earlier?

MPW: The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is actually a spin off from the Secrets of Redemption series, which is a psychological thriller series that takes place in modern day. Charlie is dead in that series and has willed her house to Becca, her niece, who begins the series moving to Redemption. When I started writing that series, I never thought Charlie would turn into such an important character, but here we are.

So, it’s set in the 1990s because Charlie needed to be alive and it also needed to be before some of the major events that happened in Becca’s life. That said, what I discovered while writing it was how much I loved writing in that time period, so I may end up with a lot more books and series that take place in the 1990s.


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

MPW: I’m somewhere in between, but more pantser than plotter. For years, I thought I was a plotter because I do create rough outlines (emphasis on rough). Then a fellow writer in an author group I’m in posted a sample of how they plot, which was when I realized I was more pantser than plotter. I need to get inside and live my stories before I can put them on paper.


Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

MPW: My other business is actually an online marketing business. Unlike a lot of other authors, I truly enjoy marketing, although I’m not as keen about posting a lot on social media (that would be what I dislike the most).


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

MPW: Thank you for asking! On November 2, I’m releasing another Charlie Kingsley Mystery, A ROOM FOR MURDER, which is Charlie’s first case. Then I’ll be moving on to a brand new psych thriller series (another spin-off from Secrets of Redemption) before returning to The Redemption Detective Agency. The goal is to release 2 more books in that series in 2025.

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Review

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE by Michele Pariza Wacek
The First Redemption Detective Agency Mystery

 

Doing the right thing cost Emily Hildebrandt her job, her fiance, her home, and even her car. Desperate, she takes up her Aunt Tilde's offer of not only a place to stay, but a job in Redemption, Wisconsin, even though her aunt is incredibly vague on details. Though grateful, Emily has more questions than answers, especially when she discovers that not only has Aunt Tilde opened a detective agency, but Emily is the new office manager and a detective as well! Surprisingly, they get a case, a case that Emily is certain they should not take. But if they don't help a desperate mother, who will?

 

Aunt Tilde is amazing. What a wonderful woman whose caring heart and intuitive knowledge shine in a totally unique and eccentric body. I also love the "creepy" town of Redemption. Hints are given and there is much more to the town, and its residents, than meets the eye. One thing that really bugged me about Emily was her attitude towards pets. It really turned me off from liking her. However, I think her attitude is going to change, and that's a very good thing. 

 

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE is a very funny story with a very well plotted mystery. I love how the ragtag team gets together to solve a case. Aunt Tilde and her friends may not know how to run a business, but that's where Emily comes in. I also like the subtle romantic interest which got even more interesting at the end of the tale.

 

With lots of laughs, a little intrigue, and a great cast of characters THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE is a great start to a new series!

 

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 The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Wisconsin
Publisher: ‎ Love-Based Publishing (October 15, 2024)
Number of Pages ~200 pages

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or maybe a gin and tonic.

Emily Hildebrandt has run into a bit of a rough patch. She's lost her job, her fiance and her apartment. Still, she never expected to be desperate enough to accept an invitation to live with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption, Wisconsin.

But, beggars can't be choosers. Even if part of the deal is she has to pretend to work at her aunt's latest hair-brained scheme, The Redemption Detective Agency.

Seriously, the woman is a retired nurse. Why does she think she's remotely qualified to run a detective agency, especially in a creepy little town like Redemption?

But, when a strange phone call suddenly thrusts them into an actual case, Emily finds herself hoping her aunt really does know what she's doing ... or an innocent person may be the one to suffer the consequences.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

 

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes, and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links: 

Website https://MPWNovels.com  

Facebook https://Facebook.com/MichelePWauthor  

Instagram https://instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Loch Ness Murder - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book related to one I just finished. Loch Ness Murder by Michele Pariza Wacek is the second book in the Charlie Kingsley Novella series. Note, there is a series of Charlie Kingsley Novellas and a series of Charlie Kingsley Novels. As of 6:30pm eastern October, 19, 2024 the e-book version of this novella was free!

Blurb:

Redemption wouldn’t be Redemption without something weird going on in one of its lakes.

In this case, residents are torn between it being a Loch Ness Monster (named “Locky”) or some other water-based supernatural creature.

So, to set the record straight, two scientists come to investigate.

But then one of them is found dead.

Specifically, drowned.

In the lake.

There are teeth marks on the body … and they appear to be from an actual Loch Ness Monster.

Charlie has no choice but to dive headfirst into this investigation, before another victim surfaces.

Ice Cold Murder - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Michele Pariza Wacek to Cozy Up With Kathy. Michele writes the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. Ice Cold Murder is the second book in the series and was released last week.

Kathy: In Ice Cold Murder Charlie Kingsley accompanies her friend Claire to the reading of her grandma's will. Have you ever been to the reading of a will? 

MPW: I have not. I’ve just seen them on TV and in movies.


Kathy: Charlie and Claire are required to stay at her grandmother's house, which is reputed to be haunted. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever been to a haunted location? 

MPW: I have! In fact, I even created a short fiction podcast on my blog called The Adventures of Riley Longhill, Ghost Hunter, so I of course needed to visit a bunch of locations as part of my research.


Kathy: A storm leaves the pair, along with Claire's estranged family, stranded and without power. Have you had to deal with power outages? What was the most difficult thing about it? 

MPW: Growing up in Wisconsin and now living in Arizona, I’m fairly used to outages. If it happens during a workday, not being able to access the internet and my laptop running out of battery become issues. At night, it’s more of a habit. We’re so used to turning on a light to read or watching TV, so we have to actively think about what we can do without electricity. (Although it’s probably good to be unplugged every once in a while).


Kathy: Charlie enjoys her teas, as do I. My favorite is lapsang souchong. Do you have a favorite tea? 

MPW: I do—I love lavender teas as well as Chai.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

MPW: My mother loved them (although they weren’t called “cozies” back when she was reading them). I was such a huge reader growing up, I was always picking up books to read. Hands down, mysteries are my favorite. Even when I read other genres, such as fantasy or romance, I still want a mystery in there.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

MPW: Everything I write seems to turn into some form of mystery. Right now, I switch between psychological thrillers and cozy mysteries. (I know … opposite sides of the mystery spectrum.) 

 

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

MPW: The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series is a spin-off from my Secrets of Redemption series, which is more psychological suspense. When we first meet Aunt Charlie, in the Secrets of Redemption series, she’s dead (no, this isn’t a paranormal book, although she does “talk” to her niece Becca in her dreams). In contrast, The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is a funny, twisty, cozy mystery series that takes place in the 1990s.

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

MPW: Charlie. No question. She’s been the main driver of both series, quite honestly.

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

MPW: Well, the first book in the original series, It Began With a Lie, was supposed to be a standalone. It turned into a five-book series, and now I’m writing a spin-off series. Charlie is the main inspiration. Every time I think I’m taking a break and moving to a different project, she pops up again.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

MPW: I taught myself to read when I was three years old because I wanted to write stories so badly. I got a little derailed over the years, starting my own copywriting company in 1998. It was my mother getting sick and dying from cancer that made me realize life is too short to not be writing and publishing fiction, as well.

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

MPW: Agatha Christie, Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?  

MPW: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher.

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

MPW: I love to hike and walk, especially with my husband and dog, and take hot baths or do hot Pilates (yes, I like to sweat). And I of course love reading.

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

MPW: Coffee and cream (non-negotiable) and my ingredients for my morning smoothie.

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

MPW: I’m currently working on Book 3 in this series, Murder Next Door, which is set to be released in April. Book 4, Murder in the Woods, is tentatively scheduled for an August release. In between those two books, I have a Charlie Kingsley story in a cozy mystery anthology called Mysteries, Midsummer Sun, and Murders set to be released in June and a psychological suspense book called The Taking set to be released in July.


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

MPW: It’s what I always wanted to do and be. I feel so grateful and honored that God has blessed me with my dream.

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 Ice Cold Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About Ice Cold Murder

Ice Cold Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Love-Based Publishing (January 25, 2022)
Number of Pages ~250 

 

When Charlie agrees to accompany her friend Claire to her late grandmother's reading of the will, she assumes she is simply there for moral support.

She doesn't expect things to get so ... strange.

It’s odd enough that it takes place over a weekend, but that’s just the beginning ...

They also need to stay in Claire's grandma's supposedly haunted house with Claire's estranged family.

Things get even worse when a huge storm snows them in. No electricity, no phone, and no way out.

Throw a dead body into the mix, and there’s no question it’s now the world’s worst family gathering. Ever.

At least Charlie brought lots of tea, which she's going to need as she races to solve this closed-circle mystery before her friend’s dysfunctional family get-together results in anyone else being murdered.

Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

 

About Michele Pariza Wacek

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

Author Links: 

Website - https://mpwnovels.com/ 

Facebook - facebook.com/michelepwauthor  

Linked In linkedin.com/in/michelepw  

Twitter - twitter.com/michelepw 

Instagram - instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Link - Amazon - 

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