Manon Wogahn

Today’s featured author is Vicki Delany, whose latest release, The Sign of Four Spirits, is book nine in her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series.

In the interview to follow, Vicki and I chat about her Holmsian knowledge, how she approaches writing different series, and her advice for authors earlier in their careers. As you’ll learn, Vicki is a busy author, writing multiple series and celebrating three more releases this year—so, four new books total in 2024!

Connect with Vicki on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of The Sign of Four Spirits from your retailer of choice here.

Hi Vicki, thanks so much for joining! The Sign of Four Spirits is book nine in your Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series, starring sleuth Gemma Doyle and her inherited mystery bookstore. What do you love about blending this classic detective with a contemporary cozy series? Are there any fun Sherlockian facts or details that you’ve especially enjoyed including in the books?

Gemma Doyle is my version of Sherlock Holmes recreated as a modern young woman, and I thought she could comfortably fit into the cozy genre as an amateur sleuth who owns a bookshop. I know quite a lot about Sherlock Holmes, but I am by no means an expert, and I’m not writing for experts. But I enjoy throwing in the occasional “Easter egg” to amuse those who do know the finer points of the canon.

For example, there are seventeen steps in the bookshop, and there were seventeen steps at 221B Baker Street. The shop cat is named Moriarty [like Sherlock Holmes’s famous nemesis], and he hates Gemma. That stuff is always fun, as is simply thinking, What would Sherlock Holmes do? and having Gemma do it.

In The Sign of Four Spirits, Gemma investigates a séance that results in a murder—one that could only have been committed by someone inside the séance room. How did you approach plotting this mystery? What did you enjoy about including supernatural elements like a séance?

“Possible” supernatural elements. I started this book with a one-word idea: séance. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a very committed spiritualist and he wrote quite a few books on the subject. I’ve always found that interesting considering his greatest creation was such a non-superstitious person. Like Holmes would do, Gemma goes to the seance as a total non-believer, because someone has asked her to accompany them. The medium immediately picks up on her powers of observation and bans Gemma from the room. So she, naturally, listens from the other side of the door. 

Are there supernatural elements in this book? That’s for the reader to discover. Gemma doesn’t think so.

You have several mystery series under your belt, including the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries, the Tea by the Sea Mysteries, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates). Do you have a favorite series to write? Does your writing process change depending on the series?

I love them all! But I have to say I particularly enjoy writing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop books because it is fun to try to recreate the Great Detective while keeping the character modern and female.

In the Lighthouse Library series, the classic novel the library book club is reading is loosely reflected in the plot of my book, and I enjoy finding, and reading, a classic that suits the theme I’m wanting to develop.

The writing process between the series is the very same. I’m a semi-outliner, meaning I start writing by the seat of my pants and write about a quarter of the book. Then I stop, and outline the rest.

Having written so many novels, what advice would you give your younger self? Do you have advice for newer writers and authors hoping to find similar writing success?

I don’t know that I’d give younger self any advice other than that which I’d give to newer writers: Persistence is the key. It’s a tough business and it’s getting tougher, so you just have to keep going in terms of writing and trying to get published, if that’s your goal. My other advice is to read, and read often and widely. Reading is how we learn our craft.

One thing I did have to learn is to trust yourself as a writer. Don’t give up when you hit a bad point in the book. Work through it.

Lastly, what’s next for you? I see you have some upcoming releases on the horizon—can you tell us about those, and/or anything else you’re looking forward to?

The next book out will be A Stranger in the Library, the eleventh Lighthouse Library book (written as Eva Gates) in June. The fifth Tea by the Sea book, Trouble is Brewing, comes in July, and then the seventh Year Round Christmas book, A Slay Ride Together With You, in September. So, a busy year. In personal news, I’m writing this on a plane to Ecuador where I’ll be visiting the Amazon basin and the Galapagos, so I’m really looking forward to that!

Thanks so much to Vicki for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s featured author is Geri Krotow, whose Kielbasa Queen mysteries are an homage to 1980s upstate New York and Polish-American cuisine. In the interview below, Geri and I chat about the inspiration behind this series, her cozy mystery sleuth, writing in multiple genres, and more.

Connect with Geri on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of The Pierogi Peril from your retailer of choice here.

Hi Geri, it’s great to have you! The Pierogi Peril is the second book in your Kielbasa Queen mystery series, a Polish-American culinary cozy series set in upstate New York in 1982. What do you love about this Polish culinary theme? What sparked the idea for this series?

Hi, Manon—thank you so much for having me at the Cluesletter! Let’s get right to it. I grew up in Western New York surrounded by Polish American culture, and am of at least 50% Polish ancestry according to my DNA. 😊 I’ve always had story ideas around this swirling in my mind’s “idea” compartment, but nowhere to put them. Then the main character, Lydia, showed up (my characters almost always appear before the plot). I knew she was a chef of some sort, then that she was the daughter of a butcher. She knew her way around her father’s butcher shop. The original story line took place in the present day, and I had her being a vegan because I liked the juxtaposition. But I hadn’t lived in Cheektowaga or Buffalo since I left for the Naval Academy (way back in the last century). I had a lot of research to do, and time to catch up on! But my agent posed the best idea ever when she said “unless you set it in the 1980s…” More brainstorming and MANY revisions later, we had a solid proposal that the publisher liked so much, they bought it!

I love a good cozy mystery sleuth. What do you love about your protagonist, Lydia Wienewski? What character traits do you admire about her, and how does she use them to solve mysteries?

I love Lydia’s tenacity. She was raised with a strong—maybe too strong at times—work ethic. Lydia won’t stop until she gets a job done, whether it’s butchering meat and then arranging it appealingly on trays for her father’s butcher shop display cases, making a batch of pierogi—Polish dumplings—for the lunch crowd at her recently opened Lydia’s Lakeside Café and Bakery, or figuring out a killer’s motivation. Her natural curiosity certainly helps her dig up the most obscure clues. And her empathy, for the victim and human beings in general, make her an ideal sleuth. Her devotion to family and friends is admirable to me, too. Lydia will do anything for her family, and her deep bond with Grandma Mary makes their stories so fun to write.

You also write in other genres, like women’s fiction and romantic suspense. What have you learned writing these other books? Are there any interesting overlaps between cozy mystery and the other genres you write?

Thank you for asking this—I have so much to say, but I’ll try to keep it simple. 😊 First, story is story. Characterization and plot are common to all fiction (or… should be). 

Strong characters, and by that I mean characters that are fully developed, whether they are the protagonist, the victim of a crime, or a grocery clerk, the characters need to read as real and authentic. No reliance on stereotypes! My characterization bible remains GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon.

Next, plot. Plot has different progressions depending on the genre or subgenre, but again, story is story. There will be a time “before” the current story on the page began, a “call to action” as described by many story guides before us. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (and his presentations with Michael Hague) and On Writing by Stephen King come to mind.

And now, my big reveal. I don’t think I’m telling a different story than I did with my very first book, which falls under women’s fiction by today’s marketing. The vehicle, in this case, the genre I’m using to convey the story, has evolved over several books, series, and—gulp!—decades. The heart of my stories remains authentic characters who have compelling reasons to be together (or not) and who must face their own inner demons in order to achieve their dreams. Lydia has to look at herself, her goal of running her Polish American restaurant and bakery, and weigh it with what she considers her family obligation to keep Pop’s butcher business profitable. When dead bodies show up, as they do in cozy mysteries, Lydia doesn’t balk. She goes after the elixir, which means she has to get the murder solved ASAP in order to keep her family afloat.  

After writing so many books (in so many genres!), what advice would you give to new writers? And/or, do you have tips for plotting a mystery in particular? 

Welcome all writers, especially those of you who are just beginning this journey! We need your story, your voice. Never give up! Keep going! Attend conferences, connect with other writers—hello, Bouchercon, Sisters in Crime—and read. Read as though your pants are on fire. I’ve been studying Agatha Christie and many contemporary mystery/crime authors for a very long time. While there has always been an element of suspense (and often, a dead body!) in all of my books, including my earliest romances, a cozy mystery requires a variety of suspects to choose from. Mystery readers are savvy and particular. They will forgive many things but are least likely to ignore either an easy puzzle to solve or worse, a large plot hole. 

Lastly, what’s next for you? Will there be more Kielbasa Queen books, and/or any other upcoming releases?

No news yet on future Kielbasa Queen mysteries, but my fingers and toes are crossed that I’ll have something to share soon! Lydia and Grandma Mary have so many more adventures to share!

I also write the Shop ’Round the World series, a contemporary cozy mystery series set in a fictionalized version of where I live in Central Pennsylvania. As you can imagine, the characters and sites in this locally set series are constantly reminding me that they have more stories to tell, too.

I’m also playing around with a stand-alone thriller, but that might be more of an exercise in creativity than a publishable novel. Only my muse knows!

Thanks so much to Geri for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

I’m pleased to be welcoming John Hatch as today’s featured author, for the Cluesletter’s first-ever nonfiction book feature! John’s new release, “What Do You Mean, Murder?” Clue and the Making of a Cult Classic is a deep dive into the making of the 1985 film—one that I know many of you, like me, absolutely love.

In the interview below, John walks me through his inspiration for writing, the book’s structure, and some of the most surprising facts about the movie.

Connect with John on Instagram and his website. Grab a copy of Poster Girl from your retailer of choice here.

Hi John, thanks so much for joining! “What Do You Mean, Murder?” Clue and the Making of a Cult Classic is a new exploration of the classic 1985 film. What drew you to this film initially, and why did you write the book?

I felt like I’d been waiting for someone else to write this book for ages. It seemed obvious—Clue is this beloved film that’s grown from flop to cult classic, and there was so little information about how it was actually made. Then, in early 2021, when theaters were still showing older movies during the pandemic, I saw it for the first time in a movie theater since I was nine years old. I noticed things on the big screen I hadn’t seen before, and it spurred me to start researching. I found there was a lot more information than I expected, and it went from there.

Why do you think Clue has become a cult classic? In your opinion, why do contemporary audiences still love it?

I think most people discover Clue as kids, and they’re drawn to the slapstick and the farce. There are people crashing into each other, silly jokes, and rapid-fire dialogue. In the 1980s and 1990s, Clue was on cable TV a lot, before there was anything like 500 channels or on-demand streaming. That’s how kids found it. Then as they grew up, it was a nostalgic part of their childhood. They kept watching and noticed the more grown-up themes of corruption, sexual politics, and the Red Scare. Those now-grown-up fans introduced it to their friends and their partners and their own kids. It keeps managing to find new viewers.

How did you approach writing this story? What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

I decided early on that I wanted to take this in a little bit different direction than most production histories and “making-of” books. Those typically unfold chronologically through the development, writing, casting, and then the shooting schedule. Most films aren’t shot sequentially—that is, in the order the scenes in the film appear. They’re shot based on location and actor availability. A scene at the beginning of the movie and a scene at the end of the movie might be shot on the same day, in other words. But knowing that my book would mostly appeal to fans, I wanted to walk them through the movie that they know so well and practically have memorized. After I talk about development and writing and casting the film, I start with the opening shots and take readers through the movie, moment by moment. In that sense, the book is something of a detailed annotation of the film. I cover everything from the shooting schedule to the lighting, the props to the soundtrack.

The most challenging part of writing the book was also the most surprising to me. As I got into telling the story, I became acutely aware that I was writing about people who are still living, people who I don’t know. I’m a historian who is usually writing about people who are long-since deceased. That wasn’t the case here. I was surprised at my own discomfort in writing about these people. I’m wary of celebrity culture—of the way we talk about famous people as if we know them just because we’ve seen them in movies or on talk shows or, worse, in the tabloids. We don’t know them! They aren’t our friends. And so I was determined to be fair to them. A few times in the book I think this worry about fairness led me to swing the pendulum too far the other way—I was being too effusive of the actors and the director. I’m grateful to have had a fantastic editor who pointed those moments out and encouraged me to rework them.

Can you share an unexpected fun fact about Clue? And/or, what did you discover during your research that really surprised you?

I was surprised to learn how much of this was all producer Debra Hill’s idea. She is responsible for Clue, but because she passed away in 2005 from cancer, she is often left out or only mentioned in passing in most articles about the movie. She secured the rights to the film from Parker Brothers in 1980, came up with a delightful treatment (a three-page summary of the film), and then hired writers and crew. I hope my book corrects the record and shows how important she was to this movie that so many people love.

Lastly, what’s next for you? Are you working on any other books? Anything else to share?

I’ve been kicking around a few ideas, and I’m settling in on doing research for another 1985 movie. This one wasn’t a flop—it was a big hit and it remains a favorite today. I won’t say which film, but if you like pirate ships and buried treasure, stay tuned :)I’m currently recording the audiobook for “What Do You Mean, Murder?” and I hope I can have it out in the next month.

Thanks so much to John for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s Cluesletter featured author is Shelley Blanton-Stroud, whose latest release, Poster Girl, is the third World War II-era mystery starring cynical gossip columnist Jane Benjamin. In Poster Girl, Jane attempts to find a Wendy-the-Welder poster girl at a San Francisco shipyard, but ends up investigates the deaths of women welders.

Those of you who caught my review of Poster Girl on Instagram know I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and its wry heroine. Everything about it—setting, characters, time period—felt refreshingly realistic. In my opinion, it can be read as a standalone (though I may have to nab the first book in the future!).

In the interview below, Shelley and I chat about Jane’s character, historical research, and writing advice. I hope you enjoy!

Connect with Shelley on Instagram, Facebook, BookBub, and her website. Sign up for her newsletter here (and get a free eBook of the first Jane Benjamin mystery, Copy Boy!). Grab a copy of Poster Girl from your retailer of choice here.

Hi Shelley, it’s great to have you! Poster Girl is your third novel starring cynical gossip columnist turned amateur detective Jane Benjamin as she lives and works in World War II era San Francisco. I loved Jane’s cynicism and tenacity—why do you think she makes a good investigator? What inspired her character?

Thank you! Jane was inspired by a few people. One of the early inspirations was the iconic San Francisco Chronicle columnist, Herb Caen, who became the voice of the city for many decades. Like Jane, Herb came to San Francisco from Sacramento, as something of a rube. But because he was smart and savvy and naturally stylish, he came to embody the city. He arrived in San Francisco at 18 years old and by 19 he had a newspaper column. I was always so curious about what exactly happened in the gap of that year that prepared him for the life he would live. That was the beginning premise with Jane. How could she turn herself into an iconic figure, when she starts out picking tomatoes in the fields outside Sacramento.

Here’s my second inspiration—my father who, with his big family, migrated from Texas to California during the dust bowl. I got lots of details about Jane’s beginning from their family stories. I liked the contrast between her dusty beginnings and the socialite world she would ultimately find herself in.

With the series incorporating real-life events and characters, what kind of historical research do you do while writing? What are the challenges and joys of setting a mystery in this time period?

In addition to a lifetime of overheard family stories, I read a lot, I have good friends who are librarians who help me so much, and I visit museums like the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond, CA, the exact setting where Poster Girl takes place.

One particular resource that meant a lot to my research for this book was the documentary Invisible Warriors: The African American Women in World War II, by producer/director Gregory S. Cooke. It was incredibly helpful to see and hear the real Rosie the Riveters’ voices, looking back at their experiences, both painful and exhilarating.

Your background is in education, teaching writing at Sacramento State University. How has teaching how to write informed your own writing practice? What is your favorite piece of advice to offer new (or experienced!) writers?

Well, Write. I hate to say what everybody says, but it’s true. Writers write. Don’t just think about writing. Write. Don’t idealize writing. Write. Don’t just read books about writing. Write. Don’t worry your writing won’t be good enough. Just write. And after you’ve written, you’ll have something to work with and editing will feel like the most gratifying, creative thing in the world.

But beyond that familiar advice, I would also say, excavate your own bones. When were you broken by the topic of your writing? How did you heal? What you write won’t resonate with you or anyone else if you haven’t dug up what you’ve really thought or felt or experienced about it. Even if you are not the subject matter of your writing, you are its consciousness. So figure out what in your history affects how you think about this content. Even if that information never goes explicitly into the text, it will be there, just underneath, informing what you write, how you write.

What made you choose to write a mystery series? How do you plot your mysteries?

I write what I love to read—historical mystery—I think because there is so much escape in it. That escape is what drives me to read. But also, I made my decision to focus on mystery because of what I perceived as my strengths and weaknesses. I knew I did just fine at sentences. It wasn’t hard for me to get words on the page in a shape that basically made sense.

But what I found difficult was the architecture of story. When I wrote without a thought to genre, my stories just . . . wandered. Ugh. Then, when I began to learn more about the actual shape of a story normally revealed in mystery, I found the limitations that set me free!

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can we expect more Jane Benjamin mysteries, or do you have any other projects in the works?

I am working on a novel set in 1945. Though it will be in the same universe as the Jane Benjamin novels, this one will be a standalone, with a different protagonist (though Jane will appear in the novel). The period is San Francisco on V-J Day, when the celebration turned into a brutal riot—over a thousand people hospitalized, eleven killed, and six women raped. That is the historical moment I’m currently writing about.

Thanks so much to Shelley for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s featured author is the lovely Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series. I had the pleasure of meeting Raquel in person at Bouchercon, and I’m truly thrilled to have her join the Cluesletter to celebrate the launch of book three in her series, Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal.

In the interview below, Raquel and I chat about writing recipes, adding culture to cozies, and taking her sleuth to Puerto Rico.

Connect with Raquel on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and her website. Sign up for her LatinaSleuths newsletter here. Grab a copy of Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal from your retailer of choice here.

Hi Raquel, it’s great to have you! Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal is the third book in your Caribbean Kitchen mystery series, which stars cooking show star turned amateur sleuth Miriam Quiñones. What do you love about Miriam’s character? What elements of her personality make her an ideal amateur sleuth?

I lovingly call Miriam a reluctant sleuth. She doesn’t seek it out—she is not listening to true crime podcasts—but she’s driven to help solve wrongs.

What I love about Miriam is her inner monologue. I know not everyone has an inner voice, but Miriam sure does. She is constantly questioning her motives and reminding herself of the objective.

In this installment, we follow Miriam on a work trip to Puerto Rico. What did you love about taking the series abroad? How did this new setting change the way you approached the story, either when plotting the mystery or cultivating the trademark cozy mystery sense of community?

When I envisioned the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, I had travel in mind. Miriam is a food anthropologist. She loves field research. She wants to taste the food and hear the story behind it. Her area of focus is the Caribbean and the African and European influences that brought produce, animals, and different flavors to the islands and Coastal Latin America.

Pitching the premise of book three to my editor, she had some trepidation about leaving the community I’d built in Coral Shores, a municipality in Miami, saying, “Readers might be jarred by the change in location.” I assured her that I had a plan; I was going to bring her community with her. She is traveling for work. That meant her work family would be with her. And because the series is contemporary, I take advantage of the ubiquitous cell phone. Miriam’s immediate family and friends are just a video call or text message away.

In the first two books, Miriam misses her parents. They’ve moved away for a job opportunity. Book three was my chance to reunite them. Miriam goes to the Dominican Republic to visit them then gets called away to shoot a Three Kings Day special in Puerto Rico.

I lived in Puerto Rico and met my spouse while I was there. I love the island. I spent a lot of time in Old San Juan. This story lets me share the good (the food, people, and culture) and the tragic (historic and current) that make Puerto Rico so unique.

As I recently learned (at Bouchercon!), culinary cozy authors are responsible for writing the recipes in their books. How do you come up with the dishes? Is there a particular dish you’re most proud of in your books?

The recipes are the hardest part. Not only do I have to write them, but I select them with several criteria in mind. Are the ingredients relatively easy to find? Can a home cook successfully execute them? (Meaning, recipes can’t require fancy techniques or expensive equipment.) Does the dish have a story? What would Miriam say about it?

What dish am I most proud of? The Cala-FLAN-za recipe in book two, Calypso, Corpse, and Cooking. I live in Miami. We are 70% Latinx/e. There is no reason to bake a flan when you have so many good options to buy it made. Also, I’d never actually made one by myself. Another layer of fun was that I wanted to make it pumpkin flavored (that is one of the traditional flavors) but without the weird texture that the squash causes. I was thrilled with the way it came out. If you follow the easy recipe and use a flan mold, it will come out velvety perfect!

The Caribbean Kitchen series incorporates Cuban-American heritage and Spanglish dialogue. What do you love about bringing this culture into a cozy mystery series? And/or, what made you choose a culinary angle for these books?

The books that I was drawn to as a young reader always had a big dose of “exploring culture” to them. Writers are often asked what book(s) influenced them. For me it was Elizabeth Peters’s The Seventh Sinner. It has her lesser-known character librarian Jacqueline Kirby. It is set in Rome, Italy and draws heavily on the art, history, and architecture of the city. Languages other than English are sprinkled throughout the story. They are translated either by explanation or by context. I do the same thing. Living amongst multiple languages and cultures is part of life as a citizen of the world. Of course, I was going to bring my culture and the cultures of Miami to my amateur sleuth series.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can we expect more Caribbean Kitchen mysteries, or do you have any other projects in the works?

Book four is a few weeks from deadline. It will be out in fall of 2024. I am a fan of short stories and have two in soon to be published anthologies. One is inspired by the Elvis Costello song, “Living in Paradise.” That anthology is called Brutal and Strange.

Writers always have stories and projects waiting in the wings. I am no exception. In 2024, I hope to get started on a standalone that has a darker feel, and there is a Latinx anthology I’m curating.

Thanks so much to Raquel for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s interview is with Eliot Pattison, author of Freedom’s Ghost, the latest installment in his Bone Rattler series, a historical mystery series set in pre-Revolutionary War America.

I read Freedom’s Ghost earlier this month. What drew me to the book was the historical setting—I admit I’m a sucker for a history lesson while I solve a mystery, and this one fit the bill perfectly, with rich, immersive historical detail and real-life characters like John Hancock, Crispus Attucks, and John and Samuel Adams.

You can read my full review here, and stay tuned for Eliot’s and my discussion. We talk about the challenges of historical accuracy, his background in international law, and more.

Connect with Eliot on Facebook, X, and his website. Grab a copy of Freedom’s Ghost here.

Hi Eliot, thanks for joining! Freedom’s Ghost is the seventh installment in your Bone Rattler mystery series, set in pre-Revolutionary War America. What drew you to this time period, and how does this setting challenge or enhance elements of traditional mystery? What characteristics make your protagonist, the highlander-turned-patriot Duncan McCallum, an effective investigator?

The years preceding the Revolutionary War were some of the most interesting in all of Western history. This was when the real revolution was occurring, as the colonists began to shed their English identity and evolve toward a new, unprecedented American identity. The cast of colonists, reflected in my novels, was a diverse, colorful company of outcasts, criminals, orphans, renegades and exiles who had fled or been forced out of England. This presents fertile ground for a novelist, as these colonists were experiencing an explosion of scientific discovery (e.g., Ben Franklin’s many inventions), literacy was rapidly increasing (e.g., the colonists read more books than their counterparts across the Atlantic), and philosophical ideas that had been germinating in Europe for generations were taking root in America. Tensions and conflicts were also on the rise with the emergence of the Sons of Liberty and British agents secretly working against them, danger-laden smuggling to support the patriots, and the ruthless military occupation of Boston (four thousand troops in a city of sixteen thousand). 

In Freedom’s Ghost, my resourceful protagonist is thrust into this volatile mix. Trained as a doctor but exiled into servitude for helping an aged Scottish rebel, he has earned a reputation as Deathspeaker among the native tribes for his ability to resolve murders. Drawn now into a series of killings involving the British occupation troops he soon realizes that there can be no resolution of the murders without provoking a violent reaction by either the troops or his friends among the patriots. His careful navigation of this treacherous landscape brings him close to a solution—but then on a snowy March night British troops fire on civilians in the infamous Boston Massacre.

In the Bone Rattler series, you blend intricate detective work with rich historical and cultural details. Can you discuss the research process and the challenges you face when ensuring historical accuracy while crafting an engaging mystery? How do you plot these intricate mysteries, and/or how do you bring historical figures and locations to life?

Historical fiction is a challenging genre since the novelist must assure the authenticity of the historical backdrop while weaving an engaging tale into that factual fabric. Writing such novels becomes a balancing act between fact and fiction—and neither should impinge too far on the other. I devote a lot of time to research both before and during my writing process, building on a love of history I’ve been nurturing since I found my first arrowhead at age seven. I have read countless volumes of history and biography but one of my favorite sources is newspapers of the day, which often surround me as I write. No better source exists for understanding daily life in 1770 than these first-hand, “live” reports of colonial affairs. They help me grasp not just the events but how people spoke, what they ate, how they earned their daily bread, what they sang, and what they gossiped and worried about. I don’t want to instruct my readers about history, I want them to feel history.

To do that I populate actual events with both recognizable figures like John Hancock—an intriguingly complex character—and less conspicuous elements of daily life. When John Adams appears, for example, he is fidgeting with his quill, then serving tea, and worried about his morning porridge. Before breathing life into these characters I do fastidious research through biographies and other sources, just as I research locations and other details. Harbor locations figure often in the new novel, and they likewise acquire an 18th century atmosphere by integrating images of  sailing ships, odors of fish and shipwright sawdust, and fish drying racks as well as authentic figures from the Marblehead fishing fleet.

Authenticity is critical. Done well, the historical novel brings us closer to our past than any number of sterile history texts. As Rudyard Kipling observed, “if history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” By offering such stories, historical fiction breathes life into the past. If I have done my job well, my readers will realize that the past lives depicted in my tale are separated from our own lives not so much by aspirations, appetites, and ambitions, but merely by technology and time.

You also write the now-complete Inspector Shan mysteries, set in Tibet. Like the Bone Rattler series, these books incorporate significant social and political themes into the mysteries. What drew you to mystery as a genre through which to illustrate these themes?

I have always loved the mystery genre which in recent years has significantly gained in respect as more literary mysteries have appeared. I consider the genre a powerful vehicle for social and political messages. The mystery reader is a very engaged reader, one who devotedly turns pages, joining the characters in solving the subsidiary conundrums that all add up to resolve the ultimate mystery. Overlay a good mystery with sympathetic characters and the reader is committed to seeing them through their dilemmas. Overlay the characters with a deeper political backdrop (e.g., the repression of Tibetans) and the reader also assimilates that backdrop as part of the journey. Feeling that character’s pain, the reader thus begins to feel the pain of the repression. More than a few readers, for example, have told me that they had never understood the persecution of Tibetans until they read my Skull Mantra series.

Certainly there are other genres that can convey political themes, but many of those entries are dark and painful with no promise of a hopeful, or at least humane, resolution; not all readers finish those books. Mystery readers commit to reach the finish line.

How has your background as an international lawyer impacted your writing career? Are there any surprising overlaps between fiction writing and law?

An international lawyer has to have strong communication and cross-cultural skills, strengths which transfer well into the novelist’s world. Getting immersed in Chinese affairs for several years provided a deep background, and impetus, for my Skull Mantra series. A good lawyer also has an instinct for problem solving, another quality that serves the mystery writer well. Both lawyers and mystery writers aim to find the truth, the lawyer in an objective sense, the novelist using more subjective approaches. Sometimes the novelist’s quest gets closer to the truth. 

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can we expect more books in the Bone Rattler series, or do you have any other projects in the works?

I look forward to taking my characters further into the turbulent years leading to the Revolution. I also have an interest in a more contemporary treatment of the painful dilemmas facing historians and cultural custodians due to the devaluing of our past and national borders. Opportunities abound for intriguing characters among disenchanted professors, antiquity thieves, and post-modern, disenfranchised intelligence agents.

Thanks so much to Eliot for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s featured author is Nicole Gardner, whose Rosemary Mountain Mystery series blends mystery, family secrets, the paranormal, and a hint of romance into an atmospheric rural setting. I enjoyed book one, Secrets in the Cottage, for the cozy characters and Twin Peaks vibes.

In the interview below, Nicole and I talk about the inspiration for her books, her new romantic suspense series, her experience as a new self-publisher, and plenty more. Settle in with a cup of tea and enjoy!

Connect with Nicole on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Sign up for her newsletter here. Grab a copy of Danger in the Darkness, book three in the Rosemary Mountain Mystery series, here.

Hi Nicole, thanks so much for joining! Your Rosemary Mountain Mystery series follows Daphne Sullivan as she returns to her childhood hometown and seeks justice for her mother’s murder. There is also a paranormal element to the series, with Daphne inheriting her mother’s gift of second sight. What inspired you to write this story, including Daphne’s character, and the small town setting of Rosemary Mountain?

Thank you so much for having me, Manon! I love your Cluesletter!

The idea for this series really started with what I consider to be one of the main “characters” of the story: the cottage. A few years ago, my husband and I moved across the country for a job opportunity. It was a very last minute, chaotic move and we ended up renting a small cottage to live in for a few months while we searched for a permanent home. The cottage was older, and frankly, felt haunted—in the very best way. My imagination went crazy there, dreaming up stories about the people who had lived in the cottage before us.

The town of Rosemary Mountain was inspired by a town where my husband and I have been camping and hiking ever since we were kids. It’s a touristy mountain town in Arkansas, full of local flavor and real life quirky characters. We both adore it, and have always wanted to move there someday. So when I decided to write my cottage story, I wanted to put it in a town very much like that one.

Daphne’s story came once the town of Rosemary Mountain lived inside my head. I wanted a character who had a strong connection she wasn’t even aware of with the cottage specifically, and I wanted a paranormal element because of my own experiences in our rental. So the storyline was born from that.

Your latest release, Mountain Shadows, kicks off your Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense series. What elements do you love about the romantic suspense genre? Did you approach writing this book any differently than you did your mysteries?

Mountain Shadows is actually a mystery as well, with all the clues, plot twists, and red herrings I love to write. Genre wise, the series as a whole fits better in romantic suspense, because each book is a standalone romance and not every book in the series will be a mystery. But Mountain Shadows definitely is, so the writing approach was actually very similar! The biggest difference in writing it was that the primary investigator is the town sheriff instead of an amateur sleuth, so I had to rely heavily on interviewing my law enforcement contacts in order to plot that aspect of the story. The other difference, obviously, is a stronger emphasis on the development of the romantic relationship. But I was already writing a strong romance subplot into the mystery series, so that was simply a difference of degree rather than a complete change.

Romantic suspense has always been one of my favorite genres, because I’m a total romantic at heart and love watching two characters fall in love. It was a lot of fun to dive fully into that in Mountain Shadows!

I love that you have a background in psychology—how do you use your knowledge of psychology while writing your characters and stories?

That’s a great question! I think my background in psychology helps me create characters with depth, and has allowed me to explore themes that are important to me. For example, as we went further into Daphne’s story in the mystery series, I dove into the wound and subsequent abandonment issues she struggled with as a result of having been separated from her mother (and also, eventually, her stepmother). That’s an issue that resonates deeply with me both as an adoptive parent, and because of the work I did with children in the foster care system. So while my books aren’t particularly heavy—they are written to be a fun ride!—I still explore some of those deeper layers of our humanity. As a reader, I like knowing what makes my characters feel and act the way they do. I bring that to my writing as well.

One thing I really enjoyed while writing my newest, Mountain Shadows, was showing that sometimes the “villain” in our own lives is really just another wounded human with their own side of the story. In the original series, Daphne struggles quite a bit with her stepmother Janet, an overly critical person who seemingly abandoned her. Daphne’s wounds in that relationship are legitimate and genuine, and readers understandably disliked Janet because of it.

But in Mountain Shadows, we get to read Janet’s point of view and learn what was going on in her world during that same time period. It completely changes the story.

People are rarely all good or all bad. We’re simply way too complicated for that. I enjoy exploring that complexity in my writing.

As a self-published author, what have you learned during your publishing career? What advice would you offer writers hoping to self-publish?

Honestly, I don’t even feel qualified to answer this question yet! I’m only one year into this, so I’m still very much learning this industry.

But from my current perspective, my biggest advice is to learn early to prioritize your writing, and to stay focused on why you love it in the first place. Deciding to self-publish means you’re starting a business and wearing all the hats associated with it. The business side of this can easily become all-consuming, but if you don’t have time to write, what’s the point? For me, writing is the main thing, so I prioritize that and set strict boundaries for myself as far as how much time I will spend marketing, creating content for social media, or handling other business tasks. I don’t take shortcuts on the writing. It’s the focus and will always get the vast majority of my time.

I went into this believing that if I focused on honing my craft and delivering books that readers genuinely enjoyed, most of the marketing would take care of itself. A year in, I feel good about where that mindset has gotten me, and I hope it continues proving true.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Are you staying in the mystery space, or can we expect more books in the Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense series?

I’m currently working on two projects. The first is the next Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense novel. It’s the first non-mystery I’ve written. The bad guy is named and known on page one, which is very different from what I’ve done in the past! It’s been so much fun to write though. I’m finishing up the last few chapters of that one, and will be moving into edits soon, with plans to publish it in 2024. After that, there will be at least one more book in that series. There’s another beloved character that deserves a happy ending, so there has to be at least one more!

The other story I’ve been working on has been a side project for the last year. It’s a twisty standalone mystery that takes place at a mountain resort. My lips are sealed beyond that, but I’m hoping to have it wrapped up and out by spooky season 2024.

Beyond that, I still have about a million other books I’d like to write, including a cozy mystery featuring Fiona, the elderly herbalist in Rosemary Mountain. She’s always been my favorite character and I’m not ready to let go of her!

Thanks so much to Nicole for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s featured author is Cayce Osborne, whose debut novel, I Know What You Did, is a tantalizing thriller about a woman accused, via a book dedication, of the murder of her childhood best friend.

In the interview below, Cayce and I talk about finding inspiration, writing thrillers, and finding your own path to publishing.

Connect with Cayce on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Sign up for her newsletter here. Grab a copy of I Know What You Did here.

Hi Cayce, thank you for joining! Your debut novel, I Know What You Did is a thriller starring Petal Woznewski, whose past comes back to haunt her after an anonymously written thriller accuses her of a decades-old crime. What was your inspiration for this story, and for Petal’s character?

I love reading books about books and have always wanted to write one. I read Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders and was captivated by how he integrated a fictional book into the narrative. I wanted to do that! What I ended up writing is nothing like his novel, but that’s the great thing about reading as a writer. It gets your brain going in all sorts of interesting directions.

For Petal, reading novels like Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt series and Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here got me thinking about writing a rough-edged female character—someone who sometimes rubs people the wrong way but doesn’t waste time worrying about whether people like her or not. That’s where Petal came from.

How do you approach writing a thriller? What are your favorite elements of this genre, and what aspects do you find the most challenging to write?

I’ve found that “thriller” is a tough label to live up to because different readers will expect different types of thrills. Some want non-stop action. Others want a breathtaking twist. Thrillers set up certain expectations as far as pace, and because I write character-driven stories, sometimes my books don’t fit neatly into the genre. I think psychological suspense probably most accurately describes my book. But my favorite ingredient in any crime/mystery subgenre is that elusive un-put-downable quality—whatever magic that keeps people turning pages, desperate to figure out whodunnit and solve the mystery. That’s my kind of thrill.

You have a background in other types of writing, such as news, feature writing, and editing. How does writing fiction compare to other work you have done?

I suppose I wanted to start writing fiction because of the constraints of that type of writing. I wanted to write for me—not on assignment, not to please an editor or a news audience. I wanted to bring more creativity into the writing than news or science writing (I currently work in science communication) allow. So far there haven’t been too many crossovers. I have written short stories with science elements. But I have a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin, and that background has certainly helped me with story structure.

I’d love to hear about your publishing experience, especially since this is your debut novel. Can you share any insights into your publishing path, and/or anything you’ve learned as you’ve navigated this process? Do you have any advice for authors looking to publish?

It’s been a six-year journey of ups and downs and everything in between. I’ve had two different agents, went on submission with several manuscripts, and in the end it was the wonderful Sara J. Henry at Crooked Lane Books who pulled my debut novel out of the slush pile, unagented. I’ve learned way more than I could ever put into a single answer, but when I’m giving advice to people looking to publish, I say: Don’t give up.

There are so many different paths to publication, but rarely are any of them quick and easy (and if they are, maybe make sure you’re not being scammed). It takes hard work, yes, but you also need the luck of good timing—sending the right book to the right agent/publisher at the right time. When in doubt, keep writing, and keep reading.

Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Do you have other novels in the works, or anything else you’re excited about?

I have one novel finished, and one in the works. They are both Wisconsin-set mystery novels that are heavy on character and voice. I think that’s my sweet spot. I love writing characters who solve a mystery, yes, but also figure something out about themselves in the process.

Thanks so much to Cayce for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.

Today’s featured author is a highly anticipated one for me: G. T. Karber joins the Cluesletter to talk about Murdle: Volume 2.

For newbies, Murdle is a murder-mystery themed logic puzzle where you’re given a murder to solve using clues and evidence. Think a one-person version of Clue, or an elevated version of the traditional logic puzzles you may already be familiar with. You can play a free daily puzzle online, or grab the books to play more. I recommend doing both. 🤓

It’s no secret that I’m a big Murdle fan (in fact, my Murdle TikTok recently hit 1 million views! What?!) so it was a real pleasure to interview Greg. Read on for our chat, which covers Murdle, murder, and everything in between.

Connect with Greg on Instagram, TikTok, and his website, where you can play daily Murdles and sign up to join the Detective Club. Grab a copy of Murdle: Volume 2 here.

Hi Greg, it’s so great to have you! Murdle: Volume 1 is a book of murder mystery-themed logic puzzles based on the online daily Murdle puzzle. Can you share a little bit about how Murdle came into existence? Why do you think murder mysteries and logic puzzles work so well together?

It’s great to be on the Cluesletter! I made the first Murdle on a coffee shop napkin for a friend of mine who loves puzzles and murder mysteries, and he loved it. So, I made a program that generated them, and I put it online, and other people liked them, too! One of those people was my now agent, Melissa Edwards at Stonesong. She called me up and said she saw the potential for a book, and she was right! But I think it only worked because I made it for a friend first. If I had tried to reverse-engineer a puzzle that could become a bestselling book series, it would have been impossible. But because I made it for a friend, and he liked it, other people liked it, too.

I think murder mysteries and logic puzzles work well together because mysteries—particularly fair-play whodunits—are already a kind of logic puzzle. You’re trying to deduce the killer with a limited number of clues. One of the great experiences in mysteries is when a small clue implies a great number of consequences. And that mirrors the experience of checking off those boxes in Murdle—“If this is true, then that must be true, and then this must be true, too!”—so I think they harmonize well together.

What I love most about the Murdle book is the storyline, which develops as you solve each puzzle. There’s humor, intrigue, and even a little romance! How did you approach writing the story? What elements of producing the book were most challenging, and what were the most exciting pieces to work on?

Aw, thank you so much! My editor at St. Martin’s, Courtney Littler, really helped me figure out the basic structure of it. We wanted to provide the same experience of the online daily puzzle, while also providing an ongoing story that would be compelling to people who had already done the daily puzzle a thousand times.

I spent most of my time on the narrative. First, I traced out a general arc using a story-wheel structure of the different moods of each section. Then, I tried to fill in the major story beats and twists. And finally, I generated the puzzles. But it was a real challenge to translate it from an overarching outline to 100 unique murder-mysteries! Often, I would let it randomly generate aspects, and then write around that. Sometimes that would lead me in a different direction that was more interesting or unique.

The hardest part of making Murdle: Volume 1 was the timeline. I had to turn it in a draft only a few months after I sold the book. So that was a real sprint! But I had a huge advantage in that the daily website already existed, and people had already told me which parts they liked and wanted more of. And that helped enormously.

As for my favorite parts, I had so many. I made it so fast that I’m only now really beginning to appreciate it. Designing the exhibits was a lot of fun. Discovering Logico and Irratino’s relationship. One thing I liked doing was re-using icons in playful ways; for example, the statue of an ancient god is the same icon as the Oscar. So that was fun, too.

Murdle’s protagonist is Deductive Logico, a logically-minded investigator, who has an ongoing rivalry with the esoteric Inspector Irratino. In your opinion, what makes a good detective duo? What do you love about pairing Logico and Irratino together?

I think contrast is what makes a good pairing, but there’s also some kind of indefinable chemistry that you need. And that is something you just have to discover. When I first made Murdle, Irratino was Logico’s arch-enemy—the opposite of him in every way. But quickly, some of the daily players picked up on their chemistry, and so I started to write them together more often and develop their relationship.

One thing they have going for them is that I believe in both perspectives: I don’t see them as opposites, but as complementary halves of a whole. I think you need to be analytical and methodical, but you also need to be intuitive and impulsive. So, I really like bringing them together.

As part of the Hollywood Mystery Society, you also host a live murder mystery theater performance, called “Murder at Tara’s,” at a local restaurant. What do you love about this live theater experience? What has producing these performances taught you about plotting murder mysteries?

Murder at Tara’s is great. My favorite part is the meal. Tara, who owns the place, is usually the one cooking for the show, and I think she makes the best samosas in Los Angeles. I also get to do the show with some of my best friends, and that’s really a delight. We’ve sold out every performance! Which is something we get to claim because we only sell 25 tickets a show.

The biggest thing I’ve learned from live shows is a sense of what people find funny. It’s easy to think a joke is great until you hear it in front of a crowd. So when you do a bunch of shows, you start to develop an intuition about how and where you can get laughs. Hearing silence after a joke is a horrible feeling, so you learn quickly.

Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Can you share insights to future volumes of Murdle, updates to the daily puzzle, and/or anything else you’re currently working on?

I thought about these first three Murdle books very much as a trilogy, and the second volume is very much the weird, spooky Empire Strikes Back one.  Murdle: Volume 2’s influences are intentionally strange: the ancient cult of Pythagoras, G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Isaac Deutscher’s three-volume biography of Leon Trotsky, and a bunch more touchstones that I think people have never seen be combined. So, I hope it makes a fun, off-kilter follow-up.

I have been working so hard on these books that it has been hard to find the time to do all that I want to do on the website. I have a lot of updates that I want to release. But one thing that I am very excited about is a collection of crossover Murdles with a bunch of other mystery writers. I’m getting to collaborate with some truly unbelievable talents, and it’s just a surreal experience.

Greg—any final thoughts?

Thanks again for having me on the Cluesletter, Manon! I always love reading it. It makes me excited for Tuesdays. (And then disappointed every other Tuesday because it’s the wrong Tuesday and I forgot.)

And finally, to all the detectives out there, a message: GSZMP BLF ULI IVZWRMT!

(A clue from Manon: Visit Murdle.com to decode!)

Thanks so much to Greg for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.