Two days before Christmas, Jonathan Gray, M. D., Chief Deputy Coroner for Orleans Parish, receives shocking news. Robby O’Malley—Jonathan’s mentor for nearly forty years—has died under mysterious circumstances. Within hours after Robby’s death, Gray takes the oath of office as Coroner and participates in autopsies of an elderly couple murdered in their Garden District home. After mass on Christmas morning, Archbishop Phillip Fontenot asks Gray to investigate the sexual assault of one of his parishioners, as well as the disappearance of her sister—without involving the police. As Jonathan winds his way through what appear to be separate incidents, he uncovers connections and secrets that members of the city’s power elite would just as soon remain hidden.
VOICES OF THE ELYSIAN FIELDS (A Jonathan Grey, M.D. Mystery) by Michael Rigg is an exciting, fast paced start to a new mystery/crime thriller series featuring the Chief Coroner of New Orleans. This book pulls you in from the first chapter with realistic characters and a total immersion into life in New Orleans.
Just two days before Christmas, Chief Deputy Coroner Dr. Jonathan Grey finds himself at the death scene of the Chief Coroner of New Orleans, his long-term mentor and friend. Just hours later after taking the oath of office to Chief Coroner, he receives a high-profile elderly couple from the Garden District in what appears to be a murder-suicide. As the detectives investigate, the autopsy results call the original assumption into question.
Not only does he have a wealthy, prominent New Orleans family to deal with, but the Archbishop of New Orleans asks for Jonathan’s discrete help after Christmas day mass in the sexual assault of a couple that has asked the church for sanctuary.
With pressure coming from all sides, Jonathan and his friends on the New Orleans detective squad must untangle a web of deceit that brings together the political elite, the rich and powerful, and a multi-country sex trafficking ring. Are all these holiday death cases related or not and can he keep his friends and loved ones safe?
This is a wonderful start to a new series that kept me reading well into the night. The characters are fully developed and realistic even with this being the first book in this series. Jonathan and his wife are a tight couple even with the tragedy in their past and I love that they are well suited to each other, but also singularly strong characters. Jonathan and the detectives followed an intricately plotted investigation with red herrings and twists that continually had me reevaluating who I believed was guilty and whether the two major cases were related or not. The city of New Orleans’ history, geography, and people are woven throughout the story and made me feel like I was right there on the streets with the characters. I am looking forward to reading many more books with these characters in the future.
I highly recommend this amazing first book in the Jonathan Grey, M.D. Mystery series!
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About the Author
Agatha and Anthony-nominated author Michael Rigg, an attorney for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.
1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.
However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.
With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?
A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL (Evelyn Redfern Book #1) by Julia Kelly is the engaging first book in a new historical mystery series featuring two new protagonists that I am very excited to follow into future books. Set in Winston Churchill’s underground war rooms during the beginning of the blitz, the murder mystery is full of twists, intrigue, and historical facts.
Evelyn Redfern loves nothing more than staying in and reading her favorite British authors’ mysteries after having grown up in the center of her parent’s society divorce and scandal. After graduating from school, she is living as normally as possible in London with her best friend and working at a munitions factory until she runs into an old family friend on a night out. Mr. Fletcher has plans for Evelyn if she is willing to accept them.
Evelyn ends up working in the typing pool in Winston Churchill’s war rooms under Whitehall. As she gets used to her new position and the other girls, she discovers one of her co-workers murdered. Evelyn is determined to use her amateur sleuthing skills even as the two detectives warn her off. She crosses path with a Minister’s aide, David Poole, who she soon learns is working to discover the murderer and a leaker of military secrets.
They pool their resources and skills to work at discovering if it is one person or more responsible for selling England’s secrets and if the murderer is a part of the conspiracy.
I am interested in WWII history and love mysteries and this book delivers both; interesting facts with a murder mystery which makes me a happy reader. Evelyn is a wonderful protagonist who is intelligent, mature, and not willing to take any prejudice against her sex. David is a good partner in the investigation and is necessary since there are still many places in 1940s England women are not allowed. The mystery plot is intricately woven and moves at an ever-increasing rate with many suspects, red herrings, and twists interspersed throughout. I am really looking forward to future book in this series.
I highly recommend this first mystery book in the Evelyn Redfern series and look forward to many more.
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About the Author
Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical mystery novels about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia has called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home. She now lives in London with her husband.
Truffle Trouble, an Amish Candy Shop Mystery book, and Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off, an Amish Matchmaker Mystery book, both by Amanda Flower, have humor, great characters, and a puzzling mystery. Unfortunately, the Candy Shop series will have only one more book before it ends, and this is the last one in the Matchmaker Mystery book series. But as the saying goes, “every story has an end; yet in life every end is a new beginning.” Amanda Flower discusses what is next in store for readers with her new series as well as her insight into these two books.
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Book Description
Summer is finally upon the village of Harvest, Ohio, nestled in picturesque Amish Country, and folks are abuzz over their very own Bailey King’s upcoming June wedding. The Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets is marrying Holmes County Sheriff Aiden Brody. To sweeten the occasion will be a scrumptious giant chocolate truffle wedding cake, made especially for the happy couple by Bailey’s New York City mentor, Jean Pierre. Other than the risk of the ring bearer, Jethro the pig, taking a bite out of the confection, what could go wrong?
As it turns out, a food-related disaster does befall the day. But with Bailey in the mix, it’s nothing so pedestrian as a peckish pig. At the reception, a wedding guest dies after sampling the hors d’oeuvres. Café owner and new caterer Darcy Woodin, who made all the food except the desserts, is pegged by police as the number one suspect. Even more incriminating, the victim is one of Darcy’s ex-boyfriends . . .
Still, Bailey is friends with Darcy, and she’s certain the young woman is innocent. Even before the first dance with her new husband, Bailey’s on the case. Can she help solve it in time for her honeymoon—or will a killer try to end her happily ever after before it’s even begun . . .?
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Elise’s Thoughts
Truffle Trouble’s plot includes the long-awaited wedding between candy shop owner Bailey King and Sheriff Aiden Brody. The wedding allowed for readers to have their favorite characters together, old and new. All the regular characters are present including Margot Rawlings, Charlotte Little, Ruth Yoder, Millie Fisher, Lois Henry with her over-sized purse, granddaughter Darcy Woodin, the caterer of the wedding. And of course, Jethro the pig. Bailey’s old boss and mentor from New York City, Jean Pierre is also in it and he takes a shine to Lois Henry.
But an Amanda Flower book is not complete without a murder. At the reception, a wedding guest dies after sampling the hors d’oeuvres. Café owner and caterer Darcy Woodin, who made all the food except the desserts, becomes the number one suspect since the victim is one of Darcy’s ex-boyfriends, Jason. Now, Bailey must put aside her honeymoon plans to prove her friend Darcy’s innocence.
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Book Description
After years on her own, Millie has been busy adjusting to married life once again. Meanwhile, her best friend, Lois Henry, is still salty that Millie didn’t have a big wedding where she could get dressed up and be maid of honor. But there’s a way Millie can make it up to her: with a dreary January upon them, it’s the perfect time for a girls’ trip to the Amish community in sunny Pinecraft, Florida. Oft-divorced Lois is decidedly not Amish, but she thinks it will be a hoot.
With the blessing of her sweet husband, Uriah, Millie agrees to go. On the tour bus that transports Ohio’s Amish snowbirds to Florida every year, Millie and Lois strike up a friendship with a young woman traveling alone. She reminds Millie of her beloved niece, and Millie takes her under her wing. But even before the end of their first day in Florida, tragedy strikes.
Millie and Lois find their new friend dead on the beach, seemingly drowned. But who would want to hurt the sweet young woman? Is there a murderous snowbird among them? Or was it someone vengeful from her past? Clearly, vacation time is over for Millie and Lois, and it’s time to dive beneath the surface to hook a killer . . .
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Elise’s Thoughts
Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off has Lois and Millie taking a girl’s trip to the Amish community in sunny Pinecraft, Florida. Oft-divorced Lois is decidedly not Amish, but she thinks it will be a hoot. On the tour bus that transports Ohio’s Amish snowbirds to Florida every year, Millie and Lois strike up a friendship with a young woman traveling alone. She reminds Millie of her beloved niece, and Millie takes her under her wing. But even before the end of their first day in Florida, tragedy strikes. Millie and Lois find their new friend dead on the beach, seemingly drowned. Her hands had been tied and there were signs of trauma. Both Millie and Lois realize a murder has taken place and are intent on finding the killer.
Any Amanda Flower book will have characters that readers can connect with and a murder that is not easy to solve. There are red herrings and misdirection at every turn. Readers will be sad to see that these two series are ending but will find joy in her new series coming out next year.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story, Truffle Trouble and the wild mushrooms?
Amanda Flower: I know some people here in Ohio that are mushroom foragers. So, I kind of got the idea from that, and the Amish also forge mushrooms. It’s like one of the things they do. So, it seemed like a good fit.
EC: Was it hard to write the marriage scene between Bailey and Aiden?
AF: I didn’t spend a ton of time on it because I wanted to get to the murder. I think the wedding scene was fitting because the couple are pretty simple. They knew everyone wanted to celebrate, so they did it as simple as they could for the whole town to be there.
EC: Darcy was accused of killing her ex-boyfriend. How would you describe her?
AF: Darcy is the grand-daughter of Lois Henry. I would say Darcy is more of a loner than Bailey. She likes to go back to her one room apartment because she spends all day talking to people that dine there, and she needs to get away. Although she’s curious, a skill needed as an amateur sleuth, but I think she’s not as curious as her grandmother who kind of pushes her to get involved in stuff. She’s a little more reserved, definitely than Lois for sure.
EC: How would you describe her ex-boyfriend, Jason?
AF: Jason, her first love interest, is chauvinistic, temperamental, and felt he was owed something. He would do anything for money. He is also critical, untrusting, sophisticated, greedy, spiteful, and self-centered.
EC: What about the relationship between Lois and Jean?
AF: Lois Henry and Jean Pierre will appear in most of the future Harvest books. There will be one more candy shop book that’ll come out in the spring of 2027. It’s called Strawberry Scam. Jean Paul will come and visit because he likes Lois. He is a retired, very wealthy man, so he can come as often as he wants to get on his plane and fly over.
EC: What about the idea for the other book Newlyweds Can Be Knocked Off?
AF: There is an Amish community in Florida in Pinecraft, where they go, and I went there to visit, probably 3 years ago, and I just thought it was so fascinating to be walking on the beach by the ocean. I saw Amish ride around on their scooters, they’re not allowed to have horses and buggies there because it’s in the city limits of Sarasota. They get around on electric bikes and electric scooters for the most part. I just thought that would be really funny to send Lois and Millie there. There’s a bus that comes to Holmes County every week in the winter and takes Amish snowbirds down south. So just, like, Ohioans that aren’t Amish go to Florida for the winter, elderly Amish go to Florida for the winter, too
EC: Who finds more dead bodies, Millie or Bailey?
AF: Bailey, because there are ten books out in “The Candy Shop series” featuring Bailey. So, she’s found quite a few dead bodies by this point, and Millie’s on her 6th book in the “Amish Match Maker Mystery series.” So that’s how I would decide it.
EC: How did you come up with the great quote about community?
AF: You are referring to “a community is like a quilt. Each piece is important to make a whole. That is actually a nice Amish proverb. They have a lot of sayings like that.
EC: Are your series interconnected?
AF: I think my greatest example is when you see Ruth Yoder, the bishop’s wife, from Bailey’s point of view. Bailey sees her as crotchety, creepy, and mean, but Millie and Lois grew up with her, so they have a completely different view and they don’t take her as seriously. It’s fun to see characters with a different point of view of someone, because they have a different experience or relationship with them. So that’s really fun to write to show how each character has a different experience or relationship with them.
EC: Are you ending these two series?
AF: Kensington is stopping their mass market paperbacks. All their series are either being switched over to trade paperback or being ended that are in mass market. There will be one more Bailey book and no more Millie/Lois books. The new series, featuring Darcy will come out in trade paperback.
EC: Rumor has it there is a new series?
AF: In February of 2027, there’s a new series in harvest featuring Darcy Woodin, Lois’s granddaughter as the main character. The series is called “The Amish Country Cafe Mysteries.” And the first book is called Apple Cornered. Darcy takes over Bailey’s role as an amateur sleuth. Lois always helps out Darcy who owns the café and Millie’s always with Lois, so they have very large parts in the new series. Bailey and Aidan will make cameos, and Jethro, the pig, will too. All the characters will drop in here and there. And you’ll see Aiden and Deputy Little quite a bit because there’s always a murder, and they’re the ones that are the cops involved. So, readers will see all the regulars, which is fun because I can write them from a different point of view.
EC: Will Darcy have a love interest?
AF: She will. A guy that owns an apple orchard is her love interest in the first book. And he’s not Amish. He is former Amish. His brother, his family is still Amish, but he’s not.
EC: Does she question her choices in men?
AF: She feels she has terrible taste in men and feels her track record is bad. Darcy is a little more standoffish about the idea of dating anyone. She’s just trying to focus on her business and put relationships to the side.
EC: Are you writing another non-Amish series?
AF: I’m writing a third Katharine Wright mystery. I have a new series with Kensington, which is called “The First Ladies Murder Club.” It’s set in the 19th century and will have first ladies and murders in the White House. The first has Francis Cleveland, the first lady, set in 1894. Her husband is President Grover Cleveland. The first book is called First Lady’s Guide to Murder, and it comes out November 26th, which is Thanksgiving week.
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.
In 1986, a child disappeared. Nearly forty years later, a tip line rings.
It’s been almost four decades since Edie Marshall’s little brother, Charlie, vanished on his walk home from day camp. After the case went cold, Edie—who had once dreamed of pursuing a life beyond the confines of her small Vermont town—never left, her dreams disappearing right along with Charlie. In her fifties now, she teaches at her old high school and has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing mother.
When the long-dormant tip line set up for Charlie rings for the first time in years, Edie assumes it’s a wrong number—but on the other end is Jericho Jenkins, the only person of interest ever identified in the investigation. Jericho believes he’s found something of Charlie’s on his property, and with this news, all the pain and uncertainty of that summer rushes back to Edie, including vivid memories of her best friend, Trill: their shared secrets and the devastating lie Edie told that could have changed everything.
Now Jericho is under suspicion again, Trill is coming home, and her mother’s hope is renewed. Edie’s in the same place with the same people as when Charlie first vanished, but somehow everything is different now, and maybe this time they can discover the truth.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Everything Has Happened by T. Greenwood delves into a mystery surrounding a missing child.
The plot begins with the family’s tip line ringing after forty years. It’s been almost four decades since Edie Marshall’s little brother, Charlie, who vanished on his walk home in 1986. Fast forward to the present, in 2023, when Edie, Charlie’s older sister, has returned to her childhood home to take care of her mother and is now the teacher at her old high school. She answers the tip line and realizes the call is from Jericho, the brother of her estranged best friend and the only person of interest ever identified. He thinks he has found something of Charlie’s on his property.
Edie’s dreams were put on hold after Charlie disappeared. But with the phone call she must now confront the past. Things seem to be going in a repeat direction after Jericho once again falls under suspicion and Edie’s childhood friend Trill returns home. What peaks readers interest are the dual timelines told between the 1980s and 2023.
The story delves into buried truths, forbidden young love, and guilt over what happened. The mystery will keep readers turning the pages.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Tammy Greenwood: Several years ago, I listened to a podcast about Jacob Wetterling, a little boy who went missing in Minnesota in the 1980s. One of the episodes was dedicated to the man who had been a person of interest, a music teacher who lived with his mother, near where Jacob disappeared. He was an innocent man, but his life was destroyed by the accusations; he became a pariah in his community. I wanted to explore what happens in the aftermath of an innocent man being suspected of a horrible crime. In the same podcast, Jacob’s parents talked about the tip line phone they had – and the idea of living with such a live wire in one’s home really haunted me. And this was where the first scene came from – a tip line rings after forty years, and on the other end of the line is the man who was wrongly accused.
I also wanted to set a novel in the 1980s. As a Gen X reader, I haven’t read many books that capture what it was like to be a teen in the 80s. I wanted to lean into that nostalgia. Writing, for me, often arises from a desire to revisit places and times in my life.
Lastly, I wanted to tell the story of a young woman’s coming of age in a small town. A girl who is ready to spread her wings only to have all those wild dreams squashed. And that is where we meet Edie – almost forty years after the disappearance of her brother Charlie – as stuck as she was at eighteen years old.
EC: Did you want to get across that a missing person is harder on the family than someone who has been killed?
TG: There is a purgatorial aspect to the lives of these characters. Their home is a virtual time capsule. The tip line phone remains in the family room. Bonnie, the missing boy’s mother, has Alzheimer’s and still believes that Charlie will still walk through the door one day. And Edie, Charlie’s sister, is paralyzed in a life she never chose for herself.
EC: Also, it seems there is a lot of publicity in the beginning but then the world moves on except for the family. What emotions do you want to have the readers understand that the family goes through?
TG: I think the hardest thing about a cold case is that attention spans are short. Initially everyone is actively engaged in the search, attentive to the family’s needs, eager to help. But as time passes, hope and interest both wanes. But for the family the pain lingers. Forever.
EC: What role did Charlie’s disappearance play in the story?
TG: Charlie’s disappearance is the central mystery of the story. It is the question which drives the plot forward. It is a cold case story until the former suspect discovers evidence on his property which opens the case back up.
The novel is told in a dual timeline, where we follow the new leads and then dip back into the events leading up to Charlie’s disappearance.
EC: How would you describe Charlie?
TG: Charlie is a sensitive and inquisitive little boy. He is bright and obsessed with anything to do with space. He adores his older sister and is worried about what will happen to him when she goes off to college.
EC: How would you describe Evie?
TG: Evie is, like so many teens, yearning for what comes next. She’s stuck in a small town; stuck with a boyfriend she really doesn’t love. When Trill moves to town, this world cracks open for her, and suddenly she sees all the different lives she could have. She becomes fixated on going to Smith College instead of the state school in town. And Trill also awakens her sexuality in a way that Nathan simply has not.
EC: How would you describe Trill?
TG: Trill, to Edie, is magical. She lives with her herbalist mother and artist brother on a former commune. She has been living in New York City with her father for the last ten years or so. She’s street savvy and cultured. She’s obsessed with film and wants to be a filmmaker when she grows up.
EC: How would you describe Nathan?
TG: Nathan is Edie’s next-door neighbor – more brother than boyfriend. He’s a good kid. An altar boy at their Catholic church. He works for his dad’s construction company and aspires to take over one day. He loves Edie, or the idea of Edie, anyway. His plans for their future together are clear and immutable.
EC: Can you compare the relationship between Trill and Evie with Nathan and Evie?
TG: Edie likens Nathan to a comfortable pair of slippers. He’s predictable, comfortable, safe. Trill is the exact opposite. She challenges Edie. She is unknowable in some ways. Her life and history are exotic to Edie. She represents everything beyond the confines of this small Vermont town.
But Trill also really sees Edie. And she loves her for who she is, not who she wants her to be.
EC: What was the role of Sylvia Path in the story?
TG: Edie is obsessed with Sylvia Plath. She has read all her journals and letters and poems. She identifies with Plath’s hunger and yearning. With her rage and feelings of paralysis. Trill gets this about Edie in a way that no one else has, and she arranges for the two to take a “Syl-grimage” to all of Sylvia’s haunts, including her old dorm room at Smith. I made a similar Syl-grimage myself several years ago. I was a Plath girl in high school too.
EC: Next book?
TG: I am almost finished with the first draft of a new novel – but I am not talking about it yet.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FIRST DAUGHTER by Marlie Parker Wasserman on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a PICT giveaway! Enjoy!
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Book Description
In the summer of 1895, President Grover Cleveland and his pregnant wife, Frances, retreat to their secluded Cape Cod home, eager to avoid Washington’s heat and hassles. The very day that Frances gives birth, their three-year-old daughter vanishes. A ransom note surfaces, demanding a mysterious and peculiar sum.
Is the kidnapper a political enemy or someone closer to home? Secret service agents chase multiple leads but reach dead ends. Desperate, Frances Cleveland searches for answers on her own. As the hunt continues, the kidnapper carefully plots each move and determines to settle a score.
The historical record documents threats against the Clevelands, but no actual kidnapping. Yet, what if the president and his wife, known for keeping secrets, concealed a terrifying chapter of their lives? In this gripping blend of fact and fiction, the line between public duty and private anguish blurs in a mother’s fight to save her child.
Genre: Historical Crime Fiction Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: April 14, 2026 Number of Pages: 324
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
FIRST DAUGHTER by Marlie Parker Wasserman is a well-researched historical fiction novel with a fictional crime mystery interwoven throughout around the eldest daughter of President Grover Cleveland and First Lady Frances Cleveland set in their secluded summer home on Cape Cope.
It is 1895 and Frances Cleveland is about to give birth to the couple’s third child in Grey Cables, the summer home of the President and his family during the summer months. When Frances sends for her two daughters to meet their sibling, the eldest, three-year-old Ruth, is discovered missing.
With no clues until a ransom note is found, the First Lady and their lead Secret Service agent follow multiple leads, which is difficult as the President wants this crime to remain secret with minimal people knowing the truth. It is a different time, with minimal security around the President and his family and secrets to be kept. Can the case be solved and Ruth returned safely?
This is a historical fiction that demonstrates the author’s in-depth research, comprehension of the period and the Cleveland family. The author makes you feel as if you are right there on Cape Cod in 1895. Frances Cleveland is a complicated character, but also a woman of her time. While the kidnapping mystery is purely fictional, it allows the author to bring in many additional historical facts, as well as a suspenseful tension to the story. The story does start out a bit slowly, but it does pick up as the characters become more developed and the mystery plot intensifies.
This is an engaging historical fiction look into President Cleveland’s family with a crime mystery twist.
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Excerpt
At the western edge of Cape Cod, in the grandest bedroom in the sprawling residence known as Gray Gables, Frances Cleveland couldn’t stifle the rising sound of her own screams. Between pains, she rested. The late morning breeze drifted across the lawn from Buzzards Bay, fluttering the lace curtain and cooling the sweat on her forehead.
Even at this moment, Frances felt grateful that Grover chose to spend summers away from Washington’s heat, away from the prying public. Here, in this secluded haven, she needn’t fear strangers hovering near the windows of the Executive Mansion for a glimpse of their president—or, more likely, of his wife and daughters. She could concentrate her fears on her pains and pray for the safe birth of her third child, in the same way she had for her first and again for her second. Frances expected from experience that her suffering would soon recede, replaced by the joy of motherhood. She did not know that before the day was over, her bodily misery would end, yielding not to joy but to overwhelming terror.
The previous February, after sensing a flutter beneath her gown while greeting a crowd of visitors at a reception, Frances guessed the baby would be her third girl. Practiced at keeping confidences, she never mentioned her prediction to her preoccupied husband. When she gave birth to another girl, the blathering journalists would have their say. They would try out their jokes about the president’s little harem. Most days, Frances ignored the journalists. Most days, she trusted Grover to love each of his babies.
The image of a trio of girls was far from Frances’s mind now, as she suffered in bed. She cried out, too loudly. Dr. Bryant reminded her that she’d survived labor pains before. “Don’t you dare say that again,” she said, in a shrill tone that surprised her.
At last, Frances heard the newborn’s cry, faint but lovely. Dr. Bryant chuckled while he clamped and cut the cord. “Mrs. Cleveland, should I bring the president upstairs to see his new daughter? He’s pacing on the front porch. Once he sees this one—she’s beautiful—he won’t regret it’s not a son.”
“Yes,” Frances said, with the strongest voice she could muster. A girl, as she’d guessed. For an instant, with the last of her contractions, she’d ignored her prediction and hoped for a boy. Now, she didn’t linger on that momentary weakness of character. She let a surge of pride swell over her, above the exhaustion. She’d done it. Again.
Frances turned to the local midwife hired to assist. “Tell the steward, his name is Sinclair, to get Ruth and Esther. I want my daughters to see their new sister.”
Frances raised herself a few inches, enough to see the midwife slip into the hall. The woman returned and gave Frances a nod. The girls would come shortly. Frances sank back and watched the midwife wipe down the infant and swaddle her. She did look beautiful. “Here,” Frances said, crooking her arm to make room for Marion, the name Grover chose that would serve for a girl or a boy. The same name as a town across Buzzards Bay, where many of their friends lived. Frances appreciated Grover’s decision to buy an estate on the outskirts of a different but nearby town, Bourne. The family could escape Washington’s heat and busybodies.
And escape the threats.
Hours earlier, Frances gave thanks for the breeze blowing through the open window, reminding her that Gray Gables was perfectly located on a point overlooking the Bay’s east side. But now she blocked the sound of wind and waves. straining to make sense of other sounds, to hear what Grover would say about a third daughter. The doctor scurried downstairs. The midwife remained stationed over the bed, tending to Frances and crooning softly to the baby. Frances ignored the woman, mindful only of the voices wafting in through the window. First, low tones as the doctor talked to Grover. They were friends. Dr. Bryant saved Grover’s life two summers ago, removing the cancer eating away at his palate. Now, Frances imagined the doctor patting her thickset husband on his shoulder and shaking his hand. She hoped Grover would offer the doctor a contented smile. Seconds later, Grover clomped upstairs. The doctor followed behind, with lighter steps.
“So happy, Frankie.” Her husband used one of her nicknames. After their wedding, she asked Grover to call her by her more dignified name, Frances. He still used Frankie or Frank in private moments. She let him—the nicknames added tenderness to his gruff voice. “The doctor tells me you’re fine. You managed without chloroform this time, too. And the baby’s healthy. Marion, right? Three girls. They will enjoy each other’s company.”
He said the right thing. She didn’t need to feel anxious about another girl. He was a good man, kind to her, whatever others thought. He wouldn’t hold the baby, rarely did. But he wiped his chubby hand on a cloth, then touched Marion’s forehead. He stood there for a few minutes, cherishing their third child. For him, it was a fourth, but no matter. His eyes shifted to gaze at her. He wouldn’t see the tall, slender belle he married nine years ago, the one the reporters called lovely. He’d see a tired, sweat-drenched woman who looked every day of her thirty years.
“Ruth and Esther?” Frances asked again, eyeing the midwife. “Did you send Sinclair for them?”
“Yes, ma’am. The steward went a minute ago.” The midwife spoke quietly, carefully. She’d feel nervous in the presence of the president.
Still almost flat in bed, Frances clutched Marion, admiring the infant. Perfect features. Ten fingers and ten toes. Another blessing from God.
A familiar sound at the door. Sinclair knocked softly. His usual pattern—soft, loud, soft—keeping to the household code. Another sound, when the midwife opened the door. Next, Frances would hear four little feet rushing toward the newest baby.
No feet. Only hushed words.
“Sinclair found Annie,” the midwife said. “She’s your older daughter’s nursemaid, right? He tells me she needs another minute to bring Ruth and to tell your younger daughter’s nursemaid to bring Esther.” The midwife stood far from Frances’s bed, speaking almost in a whisper.
Grover didn’t look concerned. His rough mustache skimmed Frances’s cheek as he kissed her lightly on her damp forehead. She was too tired to return the kiss. She heard him drop into the nearby rocking chair.
“Joseph,” he said, addressing the doctor, “you’re certain Frankie is fine? No complications?”
“Just fine, Grover. Ready for the next one before long.”
Four years earlier, when Ruth was born, Dr. Joseph Bryant told Frances how to manage her family. “Breastfeed for six months.” He looked straight at her, with no awkwardness. “You’ll not get in the family way, and the baby will stay healthy. After six months, well, you and Grover can proceed to another.” And so they had. Esther after Ruth. Marion after Esther. A daughter every two years.
Frances closed her eyes, relying on her ears. Dr. Bryant thanked the midwife for her assistance. The woman tidied up, gathering soiled sheets and opening a chest, hunting for fresh linens. The room went silent, except for the soft, repetitious squeak of the rocking chair. Grover leaned up, then back, up then back. Frances sensed herself drifting off.
Another soft knock, barely a sound, followed by a pause, and two more soft knocks. Not Sinclair. One of the nursemaids. Annie? The midwife opened the door. “Ma’am.” Annie’s voice came out as a croak. “I can’t find Ruth.”
***
Author Bio
Marlie Parker Wasserman loves writing historical crime fiction. She has published three novels–First Daughter will be her fourth. After a career in publishing in New Jersey, she moved to Chapel Hill, NC with her husband. When she is not writing, she travels, reads, and sketches. One of her goals is to visit every national park in the U.S., and she is close to her goal.
Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.
Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family’s income is on the line.
The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice—and there’s evidence implicating Bernie in the crime.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Cat On a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn has the Little Detective Agency run by Bernie with his furry partner Chet asked to find the internet sensation Miss Kitty, a missing cat. Chet is the narrator and as just as most dog owners, Quinn puts words into his mouth.
Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom, Evelyn. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family’s income is on the line.
The mystery explores social media influencers and the vast amounts of money that companies spend to have their products posted on social media.
Chet is not a fan of cats ever since Chet flunked out of the K9 police academy because of what he did to a cat. There is also a secondary storyline of some trouble in paradise for Bernie’s ex-wife Leda and her hubby.
This is a fun mystery that will keep readers smiling throughout and turning the pages to see who cat nipped Miss Kitty.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the series?
Spencer Quinn: In many earlier books the stories were much darker with a third person narration. I enjoyed writing about dogs, and they were part of the story. My wife suggested the idea of writing mysteries modeled on the Sherlock Holmes narrative where the sidekick tells the story in the first person. But the sidekick should be a dog, not a talking dog. Some people think this series are cozies but since sometimes dark things happen, they are not in that genre.
EC: How did you get the idea for this book?
SQ: When I began this series in 2009, I do not think there were social media influencers. Now we are moving to a society where everyone will be an influencer or influenced. I do not want to be either. The dog, Chet, has always had a problem with cats. I decided to combine an internet famous cat influencer.
EC: What was the role of Kitty the cat?
SQ: As an influencer the cat was very valuable and worth a lot of money. Chet and Bernie were hired to find this cat who was taken very quickly. I came up with the name because it rhymes with Bitty.
EC: How did you come up with the title?
SQ: Chet has a Facebook page. When I have an idea for a book I write a post. Any reader who suggests the title and I use it gets a signed book copy. I love that kind of reader interaction.
EC: Were you influenced by dog owners who put words to the dog thoughts?
SQ: Yes, just as Shakespeare had Hamlet turn to the audience and recite a soliloquy so the audience knows what is going on in their mind. Similarly, we all talk to our dogs and never lie to them. People say what is in their heart to their dogs. They also can communicate with their owner without talking.
EC: How would you describe Chet?
SQ: He is a 100 plus pounder. His ears do not match. Chet is a mix of some sort. He can bounce back to his reset position very quickly, to have joy in life. I love writing in his voice. I try to keep the human qualities out. He is not a human in a dog suit.
EC: What about the relationship between Chet and Bernie?
SQ: They have a great love for each other, the beating heart of this series. To Chet, Bernie can do no wrong.
EC: How would you describe Bernie?
SQ: Bernie is a war hero, heroically saving a lot of those in his platoon. He is not a salesman at all and financially is not doing very well. He is an introvert. He is dogged when trying to solve a case.
EC: What about Evelyn and Bitty?
SQ: Evelyn, the mom, and Bitty, are Kitty’s owners. They are a divorced family. Bitty’s father is a bad guy. They have a stroke of luck when Miss Kitty becomes popular. I am hoping they are seen as sympathetic characters. Bitty has some childlike elemental goodness in her.
EC: What about Leda and Weatherly?
SQ: When the series starts Bernie is already divorced from Leda. Weatherly, his fiancé, is his true match. In some ways she is just like him. There is something magical about her. We are moving toward a wedding. In some books she plays a huge role but with this one she was not in it much. She is in more in the background in this story. Since this series has a multitude of characters and I always want to advance the story some characters have a bigger role than others.
EC: Next book?
SQ: It will be out in April 2027. The title is Raiders of the Lost Bark. The plot has competing paleontologists trying to find the giant desert tortoise thought to be extinct.
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.
