MYSTERY AUTHOR M.A. MONNIN ON CONS, A NEW GUPPY SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY, AND A HOT CHOCOLATE COCKTAIL

M. A. Monnin writes the Intrepid Traveler Mystery series. Her latest, Death on the Grand Canal, comes out May 2023. M.A. is one of the contributors to the Hook, Line, & Sinker short story anthology. Her short stories have also appeared in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and several other anthologies, including the Anthony Award-winning Mystery Most Edible. Learn more about M.A. and her books at her website.

Who’s Conning Whom?

Who doesn’t love a good con? Or a good con gone wrong? I know I do. Do you root for the con or the mark? For me, it depends. If no one gets hurts, I root for the con, like Robin Hood and The Saint. But then there are others who I’m happy to see get what’s coming to them, those that just play dirty.

 

Hook, Line & Sinker, the latest crime fiction anthology from the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime has plenty of both, with twenty-three tales of blackmail, double-crosses, forgery, bribery, royal intrigue and scams galore from authors Sandra Benson, C. N. Buchholz, Lida Bushloper, Judith Carlough, Kait Carson, Susan Daly, M. R. Dimond, Mary Dutta, Kate Fellowes, Wrona Gall, Vinnie Hansen, Ann Michelle Harris, Kim Keeline, Jane Limprecht, Sally Milliken, M. A. Monnin, A. W. Powers, Merrilee Robson, KM Rockwood, Lisa Anne Rothstein, Steve Shrott, Frances Stratford, and Shannon Taft.

 

Just what is it we love about a con? Is it the chance to get one over on the bad guy? The desire to see someone win, when we ourselves haven’t? Could it be our sense of justice, which often isn’t satisfied in real life? Justice doesn’t always lie clearly on the side of law and ethics, but often hides in a moral gray area.

 

You might say we enjoy reading about clever con artists because they let us vicariously get back at those who have gotten the better of us. We like to see the little guy getting the better of the big bully. Or so we tell ourselves.

 

Maybe what we admire most is seeing some cheeky devil get away with stuff we’d never be able to get away with ourselves.

 

If you enjoy a good con, I invite you to check out this collection of grifters, liars, thieves and cheats and decide which side you’d be on.

 

Here’s a quick and delicious beverage to sip as you read about these ne’er do wells, named after my story, “Just Another Shot in the Dark.”

 

Just Another Shot in the Dark 

 

1 cup hot chocolate, the darker the better.

 

Add to it:

1 shot of Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liqueur.

Whip cream if desired.

 

Been a victim of a con? Make it bittersweet! Shave a little unsweetened chocolate on top.

 

Hook, Line, & Sinker

Deep inside, in that place you hide from the world, have you ever considered how you would carry off a great con? Or maybe secretly plotted revenge for falling prey to a grifter, liar, or cheat? As these twenty-three authors of devious plot twists show, whether it’s running a con or extracting revenge, it doesn’t always go the way you expected. In this seventh anthology of short stories from the 1,100 - member Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the stakes are high: money, power, love, and life itself. 

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--TRAVEL TO THE GREEK ISLES FOR MYSTERY AND DOLMATHES WITH AUTHOR M.A. MONNIN

M. A. Monnin’s debut mystery novel follows private banker Stefanie Adams to the Greek isles where she gets tangled in a web of international intrigue, theft, and murder. Like her heroine, Mary loves to travel, and sampling the foods of other cultures is part of that enjoyment. Learn more about Mary and her books at her website. 

Loving the Greek Life

An Intrepid Traveler Mystery, Book 1

 

In Death in the Aegean, when Stefanie Adams travels to Santorini and Crete on a much-needed vacation, she vows to embrace opportunities as they come. And how can a girl pass up sampling delicious Greek food? I know I can’t. In the city of Heraklion, Crete, Stefanie tries a typical Greek offering of dolmathes, or stuffed grape leaves.

 

Like Stefanie, I love Greek food. I found this recipe years ago, and at first was wary of adding cinnamon to a savory dish, but it blends in nicely and really adds depth to the flavor. I’ve had dolmathes with and without meat, but I prefer them with. I hope you like them, too. They can be served as a snack, side dish or the main event. Enjoy!

 

Dolmathes

Makes 30-35 stuffed grape leaves

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Ingredients for rice stuffing:

1/2 lb. ground beef

2T olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 T. chopped dillweed

2 T. chopped parsley

1 cup rice

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

 

Ingredients to Fill:

1/2 of a 16oz jar of grape leaves

Rice Stuffing (recipe below)

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Hot water to cover

 

In a large saucepan, brown beef in olive oil, then add everything except lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is done. Mix in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 

Rinse the grape leaves and pat dry. 

 

With grape leaf vein side up, place a generous tablespoon of rice stuffing at the base of leaf. Fold up from the bottom, then fold in sides and roll. Place seam side down in a 1-qt. casserole dish. Fit them in tightly. It’s fine to layer them if you need to. Repeat until you run out of leaves or stuffing. The dolmathes should be tightly packed in the pan. 

 

Pour olive oil and juice of 1 lemon over them, then add just enough hot water to cover.

 

Cover pan with lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Can be served hot, warm or cold.

 

Death in the Aegean

When private banker Stefanie Adams takes a much-needed vacation to the Greek Isles, vowing to embrace opportunities as they come, instead of finding romance and adventure, she is suspected of murdering a bride who accused her deceased father of artifact theft. Unfortunately, the bride’s accusation also ties Stefanie, a former archaeology student, to the robbery of a newly discovered gold Minoan statue, the Akrotiri Snake Goddess. With two high-profile crimes to solve, Greek police are under pressure, and both crimes lead straight to Stefanie.

 

When her own life is threatened, Stefanie relies on her bank training for spotting potential criminals to identify which of her fellow travelers is the real killer.

 

The now-wealthy bridegroom? The elderly sisters with questionable connections who pop up in the most unexpected places? The popular travel blogger whose career Emma tried to ruin? The light-fingered backpacker with an eye on her valuable jewelry? Or could it be the flirtatious German tourist who is clearly after more than romance?

 

Caught up in a web of international intrigue, theft, and murder, Stefanie doesn’t know who to trust. Not everyone is what they seem, and as charming Thomas Burkhardt warns, Where Greed Leads, Murder Follows….

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--MOJITOS, MOCKITOS & JAZZ FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR M.A. MONNIN

An Air Force veteran and avocational archaeologist, M.A. Monnin enjoys traveling and makes a point to visit archaeological sites wherever she goes. Her short crime fiction has also been published in Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible. Look for her next short story in an upcoming issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. Learn more about her and her stories at her website where you can also find links to her other social media sites.  

Notes From the Gimlet Lounge

In my short story “Siren Song”, Hawk Hathaway spends his evenings in the Gimlet Lounge, a current dive bar and former speakeasy. Like most of the patrons, he goes there to lose himself in the music and to forget the hard facts of life.

Greta, the bar owner’s daughter and bartender extraordinaire, claims to make the best cocktails in the city—Kansas City, Missouri. And who am I to argue with a sassy woman in a plaid miniskirt and biker boots? She takes care of her customers, and has certainly caught Hawk Hathaway’s eye.

Cocktails and mocktails are her specialty. Here’s one that’s popular on hot summer nights, a sure-to-please Mojito, followed by a non-alcoholic version. Because sometimes you can’t, shouldn’t, or simply don’t want to drink alcohol.

Mojito

One tall serving.

2-3 sprigs mint (12-15 mint leaves)

Frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed, 2 heaping tablespoons

Bacardi Superior rum—3 oz. or two shots

Ice cubes

Perrier- plain or lime flavored.

In a pint glass, muddle mint sprigs or just mint leaves with limeade concentrate and rum. Mix well. Top with desired amount of ice, then fill glass with Perrier. To preserve the Perrier carbonation, stir gently with a swizzle stick.

Mockito

Follow the above directions, simply leaving out the rum. Still delicious and refreshing. And family friendly, too!

Greta says the cool mint and limeade are particularly satisfying when enjoyed in the evening with the sultry sounds of jazz playing in the background. If you, like the patrons of the Gimlet Lounge, want to lose yourself in the world of nightclubs, music, and mystery, check out All That Weird Jazz. 

All That Weird Jazz

Jazz. A music of improvisation, of passion, of its very own kind of magic. Considered by many to be the only truly original American form of music, it has, since its birth in a smoky room somewhere, also been tied to the strange, wrapped up in the supernatural, associated with the occult, at least in hints and shadows. In All That Weird Jazz several of the most innovative writers in genre fiction today tell tales of the unusual between the notes, the magic behind the music. From straight up pulp action to ghostly noir to a dragon who digs jazz more than anyone else, All That Weird Jazz takes love for this unique musical styling to an all new level, complete with adventure, thrills, and even a chill or two.

Stories include:

“Siren Song”

by M. A. Monnin

Hawk Hathaway is a man in need of redemption. Righting a 90-year-old wrong will either save his soul or cost him his life. To live with himself, he has to try.

“Trane Blue—A Cornelius Dex Story”

By Kimberly Richardson

One man’s life changes in the course of a night, thanks to good jazz and a surly dragon.

“Ghost in the Jazz”

By E. W. Farnsworth

‘Gone’ and ‘Lost’ jazz performers Max and Sixie continue their musical partnership after Max’s murder to solve the crime and exact revenge.

“Django in Paris”

By Davide Mana

In occupied Paris, Django Reinhardt moves like a ghost, and his music is an inspiration for those that oppose the Nazis. Now, people in Berlin and Wewelsburg want to learn his secret. And stop him.

“Jazz Juice”

By McCallum Morgan

The discovery of a rare record with a supernatural secret will send Nyle on a search for the soul of music. Retracing the footsteps of his favorite trumpet player from the 1920s, he will encounter voodoo and discover just how much he’s willing to give for music.

“Sounds and Sweet Airs” 

By Sharae Allen

Headstrong psychic Dorothy Baxter must save her jazz club haven from human and supernatural forces during Prohibition. As she grows into her powers under the watchful eye of a ruthless club owner and conjure woman, she learns that even though she can see the future, there is no way to escape it. 

“Midnight Fugue” 

By Mark Barnard

1930s New Orleans—a city of hot jazz, good times and voodoo. It started with a broken reed, a severed head and a strangely glowing tarot card, and ended with something far worse.

“Dark Magus” 

By James Hopwood

When an ancient being that feeds on sound escapes from a confinement facility in Africa and threatens the very fabric of society, there’s only one man who can save us all—the coolest hepcat on the planet, Miles Davis.

“Starshine in Storyville” 

By Ernest Russell

Can music save us all? As long as the Guardians of Storyville are here to defend us, yes.

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