HISTORICAL MYSTERY AUTHOR MJ FINN ON DESIGNING AN HISTORICAL MYSTERY SERIES

M.J. Finn is an armchair pilot with a life-long interest in the Golden Age of Air Racing. Growing up in Chicago led to basing leading character TJ O’Connell there and provides an opportunity to describe the vibrant, growing city in the heart of the United States that was more than the stomping grounds for Al Capone and other famous criminals.

There are thousands of new books published every week on Amazon and other sites. This makes coming up with a unique story within the Mystery, Thriller, Suspense (MTS) category challenging. I was working with a writing coach who emphasized the need to come up with something that would stand apart from other books but still fit within genre expectations. His other advice was to write what I knew.

What did I know? I’m an avid reader of history and historical fiction, so setting the series in an historical period made sense. I also like thrillers and mysteries, so that meant fitting into the historical mystery/thriller space. But where and when to set the story so that it didn’t get lost in an ocean of books that had already been published? The Prohibition era in America was popular, especially for cozy mysteries, and many people identified Chicago with the era due to Al Capone and the gang wars. I grew up on the northside of Chicago, so setting the story there was an easy choice. Not only was Rogers Park a growing section of the city in that period, Al Capone had actually lived there for a year or so.

 

One of my other passions is flying and airplanes. The 1920s and 1930s have often been called the Golden Age of air racing, with plenty of unique characters, planes, and races. The National Air Races for 1930 were held north of Chicago, the only time they were held in that area. By making my protagonist a pilot, I could move him around the country for different settings, mysteries, and antagonists in future books. The possibilities were only limited by my imagination.

 

So now I had a basic concept for my series:

·      A young barnstorming pilot from Rogers Park in Chicago.

·      The first book would revolve around the 1930 National Air Races at Curtiss-Reynolds Field near Chicago.

·      Something forces this young pilot to solve a mystery that he’s involved in.

·      There needs to be life and death stakes and one or more mobs involved.

·      Many mysteries set in this period have protagonists from the upper class, who don’t seem to worry about money. This detective is from the middle class, and money will never be far from his thoughts.

 

A side benefit of writing historical fiction is doing research for each of the books. While some authors may see this as a chore or a necessary evil, I enjoy exploring different times and places and learning new things. While it was tempted to go too far down the rabbit hole of research, placing myself on a schedule to complete the first draft kept those temptations in check. I was lucky to discover the Rogers Park Historical Society and their series of books on the history and development of the neighborhood. The information and pictures were extremely helpful, and volunteers from the society answered a number of questions that came up as I wrote the first draft.

 

Curtiss-Reynolds Field later became Glenview Naval Air Station in WW II, so there was a lot of information about the field during that period available. Finding information and photographs from 1930 was more difficult, but cruising through newspaper archives and websites dedicated to air races uncovered a few gems. My home library was filled with books on racing planes and races from the period, so that was one of the easier research areas to complete. Then I ran into my first obstacle.

 

I wanted the pilot to be someone who had bigger dreams and visions than just racing planes. Someone who was an expert in one area, but who faces challenges in others. To make his financial challenges a bit more daunting, he became the first in his family to seek a college degree. It turns out they didn’t have degrees in aeronautical engineering at colleges in Chicago at that time. So, he ends up going to the Armour Institute seeking a Mechanical Engineering degree. Coincidentally, that’s where I went to school (it’s now the Illinois Institute of Technology). They have their yearbooks and school newspapers online, providing all the information needed to realistically include his college experiences. 

 

Now I was off to the races! There are currently three books in the series, with three more to follow in 2025. I hope you’ll fly along on TJ O’Connell’s adventures.

 

Fallen Aces

The Barnstorming Detective Series, Book One

 

All he wanted to do was fly his plane in the nationals, but they took that away from him. Now he’s seeking justice.

 

In the thrilling world of the 1930 Chicago Air Races, one young pilot's dream is derailed when disaster strikes.TJ O'Connell, a determined young Irish-American pilot from the north side of Chicago, aims to win the competition and fund his dream of attending college. However, tragedy strikes when a renowned American ace crashes during a practice run, and TJ is wrongfully accused of causing the disaster.

 

To clear his name and secure his future, TJ must find the truth with the help of allies he meets along the way. As they delve deeper into the aviation world, they unearth a web of secrets, rivalries, and prejudices that threaten to tarnish TJ's dreams.

 

From the gritty streets of Chicago to the dazzling heights of the racecourse, TJ must race against time to uncover the truth. Will he emerge victorious in both the hearing room and the skies, or will the shadows of suspicion forever eclipse his ambitions?

 

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AUTHOR HARINI NAGENDRA'S LATEST HISTORICAL MYSTERY SET IN INDIA

image from Wikimedia Commons

Harini Nagendra is a professor of ecology at Azim Premji University, and a well-known public speaker and writer on issues of nature and sustainability. The first book in her Bangalore Detectives Club series was a New York Times Notable Book of 2022, and shortlisted for the Agatha, Lefty, Anthony and Historical Dagger. Harini lives in Bangalore with her family, in a home filled with maps. She loves trees, mysteries, and traditional recipes. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Juggling with danger - circuses and street magic in 1920s colonial India

In my day job, I am an academic and university professor who conducts research on the ecology and history of Indian cities – and I come across many fascinating nuggets of information which I’d love to share with readers from different parts of the world. The Bangalore Detectives Club, my historical mystery series set in 1920s colonial India, was inspired by this desire to showcase the many, very interesting stories and anecdotes that needed to flourish outside the pages of scholarly academic literature. While I write non-fiction, too, it’s sometimes easiest to do this through a story.

 

Book 3 in the series, A Nest of Vipers, takes us into the world of jadoo—Indian street magic—with sleight-of-hand magicians and rope tricks which have fascinated me since I was a young child, growing up in Delhi in the 1970s, where it was common to see snake charmers, fortune tellers with parrots, and animal trainers with performing bears. Some of these forms of street magic have since been made illegal, especially the ones that involve caging and mistreating wild animals – and rightfully so. But others still survive to this day on the streets of India. 

 

Jadoo had an uneasy relationship to western stage magic in the early 20^th century. Indian street performers and circus artists made their way to Europe and America, and public interest in their performances began to attract the attention of Western magicians like Harry Houdini, who dressed in blackface at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and pretended to be a Hindu Fakir. 

 

Houdini may not have known, but he was following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor Charles Dickens, who also stained his face and enacted the part of an Indian magician at children’s parties. Houdini’s biggest rival Howard Thurston travelled to India to learn the secrets of street magicians, which he then exploited on stage, but at the same time, denounced those that he learnt from, calling them charlatans and tricksters.

 

By 1922, when the Indian independence movement had spread across India, a few prominent circuses had begun to integrate acts that incorporated elements of anti-British sentiment, flirting with danger. The Bengali magician Das, who plays a key role in A Nest of Vipers, disappears in the middle of a dramatic performance, soon after making his distaste for the British Empire public on stage. His story was inspired by all the stories I read about Indian magicians, and by the nimble street acrobats I still see in Indian cities today, who are bold and imaginative, yet languish in obscurity - in contrast to their more successful Western counterparts. 

 

A Nest of Vipers

A Bangalore Detectives Club Mystery, Book 3

 

Death stalks the streets of Bangalore when the Circus comes to town . . .

It's January 1922. The Bangalore Constabulary is on high alert as The Prince of Wales is scheduled to visit the city to redeem his reputation after disastrous visits marked by violent anti-British riots.

Kaveri has none of these concerns on her mind, not when she has just been given VIP tickets to the famous Bangalore circus. But when a celebrity magician, shackled in an iron cage filled with deadly snakes, disappears into thin air, she is stunned to discover her friend and favourite policeman, Inspector Ismail, is telling her to leave the case well alone.

After solving two murder cases, Kaveri Murthy thought she had cemented her reputation as Bangalore's favourite lady detective. But when death threats are left at her doorstep, former friends become foes, and the bodies start to pile up, Kaveri realises she has never been in this much danger…

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR KATHLEEN MARPLE KALB ON THE BRIDE WORE WHITE AND HER NEW SERIES

Kathleen Marple Kalb describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York’s 1010 WINS Radio, she writes short stories and novels including A Fatal Reception and the Old Stuff series. As Nikki Knight, she writes the Grace the Hit Mom and Vermont Radio mysteries. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and others, and been short-listed for Derringer and Black Orchid Novella Awards. Learn more about her and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to her social media.

The Bride Wore White

Blame it on Queen Victoria.

 

Everything from prudishness to plaid to World War I is laid at her door, rightly or wrongly, but in the case of white wedding gowns, it’s actually pretty accurate.

 

Upper-class and royal brides had occasionally worn white, as far back as Ancient Rome. In 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots married the heir to the French throne in what was then a traditional mourning color, sparking much talk of bad luck…and it’s hard to argue, considering how the marriage, and the Scottish queen’s life, turned out. Spoiler: early widowhood, two more disastrous marriages, and a date with the headsman. 

 

When Victoria chose a creamy white satin dress for her marriage to Prince Albert, her main goal was supporting the struggling British silk and lace industry. The gown, of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, was probably the most famous piece of clothing in the world at the time, and it set the example. And, thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the rising middle class, there were plenty of brides willing and able to follow it.

 

Extravagant white dresses quickly filtered through the upper levels of society, with aristocratic and well-off women eagerly adopting pristine silks and laces. By the time Victoria’s daughters married, the white dress was standard for everyone who could afford it, a statement that the bride came from a family who could buy her an expensive dress she would never wear again.

 

White wedding dresses, by the way, did not start as an announcement of the bride’s innocence. As the fashion spread, though, it became intertwined with all the Victorian ideas about female purity. Eventually, a white dress was seen not just as the prerogative of the first-time bride, but a declaration that her family was delivering untouched merchandise to the altar. 

 

In some circles, a bride did at least get some wear out of the gown. In the American South, it was traditional for a new bride to don her wedding gear for a weeks- or monthslong series of visits and social events surrounding the marriage. Many women also saved their dresses, to be altered and reused by daughters or other female relatives. Surviving gowns in museums have often been remade for changing fashions.

 

When a bride couldn’t afford a white dress with its limited usefulness but still had the money for something, she often bought or made the most beautiful dress she could manage in a more serviceable color, to keep as Sunday best. For many Victorian women, the Sunday best dress was black, but a bride would try to avoid that if she could – think of all the people who told Laura Ingalls Wilder: “marry in black, you’ll wish yourself back.”

 

A Sunday-best dress was also the choice for older or second-time brides. Advice and etiquette books sternly warned senior brides (meaning late-20s and after!) to avoid trying to look like “mutton dressed as lamb.” And remarriages, however loving and joyful, were expected to be relatively quiet. 

 

Many of these Sunday-best wedding dresses have also survived, though, because they were special to their owners. They’re often made of lovely fabrics, beautifully detailed and trimmed, every bit as much an expression of love, joy, and hope as the frilly whites.

 

In A Fatal Reception, set in June of 1900, opera diva Ella Shane ticks all the social boxes for a white gown, and thanks to her successful career, has the resources to splash out. So when Ella meets her Duke at the altar, she’s a vision in pristine satin, lace, and tulle, complete with a crown of orange blossoms Queen Victoria herself would envy. Things take a dramatic and unconventional turn after that…but you’ll have to read the book to find out how!

 

A Fatal Reception

An Ella Shane Mystery, Book 1

 

Gilded Age trouser diva Ella Shane and her Duke are at long last headed for the altar…but they’ll have to handle a murder, a shipwreck, a questionable Polish prince, and any number of other complications on the way. Continuing the highly-praised series featuring an Irish-Jewish Lower East Side orphan who found fame and fortune as a singer of male soprano roles, the latest installment follows Ella and her surprisingly diverse cast of family and friends through mystery and misadventure…and into the greatest challenge of all for an independent-minded woman and her Victorian swain: matrimony!

 

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MYSTERY AUTHOR KATHLEEN KASKA ON THE HISTORY OF THE HOTEL THAT INSPIRED HER NOVEL

Photo by Kathleen Maca

Mystery author Kathleen Kaska is the author of the multi-award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. She also writes mystery trivia and has published The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears the Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street anthology. She is also the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, and a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars.Learn more about Kathleen and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to her on various social media sites.

The Luther Hotel Still Stands

One morning more than twenty-five years ago, I rose early, entered the breakfast room, and poured myself a huge cup of coffee. It was in October when the finicky weather on the Texas Coast could be sultry and sticky or crisp and cold. That morning, it was somewhere in between as I stepped out of the front door of the Luther Hotel and made myself comfortable in one of the big white rocking chairs on the front porch. The briny smell from the Gulf of Mexico and the eerie call of gulls tugged at my heartstrings. I loved the Texas Coast. I closed my eyes and counted my blessings. When I opened them, I saw a roseate spoonbill glide across a crystal blue sky. I remember thinking that this is what Heaven must be like.

 

That was only our second trip to the historic Luther Hotel. My husband and I were there for a weekend of birding. I remember driving into town on Texas 35 South to East Bay Boulevard that hugged the coastline along the Palacios, Texas waterfront. I had my fingers crossed as we rounded the bend, hoping to spot the flock of long-billed curlews feeding on the massive green lawn in front of the hotel I’d seen on my first visit. I was not disappointed. They were there as they always seemed to be, maneuvering those spiky, eight-inch bills while probing for invertebrates in the grass. 

 

Over the next few years, the Luther Hotel became our home on that stretch of the Texas Coast. Innkeepers Billy and Dolly Hamlin, relatives of the owner, always welcomed us with open arms. On the wall behind the front desk, the original letterbox held the room keys, and guests still used the buzzer on the wall to summon the desk clerk. A working phone booth stood next to the front desk. A gas heater warmed the lobby, and another warmed the hallway, leading to our suite on the third floor. The only signs of modern times were the current newspapers and magazines on the coffee table. 

 

The history of the Luther Hotel dates back to 1903, when it was called the Bay View Hotel. Charles Luther purchased it and renamed it the Luther in 1936. Back then the small town of Palacios saw little activity except for the building of the railroad and the construction of oil derricks outside of town. That all changed with the onset of World War II. The government selected acreage near the town to house thousands of German prisoners of war in what became Camp Hulen. With so many military personnel living at the camp, Palacios grew quickly, attracting entertainers like Artie Shaw, Guy Lombardo, Rita Hayworth, Shirley Temple, and Carol Lombard, and making the Luther a premiere location for celebrities and politicians. Eventually, the Pleasure Pavilion and Roundhouse were built over the water in front of the hotel. The establishment became the hub of social life, where folks gathered to swim, dance, and even play basketball. One of the earlier pavilions (some were destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt) had mooring docks, a skating rink, and a restaurant. 

 

After the war, the town slowly settled back into a small farming community. In 1987, the highway was rerouted to the outskirts of town, causing several businesses to close. The Luther, however, remained, becoming home to many snowbirds visiting the coast for several weeks in the winter. By the time we discovered the hotel, it had begun to show its age, but that was okay. Staying at the Luther felt like staying at my grandmother’s house. 

 

Little did I know that a few years later, I’d be there for a book signing for my second Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Luther. The Hamlin’s had retired, and Jack Findley, Charles Luther’s son-in-law, moved to the hotel to take over its operation. Jack hosted a wine and cheese event for me after the book signing. I was amazed and humbled by the turn-out. It seemed that half the town attended. After that event, Jack and I became good friends.

 

Sadly, Jack passed away in 2022, and the old hotel sat vacant and began to deteriorate. Soon, it was destined for the wrecking ball. The story of the hotel’s possible demise and its stay of execution could easily find its way to the big screen. The save-the-farm movies of the 1990s pale in comparison to the true-life story of the locals who rallied to save the Luther Hotel.

 

I’m happy to report that the Luther was recently purchased by J.P. Bryan, an historian, and philanthropist who is a descendant of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas and one of the heroes of the Alamo. Bryan plans to restore the Luther to its former glory. The remodeling has begun, and I plan to be there for the reopening.

 

Murder at the Luther is the final book in my Sydney Lockhart series to be reissued by my new publisher, Anamcara Press. All six of my books have been rebranded and will be offered as a box set during the upcoming holidays.

 

The release day for the reissued Murder at the Luther is September 29, 2024. 

 

Murder at the Luther

It’s New Year’s Eve, 1952. Texas politicians are backslapping and ringing in ‘53 at the historic Luther Hotel on the Texas Coast. Reporter Sydney Lockhart is there covering the festivities. The celebration turns sour when Sydney finds herself dancing with a dead man. With her fingerprints on the murder weapon and a police chief with his own agenda, Sydney ushers in the New Year behind bars. Soon there is another body, more damning fingerprints, and a crazy Cajun who’s been paid to feed Sydney to the alligators. Things get worse when cousin Ruth comes to town with a problem even Sydney can’t solve. 

 

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AUTHOR DEB MARLOWE ON HISTORY, MYSTERY, AND ROMANCE

Bestselling author Deb Marlowe is a self-described history buff and story addict who writes Regency romance, young adult fantasy adventure, and historical mysteries. Learn more about her and her books at her website where among other things, you can watch videos of her making historical recipes.

Living in the Intersection Between History, Mystery and Romance

A writer friend of mine once told me that romance had no place in thriller stories. She found it unrealistic and off-putting to think that characters in the midst of an adventure/ chase/mystery would take the time to indulge in passion or even romance. No surprise, I absolutely disagreed with her and the more I write, the more firmly I take the opposing position.

 

I started out writing Regency Historical Romance, so that tells you that I absolutely believe in the importance of connection and dedication between characters, but even then I couldn’t resist adding a mystery or adventure subplot—or in one case, an overarching suspense plot that weaved through an eleven book series.

  

Now, though, I’m also writing Victorian Mysteries and I couldn’t help but add a slow-burn romance to the mix. I’m happy to say I think there is a sweet spot there that is satisfying both to me and my readers. Historicals and mysteries both provide a sense of escape, a chance to lose oneself in a different world—but one that you can also feel connected to. History buffs love adding to their knowledge and familiarity of a different time period, as well as experiencing a new immersion into it. And doesn’t every mystery lover enjoy the chase, the twisty path through clues and all the tension, the high stakes, not to mention the exploration into the mind of victim and villain?

 

I’ve found that including that additional stratum of romance can draw some readers even more deeply into the story. I can add a rich, layered unfolding of characters as they not only respond to challenges and injustice, but also work to fulfill the emotional connections that are key to many of us. It’s another dopamine hit—not only is justice served, but our faith in love—and each other—is reinforced when we vicariously live through the battling of inner demons to emerge loving and loved. 

 

It's not a new concept.  Would we love Amelia Peabody as much if we didn’t enjoy Professor Emerson’s unbridled love for her?  Would we find Richard Castle as charming if we were not cheering on his courting of Detective Beckett? Who doesn’t love to laugh at the biting wit and bickering of Nick and Nora?

 

So, yes.  I think I’ll agree to disagree.There is room for many different sorts of mysteries out there and I’ll continue writing in the crossroads between history, mystery and passion.

You can check out my blend of the three in The Kier and Levett Mystery Series, set in Victorian London—and now Scotland! 

 

Carnage from the Cursed Crown

A Kier and Levett Mystery, Book 5

 

Kara and Niall explore a new phase, a new estate . . . and another murder?

 

Niall Kier’s life is changing in unexpected ways, but his latest forge art installation is a triumph. He’s thrilled with the result, until his patron sends payment in the form of an ancient crown, dripping in emeralds and rubies . . . and bringing along an ancient curse.

 

Niall just wants to get on with the new phase of his life and his relationship with Kara Levett. But one man is dead already . . . and all signs point to him being the next victim. Dragged into the case despite their best efforts, Kara and Niall find their steps hampered by ill-luck and accidents as they trail after suspects and try to dissect reality from illusion, untangle friends from enemies . . . and find a killer who might be hiding in plain sight.

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--MYSTERY AUTHOR DONALEE MOULTON DELVES INTO THE FOODS OF 1734 NEW FRANCE

Author donalee Moulton writes both contemporary (Hung out to Die) and historical mystery (Conflagration.)She is also the author of “Swan Song,” one of twenty-one short stories appearing in the 2023 Award of Excellence-nominated Cold Canadian Crime. Her nonfiction credits include The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say and the co-author of Celebrity Court Cases. Learn more about donalee and her books at her website. 

It’s 1734. What’s for Dinner? 

 

Conflagration! is my second mystery novel – and my first historical mystery. The prospect of writing an historical mystery was both exhilarating and intimidating. 

 

While authors always have some wiggle room when it comes to reality, the reality of the modern world is one we are familiar with. We’re living it. I had no idea what life in 1734 Montréal was like. Fortunately, the online resources available via Google and books from the local library helped to transport me back in time.

 

Marie-Joseph Angélique is at the heart of Conflagration! An enslaved Black woman, Angélique is accused of burning down the lower town and forty-six buildings in the process. Court clerk Philippe Archambeau is assigned the daunting task of following the judicial process as it unfolds from incarceration to trial to appeal.

 

As I delved into life in 1734 and the arson case on the docket, I was thinking about court transcripts and depositions and judgments. I wasn’t thinking about food. That lack of focus didn’t last long. I remember writing one scene where Philippe gets up early in the morning and makes himself a cup of coffee. I remember thinking, “Did they drink coffee in 1734?”

 

That question led me to explore the food people ate in eighteenth century New France. What was standard fare? A celebratory meal? Where did the food come from? How was it prepared?

 

Some of these questions (including the coffee one) are answered in Conflagration! as Philippe and his wife Madeleine go about their daily lives. Tea is a common beverage, and at one point, the couple brew a Bohea blend infused with orange peel. Bohea, pronounced bow-hee, is a black tea from China (some say of a low grade) that was so popular at one time the word became synonymous with “tea.” 

 

Philippe also has lunch with a local jailer, Henri Geôlier. More accurately, he shares his lunch with Geôlier. That lunch is cold: ham or boiled eggs; fruit, often dried; and bread. According to the Canadian Museum of History, bread represented from 60 to 85% of the total daily food intake in New France.

 

One thing that was not a staple in Montréal as the seventeen hundreds unfolded: posset. This is primarily a British drink, yet it found its way into Conflagration! Philippe is originally from Acadia, where the British-French relationship was less acrimonious, at least until the British began expelling the Acadians in 1755. Posset, for Philippe, is a reminder of how different his Acadie is from Montréal.

 

The once-popular drink resembled egg nog. Interestingly, the name made its way back into the English lexicon in the 1800s, although by then posset had been transformed into a rich, cold lemony dessert that you can easily find recipes for today.

 

I’ve come across numerous recipes for the original drink. They invariably have a common foundation but differ in the nuances. Here’s my version.

 

Posset à la 1734

 

Ingredients:

235 ml (1 cup) light cream
1 cinnamon stick or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
A sprinkle of nutmeg 

3 egg yolks
235 ml (1 cup) sherry or brandy 

30 g (2 tablespoons) sugar

Bring the cream slowly to a simmer. Add the spices. Stir regularly. Gently beat the egg yolks and add slowly to the mixture. Continue stirring to avoid curdling. Pour in the alcohol and add the sugar. Simmer the mixture but avoid bringing it to a boil. 

 

Pour into cups, sit back, inhale the delicious aroma, and savour the moment.

 

Conflagration!

On a warm spring day in April 1734, a fire raged through the merchants’ quarter in Montréal. When the flames finally died, 46 buildings – including the Hôtel-Dieu convent and hospital – had been destroyed. Within hours, rumors ran rampant that Marie-Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman fighting for her freedom, had started the fire with her white lover. Less than a day later, Angélique sat in prison, her lover nowhere to be found. Though she denied the charges, witnesses claimed Angélique was the arsonist even though no one saw her set the fire.

 

In an era when lawyers are banned from practicing in New France, Angélique is on her own. Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk assigned specifically to document her case, believes Angelique might just be telling the truth. Or not. A reticent servant, a boisterous jailer, and three fire-scorched shingles prove indispensable in his quest to uncover what really happened. 

 

Angélique’s time is running out as Archambeau searches for answers. Will the determined court clerk discover what really happened the night Montreal burned to the ground before it’s too late?

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH COZY AND HISTORICAL MYSTERY AUTHOR PATRICIA PENROSE

Today we sit down for a chat with historical and cozy mystery author Patricia Penrose. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

My kids write and have me critique and edit their work. I wanted to know more about the whole process, so I began to study the craft of novel writing. I read Dwight Swain, Stephen King, James Scott Bell, John Truby, and many, many more. My favorite book on writing is The First Fifty Pages by Jeff Gerke. That book gave me the tools to produce a complete piece of fiction. After that, when I turned 60, I began to write my first mystery novel.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication? 

Within two years of somewhat consistent writing, I had two novels close to completion and, through Reedsy, heard about Amazon’s new serial reading platform, Kindle Vella. Vella was launched in April of 2021. I posted my novels there, episode by episode, got good feedback, and made some money to boot. So, my novels have gone from Kindle Vella serials to eBooks and paperbacks.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Totally DIY indie. I used Canva for my covers, Reedsy for typesetting, and KDP for printing. It’s all basically free, and I am very cheap. 😊

 

Where do you write? 

I write in my living room, which is open to the kitchen and dining room, so there is no privacy. I tried a “room of my own” but produced nary a word.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind? 

I do use music occasionally for action scenes. Usually, it's a movie soundtrack. For Death on the Night Riviera, I listened to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir soundtrack by Bernard Herrman. He’s one of my favorites. Also, the soundtrack for Rebecca, by Franz Waxman.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular? 

I write about what I would like to do more than what I have done. But the human and quirky bits come from my life if that makes sense. 

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

Usually, names just pop into my head, but if I’m stuck, I use https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/. It has place names, character names, and everything else you can imagine and is highly searchable. 

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

Once again, I use a bit of both. Usually, the localities are real, but I invent appropriate names using the Fantasy Name Generator, which generates names for historical locations and just about everything else you can imagine.

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has? 

One of my favorite characters is Cordelia Gedge. She has forgotten that she has quit smoking and pats herself down, looking for a smoke when she is stressed. It makes her quite cranky.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk? 

I am an “oldmovieaholic,” especially film noir. Is that a quirk? I hate mayonnaise to a quirky degree. 😊

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why? 

This is a hard question. I tend to focus more on authors than individual works, but I’d say Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It has everything: gothic suspense, romance, mystery, great locations, and a sympathetic main character without a first name. How intriguing is that? 

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What is yours?

I kind of wish I had started to write earlier, but I probably would have given up. The technology wasn’t here yet. Now, research and publication are so easy. The writing is the hardest part, but I enjoy it all.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve? 

Mayonnaise overuse. I always have to say, “Hold the mayo.”

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Water, a seaworthy boat, and my husband.

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held? 

I worked in tailoring at Sears in college and had to start the boiler. That was freaky.

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why? 

I do love Jane Eyre. I tend to admire the mousey types, like the second Mrs. Dewinter in Rebecca, who rise above their own inclinations and personalities and save the day.

  

Ocean or mountains? 

Ocean, or water anyway. I live a quarter mile from Puget Sound on a pond, and there is something new to see daily.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

City first, then country. There are two distinct sides to Washington state. On the west side of the Cascade Mountains, you have Seattle, where I was raised. The eastern side, where I raised my family in the Palouse area, is more rural and drier. Now, for retirement, I have returned to the west side but still live on twenty acres. 

 

What’s on the horizon for you? 

I have two new Vella serials in the works, one a cozy mystery, Not Just Another Pretty Lace, and another historical mystery, Seldom What They Seem. Also, my daughter wants me to write a YA mystery about my childhood growing up in a shopping mall. My parents owned the toy store. Lucky me. 😊

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books? 

This has been monumental oversharing for me already. You can see why marketing and promoting myself is a challenge. But thank you so much for the opportunity. 

 

The Mermaid Pool

A Lucky Librarian Mystery, Book 1

 

When Rory, a reclusive librarian at the Firdrona Branch, wins a writing contest she didn't enter, everyone tells her she's so lucky. But when her sedate life spins out of control, Rory's not so sure. A haunted mansion, a seaplane flight, and a knife-throwing, tattooed woman with purple hair are all part of a prize package Rowena Albright may regret accepting.

 

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HISTORICAL MYSTERY AUTHOR D.S. LANG SHARES A FAMILY FAVORITE SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

D.S. Lang started making up stories to entertain herself as an only child, and she’s still making them up. Her historical mysteries are set in small-town Ohio after the Great War. They feature amateur women sleuths determined to catch the bad guys and gals. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

In The Murdered Matron, the second book in my Doro Banyon Historical Cozy Mystery series, Doro helps plan her hometown’s annual Christmas celebration. A big part of the discussion revolves around refreshments. 

 

When I think of holiday treats, cookies come to mind—especially a family favorite sugar cookie. I do not know the origin of the recipe, but I recently found it handwritten in one of my mom’s old cookbooks. My mouth immediately watered! I have not made this cookie in many years, so I asked a friend who is a superb baker to help me figure how much flour is needed. The recipe, as you will see, calls for “enough to pat cookies out.” My friend has a similar old recipe, and she said about three cups should do the trick. 

 

In the novel, Doro and her best friend bake a batch to share with the town lawmen, who rave about the sweet treat. If you make them, I hope the cookies are just as popular with your family, friends, and neighbors!

 

Family Favorite Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

3 cups white all-purpose flour

 

Cream together the sugars, butter, and eggs. Add the buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg.

 

Add enough flour to spoon cookies into your hand and pat out. This is tricky! Have 

3 cups of white all-purpose flour ready.

 

Bake @375-400 degrees for 10 minutes, watching carefully.

The Murdered Matron

A Roaring Twenties Cozy Historical, Book 2

 

As the fall semester ends, Doro’s hands are full as a professor, librarian, and volunteer. She looks forward to planning and celebrating her hometown’s annual Christmas festivities, but her enthusiasm is tested when the chairwoman’s dictatorial ways create dissension among the committee members. Dissension soon turns to malice, and threats fly among the matron and several others. When she is found dead, unsettling questions arise—and so do longstanding grudges. Who caused the woman’s fatal fall from a ladder? After the chairwoman’s handyman disappears, anxiety escalates among townsfolk. Doro and her best friend, Aggie, along with two local lawmen, work together to investigate. Can they catch the killer in time to save the holiday celebration? Or will others fall victim to the perpetrator?

 

Pre-order (available 12/2/23)