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--GUEST AUTHOR CLAUDIA LEFEVE WHIPS UP A BLOODY MARY

Claudia Lefeve was born and raised so far down the Texas Gulf Coast she has to pull out a map to show people it's nowhere near Houston. Now living in Northern Virginia, she is taking a hiatus from a civilian career in law enforcement to write full-time. Learn more about Claudia and her books at her website.

There’s been a lot of bad press about the South lately, and say what you will, but you can’t dismiss the undeniable appeal of a region where food is fried, deviled, or stuffed. And just like books with its varied genres, our offerings differ depending on the region: Gulf Coast seafood, Cajun, Creole, soul food, BBQ, Tex-Mex, and a group I like to call the “anythings”: anything hunted that morning, anything chicken fried, and anything slathered with gravy.

Southern cuisine equates to passion in our neck of the woods, and it’s a part of our history we’re mighty proud of. Suppertime in the South evokes feelings of togetherness, as well as tradition—family recipes are ingrained in our blood, passed down from generation to generation, and meals are almost always a family affair.

Since most of my books take place in Texas, it’s only fitting that food almost always weasels its way in as a character and my personal chef (aka: the hubby) always lends his expertise to bring my characters to life. Whether it’s gumbo or scallop ceviche, his culinary creations have definitely garnered more fans than my books.

Another tradition that is slowly going out of fashion, but still maintains a strong foothold in the South, is cocktail hour! In my recent mystery, Destined for Trouble, Aunt Lula can be found toting around ready-made Bloody Marys in a cooler (or her shotgun.) You can’t have a fun, family evening without a little fire in your belly, she’d be happy to tell you, I’m sure.

If you’re unfamiliar with Southern cuisine, it’s always best to start out small and not bite off more than you can chew (ha!) There’s a certain finesse that’s required in cooking Southern fare, and most Southern home chefs can whip up a meal from memory (it’s in our blood, remember?) So if you’re a beginner, grab your closest friends and family members, gather ‘round your front porch or back deck, and have a drink on Aunt Lula.

Aunt Lula’s Infamous Bloody Mary Recipe

(Makes one)

Ingredients:

finely chopped bacon

1.5 oz. vodka (more or less)

6 oz. tomato juice

5 drops Tabasco

3 drops Worcestershire

1 pinch horseradish

1 pinch celery salt

1 pinch ground pepper

1 pinch Cajun seasoning

1 dash lemon juice

olives

slice of lime

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all other ingredients except for the olives, bacon, and lime. Shake vigorously. Strain the mix into the glass.

Garnish with olives, bacon, and lime slice.

Destined for Trouble (Book #1 Jules Cannon Mystery Series)

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, FBI crime analyst Jules Cannon flees to her hometown of Trouble Island, Texas, to nurse her wounds. All she wants to do is unwind, forget about her failed relationship, and work on her tan.

But when the owner of the local crab shack is murdered at Jules’s welcome-home party, she is forced to scrap her rest-and-relaxation plans. Now her best friend, Abby Lee, is the prime suspect, and her high school sweetheart, Deputy Chief Justin Harper, is working the case. Even though Jules knows she shouldn’t, she just can’t keep herself from getting involved in the investigation—and entangled with handsome Assistant District Attorney Hartley Crawford. While an old flame threatens to rekindle and a new one sparks, Jules must find a killer and prove her friend’s innocence. But will she put two and two together before trouble catches up with her?

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