Category: 4 Star

Guest Blog

by Erika Chase

What’s not to like about a cozy?  They’re so…well, cozy.  To me that means a traditional mystery, a puzzle, something on the lighter side, without the excess of violence, sex or language – except where appropriate. If I want any of that I can read the newspapers, watch TV news, or even, most of the mystery/crime series that are on TV.

Don’t get me wrong, I do read other types of crime books, I’m an avid newspaper reader and I do watch some psychological police dramas on TV,  because they do have their place and there are times when that’s exactly what I want to see or read.

But for the most part, I want my reading time to be spent in a world where friendships are a primary focus, where there’s a hint of romance, and of course, the world is made right by the capture of the bad guys. I want to work through the crime puzzle along with the main character, be he or she an amateur sleuth or professional. I want to get to know these people as friends so that I enjoy spending time with them catching up, in each new book in the series. And, as importantly, I want justice to be carried out.

So it’s natural that I write cozy mysteries. I try to combine all those factors that I enjoy when reading a mystery in my Ashton Corners Book Club series. I belong to a book club, and although the members are very different from my fictional ones, especially the fact that we don’t solve crimes, the friendships and camaraderie are the aspects I’ve brought to the series.

Each character is unique, someone I’d like to know and learn more about, (I am learning more about them as I write each new book) and to this end, each has her or his own story and reason for belonging to the book club. Together, they compliment and contrast, they cajole and console, they are friends and they are my friends.

To me, a cozy setting means community. From the larger community of Ashton Corners,  Alabama (totally fictional but somewhat based on a small town located close to me) to the smaller community of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society…this is the heart of a cozy mystery. The puzzle and the unraveling of it are layered on to present a reading experience that hopefully will delight the mystery lover.

I enjoy writing cozies and I enjoy reading them. I hope you do, too.

About the Author:

Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime.  In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.

Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.

Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker.  Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.

Okay, maybe one more passion — chocolate!

She shares her house with Keesha and Mojo, her two Siamese cats. Actually, they allow her to live there.

HOT OFF THE PRESS: a new series looms! I’ll be writing the Culinary Capers Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime as the “other” me — Linda Wiken. Hopefully, the first one will be out in late 2015.

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The members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society are all chipping in as Molly Mathews, now owner of the bookstore the Book Nook, prepares the first annual Mystery Book Fair. While gossip circulates about the guest authors, club member Lizzie Turner is unpleasantly surprised to see a certain book publicist make an appearance. It seems Lizzie has a history with Ashley Dixon—a chapter of her life she’d rather leave closed.

But when someone gives Ashley a death sentence, Lizzie becomes the prime suspect in a murder mystery she can’t put down. Now Lizzie and her fellow book buffs have to read between the lines of the publicist’s past and catch the real killer before Lizzie is written off for good.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Book Fair & Foul

Review (4.5 Stars): Book Fair & Foul is a delightful yet complex cozy mystery that will keep you guessing.  I have always been a big fan of Ms. Chase’s Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries and I think that this one is the best so far.  Lizzie Turner becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her scheming college roommate during the middle of a mystery book fair that Lizzie is organizing with her good friend, Molly Mathews.  Between balancing literary divas and trying to clear her name, Lizzie has got her hands full and looks to her friends to help find the real killer. Hopefully, she can find the answers quickly before Lizzie finds herself behind bars for good.

Such a great series!  I love these mysteries because they are light-hearted with fun characters and are always discussing other fabulous books.  Lizzie has grown into a wonderful character and I love how her relationship with Mark is getting stronger with each passing day.  I could understand Lizzie’s situation with her college roommate, Ashley Dixon, because she wasn’t a nice person at all.  She was mean and conniving and tried everything to agitate Lizzie while she was there in Ashton Corners. I wasn’t sorry to see her go and other characters in this story had just as much reason as Lizzie to dislike her.  This is the fourth book in the series and everyone of them is more enjoyable than the next.  I recommend that everyone spend a little time with these delightful characters and I can’t wait to read the next book in this endearing series.

The Counterfeit Lady and the Naval Arms Race

by Kate Parker

The idea behind The Counterfeit Lady came from a conversation I had with my brother about the naval arms race of the 1890s. I realize most people don’t discuss historical topics with their brothers, but our parents read widely and we absorbed their interests. My brother’s favorite subject is U.S. History, and my favorite time period is 1890-1914. It’s no wonder after “how’s the family” and “how’s the job,” we start talking about historical figures and issues.

In our family, we find it perfectly normal.

I mentioned something about dreadnoughts, the super battleships first built in 1906, and my brother started talking about the naval arms race that began in 1890. It seems that economic and technological changes in shipbuilding and warfare began an intense competition between Britain, France, and Russia. Britain wanted to keep a numerical superiority over the next two navies combined to preserve her safety as an island and her connection to her colonies.

In 1890, second and third place belonged to France and Russia, and they were also keen to keep their fleets modern. This was the beginning of the age of the battleship.

By the end of the century, the U.S., Germany, Italy, Austria, and Japan were also in the race to build the fastest, most heavily armored battleships with the biggest guns on the ocean.

And that got me thinking. What if a brilliant British naval architect dreams up something as game changing as the dreadnought ten years earlier? And what if spies for some of these rival nations wanted to steal the designs for this new and improved warship?

Georgia Fenchurch and the Archivist Society wouldn’t ordinarily get mixed up in espionage, but what if the naval architect was charged with a murder when a set of the plans disappeared? The Duke of Blackford, a valued member of government because of his seat in the House of Lords and his contacts throughout Europe, would certainly be called in at such a crisis. And the duke would call on Georgia and her friends to bring their special talents to solving the problem.

What if Georgia has a special connection to this ship designer and this murder? What if the murdered woman, the wife of the naval architect, is a cousin of Lady Phyllida Monthalf? Since Georgia has no relatives, Phyllida and Emma Keyes make up Georgia’s “family” and live in her home with her. Phyllida will want her cousin’s killer found. Now solving this murder becomes personal to Georgia, and she’ll be willing to be a counterfeit lady.

It’s amazing what can happen when my brother and I start talking about history.

And so The Counterfeit Lady, coming from Berkley Prime Crime on August 5th, was born.

About the Author:

Kate Parker has held a variety of careers, including microbiologist in two hospitals, insurance fraud investigator, office clerk, telephone line repairer, and emergency medical technician, but her favorite is writer. Only as a writer can she travel to different locales and centuries.

In the last four years, since she switched from Romantic Suspense to Historical Romance, she has finaled three times in RWA’s Golden Heart® contest with three different manuscripts. Now she’s made the switch to historical mysteries with romantic elements, featuring the twists and turns and dead ends of her favorite mystery writers, including Robert Barnard, Simon Brett, Margaret Frazer, Susanna Gregory, and Deanna Raybourn. When she comes back to the present day, Kate finds herself near the coast of North Carolina with her real life hero, nineteenth century architecture and twenty-first century comforts.

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Who would suspect antiquarian bookseller Georgia Fenchurch of leading a double life—as a private investigator for the clandestine Archivist Society in Victorian London? When England’s national security is compromised, Georgia must pose as a titled lady to root out a spy…

A cousin of Georgia’s dear friend, Lady Phyllida Monthalf, is brutally murdered in her home during the theft of blueprints of a new battleship designed by her husband—who now stands accused of her murder…and treason. The Duke of Blackford, in service to Whitehall, enlists Georgia and the Archivist Society to assist in the investigation. Playing the part of the duke’s new paramour, Georgia gains entry into the upper echelons of London’s elite, where amidst elegant dinners and elaborate parties a master spy schemes to lay hands on the stolen plans.

The duke is no stranger to the world of international espionage, but Georgia is out of her element in more ways than one. She must not allow her genuine attraction to the duke—or her obsession with finding her parents’ killer—to distract her from her role. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to expose her, the counterfeit lady may be in real trouble…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of The Counterfeit Lady

Review (4.5 Stars): I was immediately drawn into this mystery from the very first page and I have to say that The Counterfeit Lady may be one of my favorite mysteries so far this year.  I enjoy historical mysteries and found myself immersed in Victorian London and enjoying the investigative skills of Georgia and The Duke of Blackford.  In this story, Georgia is summoned to help clear the name of a dear friend of Lady Phyllida Monthalf, who has been wrongfully accused of killing his wife.  All evidence points to his guilt, but Georgia feels that something isn’t quite right with the scene of the crime.  Now, Georgia has to infiltrate the elite of society to find the answers that she seeks, but she may have gotten herself involved in something that may put her own life in jeopardy.

The Counterfeit Lady is a captivating historical mystery that will keep you entertained for hours.  I loved the fact that Georgia ran a bookstore but also was a private investigator in her spare time.  She was smart, loyal and had the gentle yet persuasive type of personality that was able to get her the answers that she was looking for in an investigation.  This is the second book in the series so I suggest that everyone start with The Vanishing Thief before this book so you can meet Georgia from the very beginning.  Delightful series and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Death of a Crabby Cook

by Penny Pike

I have heartburn.

It’s from all the research I’ve been doing for the first book in my new series, DEATH OF A CRABBY COOK, featuring food trucks and food festivals. But if eating a lot of different foods is the price I must pay to make sure my story is authentic, then so be it. Could be worse. I could be writing a book about insects and have to do research on the larvae cycle of the tse-tse fly. Luckily I chose food.

I had my first food truck experience a couple of years ago before the “meals on wheels” phenomenon swept the country. I was in Napa, CA, doing research for another book (AKA drinking a lot of wine), and spotted a circle of colorful trucks offering intriguing specialties. I decided to try some plein air dining.

Now, I’m not the adventurous type when it comes to trying new foods. When I go out to dinner, I order the same foods at the same restaurants—rigatoni Bolognese at the Italian place,  cheese enchilada at the Mexican place, and teriyaki at the Japanese place. So I was a little hesitant to sample the wares from trucks named Kung Fu Tacos, Happy Dumplings, The Boneyard, Fins on the Hoof, Me So Hungry, and Naked Chorizo.

Turned out I liked just about everything!

Now that food trucks have finally come to my hometown, I can please my inner glutton every weekend—and combine it with research for my new series. I head over planning to have just “one bite” of everything, and end up stuffed to the gills.

Here’s my typical game plan: I start my research at Cluck it Up, ordered garlic parmesan wings, and called that the appetizer. Next stop: the Grilled Cheese Bandit, where the sandwiches are named after folk legends like Jesse James and Butch Cassidy. I had the Giuliani (a folk legend?), a grilled mozzarella, parmesan, tomato and pesto sandwich, and called it lunch.

After that it was a blur. A Peruvian pork sandwich from Sanguchon. A burrito cone from Twister. A Coca Cola braised pork sandwich from the Chairman. And I’d only made it half way through the trucks. Luckily I had just enough room for dessert. I managed to down two cream puffs from the Pacific Puffs truck—chocolate and salted caramel—before I spotted the Frozen Kuhsterd truck and had to have the ice-creamy sundae with caramel, chocolate and salted almonds. I knew, with a hospital located right across the street, I could seek medical attention after this food orgy if needed.

These visits to the local food trucks were my inspiration to write a series set among the food truck community. I created Darcy Burnett, a total foodie who loves to eat, but barely knows how to heat a frozen dinner in the microwave. To complicate things, I made her a restaurant reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, suddenly downsized, and desperately in need of a job. While eating a therapeutic Caramel Espresso Cream Puff whipped up by Jake Miller from the Dream Puff Truck—and recognizing a hot food trend when she sees one—she’s inspired to write a cookbook full of food truck recipes.

Her first source is the upcoming San Francisco Seafood Fest. Darcy plans to use her journalistic skills to gather recipes for everything from Crab Mac and Cheese from her aunt’s Big Yellow School Bus food truck, to Hangtown Oyster Omelets from the Bacon is the New Black truck. Combined with the local food festivals—The Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, Gilroy Garlic Festival, Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival—she’s sure the book will be a best-seller, filled with recipes for such tasty treats as “Red Velvet Whoopee Pies,” “Garlic Ice Cream,” Key Lime Cream Puffs,” “Cronut Dossaints” (croissants crossed with donuts) and so on.  (Recipes included in the book!)

But her plans are interrupted by a loud commotion in the Ft. Mason food truck area. Chef Oliver Jameson is arguing with a petite woman wielding a large knife. The woman happens to be Darcy’s sixty-something Aunt Abby (Abigail Pike), a former school cafeteria cook who now owns her own tricked-out school bus and serves comfort food to hungry diners. Abby accuses Jameson of harassing the food truckers in the area—competition for his brick-and-mortar Bones ‘n’ Brew restaurant—which he denies. Did he really plant a rat in her bus to get her in trouble with the Health Department? When the chef is suddenly poisoned by his own crab bisque—and Aunt Abby becomes a suspect—Darcy smells a rat. Together with Aunt Abby’s hacker son Dillon and dream puff Jake Miller, she discovers something rotten in the food truck world.

Writing DEATH OF A CRABBY COOK was such an inspiration, I’m thinking of opening my own food truck.  I plan to serve Vanilla Zantac, Chocolate Prilosec, Curry Maalox, Grilled Pepto, and Tums-on-a-Stick. I think it will be a hit.

About the Author:

I’ve been writing since I read my first Nancy Drew in 6th grade. Since then I’ve had over 50 books published, fiction and non-fiction, for adults and children. I’ve been lucky — my books have won national awards, garnered excellent reviews, and have been printed in 14 countries, including Russia, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, India, Israel, Poland, Japan, and China. My best-sellers include Healthy Snacks for Kids, Kids’ Party Games and Activities, Best Party Book, Games People Play, Kids’ Holiday Fun, Learn to Sign the Fun Way, Baby Play and Learn, Kids Pick-A-Party, and Kids’ Party Cookbook.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a Master’s degree in Special Education, and I’ve been teaching child development at the local college for over 20 years. I also teach writing tips at conferences across the country, including Pikes Peak, Whidbey Island, San Francisco, Jack London, and dozens of others. I belong to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, SCBWI, Women Writing the West, and California Writers Club.

I live in Danville, California, have two grown children, and four adorable grandchildren.

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At the San Francisco Seafood Festival, someone is steamed enough to kill a cook….

When restaurant reviewer Darcy Burnett gets served a pink slip from the San Francisco Chronicle, she needs to come up with an alternative recipe for success quickly. Her feisty aunt Abby owns a tricked-out school bus, which she’s converted into a hip and happening food truck, and Darcy comes aboard as a part-timer while she develops a cookbook project based on recipes from food fests in the Bay Area.

But she soon finds someone’s been trafficking in character assassination—literally—when a local chef turns up dead and her aunt is framed for the murder. The restaurant chef was an outspoken enemy of food trucks, and now Darcy wonders if one of the other vendors did him in. With her aunt’s business—and freedom—on the line, it’s up to Darcy to steer the murder investigation in the right direction and put the brakes on an out-of-control killer….

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Death of a Crabby Cook

Review (4 Stars):  What a great start to a delightful series!  I love culinary mysteries and I instantly liked the main character, Darcy, who finds herself working for her aunt’s food truck after losing her job at the newspaper.  Darcy is spunky and fun, and has a horrible “addiction” to creme puffs which just happened to be made by the handsome Jake, who is a fellow food truck owner.  Darcy finds herself involved in a mystery when an owner of a nearby restaurant is found dead and her beloved aunt is the prime suspect in his murder.  Looking for clues, Darcy finds that everyone disliked the victim and each of them had plenty of reasons to want him dead.  When another food truck owner is found dead as well, Darcy must find the killer quickly before she is next on the chopping list.

Death of a Crabby Cook is fast-paced culinary mystery that will leave you wanting seconds.  The characters are fun and engaging and I enjoyed learning about the day to day life of running a food truck.  Ms. Pike has created a delightful new series that I’m sure will be a hit and I’m looking forward to readingt the next installment, Death of a Chocolate Cheater, which will be out sometime next year.