#COOKING WITH CLORIS--TOMATO BREDIE RECIPE FROM MICHAEL STANLEY'S DETECTIVE KUBU

Today we're privy to a chat between a reporter and Kubu, a detective in the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Kubu is the creation of authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, writing as Michael Stanley. Michael has lived in South Africa, Kenya, Australia, and the US. He now lives on the Cape south coast of South Africa. Stanley splits his time between Minneapolis, Cape Town, and Denmark. Discover more about Michael Stanley and their books at their website.  

Tea with Kubu

By a Reporter

 

David Bengu is a detective in the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department in Gaborone. His large size, impressive appetite, and dedication to achieving his objective have won him the nickname Kubu, which means hippopotamus in the local language. He features in the Botswana mysteries by Michael Stanley, who is actually two people, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. I invited Kubu to tea to ask him about his take on killer crafts and crafty killers.

 

“Are you interested in crafts, Assistant Superintendent Bengu?’

 

“Please call me Kubu. Well, detection is a craft, of course. It’s not something you can just learn from books. You need to be apprenticed to good detectives and follow what they do and how their minds work. I was lucky to be mentored by Jacob Mabaku. I learned a lot from him in my first few years. I remember a case soon after I joined the CID where the skeleton of a Bushman turned up when they were digging a trench for a water project up near Shakawe, and—”

 

“I was thinking more of a craft like quilting or working with stained glass.”

 

“Oh, I’m not really good at that sort of thing. On the other hand, I’m a very good eater! I never leave anything on my plate—at least not when my wife Joy cooks it. And I’m quite knowledgeable about wine. Not that I could afford much in the way of good wine in the days I was just talking about… I don’t think I’d call it a killer craft, although some friends, my wife included, say I should eat less. They’re afraid of me having a heart attack…”

 

“Do you enjoy cooking then?”

 

“Me? Cook? Well, Stanley says that if you can read, you can cook. I guess that’s true in general terms, but the special touches that make a dish really enjoyable take talent and experience. My first effort was a sweet and sour pork dish. It wasn’t terrible. At least everyone ate it. But dinner was about an hour late, so maybe they were just so hungry that they would have eaten anything.” 

 

He laughs. “Still, I’ve got a few dishes I’m quite proud of now that I’ve practiced them a few times. Do you know, I even have my own little cookbook (I call it my KUkBUk!)—it’s titled A Taste of Africa. One of my favorite dishes is tomato bredie. It’s a delicious stew from South Africa with Malay origins, made with lamb or beef and tomatoes and vegetables. It’s a bit spicy and goes well with a strong red like a shiraz. Everyone loves the bredie, including my kids.”

 

He continues, “I also learned a bit about whisky on that trip to Shakawe I was telling you about. Our pathologist, Ian McGregor, is from Scotland, and he knows his whiskies, especially the ones from Islay. We needed a few shots of those as he discovered more and more skeletons—eventually nine, all Bushmen including those of women and children—and it turned out that they’d been murdered. But we still thought it had happened long ago, so it was history rather than a case. Then, while there, an elder was murdered at his home in the village. The local police thought it was a robbery gone wrong and arrested a Bushman who had suddenly appeared in the area. But it made no sense to me. And then there were problems around the water project. And an international outcry about the massacre. My boss, Assistant Superintendent Mabaku, came out to help—”

 

“My readers would love the recipe for the tomato bredie dish you were telling me about.”

 

“Oh sure. I’ll send it to you. And the fun part is you can change things quite a bit and see how it works. It always seems to come out well, anyway. For example, I like to add some ginger because I always add ginger. Except to ice cream. Chocolate sauce works better with that.” 

 

He laughs again. “Back to that case. With Mabaku’s help, we started piecing together that there was something sinister going on. A covenant from the past was killing people in the present. There was also a strange lady who believed a water spirit was involved … well, it’s a long story. But you’ll never guess who was actually behind it all. Talk about crafty killers.” He shakes his head. “It took me quite a while to work it out, and that was with Mabaku’s help, too.”

 

He checks his watch. “Well, I have to get going.”

 

“But what about the crafty killer? You haven’t told us…”

 

“The crafty killer? Well, it’s all in the latest book, A Deadly Covenant, and much more fun if you read the whole story first, and see if you can work it out as I did. Michael and Stanley would kill me if I gave it away here.” He laughs a third time as he clambers to his feet. “Thanks for having me visit. Those cookies were delicious. Maybe I could take a couple with me? That’s very kind. It’s been fun chatting. All the best and happy reading!”

 

Tomato Bredie Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (30 mls) cooking oil

2 pounds (800 gms) mutton knuckles, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

2 pounds (800 gms) ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 dry red chili, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 mls) tomato paste

4 medium potatoes, quartered and softened for 5 minutes in a microwave

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

 

In a large pot, fry the onions until brown. Add the meat and simmer 30 minutes.

 

Crush the tomatoes and garlic. Add to the meat and simmer 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. 

 

Salt and sugar to taste.

 

This is best served over yellow rice. Here's a simple recipe.

 

A Deadly Covenant

A Detective Kubu Mystery, Book 8

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA - AUTHOR NANCY LYNN JARVIS ON CRAFTING EARRINGS VS. WRITING MYSTERIES

Nancy Lynn Jarvis left the real estate profession after she started having so much fun writing the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series that she let her license lapse. But after seven books, she was ready for a new adventure and is currently working on the fourth book in her PIP Inc. series which features protagonist not-quite-licensed private investigator and downsized law librarian Pat Pirard. She has also edited crowd pleasers Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes and Santa Cruz Weird. Learn more about Nancy and her books at her website.  

After a dozen books, something has happening to me that never happened before: Syda Gonzales, my main character’s best friend, has forced me into becoming an earring crafter. 

 

I’m not saying Syda’s talked to me as I wrote about her. If she did, that wouldn’t be unusual because characters talk to their writers all the time. When I was finishing up The Widow’s Walk League, a female voice told me to write faster because she was 83, didn’t know how much time she had left, and had a story to tell. That was how I met Mags from Mags and the AARP Gang. Dave, the one-eyed police ombudsman from my Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series told me he could make a necessary call to a military base in Germany because he spoke German. (I didn’t know he spoke German.)

 

No, Syda’s control over me has been nothing like either of those experiences. She has me crafting earrings for her “Syda’s Garden Gems” collection, her artistic venture in The Corpse’s Secret Life.

 

Syda is a totally made up being.  I saw her name on a lawn sign asking locals to vote for a judge and knew at once that was the name of Pat Pirard’s, the protagonist in my PIP Inc. Mysteries series, best friend. Syda is up for anything Pat wants to try as she investigates and solves murder. She loves role playing, especially if there are disguises involved, and she’s always trying to get Pat married off. But at her core, Syda is an artist, just not necessarily a very good one, although she’s confident that’s just because she hasn’t found her medium.

 

Pat has one of Syda’s paintings in her office. It was painted before the series started when Syda thought oil painting might be her thing. When the series began, Syda dragged Pat to a glass fabrication class where a murder took place, hoping she’d learn how to work with glass and become the next Annie Glass. Syda tried writing for awhile, and I had lots of fun writing cheesy lines Syda’s ever-name-changing noir protagonist could say. Syda finally acknowledged that wring a mystery was harder than she thought it would be and she’d developed writer’s block. 

 

Which brings her to her latest venture: making jewelry, earrings to be specific.

In the past, I’ve painted with oil, terribly I must say. I’ve made stained glass. It’s not the same as glass fabrication, but at least I understand cutting glass and a few other basics. And, of course, I write mysteries, hopefully well-crafted ones with believable dialog unlike the ones Syda produced. But making jewelry? I’ve never tried that, at least not until Syda demanded I take it up and learn some basics so her endeavors would be believable. 

 

So now I’ve scoured Facebook Marketplace searching for jewelry to be repurposed, bought wire to be manipulated with newly purchased special tools, and even purchased little drawstring bags to put my―I mean Syda’s―earrings in for buyers. 

 

I’m doing a live event at the end of the month where books and Syda’s earrings will be for sale. I hope people find them interesting and buy them quickly because after The Corpse’s Secret Life, Syda has moved on to other endeavors. 

 

Thank goodness. Making earrings is a lot harder than Syda and I thought it would be.

 

The Corpse’s Secret Life

A PIP Inc. Mystery, Book 3

 

Pat’s fledgling private investigation company, PIP Inc., has a promising new case. Pat is still wearing a wrist cast after breaking her arm in a confrontation with a killer, so when she’s hired by the City of Watsonville to unearth the identity of an older woman who died in her bed, she’s delighted that her next job promises to be a simple computer-based research project.

 

Why is it that things are never as simple as she thinks they will be? Pat soon discovers nothing is as it seems, beginning with a corpse who had secret identities, murder, and a post-death ritual thought to have last been performed decades ago.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--MYSTERY AUTHOR JEANNE MATTHEWS TURNS TO POST CIVIL WAR CHICAGO FOR HER NEW SERIES

Jeanne Matthews is the author of the Dinah Pelerin international mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press. Originally from Georgia, she lives in Washington State with her husband and a Norwich terrier named Jack Reacher. Devil By the Tail is her first historical novel. Learn more about Jeanne and her books at her website. 

My grandfather was named Gettysburg. That bit of family history has given me a lifelong interest in the Civil War. But it’s the period immediately following the war that most fascinates me – a time when female reformers, suffragettes, and rebellious housewives began to struggle in earnest against the social straitjacket that confined them to their homes.

 

In the mid-19^th Century, married women lived under the law of coverture. They had no separate identity apart from their husband and no legal rights. To be married was to be one person—the man. He controlled every aspect of their lives and the cult of True Womanhood – piety, purity, and submissiveness – kept the wife a virtual prisoner.

 

Nice women didn’t work outside the home. There were nurses and domestic servants, of course. But according to the Illinois Supreme Court, “The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female gender unfits it for most occupations.” Judged by that standard, the protagonist of my new mystery is the antithesis of the feminine ideal. Widowed and left in the lurch when her husband died without leaving a will, Quinn Sinclair joins forces with an ex-Confederate POW named Garnick to form their own detective agency.

 

The pair couldn’t have found a more crime infested place or time to hang out their shingle than Chicago in 1867. The city was a boomtown following the war. Immigrants from Ireland and Europe swarmed into the city along with thousands of battle-hardened veterans to work in the stockyards, lumber mills, and factories. Gambling dens and brothels sprang up to relieve these unsettled men of their wages. Drunkenness and prostitution proliferated, and violence was rampant.

 

Chicago had become synonymous with political corruption during the Republican Convention of 1860. Newspapers predicted that Lincoln would be “Chicagoed” by his conniving opponents and cheated out of the nomination. On the seamier side of town, to be “Chicagoed” meant simply to be beaten to a pulp. In addition to a reputation for corruption, the city was notorious as a mecca of vice. Its most colorful bawdyhouse madam, “Gentle” Annie Stafford, carried a horsewhip to keep order among her clientele while quoting the love poems of Lord Byron. 

 

Chicago attracted an intriguing mix of transgressive females in 1867. Mary Todd Lincoln, another victim of a husband who died without a will, tried to make a home in the city, but she needed money. Desperate and deeply in debt, she arranged to auction off the gowns she’d worn as first lady but ended up causing a scandal. 

 

Victoria Woodhull, who believed in the right of women to marry, divorce, and bear children without social or government interference, traveled to Chicago in 1867 to obtain a divorce. It’s not clear whether she got one or whether she committed bigamy with her next lover, but a few years later she ran for president against Ulysses Grant on a platform of equal rights and short skirts. And Kate Warne, who answered an ad placed in the Chicago Tribune by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, became the first female detective and, probably, the boss’s mistress.

 

I’d never thought about writing a historical novel, but the more I learned about that “toddlin’ town” in that tumultuous year, the more possibilities I envisioned for a story. It would feature a woman audacious enough to defy convention by her choice of profession and a man unconventional enough to cheer her on. This heroine would venture into the criminal underbelly of the city without being coarsened or compromised and she would maintain her privacy and respectability by using an alias professionally.

 

My previous novels have included an element of mythology and not even in that department did Chicago disappoint. In January 1867 the famous Italian tragedienne, Adelaide Ristori, performed in a production of Medea at Crosby’s Opera House. In the play as in the myth, Medea takes fiery revenge on her faithless husband by murdering her rival. That gave me my plot. A client of my detectives’ new agency is accused of a similar crime and the scandalmongering, sensationalist press of the era has a field day reporting the crime. With Quinn leading the investigation and Garnick assuming the role of front man to lend “male credibility” to the enterprise, the detectives take readers on a tour of the rough-and-tumble city as it existed before the Great Fire.

 

Devil by the Tail

A Garnick & Paschal Mystery

 

What’s a 20-something Union war widow to do in 1867? Start up her own detective agency with a former Reb POW, of course!

 

Quinn Sinclair, who uses the name Mrs. Paschal professionally, and her wryly observant partner Garnick get two cases on the same day  - one to help a man prove he didn't kill his wife, another to help a lawyer find reasonable doubt that his client killed her ex-lover's new bride. As the detectives dig deeper, they unearth facts that tie the cases together in disturbing ways.

 

This tantalizing tale of 19th Century Chicago comes complete with corrupt politicians, yellow-press reporters, gambling parlors, and colorful bawdyhouse madams. At every turn in the investigation, Quinn discovers more suspects and more secret motives for murder.

 

Not least among her worries, someone seems intent on murdering her.

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR LYNN-STEVEN JOHANSON'S DETECTIVE JOE ERICKSON COOKS UP SOME RAGU TO KILL FOR

Today we’re joined by Detective Joe Erickson, the creation of author Lynn-Steven Johanson. Lynn is an award-winning playwright and novelist who holds an MFA degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is retired from Western Illinois University and lives in Illinois with his wife and has three adult children. Learn more about him and his books at his website. 

Greetings. I’m Detective Joe Erickson, and I work with Chicago PD. You can read all about me in Lynn-Steven Johanson’s new novel, Havana Brown. At age thirty-nine, I decided it was time to get into good physical condition again. When hangovers started lasting two days, and I had to start loosening my belt another notch, I realized I needed to start taking better care of myself. And to do that, I not only needed to go to the gym and work out, but also needed to start eating right. So, I bought some cookbooks and taught myself to cook. And you know what?  I liked it. And I got good at it, too. 

 

I won’t go into details because you can read all about it in Havana Brown, along with how I apprehended a vile serial killer, met the love of my life, and how I drove myself into a nervous breakdown. Yeah, I did that to myself. Spoiler alert: Since Havana Brown is a prequel to Rose’s Thorn, some of you may know I’m feeling better but still on medical leave.

 

Since I love to cook, I’m going to treat you to one of my favorite recipes, one I call, “Ragu to Kill For.” Not literally, of course. But once you try it, you’ll understand the name. It takes some time to prepare, but let me tell you, it’s well worth it. And once you make it, you’ll make it again.

 

Ragu to Kill For

 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces of chorizo sausage

3 cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons of smoked paprika

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper—about 1/8 tsp

3 cups dry white wine

4 cups canned diced tomatoes drained

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped parsley

 

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.

 

Sprinkle smoked paprika over the onion mixture; stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken, salt, and pepper; stir to coat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to high; cook until the wine is reduced by about a third, approximately 8 minutes.

 

Stir in tomatoes, broth, and parsley; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, and the sauce is beginning to thicken, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

 

Serve it over your choice of pasta.

 

A few of my detective colleagues at Area 3 detective headquarters in Chicago like to give me a hard time about my culinary expertise. “What did you bring today, Joe?” or “When you going to start sharing it?” I’m used to it, and it doesn’t bother me. When I see one of my colleagues sitting at his desk munching on a ham sandwich, I’m tickling my taste buds with leftover Ragu to Kill For over mostaccioli or a salmon arugula salad. I know some of them are envious, but so far, no one has dared to steal my lunch!

 

Havana Brown

A Joe Erickson Mystery

 

In this prequel to Rose’s Thorn, Detective Joe Erickson discovers a clever and vile serial killer preying on women in Chicago. Only a few cat hairs provide a clue to the perpetrator of six mutilation murders. Joe’s razor-sharp intuition and unorthodox methods ultimately lead him on a trail fraught with twists, turns, and dead ends. But pushing himself day and night begins taking its toll, and his obsession with apprehending the killer could be his undoing.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AUTHOR CHRIS PHIPPS ON THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HER LATEST MYSTERY

Chris Phipps writes the kind of books she likes to read: mostly mysteries, free of graphic violence, sex, and excess profanity. She is the author of three novels in the Wagner-Callender Mystery Series with another in the works, and one of her short stories was included in the Saturday Evening Post 2016 on-line anthology of best short stories. Learn more about Chris and her books at her website.

If you like mysteries or thrillers, you’re all too familiar with the tough cop. He’s the guy (or gal) who somehow manages to view the most horrific crime scenes without batting a single eyelash, staying focused on clues and evidence. To do his job effectively, he’s hardened himself, at least externally. That, of course, creates our flawed hero, the one who fights alcoholism or some other addiction, whether it be drugs or work, or something more esoteric.

But I wonder how they handle the injustices they encounter, the ones created by our own flawed systems?

How do they pick up a runaway girl, knowing she will probably be sent back to the same foster home she’s trying to escape? Do they choose between two evils, the abusive foster parent or the likelihood the girl will fall into the clutches of a pimp who will lure her with affection she’s never before experienced?

While there are many good foster parents, all too often, people foster for the money they receive, not for the love of children. Some treat the kids as unpaid servants. Some children are abused. Many are neglected or given minimal care. And most of the child welfare systems in this country don’t have the resources to find better places for the children, or even to check up on them as frequently as necessary.  Added to that, the explosion of drug addiction has introduced thousands more kids into the system.

How do police officers arrest the desperate parent trying to “kidnap” his own child from an abusive ex-spouse? And that does happen. All too often, the parent with the most money wins custody simply because he can hire the best lawyers.

In one instance, the father’s lawyer hired a child psychologist who testified in court that the little girl’s claims of abuse from her father and stepmother were simply attempts by the child to gain attention! Fortunately, at least for that child and her older brother, they had a caring court-appointed attorney. He gave each child his phone number and told them to call him each time something abusive occurred. The lawyer recorded the calls and, when he had enough information, called the father. His message? “I have enough to get you locked up for a good long while. If you want to avoid that, I suggest you give your wife sole custody of those children.”

The father complied. Today that little girl is an honors student at her local high school. Her brother graduated this year and has already joined the Navy. They’re both good kids, eager to give something back to their community and their country.

How does an honorable, law-abiding father continue to allow his ex-wife visitation rights when he knows she’s conniving to be the favorite parent by being their buddy, giving them alcohol, allowing them to stay up— and sometimes out—hours after their curfew? What does he do when he learns she’s also introducing them to drugs? He can’t prove it; the kids aren’t going to testify. Today one of those children is in prison for selling drugs. Another, a girl, has finally beaten the addiction and has been clean for three years. But during that time, she lost her baby into the system and subsequent adoption by another couple.

These are only small samples of what I found while researching the topic.

I wondered how a rookie detective would react to this aspect of the job and decided to explore it in Haunted by the Innocent, the third book in my series.

Haunted by the Innocent

Rookie detective Dee Callender has a puzzling crime scene: two men murdered, two wounded on a Sacramento golf course with top-of-the-line security. How did the killer–or killers—get in and out without being seen or their images captured on surveillance cameras? And why this strange foursome: a city councilman, an attorney with a questionable reputation, the owner of a suspected prostitution site, and a children’s dentist? The answers, when she finds them, shock and sadden her and make her question the limitations of her job.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR JON DALTON ON CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA

A journalist, and former attorney, Jon Dalton lives in Southwest Florida with his wife (the novelist Tymber Dalton), Kiwi the dog, several cats intent on world domination, and Sheldon the wonder tortoise. Learn more about Jon and his books at his website. 

Departure from tradition in Florida

As a non-native Floridian (still a tried and true Buckeye) who’s lived in this state for the past thirty-some years, adjusting to the lack of snow and bone-chilling temperatures took some time.

That said, it still doesn’t feel like Christmas when you have the sun shining and temps in the high seventies or eighties. But when the sun goes down and darkness begins to fall, I can behold a Christmas wonderland outside my front window.

You see, Floridians are no different that anyone else when it comes to decorating for Christmas, and some of us tend to take that further than others.

Yes, I’m one of those.

Nov. 1 is the magic day for me. Down come the few Halloween decorations around the house, and out come the tubs labeled “outside lights.” The yard gets mowed one final time, weeds around the shrubbery are weed whacked, and the area around the carport gets cleared.

Following a project plan developed over the years, the outside decorating proceeds with every tree, shrub and fence bedecked with festive lights. Then comes the placement of the myriad wire and grape animals, along with the three lit trees, and a cloth Frosty the Snowman.

Lastly, the inflatables take a place of honor in the front yard. The collection has grown to a dozen or more of these including Santa, snowmen, Hello Kitty (for my wife), Snoopy, penguins — you get the picture.

This is all made possible by my wife, who, after seeing the display grow and experiencing temporary power outages, steered me to these outside external thingamabobs that are connected to the electrical panel. Voila! No more outages.

The other magic behind this is the myriad extension cords and power strips situated throughout the yard to make it all happen.

The target date is always Thanksgiving night. When darkness falls, I plug in the eight extension cords and an ordinary yard transforms into what I can only describe as a magical scene.

In years past, I’ve used a music box to create a dancing light show, but alas, the music box died this year, so I had to settle for a more mundane, static display. Bad weather this year has also grounded the inflatables on many nights.

So, most nights from Thanksgiving through December, this wondrous scene is on display with the final night being New Year’s Day. That’s the other part of my new tradition. New Year’s Day is the final night absolutely, and on Jan. 2, back out come the tubs and everything gets packed up for another year.

I suppose in a way, going all out on my holiday decorations isn’t unusual as I can remember my father, when I was a child, hanging a string of lights across the front of our house. I vividly remember standing on the ground, holding the strands of lights, while he was up on the ladder stapling then to the house (can we say Clark Griswold?). Thus, I think I can safely say that I came by my all-out decorating honestly.

Ultimately, I look upon this decorating tradition as my way of sharing the joy of the holiday season with others. And sharing, treating others with kindness, is what Christmas is all about with me.

And that leads me to Dancing under the Mistletoe. Under another pen name, I write sweet romances typically set at Christmas. But I wanted a mystery set at Christmas involving my detective, Wolf Mallory. And thinking about the local VA facility in Tampa, the idea of the murder of a member of a VA support group evolved and the book was born with Wolf finding closure for a grieving family.

Best wishes for the New Year!

Dancing Under the Mistletoe

A Wolf Mallory Mystery

Wolf Mallory thinks life is going to settle down now that he’s proven Vicky wasn’t guilty of murder. Unfortunately, Wolf’s friend Vinnie volunteers him yet again to take a look at a case. And with the holidays approaching, Wolf gives in, hoping to bring a little closure to a murder victim’s family. But when even the police don’t have any leads, Wolf wonders how he’s going to pull a Christmas miracle out of his bag of tricks.

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MYSTERY AUTHOR JP DAVID TRANSFORMS NEWPORT BEACH INTO KINGSTON BEACH

Today mystery author JP David stops by to talk about the southern California setting for Double Take, the first book in his planned detective series. Learn more about JP and his writing at his website. 

It’s a seemingly ideal land of Wedgwood blue skies, puffy white clouds, and meticulously groomed beaches. But like the deep tans and blonde hair sported by many of the residents, what’s beneath the surface can be very different. It’s the perfect setting for Double Take, the first of the planned series of detective mysteries featuring Hank Hammond and Lori Reed.

I knew that particular southern California beach setting well because I’d grown up a few miles away, and even worked there for several years. The problem was that in the ensuing years I’d moved all over the country, and had somehow settled in the dry desert of another state. How could I write a novel set in that beach city, when I was now living in a place so different and more than five hundred miles away?

The answer came to me as I thought about one of my favorite authors. In Sue Grafton’s alphabet series, private detective Kinsey Millhone solves crimes in Santa Teresa, a town of the author’s own creation based on the real southern California town of Santa Barbara. I’d read that Sue (is it presumptuous of me to call her Sue? After reading all of her novels, I feel like I know her well enough) took delight in controlling the weather, moving real estate at will, changing the orientation of the streets, and not only being responsible for all the homicides in Santa Teresa, but also for solving all of those crimes. 

I also knew that she was following the lead of Ross Macdonald, another of my favorite authors, who had creatively manipulated Santa Barbara into his fictional town of Santa Teresa. I decided that if it was good enough for two of the greatest authors of detective fiction the world has ever known, it was definitely good enough for me. Plus, it was fun to do!

Suddenly Hank Hammond and Lori Reed, my investigative team of complete opposites, were immersed in Kingston Beach, my manipulated version of Newport Beach. La Cave, a very traditional steakhouse in Costa Mesa transformed itself into the too-trendy Totally Tofu. The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club became the Captains’ Coast Marina. Most importantly, the J.W. Robinson’s department store (later Robinson May and Macy’s) where I had worked in Newport Beach, became Weisbach-Landers.  

A department store, especially a sprawling, three-story one like Weisbach-Landers, is in many ways like a city unto itself, another perfect setting for a crime. It has numerous neighborhoods (departments), each with its own residents (employees), HOA presidents (department managers), elected representatives (floor managers), and supposedly at the very top is the mayor (store manager). There are traffic problems (crowded escalators), climate issues (“the air conditioning is too damn cold”), health issues (a full service restaurant...don’t even ask!), politics (corporate policies vs. store priorities, trainees jockeying for promotion), and most importantly, crime. And, as Hank knows all too well, crime at Weisbach-Landers can be way more than mere shoplifting. He knows that because he used to be the store’s chief of police (loss prevention manager).

In that capacity, Hank led investigations, supervised a staff of store detectives, and apprehended criminals. After bringing down the biggest drug ring in the history of Kingston Beach—which happened to be operating within the store—Hank quit his job and opened a private detective agency consisting of Hank and, reluctantly, Lori.

In their first case, the disappearance and possible murder of a millionaire's grandson, he and Lori find themselves on a dangerous, but surprisingly humorous, adventure that takes them into an exclusive country club, a posh marina, a Dumpster (Hank only, thank goodness!), and Weisbach-Landers.

Double Take could only take place in the seemingly ideal oceanfront city of Kingston Beach, complete with its mix of wealth, glamour, and miscreants. And only within Weisbach-Landers, where Hank knows all the back alleys, suspicious characters, and dark secrets.

Double Take

ONE DEAD BODY? That's almost expected when you're in the private eye biz. But when a second one pops up in even more bizarre circumstances it's enough to make even Hank Hammond, P.I. do a DOUBLE-TAKE . . .

As the newest private investigator in Kingston Beach, Hank Hammond has all the signs of success that he could possibly ask for: the latest detective gear, a shiny red Corvette, an office within a successful attorney's building, and--most importantly--the professional services of Lori Reed, a brilliant and reluctant partner. 

If only Hank had a client.

Enter a cantankerous millionaire. And enter a collection of murderers, thieves, embezzlers, and other assailants including body-building twins and the local police department, all wanting a piece--or preferably pieces--of Hank.

Combining riveting suspense, quick wit, and relentless energy, J.P. David takes readers on a fast-moving combination of thriller, cozy, and hard-boiled through country clubs, yachts, mansions, and the occasional Dumpster . . . as Hank Hammond and his indispensable investigating partner Lori Reed face escalating danger and a ticking timeline.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--MEET DETECTIVE RJ FRANKLIN

Today we’re joined by Detective RJ Franklin from the RJ Franklin Mystery Series by author V.M. Burns.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

I was a cop with the St. Joseph, Indiana police force. I was recovering from an accident, so I was out on medical leave. When the choir director at my church was murdered, I was called in to investigate. My doctor thinks I’m physically able to return to work, but I’m not so sure if I’m emotionally ready.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I like the fact that I’m neat and organized. A lot of people assume a single man would be messy, however I like everything to be neat and tidy. Some people might say it’s a control thing, but I disagree.

What do you like least about yourself?

Cops are the first ones to arrive at the scene of a crime. We see the worse side of humanity. I’ve always been able to do my job and not allow it to get to me. I put up a barrier to protect myself, but after my accident, my barrier got a huge crack. Now, I’m not able to sleep and I find myself questioning why God would allow so many horrible things to happen. I was raised in the church. My faith was just a part of my composition. My author calls it a crisis of faith, but to me it’s bigger than that. I don’t like having these questions and not knowing what’s real and what’s right.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you? The strangest thing my author has had me do involves agreeing to teach a class at the law school. I don’t know what she was thinking, but I nearly puked the first time I had to go to testify in court. Public speaking is not my thing. I think she needs to rethink this.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

I often argue with my author. She is constantly trying to stretch me outside of my comfort zone, like how she wants me to teach at the University. I’m not a lawyer or PhD. I’m just a simple cop. No one, especially law students, are going to want to listen to me talk about law enforcement, but my author disagrees.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is not being able to protect the people I love, like my godmother. Mama B lives in a dangerous area. There are gang bangers and street thugs around all the time. Unfortunately, I can’t convince her that they’re dangerous and maybe she should lock her doors and stop feeding them sweet potato pie and sweet tea. So far none of them have harmed her. In fact, they seem to have adopted her as their surrogate godmother and have pledged protection for her, but I don’t trust criminals. I don’t trust a lot of people, so I can’t help worrying about her.

What makes you happy?

Spending time with the people I love, like my godmother, Mama B, makes me happy. I’ve also met a girl named Paris. Hanging out with her and listening to jazz makes me happy.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

If I could rewrite part of my story (or have my author rewrite it) I would have avoided the accident. It wasn’t my fault, but I can’t unsee what happened. I don’t know if I can ever get that image out of my head. I want to go back to a time when I slept at night, when children were safe and when I believed that I could make a difference.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

The Assistant Minister, Moe Chapman irritates me. I don’t like pretentious people and most of his life he was just Moe Chapman. Now, that he’s been called into the ministry he wants to be called, Reverend Chapman. He puts on airs and can’t say one sentence without using religious phrases, “Praise the Lord,” “Bless God,” “Hallelujah.” He uses those phrases the way most people would say, “Um.” He pretends to be holier than everyone else. As Mama B would say, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” 

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

If I could trade places with anyone in Travellin’ Shoes, I’d trade places with my pastor, Reverend Hilton V. Hamilton. He is kind and very sure of his beliefs. I’d love to have that confidence again.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Like me, V.M. Burns was born and raised in Northwestern Indiana. Although, she doesn’t like the cold and has moved to Eastern Tennessee. She writes two other mystery series, The Mystery Bookshop Mystery series and the Dog Club Mystery Series. She loves poodles and owns two. Readers can learn more about her at her website. www.vmburns.com.

What's next for you?

I’m going to continue solving crimes and catching bad guys. I’m also going to spend more time with my godmother, Mama B, and Paris. Readers can learn more in Motherless Child, which will release in 2019.

Travellin’ Shoes

An RJ Franklin Mystery

When First Baptist Church's choir director is bludgeoned, shot and set afire, Detective RJ Franklin is called in to catch the killer. However, it isn't long before RJ realizes nothing is as it seems. In fact, not even the victim is who he claimed to be. Concerned for his church family RJ digs into the investigation even though he's still recovering from a car accident that has left him more shaken than he's willing to admit. Can RJ put his doubts behind him and find a killer before someone he cares about becomes the next victim?

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