#amateursleuth – Page 5 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell

Book Description

As the nineteenth century comes to a close, the illustrious Vanderbilt family dominates Newport, Rhode Island, high society. But when murder darkens a glittering affair at their summer home, reporter Emma Cross learns that sometimes the cream of the crop can curdle one’s blood . . .

Newport, Rhode Island, August 1895: She may be a less well-heeled relation, but as second cousin to millionaire patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, twenty-one-year-old Emma Cross is on the guest list for a grand ball at the Breakers, the Vanderbilts’ summer home. She also has a job to do—report on the event for the society page of the Newport Observer.

But Emma observes much more than glitz and gaiety when she witnesses a murder. The victim is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s financial secretary, who plunges off a balcony faster than falling stock prices. Emma’s black sheep brother Brady is found in Cornelius’s bedroom passed out next to a bottle of bourbon and stolen plans for a new railroad line. Brady has barely come to before the police have arrested him for the murder. But Emma is sure someone is trying to railroad her brother and resolves to find the real killer at any cost . .

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Elise’s Thoughts

Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell is now a Hallmark movie on the Hallmark Mystery Channel. It has just been released last week. As with most books that have been made into movies there were changes made but the overall arc of the plot was still intact.

In 1895 a society page writer, Emma Vanderbilt Cross, witnesses a murder while attending a ball at a Vanderbilt mansion in Newport Rhode Island. She soon gets drawn into the investigation after her brother is arrested.

Whether watching the movie or reading the book readers will be enthralled with the characters and the riveting plot.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: This was made into a Hallmark movie. Can you comment.

Alyssa Maxwell: One of the executive producers, James Walsh, toured the Breakers. He thought of making a historical mystery set in Newport. As he walked through the bookshop, he saw my book. After reading it he contacted my agent. It met a need he had been looking for.

EC: Do you agree there were differences between the movie and the book?

AM: Yes. Emma’s romantic interest was different. Katie the maid was not in it. Jack Parsons, a person of interest was not in it. Once the filming rights were sold, typical for most deals like this, the writer is no longer a part of the project. My creative input was writing the book, while the production company can interpret it however, they may see fit. It is a big project of the book to be condensed to a 1.5-hour movie.

I think Nanny was a combination of Nanny and Katie, the maid. Nanny is not Irish in the book but was in the movie. In the book she married someone named O’Neal, but she was not Irish herself.

Obviously, Emma was not romantically involved with the Detective Jesse. Maybe they felt bringing the romance in earlier it would be more appealing. They also made Jesse younger.

EC: Were you happy with the way the characters were portrayed in the movie?

AM: Yes, if more movies are made the characters will settle into their roles. I thought that Emma’s personality was captured as being determined, strong-willed. Derrick captured the teasing quality, and Jesse the steady, concerned detective who respects her insight into the crime. Brady was portrayed as the rash brother.

EC: Are they going to make future movies?

AM: I do not think that decision has been made yet.

EC: The idea for the book story?

AM: I am married to someone born and raised in Newport. I fell in love with this place because it is so atmospheric and historical. I knew in my mind I would set it here. Then I decided on the period of the Gilded Age because it is so visible in Newport, especially the mansions. The Breakers Mansion is the biggest and most ornate, owned by the Vanderbilts. I chose that date because the first Breakers burnt down, and this was the night honoring it being re-built. I put in the murder from my research with the rivalries in the railroad industry.

EC: Why did you choose to write about the Vanderbilts and not someone else?

AM: The Breakers is one of the very biggest mansions. It is like the crown jewel in the preservation society of Newport’s County treasure chest of houses. Plus, there is the familiarity that so many people have with the Vanderbilt family, with their connection to the railroad industry. This was their vacation home that they went to every summer.

EC: How would you describe Emma?

AM: Protective, independent, stubborn, determined, and spirited. She is focused, grounded, loyal, and head strong. She does belong to different worlds and sometimes that feels like she is being pulled in two different directions. On one side she is an ordinary Newporter and on the other side a distant cousin of the Vanderbilt family. She leans to the ordinary Newport side which she sees as the ‘real people.’ She is a champion of the ordinary people of Newport.

EC: Do you think her parents deserted her?

AM: In a way yes. Being in the art world they are oblivious. They went to Paris to pursue their dream. The did know they left Emma with her nanny who is more like a grandmother to her. She also has her stepbrother, Brady.

EC: How would you describe Brady?

AM: He is irresponsible, rash, reckless, and loyal. He means well but is not disciplined.

EC: How would you describe Derrick?

AM: Charming, curious, and confident.

EC: What about the relationship between Derrick and Emma?

AM: He enjoys teasing her, which flusters her. She finds him impertinent at times. At times he toys with her emotions because he is attracted to her. He sees that independent side and does not want to push it down.

EC: The younger generation in the book appears to do whatever they want.

AM: The young aristocratic men are cavalier, arrogant, self-absorbed, and do not deal with life’s challenges. Being the sons of millionaires, they are spoiled and feel invincible as well as entitled.

EC: Next book?

AM: It will be out in August and is titled Murder in Vinland. There will be a member of the Vanderbilt family, Florence Vanderbilt Twombly involved. Emma will be the sleuth and will still have the cast of characters surrounding her.

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.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin

Book Description

When a murder unleashes a widespread investigation through Crosbyville, children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, must sniff out the truth before the whole town goes to the dogs.

After deciding that life as a teacher wasn’t right for her, Priscilla found inspiration for her first children’s book in her three-year-old bloodhound’s nose for truth, and so The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound was born. After the book’s massively pawsitive response led Pris to move back to her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, to continue the series, she’s surprised by how things have changed in the town, but even more so how they haven’t.

Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley—a former high school mean girl—is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.

With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Sniffing Out Murder by Kallie E. Benjamin, the pen name for Valerie Burns, is the first in a new series. This book is a delightful read that has humor and a riveting ‘who done it.’

Readers are introduced to the main character, Priscilla Cummings, who is a teacher by day and a children’s author by night. That is until she has found success with her first children’s book, about the adventures of her dog, Bailey the Bloodhound. Because of her success she has decided to become a full-time author, but also continues to have Bailey assist children to read. Bailey is a trained therapy dog and frequently goes to the local library to have children read to him and watch him demonstrate his tracking skills.

The mystery has Bailey sniffing out a murder, digging up the body of Whitney Kelly. She is a mean girl who earlier had a confrontation with Priscilla. But Pris is not the only enemy she has made, and the list of suspects continues to grow for Police Chief Gilbert Morgan. He is tenacious and determined to find the killer, but readers also see his other side. Raising his daughter Hannah as a single parent, he is very caring and gentle. Both he and Pris develop a relationship after Bailey helps Hannah with her reading skills and Pris becomes involved in solving the murder mystery.

Readers will be kept guessing until the very end about who done it. This plot has it all: delightful characters, great banter, a mystery, and a sweet bloodhound.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Since it is an anonymous name how did you choose it?

Kallie E. Benjamin: Kallie was my great grandmother’s name. I never knew my grandmother but did know my great grandmother. The “E” is from my mom whose name was Elvira but decided not to use Elvira as my author’s name. My dad’s first name was Benjamin.

EC: How did you get the idea for the story?

KEB: I get nervous when I start a new series, hoping readers will enjoy it. Dogs are my thing and I wanted to write a new series with a new breed of dog. To me, a bloodhound symbolizes search and rescue. This series has a lot of family ties for me. Also, when I write cozies what is important to me is the ‘who done it.’

EC: How so about family?

KEB: It is set in Indiana, which is where I am from. The town’s name, Crosbyville is based on one of my nephew’s children, Crosby. His other child is named Cameron. The main character, Priscilla, is an author and her agent’s name is Cameron. Her best friend, Marcella is named after my niece’s daughter. Since I write murder mysteries, I will make sure that these names will endure and continue without having to be a character that can potentially get murdered or be considered a person of interest.

EC: Why make Bailey, the Bloodhound a therapy dog?

KEB: I used to do therapy with my poodles. We would go to nursing homes and hospitals. I wanted him to help with assisted reading. When a child had to testify it was found that they were less stressed if they spoke directly to the dog.

EC: You went down nostalgia lane-why?

KEB: LOL. I brought in Andy Griffith and Magnum PI. I ran some things by my niece who just turned thirty. She told me she watches the reruns of the old shows. I enjoyed throwing things in there.

EC: Whitney, the victim was not very nice, correct?

KEB: I based her on Cruella de Ville to a small extent. I usually murder someone who no one likes. They usually are villainous. Both Whitney and Cruella had issues with dogs. They viewed their agenda as more important than anything else. They are single minded without any concern about what happens to others. I use real people in my life in my books when they make me mad. It is therapeutic for me. I will use their initials but change the names to be the victim.

EC: How would you describe Priscilla?

KEB: Pris and I have in common that we both have a job that provides income, but we are also authors. We have that same passion about writing mysteries that includes dogs. Pris wants to help people and can recognize people’s shortcomings. She is also a klutz and very curious.

EC: How would you describe police chief Gilbert?

KEB: He has dedicated his life to protecting others. He is very direct, straight-forward, responsible, and protective. He also is a single parent, raising his daughter. As the story progresses readers will find out more about his late wife and her family. His daughter and family are very important to him. His relationship with Pris will continue and grow stronger, although there will be some conflict surrounding their views.

EC: Next book?

KEB: The setting is a festival in Crosbyville where a murder occurred. Bailey finds clues that get Pris more involved in the mystery. The working title is Hounding a Killer, coming out in late 2024.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Emily Dickinson Mystery Series Book 1 & 2 by Amanda Flower

Book Descriptions

Because I Could Not Stop for Death – Book #1

January 1855 Willa Noble knew it was bad luck when it was pouring rain on the day of her ever-important job interview at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. When she arrived late, disheveled with her skirts sodden and filthy, she’d lost all hope of being hired for the position. As the housekeeper politely told her they’d be in touch, Willa started toward the door of the stately home only to be called back by the soft but strong voice of Emily Dickinson. What begins as tenuous employment turns to friendship as the reclusive poet takes Willa under her wing.

Tragedy soon strikes and Willa’s beloved brother, Henry, is killed in a tragic accident at the town stables. With no other family and nowhere else to turn, Willa tells Emily about her brother’s death and why she believes it was no accident. Willa is convinced it was murder. Henry had been very secretive of late, only hinting to Willa that he’d found a way to earn money to take care of them both. Viewing it first as a puzzle to piece together, Emily offers to help, only to realize that she and Willa are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse that reveals corruption in Amherst that is generations deep. Some very high-powered people will stop at nothing to keep their profitable secrets even if that means forever silencing Willa and her new mistress….

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I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died – Book #2

August 1856. The Dickinson family is comfortably settled in their homestead on Main Street. Emily’s brother, Austin Dickinson, and his new wife are delighted when famous thinker and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson comes to Amherst to speak at a local literary society and decides he and his young secretary, Luther Howard, will stay with the newlyweds. Emily has been a longtime admirer of Emerson’s writing and is thrilled at the chance to meet her idol. She is determined to impress him with her quick wit, and if she can gather the courage, a poem. Willa Noble, the second maid in the Dickinson home and Emily’s friend, encourages her to speak to the famous but stern man. But his secretary, Luther, intrigues Willa more because of his clear fondness for the Dickinson sisters.

Willa does not know if Luther truly cares for one of the Dickinson girls or if he just sees marrying one of them as a way to raise himself up in society. After a few days in his company, Willa starts to believe it’s the latter. Miss Lavinia, Emily’s sister, appears to be enchanted by Luther; a fact that bothers Emily greatly. However, Emily’s fears are squashed when Luther turns up dead in the Dickinson’s garden. It seems that he was poisoned. Emerson, aghast at the death of his secretary, demands answers. Emily and Willa set out to find them in order to save the Dickinson family reputation and stop a cold-blooded fiend from killing again.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Because I Could Not Stop for Death and I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower has her venturing into historical mysteries. These books have a unique portrayal of the famous American writer Emily Dickinson. Emily along with her maid, Willa, become sleuths and help to solve murders. But a bonus is having readers getting glimpses of how Emily thinks and what the culture of mid-19^th century was like.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea to use Emily Dickinson?

Amanda Flower: Each book’s title will be the first line from one of her famous poems. In the first book, the poem was about a carriage ride with a horse. In this novel, a horse is very central to the story. The second book has flies surrounding the found body, which is related to the poem I used. I pay tribute to the poems, but do not follow it verbatim. Her poems are imagery and vague with multiple meanings. She never wrote clearly.

EC: Why Emily Dickinson?

AF: Her poems are mysterious. I have been a huge Emily Dickinson fan since I was 15 years old. I wanted to write a historical novel with another version, so I decided to write a mystery with her. Last year it won the Agatha for best historical mystery and a final for one of the Edgar Awards. The real characters beside Emily were the maid Margaret O’ Brian. I added a maid assistant, Willa to tell the story in the same manner that Sherlock Holmes had Watson. I also chose that period of her life, in 1855, where Emily and her sister came to Washington because her father was a member of the House of Representatives. This time was about six years before she went into hiding for the rest of her life as a recluse. She did not get any acclaims for her writing when she was alive.

EC: Why the reference to slavery?

AF: In the 1850s America was in turmoil over slavery. I knew I had to include this issue, or it would be a disservice. It divided everyone. The Underground Railroad went through many small towns close to where I live in Ohio. One of my jobs was leading Underground Railroad tours through the town that I worked in. I spoke about the people who lived there and those who tried to escape.

EC: How would you describe Emily’s personality in your book?

AF: This is my best interpretation of the real Emily. She likes to investigate, a good judge of character, ignores societal class, and is loyal. She is also bold, caring, curious, confident, and blunt. She was probably her father’s favorite because he gave her special treatment. She enjoyed wandering around and instead of not telling her to stop bought her a dog for protection. The dog is real and so his name Carlo, a character in Jane Eyre. He lived for seventeen years, which is unusual for a pure bred, Newfoundland. One of the theories is that Emily became a recluse after he passed away. Her dad would buy contemporary fiction books and leave them around the house for her to just happen to find. The family gave her room to be different, a genius aspect.

EC: How would you describe the real maid, Margaret?

AF: Kind, protective, tough, and can be hard-nosed. I made her gruff with Willa.

EC: How would you describe Willa?

AF: Nervous for her brother’s safety, compassionate, strong, determined, loyal, and broken. In the first book she is more timid. She is determined to find out what happened to her brother, Henry. As the series goes on, she is very protective and loyal to Emily. She understands more social standing than Emily. Willa is very aware of the class distinction and sees the servants as being invisible. Emily tries to treat her as an equal.

EC: What is the difference between the sisters, Vinnie, and Emily?

AF: Vinnie acts like an older sister even though Emily is the older sister. At the end of their life, she took care of Emily. Vinnie is more into societal norms. She carries the weight on her shoulders. Vinnie is a cat person, while Emily is a dog person who hated cats. The cats probably annoyed her dog. Emily did write about disliking cats.

EC: What about Henry?

AF: Henry is an idealist. He wanted to take from the rich and give to the poor. He had a happy and carefree personality. He knew Willa’s upmost goal was to protect him. He is also kind, with a nose for trouble, and caring.

EC: The second book in the series, I Heard a Fly Buzz When I died, highlights Ralph Waldo Emerson-why?

AF: Through my research I found he stayed with Emily’s brother at their estate. Plus, I really like his works and wanted to include him in the series. He was the peak of American literature during that time. He encouraged young authors to write in an ‘American voice.’ After a lifetime of acclaim, he felt pretty good about himself. He is very aloof and is distant from others.

EC: Why the plagiarism angle?

AF: It was harder back then to prove. Many authors self-published back then and it was hard to prove that someone else wrote it so it would have been easy to plagiarize. It is still a problem today. Writers would think about this problem. Although they do have a certain way of phrasing. Emerson had a very strong voice, very authoritative and confident. He wrote essays and non-fiction. The victim in the story was a social climber who tried to put his name on other’s works.

EC: Louisa May Alcott and Emily contrasted each other as writers?

AF: I put her in the story because she was about the same age as Emily and lived nearby. It was possible they could have met although no evidence. I also wanted to contrast her with Emily. Some authors like Emily did it for the sake of art and her own personal thoughts, while others like Alcott did it for the sake of supporting her family and was driven. Emily feared fame and did not try to get published more. Personally, I write for both reasons. I put in the author’s notes how ‘Emily wrote for the expression of art; Louisa wrote for the money.’

EC: Louisa May Alcott was also in the story-what was her voice?

AF: She is very confident, opinionated, with fun banter. Anyone who read Little Women would recognize these qualities in her main character, Jo. She is blunt, straight forward, and wrote for the money because she is super pragmatic. Growing up her family did not have money because her dad believed in living simply. She broke barriers by being a female who used her own name and became popular. When she started writing she used pen names. But with Little Women she wrote under her own name and this book changed the life of herself and her family.

EC: Next books?

AF: The third one in the series might be the last one. It is titled I Died for Beauty and will come out in early 2025. The plot setting has the 1857 blizzard with a deep freeze in New England. A young Irish couple die in a fire at their house. Emily and Willa try to figure out what really happened.

The next book coming out in February is titled Crime and Cherry Pits, a cozy. In March my first Katherine Wright mystery will be released titled To Slip the Bonds of Earth about a murder.

The Candy Shop mystery will be out in October next year. The Matchmaker mystery comes out the following year. Each main character will have a book coming out every other year.

THANK YOU!!

***

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder Under the Mistletoe by Liz Fielding

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #2) by Liz Fielding on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Book Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

Abby Finch heads to the old church hall armed with mistletoe and holly ready to help decorate in time for the festive season. But she arrives in time to witness a horrifying sight. Edward Marsh reaches to test the antique star at the top of the tree. There’s a fizz and the lights go out.

Abby hears the sickening thud of a body hitting the ground. When the lights turn back on Edward is dead.

It soon becomes clear it was no accident.

The real victim should have been Gregory Tatton, a dapper silver fox, popular with the ladies of the seniors’ lunch club. And a known blackmailer . . .

Abby is desperate to know the truth, but putting herself in danger isn’t on her Christmas list. Who’s been naughty? Who’s been nice? Who’s hiding the fact they’re a murderer?

MEET THE DETECTIVE

Brilliant gardener and the busy mum of three, Abby Finch’s dreams of winning gold at Chelsea Flower Show were put on hold by an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. These days she’s kept on her toes looking after her beloved family, running her own business and dealing with her imminent divorce. In an effort to keep things cordial, she’s allowed her ex to bully her into restoring the garden of his family home. Thankfully she’s surrounded herself with a great group of friends to lean on.

THE SETTING

Pretty Maybridge is a charming village set in the sheep-dotted Cotswolds hills, with a long history stretching back to Tudor times. It’s the type of place where everyone knows each other, but there’s a wonderful bookshop on the corner of the bridge, a popular riverside café and a bustling market at Christmastime. And with Bristol nearby and a big supermarket round the corner.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199527169-murder-under-the-mistletoe?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7FSLDiMmLD&rank=1

A MAYBRIDGE MURDER MYSTERY

Book 1: MURDER AMONG THE ROSES

Book 2: MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #2) by Liz Fielding is an entertaining trip back to the small English town of Maybridge for another murder mystery set at Christmas and once again featuring Abby Finch and all her friends. This second book in the series can be read as a standalone, but it is as wonderful as the first and I suggest reading both to get the introductions, interactions, and backgrounds of the main characters right from the start.

Abby Finch is asked to drop off some mistletoe and holly to decorate the church hall for the season. Abby is in time to reconnect with an old high school teacher before he climbs a ladder to place the star on the top of the tree, and with a pop, the lights go out. When the breaker is switched back on, Abby’s old teacher is dead on the floor.

Immediately after giving a statement to the police, Abby is confronted by another senior, Gregory Tatton. She feels threatened by him even though all the senior ladies seem to love him. Abby begins asking questions with the help of some close friends and discovers Tatton was blackmailing some members of the senior’s club as well as prospecting for a third wealthy wife. The electrocution was meant for him, but he does not get away. One of the ladies who cleans for him finds him dead in his home.

Abby is once again questioned by the police when they discover Tatton was killed with ricin from the seeds of the castor oil plants which she has in her garden . She is determined to find the real killer before she is implicated. The killer may have other plans though to eliminate Abby and any of her discoveries.

Even though this is only the second book in the series, I already feel at home in Maybridge and I love all the main characters. Abby is a wonderful protagonist and I love that she is so realistic as a businesswoman, single mother, and possibly on the verge of a new relationship with an old friend. The characters are fully drawn and believable and the descriptions of plants and gardens are vivid. The mystery itself has plenty of red herrings and plot twists that kept me guessing because even when I felt I knew the solution, I was wrong.

I highly recommend this cozy holiday murder mystery, the entire series, and this author.

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Author Bio

Award winning author Liz Fielding was born with itchy feet. She was working in Zambia before her twenty-first birthday and, gathering her own special hero and a couple of children on the way, has lived in Botswana, Kenya and the Middle East, all of which have provided rich inspiration for her writing.

She has written more than seventy books, several of which have won awards, and sold over 15 million copies. In 2019 she was honored with the Romantic Novelists’ Association Outstanding Career Award. She lives in West Sussex.

Social Media Links

Website: https://lizfieldingblog.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.fielding/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizfielding

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-fielding

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Dating Can Be Deadly by Amanda Flower

Book Description

It’s August in Holmes County, and that means it’s time for the Holmes County Fair. It’s the county’s biggest annual event, drawing tourists and locals alike to see livestock, eat too much fried food, and watch the rodeo and speed racing contests. This year, Millie has entered the quilting competition—while her very not Amish best friend, Lois Henry, is distracted by her new dating app and her search for husband number five. In a place where quilting is a way of life, the competition is fierce—especially this year, when an anonymous donor doubles the winning cash prize. Amish and English women are up against each other, and some will do anything to win—even murder . . .

When someone attacks the quilt barn by slashing the quilt display, it’s unsettling enough. But when a quilting judge is found murdered, Millie knows it’s time to for Lois to get off her app and help her hunt for a killer instead—before the competition is wiped out for good . . .

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Elise’s Thoughts

Dating Can Be Deadly by Amanda Flower is a great cozy mystery. Readers never get disappointed with any book Amanda Flower writes. As with all her cozy mysteries there are many suspects, a lot of humor, learning more about the Amish community, and some very touching moments.

There is always a contrast between the Amish characters and the English characters. Millie is Amish and someone who is unassuming, quietly competent, and not eager to call attention to herself. Her best friend, Lois, is English, very flamboyant, and quite vocal. Both are trying to solve murders while trying to figure out their romantic lives. Lois decided to use a dating app to find a love interest, whereas Millie is struggling to get beyond the love of her life, her late husband.

Readers will not get sidetracked with the character’s personal life because the focus is still on the mystery. In this book at the Holmes County Fair Millie has entered a quilt competition with other Amish women. Millie’s nephew, Micah, has also entered her goats, Phillip, and Peter, in a contest. The goats are known for being rambunctious and decide to escape their pen and explore the fair. Millie and Lois search for them only to find them at the quilt barn along with a dead body, the quilting judge. Now they must find who is the murderer before others get hurt including a ten-year-old Amish boy, Zach who possibly witnessed the murder.

This story has it all. The humorous part of the story always comes from Lois’s antics including her trying to find a suitor along with the rascally goats. Because of Millie’s apprehension about pursuing a romantic relationship she finds solace in turning to Amish proverbs, which is where readers learn more about the Amish community. The touching part of the story is how Zach has no family after his grandfather abandoned him and he only has Scooter, his belove Pygmy goat.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why was the story centered around an axe?

Amanda Flower: I always wanted to write about the Holmes County Fair. A year ago, my husband and I went to the fair to research for the book. One of the first things I see is an axe-throwing booth just like in the book. It seemed like a perfect fit for a mystery novel. Of course, I had to try it. I did hit the bullseye although not on the first time. As soon as I saw it. I knew I wanted to write about it.

EC: The quilts also play a role.

AF: I knew I wanted the main character, Millie, to enter her quilt in the fair. I went to the quilts at the fair and saw how they were displayed. She and her friends were in a quilt group and many of them entered their quilts in the fair contest.

EC: You introduced a new character, Zach. Can you describe him?

AF: He is a ten-year-old boy who is a friend of Millie’s nephew, Micah. His mother left him with his grandfather who thinks poorly of him because he was born out of wedlock and his father was an “English” man. His grandfather basically abandons him. He is a sweet little boy in a bad family situation. As I was writing this story the adoption was being finalized for two of my nephews who were in the foster system.

EC: Why the dating app?

AF: I thought of it funny to think of Millie’s friend, Lois, trying to use it. She is very zany but is a hopeless romantic. She loves being in love. Even though she is almost seventy she tried it. I wanted this to be the humorous part of the story.

EC: The goats played a major role in the story. Do you agree?

AF: Yes. Millie’s great nephew, Micah, wanted to enter her goats, Phillip, and Peter into the fair. Near the beginning of the book, they get out of their pen a lot because they are rascals. Because they were out and everyone was looking for them, they are found in the place with a dead body. They lead Lois and Millie to a dead body. Zach also had a goat, Scooter, who he loved very much because his mother gave it to him just before she left. Scooter is a Pygmy goat.

EC: Where are you going with the relationship between Millie and Uriah?

AF: I used the Amish proverbs to help Millie decide on where she is going with her life. She was really torn between her past and possible future. She is one of my most loyal characters. Even though her husband had been gone for over 20 years it is still hard for her to pursue another relationship. Uriah knows she is struggling and is very supportive of her and cares for her a lot. He realizes she is independent, is frightened of marriage, and how she is dedicated to her husband’s memory forever.

EC: Next books?

AF: There will be another Emily Dickerson mystery coming out this November. Then in March of next year there will be a series with the Wright Brothers written from the point of view of their younger sister Katherine. It is titled To Slip the Bonds of Earth.

It will be a while before there will be another Amish book. Going forward I will be writing one historical book and one Amish book, alternating between the Amish Candy Shop Book and the Amish Matchmaker Book.

The end of next year will be the Candy Shop Book titled Gingerbread Danger. It is a Christmas mystery. There is a life size Candyland Game throughout the village, and someone gets killed.

Then after that will be the Millie and Lois book where they go to Pinecraft Florida where there is an Amish community. There will be a lot of new characters and of course a murder.

THANK YOU!!

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Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman

Murder at Midnight

by Katharine Schellman

September 18 – October 13, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER AT MIDNIGHT (Lilly Adler Mystery Book #4) by Katharine Schellman on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Kingsumo giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

When a body is found shot to death after an unexpected snowstorm, Lily Adler quickly realizes that some people will stop at nothing to bury their secrets.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to a quiet Christmastide away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London. Not only will she be visiting the family of her late husband; she will be reunited with Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, finally returned after a long voyage at sea.

But secrets aren’t only found in London. Jack’s younger sister, Amelia, is the center of neighborhood scandal and gossip. She refuses to tell anyone what really happened, even when an unexpected snowstorm strands the neighborhood families together after a Christmas ball. Stuck until the snow stops, the Adlers, Hartleys, and their neighbors settle in for the night, only to be awakened in the morning by the scream of a maid who has just discovered a dead body.

The victim was the well-to-do son of a local gentleman–the same man whose name has become so scandalously linked to Amelia’s.

With the snow still falling and no way to come or go, it’s clear that someone in the house was responsible for the young man’s death. When suspicion instantly falls on Jack’s sister, he and Lily must unmask the true culprit before Amelia is convicted of a crime she didn’t commit.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75257471-murder-at-midnight?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=D44aHYQhaq&rank=5

Murder At Midnight

Genre: Historical mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781639104321 (ISBN10: 1639104321)
Series: A Lily Adler Mystery, 4

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT (Lily Adler Mystery Book #4) by Katharine Schellman is another delightfully engaging addition to the Lily Adler Mystery series. This Regency historical mystery series features an independent young widow amateur sleuth who is once again called upon to assist in solving a murder. All the books in this series can easily be read as standalone mysteries.

Lily Adler is happy to be in Hertfordshire for the holiday season visiting with her late husband’s family. When they attend a country ball, Lily is happy to see her friend Captain Jack Hartley and his younger sister Amelia, but there is an undercurrent of side looks and gossip surrounding Amelia and a handsome gentleman also at the ball. She refuses to confide in her family, and hopes everything will blow over, until the gentleman in question is found dead in the snow outside the rear door shot in the head.

With the guests trapped by a snowstorm, Lily offers to help her magistrate brother-in-law investigate the murder. She believes in Amelia’s innocence, but she also knows she is hiding secrets and she is not the only one. Will Lily be able to discover the murderer from among the stranded group of guests, or will she find herself buried deep in the snow?

I really enjoy the independent Lily, her interesting personal life since coming out of mourning, and her inquisitive nature that is irrepressible. All the secondary characters are fully developed. The mysteries are paced perfectly between the discovery of the crime and the always exciting climax as well as being full of twists and red herrings that keep me guessing. The research is evident in the description of clothes and the depiction of etiquette and mores. I look forward to each new book in this series.

I highly recommend this captivating Regency historical mystery and all the previous books in this series.

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Excerpt

Lily sat bolt upright. Where had the sound come from? It hadn’t been loud . . . another part of the house? For a moment, in the pressing silence, she wondered if she had drifted back to sleep without realizing it and imagined the whole thing.

But a moment later, the sounds of a commotion rose just outside her window. Lily dashed to the window, throwing it open with some effort and peering out into the swirl of snow and early- morning light.

The guest room she had been given was one of the smaller ones—the better to quickly heat rooms that hadn’t been prepared in advance—and as was typical for such rooms, it lacked a pretty view. Hers looked over what she realized after a moment must be the poultry yard. Darkly clad figures who she could guess were servants stumbled through the thick layer of snow that had fallen, trying to reach the two people in the middle of the yard.

One Lily could see from her vantage only as a still, upright figure, hand outstretched and pointing toward the second person, who lay sprawled on the ground. The one on the ground was half covered by the ice and snow, unmoving.

Lily grabbed the dressing gown from the chair, pulled on her shoes, and ran from the room. In the hallway, a few guests were poking their heads out of their doors, hair tousled and faces creased with sleep, inquiring grumpily if anyone had heard an odd noise.

Lily didn’t stop to consider propriety or worry about what anyone else might think before she yelled “Jack!” as loudly as she could. She didn’t know which room he had been given, but a moment later, a door past the stairs was flung open and the navy captain’s head appeared.

“What is it?” he demanded. He was already dressed and wearing his driving coat over his clothing. That was odd at such an early hour, but Lily didn’t have time to be surprised.

“Downstairs.” In spite of the months they had spent apart, Lily knew she could depend on him to understand and act quickly. “Something happened. We have to help.”

And in spite of those months apart, he didn’t stop to ask questions. More guests were emerging, summoned by Lily’s shout, and questions were beginning to fly back and forth as she dashed down the stairs, Jack on her heels.

They didn’t need to wonder where to go; on the floor below, Mrs. Grantham was following a stately-looking woman who might have been the housekeeper or another upper servant. Their pace was just barely too dignified to be a run, but they couldn’t hide their worry as they disappeared down the steps to the kitchen. Lily and Jack hurried after them.

The servants’ staircase was narrow and cold. At the bottom, servants clustered in the kitchen, talking in shrill, anxious voices as the cook tried to keep some order. The underservants glanced uneasily at Lily and Jack as they came into the kitchen, but no one seemed to know what to do or say. The door to the yard had been left wide open, and the wind blew in gusts of snow and icy morning light. Outside, more servants were gathered, though they parted like a wave as the housekeeper led Mrs. Grantham out to see what had happened.

As Lily and Jack tried to follow, they were stopped by the frail but determined body of the butler, who interposed himself between them and the open door. “Madam, sir, perhaps you would care to return to your rooms? Breakfast will be ready shortly.”

Jack drew himself up, clearly prepared to use his rank to push his way past the aging servant. Before he could say anything, though, and before Lily could think how to reply, Mrs. Grantham turned sharply.

“What is . . .” She trailed off, eyeing Lily and Jack with trepidation. She looked ready to send them on their way with some commonplace assurance. But half a dozen emotions chased their way across her face in that moment, and she instead asked, “Mrs. Adler, how many of the rumors about you are true?”

“That depends on the rumors,” Lily replied calmly, though her heart was pounding. Behind Mrs. Grantham, she could see the limbs of the eerie, still figure sticking out of the snowbank. “Though if you refer only to the ones that are most relevant at this moment . . .” She turned her gaze pointedly toward the body in the snow. “There is indeed some truth to them.”

Mrs. Grantham hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind in a rush. She stepped aside, pulling the confused housekeeper with her. There were boots for the servants lined up next to the door, crusted with mud from repeated use. Lily pulled off her delicate evening slippers, slid her bare feet into the pair that looked closest to her size, and followed as she and Jack were ushered into the yard, their eyes fixed on what awaited them there.

A man dressed in borrowed clothes, his skin white with cold, his hair thick with clumps of ice and snow. He could have fallen, hit his head, been caught in the storm and frozen. He could still be alive, in need of help. He could have had an innocent reason for being out in the storm.

He could have. But this close, Lily could see the snow that had been kicked aside and trampled by half a dozen feet in the servants’ frantic attempts to clear it away. The icy powder was too thick on the ground for her to see the mud of the yard. But it was still stained with red and brown from where the man’s life had leaked away in the night.

The once-snowy linen of his shirt was stained the same color, jagged and torn from the bullet that had ended his life. The gun that had fired it had been unearthed beside him, as snow-logged as his own body. The man’s frozen eyes and mouth were wide open, as though he had not believed until the last moment that whoever had faced him in that yard could be capable of the shot that had ended his life.

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Author Bio

Katharine Schellman is a former actor and one-time political consultant. These days, she writes the Lily Adler Mysteries and the Nightingale Mysteries. Her books, which reviewers have praised as “worthy of Agatha Christie or Rex Stout” (Library Journal, starred review), have received multiple accolades, including being named a Library Journal Best Crime Fiction of 2022, a Suspense Magazine Best Book of 2020, and a New York Times editor’s pick in June 2022. Katharine lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her husband, children, and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering.

Social Media Links

www.KatharineSchellman.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @KatharineSchellman
Instagram – @katharinewrites
Facebook – @katharineschellman

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Penguin Random House

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KINGSUMO GIVEAWAY

https://kingsumo.com/g/lzwu7x/murder-at-midnight-by-katharine-schellman-bookshoporg-gift-card