I’m delighted to have Sally Goldenbaum here today to talk about her new mystery, Murder in Merino, which is the eighth book in her Seaside Knitters Mystery series. Please give her a warm welcome.
1. Tell me about your new release.
Murder in Merino is #8 in the Seaside Knitters Mystery series. (The seventh book, Angora Alibi, will be released in paperback this May as well.)
Murder in Merino takes place in early Autumn as the seaside knitters are preparing for Ben and Nell Endicott’s 40th wedding anniversary. As the tourists are leaving and plans get underway, a mysterious woman arrives in town, staying at the local B&B. Her name is Jules Ainsley but that’s about all anyone knows. Is she a visitor? A belated vacationer? No one knows for sure–but she becomes a visible figure about town, jogging the paths of Sea Harbor daily and asking lots of questions about the town.
Things become more curious when Izzy and Sam Perry finally put the small house Izzy lived in before marrying Sam on the market, and Jules Ainsley seems determined to buy it–without ever having stepped inside. But before the open house can be held, a well-loved bartender is found dead in the backyard of the cottage. When Jules’ name and number are found on the victim’s phone, this slender thread of evidence makes her a person of interest. Soon the spotlight of suspicion widens to include old friends and town leaders, as a tragic happening, long buried in the sleepy seaside town, is slowly brought to surface and the murderer is found.
2. What inspired you to write mysteries?
I’ve always loved mysteries and read them voraciously from the time I picked up my first Nancy Drew, but my own writing had always focused on other things. That is, until one fortuitous day when a mystery writing friend asked if I’d be interested in working on a mystery with her. It was actually a book under contract ( I know…how lucky was I!?!?). She knew I had written other things and thought perhaps our styles would mesh. She had two contracts (2 different books) to fulfill at the same time and offered me the opportunity to work on one of them with her. And so I did! It was a classic mystery and I loved learning the process as we pieced together the clues, the plotting, the characters, etc. I learned so much from her and was deeply inspired to try it on my own. So in effect, I was inspired AND mentored through a genre I loved by a wonderful writer…and I have been writing mysteries ever since.
3. What is the most interesting/strange thing that you had to research for your book?
I think maybe it was the geology of Cape Ann, the piece of land north of Boston where my series is set. Now that may not sound terribly sexy or fascinating, but honestly, it really is (well, maybe not sexy). And it’s important, too, because the area and town of Sea Harbor actually become important characters in the stories, right along with their human counterparts. Cape Ann is built on bedrock laid down half a billion years ago and it became in our lifetime a hot spot for mining granite (yes–your granite counter tops may have come from Cape Ann!). The area is littered with now-closed quarries, filled now with water and surrounded by lush wildlife. (And just between you and me, these quarries are PERFECT places to find bodies…)
4. What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the ninth book in the Seaside knitters mysteries—and now and then, thinking about another mystery idea…with a new character. It’s always nice to have ideas floating around in the wings. Much of the ninth book takes place in a hug old mansion by the sea, now housing The Sea Harbor Day School. All four of the seaside knitters become involved in the school for various reasons–and when a person important to the school is killed, the knitters are pulled into solving another crime.
5. Are there any authors that have influenced you to become a writer?
I suppose that would be nearly every author who has filled my mind with amazing stories and images and transported me out of my ordinary days and life–from EB White to the Brontes and Jane Austen (when I was in high school I used to write crib sheets for older classmates who weren’t enamored of my Elizabethan heroines as I was!) –to PD James, and Kate Atkinson (oh, to be able to weave many lines of plot together the way she does!) to Anna Quindlen and Alice Hoffman–not to mention all the contemporary mystery writers who may not have been the ones who inspired me to become a writer–but who inspire me now, every time I pick up one of their books, and who are far too numerous to mention.
Thank so much for being here today.
Thank you, Jennifer, for taking the time to talk with me. I’ve loved being here.
About the Author:
Sally Goldenbaum is a sometime philosophy teacher, a knitter, and an editor, and the author of more than thirty novels. Sally became more serious about knitting with the birth of her first grandchild and the creation of the Seaside Knitters mystery series. Her fictional knitting friends are teaching her the intricacies of women’s friendship, the mysteries of small-town living, and the very best way to pick up dropped stitches on a lacy knit shawl.
It’s autumn in Sea Harbor and as the tourists leave a mysterious guest arrives. When she’s implicated in a crime the Seaside Knitters must quickly table their knitting project and search out a motif for murder.
Fall is usually a relaxing time in Sea Harbor, but it’s turning out to be a busy season for Izzy Chambers Perry. Not only is she helping the Seaside Knitters make a magnificent throw to celebrate the fortieth wedding anniversary of her aunt and uncle, she and her husband are finally selling the cottage she lived in before they married and had a darling baby girl. To Izzy’s surprise, newcomer Julia Ainsley seems determined to buy the home—although she’s never set foot inside.
But on the day of the open house, things take a tragic turn. A body is uncovered in the cottage’s backyard. When the police find Julia’s name and phone number in the victim’s pocket, this slender thread of evidence makes her a person of interest. Soon the spotlight of suspicion widens to include old friends and town leaders, as a tragic happening, long buried in the sleepy seaside town, is slowly brought to the surface.
Before the Endicotts’ joyful anniversary celebration can be realized, the Seaside Knitters must work to unravel the real reason Julia Ainsley has come to their town and the tangled and tragic ties from the past that bind friends and townsfolk together.
Jennifer’s Review of Murder in Merino
Review (4.25 Stars): I’m fairly new to this series since I have only read a couple of books about this wonderful group of ladies. With that said, I was so glad that even though I wasn’t completely up to date on the previous books in this series, I could easily follow along with the characters of this delightful mystery. In this mystery, Izzy is settling down to married life with a beautiful baby girl and has begun the process of selling her cottage that she had before she met her husband, Sam. A mysterious new visitor to town, Jules Ainsley, has everyone talking about this beautiful stranger and how she suddenly seems to be everywhere in town. Including putting a bid on Izzy’s old cottage without once setting foot in it. When the body of a beloved bartender is found on Izzy’s property, people start wondering if this beautiful new stranger is more deadly than she appears.
One of the things that I loved about Murder in Merino was the strong sense of community that played out through the novel. These ladies have been friends for a long time and I liked the idea that everyone in town seemed to genuinely care about one another. I loved spending time in Sea Harbor and getting to know these characters a little more. I also enjoyed the complex plot twists of the story and I spent most of the book trying to understand more about Jules Ainsley and what her true motives were for being in Sea Harbor. Murder in Merino is a great cozy mystery that has charming characters and well-written storyline that will make you want to visit this beautiful seaside community. I now have to go back and read the rest of the series to catch up on the lives of these characters because I want to make sure I’m ready for when the next book is released in this great series.
Great interview and good review – this sounds like a really good series – though I would have to start with the first book …to ocd to start with this one…lol…Thanks for the info and good luck to Sally on the rest of her tour!