Baezy is born in 2069, the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Everything peace, love, and flower power is celebrated that year in a wave of nostalgia that takes over fashion, music, and the public’s imagination. She grows up listening to and loving the artists of that time, dreaming of witnessing everyone from Joan Baez to Santana in person. When presented with the opportunity to time-travel, Baezy immediately chooses Woodstock as her destination. She plans to enjoy a glorious weekend of vibrant sights and sounds; her bell bottoms and a peasant blouse are packed for the adventure and she’s excited to surprise her great-great-great-grandmother, Kelly Adams.
While Baezy’s certainly not a typical Woodstock attendee, Kelly isn’t either. She is at the very beginning of a stellar career researching artificial intelligence in the 1960s, and will later develop much of what will lead to the utopian society Baezy lives in. Kelly’s future family is immensely proud of her historic accomplishments.
The contrast between Baezy’s 2101 and 1969 is stunning from her first moment. Woodstock exceeds her wildest expectations, but holds far more than an introduction to her distant grandmother. Baezy quickly finds herself in life-altering situations she could never have anticipated.
ANYWHEN by Beth Duke is a mash-up of genres; time travel, historical fiction, romance, and sci-fi all centered around time traveler, Baezy, who assumes the name and identity of Sarah while in the past.
Baezy was born in 2069, which is the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music Festival and is named after the singer Joan Baez. Baezy is excited that for her birthday in 2101, her mother has arranged a three day TIP (Time Insertion Protocol) for her to travel back to Woodstock in the year 1969 not only for the live performances she has studied and loves, but to also meet her three times over grandmother on her maternal side, Kelly Adams, who was a brilliant mathematician at MIT and an originator of AI.
While Baezy’s time insertion does not go exactly as planned, she is able to find the group of six that have gone to Woodstock together including Kelly. Baezy is very excited to meet Kelly, but their interactions lead to problems. Her naivety, beauty, and lack of complete understanding of 1969 slang and sayings leads her into conflict with Kelly’s group except for Jack, who is a teacher and sympathetic to Baezy’s differences. Baezy hopes to avoid the others and just enjoy the rest of the Woodstock performances with Jack, but every decision she makes could lead to future changes she could never anticipate.
I enjoyed the mixed genre plot throughout this story very much. The time travel, the futuristic Unity and the historic Woodstock, also with discussions of the Vietnam war were all well written. Unity may have no war or hunger, but it is still not a future I would hope for. The scenes of Woodstock are entertaining and nostalgic. I loved Baezy and her emotional awakening and evolution throughout the story, it was Kelly and the females in the travel group that I found immature for their ages and off-putting, so much so that I almost put the book down for good. I am glad I carried on though for the remainder of Baizy’s storyline.
This is a story that will capture many differing types of genre readers and satisfy them all.
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About the Author
Beth Duke is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author and the recipient of numerous honors for her fiction on two continents.
She is eyeing the other five.
Her book TAPESTRY was the Bronze Medal Winner in Southern Fiction in Publishers’ Weekly’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards, an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, and a Five Star Readers’ Favorite Award Winner.
Beth lives in the mountains of her native Alabama with her husband, Jay, and an assortment of dogs—including a recently-rescued coonhound named Daisy who has stolen her heart. Beth is the adoring and proud mother of Jason and Savannah. She is a constant reader, travel aficionado, and likes to pretend she’s in baking competitions.
She also finds great joy in joining book clubs for discussion (usually via Zoom). If your group would like to schedule a date, please email beth@bethduke.com.
Her books DELANEY’S PEOPLE, DON’T SHOOT YOUR MULE, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU, TAPESTRY, and DARK ENOUGH TO SEE THE STARS are all love letters to her home state.
The Detective Delaney Pace series is a modern-day western thriller. She can be described as a vigilante with a badge. People should read all the books starting with Her Silent Bones, then Her Hidden Grave, Her Last Cry, with the latest, Her Forgotten Shadow. The character Delaney Pace is street tough, tenacious, intelligent, and steps up to the plate to become a mother to her two adopted daughters, Kateena and Carrie. As with all these books the crime thriller is based on the abuse of women and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The plot is action packed, fast paced and a page turner.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?
Pamela Fagan Hutchins: I have a friend that is a former ice-road-truck driver who must drive in horrific weather. My editor wanted me to write a tough female detective. I live in Wyoming, which is where my friend also lives. I thought how I could match a homegrown Wyoming tough woman that developed some special skills by being an ice-road-trucker and changes a career to become a Sherriff deputy. I chose Wyoming because I was already writing other books with this setting and knew readers wanted more Wyoming books.
EC: What is an ice-road-trucker?
PFH: There are ice roads through Canada and the Dakotas where they are open a couple of months a year, in the very depths of winter. People use these roads to get across which would otherwise be water.
EC: Was there a common theme throughout the four books?
PFH: I like to think about the setting, the people, and the timeframe. I wanted to write books that included the modern West. What would uniquely happen there, something culturally appropriate. I also look for a new way to kill people and how to solve the murder. I think of books in threes. The first three books dealt with Delaney’s brother. The next three books will emphasize the impact on her regarding the loss of her mother.
EC: Do you think your books are modern Westerns?
PFH: For me, yes. The characters have a rugged individualism, embrace their neighbors, and never shrink away from hard work in the Rocky Mountain West. They are cowboy-like. The setting and the culture are western.
EC: Each of the books has abuse of women, please explain.
PFH: The way I approach the bad guys is to have them have a reason for the brutal way they treated women, and to make sure the crime was a balance between protecting sensibilities with a sense of fear. If Delaney was not a deputy, she would be a vigilante. The bad guys deserved what happened to them. I am not a fan of unlikeable protagonists and unreliable narratives. This is a western sensibility in that the good guys should retain their goodness, and the bad guys are bad.
EC: How would you describe Delaney?
PFH: She is inspired by my friend who has mechanical aptitude, mental toughness, ruggedness, and a soloist. She has knowledge of the area since she already grew up there. These help in her career as a deputy. Delaney is a risk-taker, calm in a crisis, direct, protective, prickly, has a sense of humor, sarcastic, stoic, defensive, and has a sense of justice. She is very outdoorsy.
EC: How has Delaney’s backstory affected her?
PFH: What drives her is being abandoned as a child after her mother left and her father was killed. This informs a lot of her life choices. She has the attitude no one else will have a chance to hurt me.
EC: How would you describe the two girls, Kateena versus Carrie?
PFH: Kateena is sassy, loyal, and proud of her Aunt Delaney. Carrie had to overcome abuse, has control issues, and is a “gamer.” She has become more of a live gamer, learning to drive the big rig. Carrie was originally a video gamer because it was an escape mechanism for her where she was able to control this imaginary world.
EC: What is the relationship between Delaney, Kateena, and Carrie?
PFH: Kateena has this blood bond with Delaney. She is almost the ulterior ego of Delaney. It is very easy for Delaney to relate what Kateena is going through. Delaney felt duty bound by honor and code to take in Kateena to make sure she was not deserted. Carrie helped Delaney grow her heart. Delaney has become a champion of girls and the wrongs done to young women. Kateena and Carrie are recognizing each other as sisters, taking care of one another but also having their disagreements. The girl’s relationship with Delaney is based on love, emotion, and fear of loss. They come together with this trauma bond.
EC: What about the relationship between Leo and Delaney?
PFH: He compliments Delaney in solving a crime because he is the computer expert. He is smitten and in love with Delaney. They are well suited for each other. Because Delaney is afraid of being abandoned again, she is afraid of committing. They can relate to each other because both have moral ambiguity. I want to make sure he is tough enough for her. Their relationship is like a ping pong game where she trusts him, then doesn’t; cares for him, but cannot show it; angry at him, but loves him; does not like his secrets but she has her own secrets. She never trusted anyone so that when something occurs, a bump in the road, she easily backs out. She is inconsistent toward him.
EC: Was the latest book a cliffhanger?
PFH: Yes. My editor talked me into this. There was a whole other paragraph, but I took it out. I wrote book 4 as if the series was not going to continue, but there will be a book 5.
EC: Next book?
PFH: The title is tied into the plotline. Carrie and Delaney have forged a bond over the big rig where they have something in common. Leo is going to do something very shocking at the end of this book. This book has a raging wildfire. Delaney and Carrie find a body where the fire swept through this house. It will be published in April.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
When twenty-four-year-old Ava Kelly and her adventurous twin Grace return home to The Shamrock Inn, their Ma’s favorite baubles bring back so many memories of Christmases past. They have always done everything together, even leaving their little Irish village for the excitement of London. But with the locket her handsome exShanegave her hanging just above her heart, Ava has just one wish this festive season…
After a year stuck in a job she can’t stand and going on dreadful dates, Ava longs to be back with Shane. Curling up in front of the fire with him, the brooding fisherman everyone else sees melts away as his blue eyes meet hers. But planning a future with Shane would mean telling Grace she’ll be moving back to the village for good. Ava knows it will break her sister’s heart for them to be parted.
But, before Ava can build up the courage to talk to her twin, terrible tidings about Shane hit The Shamrock Inn like a winter storm. With everyone but Grace rushing to the harbor, will Ava’s hopes for a future with both Shane and her sister in it be dashed? Or could a Christmas miracle bring them all together?
A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IN THE LITTLE IRISH VILLAGE (The Little Irish Village Book #3) by Michelle Vernal is an emotional rollercoaster addition to The Little Irish Village series. This story features the youngest twin, Ava Kelly, but still involves the entire loving Kelly family and their small-town of Emerald Bay, Ireland during the Christmas season. While this women’s fiction/small-town romance can be read as a standalone, I feel they are better read in order as each sister finds her forever love and the relationships within the family and village continue to evolve.
Ava and her twin, Grace, head to London to work and live for the excitement of the big city and to travel while they are young and free. After a year, Ava believes she has made a terrible mistake. She is unhappy and lonely and regrets leaving Emerald Bay and her ex-boyfriend, Shane. She is torn between her twin and her love.
Before Ava can sit down with Grace to tell her how she feels and that she wants to leave, she gets a phone call from her mother telling her Shane has been swept off his family’s fishing boat during a storm. Ava rushes home and prays for a miracle and as she waits for news, Grace still believes nothing will change. Will Ava get her future with Shane and be able to make Grace understand her true feelings for her future?
I loved this return to the Kelly family and Emerald Bay. There are two parts to this story that both revolve around Ava, and both had my emotions all over the place. I cannot say a lot about the plot points because it would give too much away, but I can tell you to keep the tissues handy. This heartwarming story is full of family, love, hope, reconciliation, and second chances.
I highly recommend this joyful and heartwarming women’s fiction/romance and cannot wait for the next book in the series!
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About the Author
Michelle Vernal is the Amazon UK top 100 bestselling author of Christmas in the Little Irish Village. In 2015 her debut novel, The Traveller’s Daughter, was shortlisted for the Love Stories award and in 2020, The The Letter won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit. In addition, The Autumn Posy, Book 1 in the Liverpool Brides timeslip series, was a finalist in the 2021 Page Turner Book awards. She also writes the popular Guesthouse on the Green series featuring the hilarious O’Mara family. Michelle’s books are full of laugh out loud moments and warmth. Her readers describe her novels as unputdownable, feel-good and funny. She lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband, two teenage sons and attention-seeking tabby cats, Humphrey and Savannah.
December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.
For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.
Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.
Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.
Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.
But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?
With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might be a Christmas miracle.
THE WEDDING DRESS CHRISTMAS (The Wedding Collection Book #3.5) by Rachel Hauk is a heartwarming small town holiday romance novella. This story is a part of The Wedding Collection series which features a special magical wedding dress and while only novella length it packs an emotional punch. (Have the tissues ready.)
It is Christmas time in Hearts Bend, Tennessee.
JoJo Castle returned to the safety of her parents’ home after a horrific personal attack while working in Dallas. Her dreams of adventure and life in the big city are gone. While she is happy working with her cousin in The Wedding Shop and helping with projects around town, she has no interest in love or marriage for herself.
Buck Matthews left Hearts Bend with a dream of country music stardom. His dreams have come true, but he comes home for the holidays when he receives news of his mother’s illness. While his career is at its height, being home reminds him of the things that are missing from his life.
JoJo and Buck were close friends in high school, but life moved them in different directions. With opposing life goals and JoJo’s ever-present fear, can the magical wedding dress and the man in a purple shirt help these two realize a special holiday miracle?
For a quick novella read, this story has well developed characters, an emotional punch and a holiday HEA. Even though JoJo and Buck’s romance moves quickly, it is believable because of their previous friendship and the realistic adult discussion of feelings throughout. There are no sex scenes in this novella. The religious elements in this story are hinted at Christian values and not preachy. I normally do not give novellas more than a 4-star rating, but this one deserves all 5. I am glad I gave it a try and now I want to go back and read the full-length novels in this series.
I highly recommend this beautiful holiday romance novella!
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About the Author
Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.
She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is the recipient of RT’s Career Achievement Award.
Her book, Once Upon A Prince, was filmed for an original Hallmark movie.
Hauck has been acclaimed for her split time novels and royal romances.
A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.
In other news, she’s recently learned how to hard boil an egg. She’s quite proud.
Small-town labels are hard to shake. Hometown hero. Fallen angel. Can anyone ever escape their past?
A murder victim dumped at the dead end of a lonely country road, face and hands obliterated by a shotgun blast, is not the way sheriff’s detective Nick Fourcade wants to start his week. His only lead takes him to the family of a hometown hero suddenly gone missing. Marc Mercier left his home for a weekend hunting trip and hasn’t been seen since.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s detective Annie Broussard begins her first day back on the job after suffering a brutal attack by taking on the case of B’Lynn Fontenot, a mother desperate to find her grown son, a recovering drug addict. Robbie Fontenot has been missing for eight days, but the local police have no interest in the case, telling B’Lynn that an adult has the right to disappear, and a missing addict is no big surprise. But B’Lynn swears her son was turning his life around. Sympathetic to a mother’s anguish, Annie agrees to help B’Lynn, knowing she’s about to start a turf war with the city police.
As Annie searches for Robbie Fontenot and Nick investigates the disappearance of Marc Mercier, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems in the lives of either man. And it’s still not clear whether either—or neither—of them might be the unidentified murder victim. Old jealousies and fresh deceits, family loyalties gone wrong and love turned sour all lay a twisting trail that leads deep into the Louisiana swamp, endangering all who cross the path of a bad liar.
BAD LIAR (Broussard and Fourcade Book #3) by Tami Hoag is a fast-paced, dark, and intricately plotted crime thriller/police procedural featuring a married couple, both Sheriff’s Detectives in Partout Parish in the French Triangle of Louisiana. This crime thriller is easily read as a standalone crime thriller, but it is based in a small-town and all the characters continue to grow and evolve in their everyday lives.
Sheriff’s Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a dumped murder victim in the tall grass off a country road. Identification is going to take time because the victim’s face and hands have been obliterated by a shotgun blast. As he begins to look for leads, he discovers a returned hometown hero has gone missing. Are his victim and the missing man one and the same?
Sheriff’s Detective Annie Broussard is on her first day back on the job after recovering from a brutal attack. She takes on the case of a mother, B’Lynn Fontenot, desperate to find her adult son. She has gone through ten years of drug addiction, but she truly believes this time he had finally turned his life around. Annie is willing to fight the city police detective to take over the case.
As Nick and Annie investigate their cases, they soon discover that there is much more to the lives of the missing men as they wait to discover if either is the unidentified corpse in the morgue. The investigation leads to surprising twists and turns that will endanger Nick and Annie until the pieces of all the lies fall into place.
This is another example of the strength of Ms. Hoag’s ability to produce an atmospheric crime thriller full of compelling, complicated characters, good and bad, and a twisted plot that keeps you guessing until all the pieces have been discovered. Nick and Annie are fascinating as a couple, while also being the ying and yang of investigative styles. This book realistically portrays many types of drug addiction, domestic abuse, family loyalties, good and bad, jealousy, and murder. It took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions throughout and left me guessing to the end.
I highly recommend this compelling crime thriller/police procedural!
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About the Author
Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers–COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting. A woman of eclectic tastes, to say the least, Tami was recently asked to list seven things people may not know about about her: 1. I was once offered a job by a private investigator. 2. I have a license to carry concealed weapon, but never do. I took the course for research purposes. 3. My high school guidance counselor encouraged me to become an actress, but I thought that was too impractical (Of course, there’s nothing practical about being a writer, either, but at least I’m not obligated to look good on a daily basis.) 4. I used to sing at weddings. 5. While I have no intention of ever getting married again, I love watching Say Yes To The Dress 6. I have legitimate knockout power in my right hand, and I’m not afraid to use it. 7. When I’m stressed out, all tech devices around me go haywire. I’ve stopped watches, and fried hard drives. I once killed a television in a store display by merely touching it. I’m better off sticking to life’s simple pleasures–like books!
Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld by Catherine Lloyd is a great cozy historical mystery. Set in the 1830s, it features Miss Caroline Morton, daughter of a disgraced Earl, now gainfully employed as a lady’s companion. Lady Caroline is happy to be employed by Mrs. Frogerton, who is interested in spiritualist gatherings at the home of Madam Lavinia and begs Caroline to come along. As Caroline tries to discern whether the spiritualist’s powers are real, a much darker mystery presents itself: Madam Lavinia is found lifeless in her chair, a half-empty glass of port at her elbow. In her desk is a note addressed to Caroline, entreating her to find her murderer.
Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance continues where the previous book left off. The previous story had Miss Caroline receiving an urgent invitation from a London law firm to discuss her late father’s estate. After all, the dishonored Earl of Morton died without a pound sterling to pass on to his two daughters. Caroline meets with a cagey lawyer, Mr. Smith, who shares life-altering news that the Earl composed a second will, leaving behind an undisclosed fortune. Mrs. Frogerton, however, is thoroughly unimpressed with the firm’s conduct and suspicious of their true motives. Her instinct proves right when the two ladies find the office ransacked, staff in turmoil, and Mr. Smith missing. The full weight of the situation doesn’t sink in until Mr. Smith dies following a brutal attack on the street. He had an empty envelope bearing Caroline’s name in his pocket. Further complicating matters is the amorous Mr. DeBloom, who claims his mother goaded the Earl into making bad investments and promises to link Caroline to her inheritance. She also must contend with the disappearance of Susan, her younger sister. As Caroline unwittingly becomes the center of both a criminal case and a sordid love triangle, she must tread with caution while seeking the truth.
These books have an appealing historical mystery with characters that are well-developed, and a plot that keeps readers captivated from start to finish. The historical backdrop is seamlessly woven into the narrative. Readers will anxiously await until the next books come out.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story regarding Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld?
CL: I do a lot of general reading and somehow got onto hypnotism and celebrated mesmerists in the 19th century. I thought Mrs. Frogerton would be the perfect person to fall for a con and that Caroline would be completely against it, which led to an excellent bit of conflict to add to the mystery from the start.
EC: Does this story show the unfairness of the justice system and how some detectives have tunnel vision?
CL: As a British person I’m always fascinated by the nuances of class, and I always explore the inequalities in my books. Back in the 19th century the lines were drawn even more firmly on how someone was treated by the authorities, which depended very much on their status with the aristocracy. Many times, an aristocrat could literally get away with murder. I also love a detective deciding who has committed the crime and then doggedly pursuing that belief despite all the evidence pointing otherwise. And to be fair, the suspect doesn’t help by refusing to cooperate and generally makes things worse for himself.
EC: How did you get the idea for the story regarding Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance? Was it based on a Pyramid Scheme?
CL: I didn’t think of it as a pyramid scheme. I was more interested in what someone will do to protect sensitive information about themselves coming to light. How much are they prepared to pay, and at what point do they break? I was also interested in the blackmailer’s perspective and how they target their victims. I’m always fascinated by credulous people.
EC: How would you describe Mrs. Frogerton?
CL: Tenacious, caring, protective, uses her wealth toward good. I would also add shrewd right up front because she’s nobody’s fool. She’s very aware of how the world Caroline comes from views her, but refuses to be cowed by their attitude, which I love. I think she’s also a little credulous, loves a good piece of gossip, and is more than willing to lead the way into dangerous waters.
EC: How has the relationship between Mrs. Frogerton and Caroline changed over the years?
CL: It’s become less polite. Mrs. Frogerton treats Caroline like family, and it’s taken Caroline a while to understand it. Caroline has learned to trust that her employer has her back. Caroline’s so used to being let down by those around her that it takes a lot for her to open up about her feelings but she’s beginning to see Mrs. Frogerton as her friend and perhaps as a mentor.
EC: How would you describe Caroline?
CL: She’s definitely loyal to those she cares about. She’s cynical because life has been decidedly unfair to her. I don’t see her as particularly out for justice in the purest sense, but she does have a dogged determination to expose the truth, especially when those that she loves are in danger. I see her as someone who is doing her best to move forward in a world that has changed dramatically for her.
EC: Do you think Caroline has grown as a character since the first book and if so, how?
CL: Yes, she definitely has grown. At first, she could be a little passive aggressive and unwilling to trust others or truly show her feelings. I think Mrs. Frogerton has helped her regain her confidence and shown her that women can be successful in more than one role. She’s definitely learned to put her foot down on occasion and she’s not so internally angry.
EC: How would you describe Dr. Harris?
CL: Honest, direct, arrogant, stubborn, with contempt for society He’s something of a rebel who regularly puts his foot in it especially with Caroline.
EC: What was the role of the father’s will in both books?
CL: It’s one of those themes that drives the action in both books. From learning that her father has left her and Susan, her sister, with nothing. From stealing their doweries and legacies of their mother, to finding out that he might have written a new will with intriguing possibilities is one of the continuing stories woven into the series. Caroline’s very reluctant to get involved with anything regarding her father. Even the thought that he’s reaching out from beyond the grave to possibly humiliate her again is terrifying. She almost can’t bear to hope.
EC: Is there a love triangle or actually a love quadrilateral in the book between Mr. DeBloom, Samuel, Dr. Harris, Inspector Ross?
CL: I don’t see it like that. To me it’s more of a study about how a beautiful woman attracts attention whether she wants it or not. It’s also a commentary on how Caroline is perceived as the lowly paid companion who no longer deserves the respect she was accustomed to when she was Lady Caroline.
EC: What is the relationship between each and Caroline?
CL: Mr. DeBloom sees her as a beautiful trophy and perhaps as a way to annoy his mother rather than as her real self.
CL: Samuel, Mrs. Frogerton’s son, is initially wary of her influence on his mother but comes to realize Caroline is a real person and learns to appreciate more than her beauty.
CL: Dr. Harris doesn’t want to like Caroline as much as he does, and he struggles with how to deal with that. They act more like brother and sister and Caroline likes being able to be herself with him. He also has a terrible tendency to shoot himself in the foot.
CL: Inspector Ross perhaps understands her better than anyone else as he’s taken a similar path outside his own narrow aristocratic world. Even though he is aware that she is beautiful, he also treats her as an equal, which I think Caroline appreciates.
EC: What is the relationship between Caroline and Susan?
CL: Caroline has spent her whole life shielding Susan from the realities of their parents’ bad marriage and their father’s indifference. In her efforts to be independent and provide a home for herself and Susan she’s had to leave Susan with relatives. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Susan doesn’t appreciate this and ends up bonding with her cousin with predictable results. Nothing Caroline does is right in Susan’s eyes, and she is far too amenable to the machinations of her cousin Mabel.
EC: How would you describe Mabel?
CL: Lacks a moral conscious, callous, self-centered, a liar, instigator, and dislikes Caroline. Like most people with personality disorders, she’s supremely comfortable in her own superiority. She’s willing to sacrifice anything and anybody to get what she wants.
EC: Did you try to enhance the plot with the great banter between the characters using their interaction with Caroline?
CL: I just love writing great dialogue. I think it works very well in mysteries to stop the plot getting bogged down AND it’s much easier for readers to miss clues that are cloaked in banter than in narrative text.
EC: Next book(s)
CL: Miss Morton And the Missing Heir 2025
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
