The Entitled – Nancy Boyarsky

I’m pleased to welcome back another of my favorite authors, Nancy Boyarsky.

Nancy Boyarsky is the bestselling author of the award-winning Nicole Graves Mysteries, of which The Entitled is the fifth in the series. The entitled is on Apple Books list of most anticipated fall books of 2020. Nancy’s first mystery, The Swap, won a gold medal in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards.

Before turning to mysteries, Nancy coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book, with her husband, Bill Boyarsky. She has written several textbooks on the justice system as well as articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and McCall’s. She also contributed to political anthologies, including In the Running, about women’s political campaigns. In addition to her writing career, she was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

Nancy’s latest mystery is: The Entitled

P.I. Nicole Graves’ latest assignment sends her overseas to retrieve Abigail Fletcher, a 17-year-old in a study abroad program at the prestigious King’s College in London. The assignment sounds simple enough. But Abigail’s return is put on indefinite hold when she’s charged with the murder of her boyfriend, a former student at King’s. Nicole believes Abigail has been framed, but the victim’s tight-knit circle of friends and relatives are most unwilling to talk to an American detective. Further complicating the case, is Abigail’s defiant and uncooperative attitude. As evidence stacks up against her, Nicole discovers that she herself has become the next target. Nicole’s first solo case abroad as a private detective has just turned a lot more deadly than she ever anticipated.

Here’s a short excerpt:

The Abigail who emerged looked different from the cool, self-confident young woman who’d walked into the pub the night before. Her left eye was swollen shut and beginning to turn purple. Even more horrifying, dull red stains were splattered down the front of her white coat, unmistakably half-dried blood. Her face was dirty and streaked with tears. Her hair stuck out on one side and was flat on the other. No wonder the desk clerk hesitated to send her up.

“Oh, my God,” Nicole said. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

Abigail gulped and tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead she put her hands over her face and began to sob.

My✰✰✰✰✰ Review

In this, the 5th Nicole Graves mystery, Nicole once again finds herself in London, but this time her job is to accompany a rich teenager back to the states. An easy assignment for this P.I. That is, until things turn deadly and her charge is arrested for murder. Nicole immediately puts her investigative skills to work to find the real killer. But the killer doesn’t want to be found, and Nicole’s life is soon in danger. Realizing she can’t do it alone, Nicole locates her former boyfriend and enlists his help. Needless to say, as a team, they do a bang-up job.

If you’re looking for a mystery to hold your interest, with great characters, descriptive settings, and an intriguing storyline to keep you turning the pages, this book is for you. I really enjoyed reading this novel, as I did all the Nicole Graves mysteries.

Author’s Website: https://www.facebook.com/nancyboyarskyauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9020987.Nancy_Boyarsky

Website: https://www.nicolegravesmysteries.com/the-entitled

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084S1PFR6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2

B&N: https://https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-entitled-nancy-boyarsky/1136434135?ean=9781611533248

Apple: https://https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-entitled/id1517154065

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-entitled-2

Nancy and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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The Silver Dollar Connection – Marja McGraw

I’m pleased to welcome back another of my favorite authors, Marja McGraw.

Marja McGraw has worked in both civil and criminal law, state transportation, and for a city building department.  She has lived and worked in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, and Washington.

She wrote a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Northern Nevada, and conducted a Writers’ Support Group in Northern Arizona. A past member of Sisters in Crime (SinC), she was the Editor for the SinC-Internet Newsletter for a year and a half.

Marja writes two mystery series, The Sandi Webster Mysteries and The Bogey Man Mysteries, which are light reading with a touch of humor. She also occasionally writes stories that aren’t part of a series.

Marja says that each of her mysteries contains a little humor, a little romance and A Little Murder!

She now lives in Washington, where life is good.

The Silver Dollar Connection

From his hospital bed, an older, very cranky Private Investigator asks Sandi Webster to take over a case for him. He’s so pleased with the results that he calls on her to handle another case.

He’s received information that his estranged son may be in danger, which leads Sandi to a rickety old cabin in the mountains, a few antisocial veterans, and some greedy interlopers who arrive on the scene unannounced.

Rocky, the very cranky P.I., has what turns out to be a deadly secret.

Here’s a short, but interesting, sample from the novel:

“Are you lost?” he asked, his deep voice not sounding at all like Rocky’s. He walked toward me and stopped just in front of me.

“No, sir. I’m looking for someone. Can you help me?”

He stood with his feet apart and his arms folded across his chest, and looked down his nose at me. Yes, he was quite tall, like Rocky.

“Depends. Who’re you looking for?”

“Brian Rhoades,” I replied.

He took a step back. “Who are you?”

“My name is Sandi Webster-Goldberg and I’m a private investigator. Your father sent me.”

He stared at me, his eyes squinted against the sun behind me.

I waited, but he didn’t speak for the longest time.

Here’s my ✰✰✰✰✰ review

P.I. Sandi Webster-Goldberg is off on another assignment. This time to search for an old friend’s son. Not only does she take her P.I. husband, Pete, along, she takes her entire family. Or rather, her family members invite themselves along.

There’s never a dull moment with Sandi’s Mom, Frank, Aunt Martha, and Griz along for company, not to mention her two dogs. They not only find who they’re looking for, they find a lot more then they ever imagined, including murder. So get your copy today and read about the delicious bacon, peanut butter, and tomato sandwich.

“Trust me, it’s good,” said Sandi Webster Goldberg.

I enjoyed reading every page of this latest book in the delightful Sandi Webster Cozy Mystery Series, and I hope there will be many more books to come.

 

Marja’s blog can be read at http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.com/

Books available at: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marja.mcgraw

Twitter: @McMarja

Marja and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Out of the Woods – Patricia Gligor

I’ve been having problems with my website/blog for the longest time, but I’m happy to announce that it’s back up and working, so I can once again host authors and their new, or in some cases, not so new, novels. But in any case, they’re all great reads.

This week, I’m excited to host one of my favorite authors, Patricia Gligor.

 

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department but her passion has always been writing fiction.

Ms. Gligor has written the five-book Malone mystery series: Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business, Desperate Deeds, Mistaken Identity and Marnie Malone. The first three books in her Small Town mystery series are:  Secrets in Storyville, Murder at Maple Ridge and Out of the Woods.

Out of the Woods

Kate Morgan, a single mother raising her eleven-year-old daughter, Mandy, in Storyville, Ohio, feels like she’s finally getting her life together, both professionally and personally. Her first mystery novel is about to be published and she and Chad Hollingsworth are engaged to be married. She’s looking forward to a bright future. Until the past comes back to haunt her.

Eleven years ago, a string of home invasions took place in Kate’s hometown, threatening the safety and security of the elderly residents. The burglaries stopped abruptly – until now.

And, eleven years ago, Bobby Benton, Mandy’s father, left town, never returning – until now. The police consider Bobby a person of interest in the crimes and, for the sake of her daughter, Kate is determined to figure out the identity of the perpetrator in order to clear his name. However, she quickly discovers that’s easier said than done.

Here is a short excerpt from,  Out of the Woods:

Something tickled the back of my brain but, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out what it was. Talk about frustrating! Was it something I’d heard, seen or read? Whatever it was, I knew it was related to the break-ins and that it was important. For all I knew, it could even be the key to solving the crimes. Maybe if I stopped thinking about it, it would come to me.

Here’s my ✰✰✰✰✰ review:

Kate Morgan is living a quiet life in Storyville with her parents, and her daughter Mandy when Mandy’s father decides he wants to get to know his daughter after eleven years of no contact. He’s moving back to town, having previously abandoned Kate and Mandy. This might pose a problem because Kate is now engaged to Chad Hollingsworth, and she’s not quite sure how she feels about Bobby, Mandy’s dad. But Mandy is super-excited to be with her father at last. Meanwhile, homes are being broken into, and Bobby appears to be the culprit.

Take an in-depth look into the lives of small town people, their feelings, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness, with a mystery, and a spry granny thrown in for good measure. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this novel as much as I did. It’s storytelling at its best.

Link to my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor

Link to my Twitter page:

https://twitter.com/PatriciaGligor

Link to my blog:

https://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com

Amazon link for Out of the Woods:

https://tinyurl.com/ybgn8myf

Patricia and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

 

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Marja McGraw – No One Will Find Me

I’m pleased to end the year with one of my favorite authors, Marja, McGraw.

 

Marja McGraw has worked in both civil and criminal law, state transportation, and for a city building department.  She has lived and worked in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, and Washington.

She wrote a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Northern Nevada, and conducted a Writers’ Support Group in Northern Arizona. A past member of Sisters in Crime (SinC), she was the Editor for the SinC-Internet Newsletter for a year and a half.

Marja writes two mystery series, The Sandi Webster Mysteries and The Bogey Man Mysteries, which are light reading with a touch of humor. She says that each of her mysteries contains a little humor, a little romance and A Little Murder!

She now lives in Washington, where life is good.

Marja’s latest Sandi Webster mystery is, No One Will Find Me.

Sandi and Pete take a vacation along with friends Felicity and Stanley, to visit her parents at their Bed and Breakfast in Arizona. What could possibly go wrong?

Sandi’s stepfather, Frank, takes the four out ATVing to a seldom traveled part of the desert, and a missive left by Jennifer Crisp over fifty years earlier is found on the underside of a rock outcropping.

That short note grabs hold of Sandi’s curious and stubborn side and leads to the discovery of bodies buried in the desert dating back to the 1960s era. The desert is, unfortunately, a good place to hide bodies, and Sandi searches for both Jennifer and a possible serial killer.

Will her relatives help or hinder her search?

Here’s a short excerpt from, No One Will Find Me:

(Somewhere out in the desert, something is found on the underside of an outcropping.) Someone had written a note using a pencil. I read it twice, not believing what I was seeing. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, there was a story – a mystery of sorts.

“It’s July 28, 1964. No one will find me. He drove me out here and left me. Someone needs to know I was here. Remember my name, Jennifer Crisp. He…”

The “e” in “he” had a tail on it. I had a feeling the pencil lead had broken and she never finished her note.

 

Here’s my ✰✰✰✰✰ review of, No One Will Find Me:

No matter where P.I. Sandi Webster-Goldberg goes, she manages to find a mystery. Even when she’s on vacation with her husband, Pete—which is where she is in this novel, visiting her Mother and Step-father at their B & B in Arizona. This time, she discovers the disappearance of a women circa 1964, in the desert. And that’s all it takes for her to dig her heels in and solve the case, which she does very nicely in cozy mystery style, with the help of her husband, her mom, her aunt, her two friends/business associates, and her dogs. This is a “can’t put the book down” story that keeps you guessing until the very end. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading it. Another wonderful mystery from the pen of author, Marja McGraw.

Evelyn, Thank  you so much for having me as a guest!

Website: Under construction

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/marja.mcgraw

Twitter: @McMarja

Blog: On hiatus, but hopefully back soon (http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.com/)

Book available at: https://www.amazon.com/No-One-Will-Find-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B082493YXM/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=marja+mcgraw&qid=1577301639&s=books&sr=1-2

It’s been my pleasure, Marja. I hope to have you as a guest on my blog, often.

Marja and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Murder at Maple Ridge – Patricia Gligor

Today I’m hosting another of my favorite authors, Patricia Gligor.

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, traveling and touring and photographing old houses. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department but her passion has always been writing fiction.

Ms. Gligor is the author of the five-book Malone Mystery series. “Murder at Maple Ridge” is the second book in her Small Town mystery series.

Murder at Maple Ridge

Kate Morgan loves a good mystery. She’s an avid reader and she recently finished writing a murder mystery. The story takes place at the fictionalized version of Maple Ridge, the real life home of Chad Hollingsworth, the man Kate has been dating for the past year.

Chad has invited Kate to his parents’ annual New Year’s Eve party where Kate will meet the other members of his family. On the drive to Maple Ridge, he tells her, “I have to warn you. When the Hollingsworth family gets together, there’s always a lot of drinking and drama.” He has no way of knowing there will be a murder.

In a strange twist of fate, there are numerous similarities between Kate’s manuscript and what actually happens. Kate is determined to separate fact from fiction by figuring out the identity of the killer. But she soon discovers that solving a murder in real life is a lot harder than figuring out whodunit in a mystery novel.

Here’s a short excerpt:

I thought about Chad’s words on the drive to Maple Ridge. “Kate, I think I should warn you. There’s always a lot of drinking and drama when the Hollingsworth family gets together and, sometimes, things get a bit out of hand.” Now that might just have been the understatement of the century. Because, as we’d headed toward his parents’ house, neither of us had had any idea of what was to come.

My ✰✰✰✰✰ Review

In this second book in the Small Town Mystery Series, Kate Morgan has just gotten engaged, and she’s come to Maple Ridge to meet her new fiancé’s family. When Chad tells her the Hollingsworth family’s get-togethers are always full of drinking and drama, he isn’t kidding, because Kate gets involved in solving a murder. The only problem is that everyone appears to be a suspect, including her. It doesn’t help that she’d just written a manuscript that mirrors the murder. With twists and turns and suspects galore, this is a genuinely interesting who-done-it. I highly recommend this book along with the first book in the series, Secrets in Storyville.

My blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaGligor

Amazon author page: http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4

Pat and I would love to hear from you so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Bones in the Attic – F.M. Meredith

Today I’m happy to host another of my favorite mystery authors,

F. M. Meredith.

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of over 40 published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement.

Bones in the Attic

The discovery of a skeleton, a welfare check on a senior citizen, and a wildfire challenge the Rocky Bluff P.D in book 15 of the Series

Here’s a short excerpt:

The moment Detective Doug Milligan heard his teenaged daughter’s excited voice, he knew his quiet Saturday at home with his wife and stepson had ended. “Calm down, Beth, and tell me exactly what happened.”

Here’s My ✰✰✰✰✰Review

Detective Doug Milligan’s daughter, along with her high school art group, just started to decorate an old abandoned house for Halloween, when one of the students finds a large chest in the attic with a skeleton inside. In this continuing glimpse into the lives of the Rocky Bluff Police force, this is just the first incident in a hectic week. A missing neighbor, thieves disguised as police officers, and a wild fire threatening to wipe out the town, not only keep these law enforcement individuals hustling, they also keep the reader turning pages. This is a fast-paced police procedural that kept me up well into the night. Needless to say, I enjoyed reading this novel and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

While this is the newest in a long series, it can also be read as a standalone.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marilynmeredith/

And she’s a regular on these blogs:

2nd and 4th Tuesday: https://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/

4th Monday of the month: https://ladiesofmystery.com/

Marilyn and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Nancy Boyarsky – The Ransom

Today, I’m hosting one of my favorite authors, Nancy Boyarsky.

Nancy Boyarsky is the award-winning author of the Nicole Graves Mysteries. Her fourth installment of the series, The Ransom has just been released by Light Messages Publishing.

The Ransom is Nancy’s fourth Nicole Nicole Graves mysteries. Before turning to mysteries, Nancy coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book, with her husband, Bill Boyarsky. She has also written for the Los Angeles Times, West magazine, Forbes, McCallsPlaygirl, Westways, and other publications. She was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

Nancy is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a major in English literature. She lives in Los Angeles. Readers are invited to connect with her through her website: nancyboyarsky.com. She is currently working on a fifth book in the Nicole Graves series.

The Ransom

As a new private investigator, Nicole Graves expects to take on legal cases for corporate clients. But when her client’s son, Brad Rexton, is killed trying to protect his wife, Ashley, from a home invasion/kidnapping, Nicole is hired to investigate what will be her most dangerous case yet. Soon, someone dear to her is kidnapped in the same way as Ashley. Nicole is willing to pay ransom but it’s not so easy. When the kidnappers deliver a terrifying threat, Nicole is faced with a dreadful choice.

Here is an except from, The Ransom

The last thing Stephanie remembered was waking up to the sounds of a scuffle and a loud thud from the direction of the living room. David’s side of the bed was empty. She’d started to get up—and then what? Nothing.

A wave of drowsiness almost overwhelmed her, but she resisted, forcing herself to sit up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and stood up. The sudden movement made her so dizzy she immediately sat back down. She tried again, this time easing herself up more slowly. Still off balance, she stumbled forward until she reached a wall. She leaned against it, using it for support as she moved forward in search of a light switch. Only when she stubbed her toe did she realize her feet were bare. No wonder she was so cold; the floor felt like cement, and it was freezing. She became more cautious, taking smaller steps to propel herself along. The wall was cold, too, with a rough texture. Her best guess was that she was in a basement. But what basement? Their apartment house just had underground parking. Questions ate at her, fueling her sense of panic. Where was she? How had she gotten here and why? All of her instincts told her that she had to get away from here before something terrible happened.

My ✰✰✰✰✰ Review

In yet another excellent mystery by Nancy Boyarsky, things get scary for new private investigator, Nicole Graves when her sister is kidnapped and held for ransom. At first, it appears to be the work of a serial kidnapping ring, and all she’d have to do is pay the ransom, and her sister would be released. But things get complicated after someone associated with another kidnapping is killed, one of the other victims goes missing, the police get involved, and Nicole’s money drop is not picked up… twice!

This is a fast-paced, nail-biter, that will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Website: nancyboyarsky.com

Links to sales:

https://www.amazon.com/Ransom-Nicole-Graves-Mystery/dp/1611533171

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-ransom/id1448951429

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ransom-nancy-boyarsky/1130077264

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-ransom-14

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781611533170

Nancy and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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Spirit Wind – Marilyn Meredith

Today, I’m hosting one of my favorite authors, Marilyn Meredith.

Marilyn has had so many books published, she’s lost track of the count, but it’s getting near 40. She lives in a community similar to the fictional mountain town of Bear Creek, the big difference being that Bear Creek is a thousand feet higher in the mountains.

She is a member of Mystery Writers of American, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, and is a board member of Public Safety Writers of America.

Deputy Tempe Crabtree and the Spirit World

First, I want to thank Evelyn for hosting me today. Though we’ve never met in person, I consider her to be my friend.

Many of the mysteries in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series center around or have mention of ghosts or spiritual entities.  It wasn’t something I planned; it evolved naturally through the many books in the series.

You may have wondered if I’ve encountered ghosts in my own life, and the answer is “no.” I will admit to an interest or to be honest, a fascination with ghostly tales and haunted houses.

The first spirit appeared in the 4th mystery, Intervention, in the form of a great blue heron.

When Tempe called back the dead in Calling the Dead, to find out the truth about a murder and a suicide, she opened herself up to the spirit world.  In other books, spirits have appeared to Tempe, most notable in Spirit Shapes, which not only had ghosts, but evil spirits and even angels.

And of course, a title like River Spirits, lets the reader know that there are spirit that come from unusual places.

Not as it Seems features spirits of early Californian natives from the Chumash and the Salinans.

In A Cold Death Tempe encounters the ghost of a young girl who helps unravel the murder of one of the guests in the snow-bound lodge.

In Tempe’s latest quest, Spirit Wind, there’s a haunted house, a ghost, and a spirit voice in the wind.  

Ghosts and spirits from the past have made appearances in other Tempe Crabtree mysteries, but because I’m a “pantser” which means I write from the seat-of-my-pants, rather than outline, I’m usually quite surprised when I realize that something supernatural wants to be on the scene.

I’m not sure what that means except that I’m always happy to include these other worldly beings when they are nudging me to jump into whatever story I happen to be working on. I think they add interesting elements to the plots and I’m certainly not going to ignore them. And I must admit, I’ve had fun writing about them

Do you enjoy mysteries with a touch of the supernatural?

Marilyn

Spirit Wind

A call from a ghost hunter changes Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s vacation plans. Instead of going to the coast, she and her husband are headed to Tehachapi to investigate a haunted house and are confronted by voices on the wind, a murder, and someone out to get them.

My ✰✰✰✰✰ Review

While I’ve never been to Tehachapi, I feel as though I was there while reading Marilyn Meredith’s latest Tempe Crabtree novel: A mix of murder and the Native American spirit world, wrapped up in an engaging mystery. Loved the characters and the setting. The intriguing plot kept me turning pages well into the night. I’ve read many of Marilyn’s Rocky Bluff mysteries, and have even had my namesake in one of them, Murder in the Worst Degree, but Spirit Wind is my first Tempe Crabtree mystery. Now I’m sorry I hadn’t read more of them. I have to admit, I did like the supernatural touch. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this wonderful novel as much as I did.

Website URL: http://fictionforyou.com

Blog URL: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Facebook URL: Marilyn Meredith

Twitter: @marilynmeredith

Buy links for Seldom Traveled:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Seldom-Traveled-Tempe-Crabtree-Mystery/dp/1594264333/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474237735&sr=8-2&keywords=seldom+traveled+meredith

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seldom-traveled-marilyn-meredith/1124443124?ean=2940156979882

Marilyn and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

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King’s River Life Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcasts

This month, I’m hosting King’s River Life’s Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcasts.

Stop by the Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcasts to hear mysteries by your favorite authors come to life. Episodes of Kings River Life’s new podcast Mysteryrat’s Maze, consist of mystery short stories and first chapters of mystery novels read by local actors.

In current and future podcasts you will hear stories and chapters by Jeri Westerson, Dennis Palumbo, Cleo Coyle, Elaine Viets, Lesley Diehl, Nancy Cole Silverman, and many more!

New episodes go up the first and third Tuesday of the month. You can listen to the episodes at mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com, and on iTunes and Google Play. https://mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com/

Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast: wishing you a life full of mystery!

A mystery podcast produced by Kings River Life Magazine (kingsriverlife.com) with short stories & first chapters read by local actors….

Click on any of the links to go right to the podcasts. They’re fun to listen to, and you may find some great new books to read.

mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com

If you’re already a fan, please leave a comment to show your support for this wonderful new program. If you’re not, click on a link to become one.

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Saving Ferris by A.R. Kennedy

Today I’m hosting author, A. R. Kennedy.

Alicia Kennedy was born and raised on Long Island, New York. (And no, she doesn’t have that Long Island accent). The finale of her Nathan Miccoli Mystery series, the 8th in the series, is expected in 2019. When not working on her next novel, she works full time in healthcare to feed (and sometimes clothe) her two little dogs. Both are named after her favorite fictional characters from British entertainment, which few friends and neighbors understand.

The Nathan Miccoli Mystery series is her debut series.

Her latest book is, Saving Ferris.

My novel, Saving Ferris, explores the concept that pets are legally considered property while most people would consider them family. It follows recent widow Cecilia Cecilia and Police Chief Holden Owens from when she kills an intruder who threatens her dog, Ferris, through her arrest and murder trial.

During the early days of research for Saving Ferris, I read that 90% of pet owners considered their pets family. I recently read an article that made me consider this concept more closely. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-dogs-go-heaven/201510/are-pets-really-family)

Jessica Pierce, PhD, writes Are Pets Really Family? This common sound-bite needs reconsideration.

When I first read the statistic that 90% of pet owners were considered family, I thought this was a good thing. It is certainly a good thing in my home. But the article makes me reconsider this. Because not everyone treats their family well. And I have seen this first hand.

My full-time job, the one that puts food on the floor as I tell my dogs, is I’m a home care physical therapist. Treating patients in their homes is a far different experience than treating patients in a hospital or outpatient clinic. People act far differently in their homes than they do in public. I have seen close up how people treat their families. I’ve seen unbelievable devotion and remarkable kindness. I’ve also seen the flip side of this—situations where Adult Protective Services have to be called in.

This is what Dr. Pierce discusses in her article. (She also cites the source of the 90% statistic.) She discusses the many articles she read researching her book and learned that although many dogs are considered family, not all dogs are treated well.

She concludes with— ‘Whenever you hear the “pets are family” think of it not as a fact, not as the way it is, but as a moral and practical ideal.’

What is your ideal? I look forward to your comments.

Saving Ferris

After Cecilia’s husband dies, she’s forced to become Ferris’s caregiver, something she does not immediately warm to. But when his life is threatened by an intruder, she shoots the intruder to save the golden retriever. Police Chief Holden Owens thinks Cecilia acted lawfully, but few agree. The prosecutor feels that Cecilia has committed murder, not self-defense. In the eyes of the law, one can use lethal force to protect themselves and others, but not property. Pets are considered property. Holden loses his fight with the prosecutor and is now in a new fight—his undeniable attraction to Cecilia. Celebrity defense attorney Wyatt Sewell identifies a sympathetic defendant, a case he can win, and a way to garner more acclaim. When he learns of Cecilia’s motive, to save Ferris, he sees a blockbuster case that can set legal precedent. He forces the jurors to ask themselves— Is your pet property or family? Will saving Ferris’s life cost Cecilia her freedom? And a second chance at love?

Here’s short excerpt from Saving Farris:

Cecilia woke up. She’d never get used to the darkness of country nights. She rolled over to return to sleep and heard the noise that must have been the cause of the early wake-up call. A small yip from the window. She mumbled her displeasure and slapped her husband’s side of the bed.

“Joey, wake up.” No response. “Joey.” She reached for him again and found nothing but his cold pillow. A small yip again. “Dumb dog,” she mumbled. She was fully awake now, remembering why her husband’s side of the bed was empty. Why it would forever be empty.

Cecilia sat up at the edge of the bed and hung her head. She no longer wanted to be in the empty bed. A low growl emanated from the dog. “Okay, Ferris. I’m coming.”

She snapped on a nightlight and shielded her eyes from the small, yet bright, light. In the city, she could have seen the bedroom without such an aid. Some people called it light pollution. Cecilia called it the life of the city.

She could make out the profile of Ferris, staring out the window onto their backyard. He stood tall enough that his head rested on the windowsill. She often found the golden retriever looking out any window of the house like this. Waiting for Joey to return, she assumed. She had done it for weeks too.

But tonight, he stood at alert.

“Do you want to go out or what? Remember, I’m not the one who likes you, so hurry up.”

He turned his head briefly and looked at her, then returned his attention to the backyard. “I am not taking you out in the middle of the night to chase a squirrel.” The backyard’s motion sensor light was on and she cursed the squirrel that must have triggered it.

She started to lie back down and return to her dreamless sleep. The dreams, in reality and in sleep, had disappeared with Joey. The call of nature diverted her and she headed to the bathroom instead.

With the door to the hallway open and the rest of the house now available, Ferris took off and ran down the stairs. “I’ll take that as I got to go now too, woman.”

Putting Ferris’s bathroom needs before her own, she followed him downstairs to the kitchen’s sliding glass door, his exit to the spacious backyard. It was far more likely he’d have an accident than she and she didn’t want to spend the rest of the night cleaning up his mess.

She snapped on the kitchen light. Now that she was fully awake, the light no longer caused discomfort. She doubted she’d return to sleep again tonight anyway.

“Calm down,” Cecilia told the dog as she struggled to put on his leash. “I know Joey lets you run around but I’m not chasing you at two in the morning.” It was no surprise that Ferris continued to move. Listening was not his forte. It was how he got homed here.

Cecilia finally got the camouflage leash on Ferris’s collar and opened the sliding glass door. Ferris squeezed through before she had it fully open, pulling her through as well. An alarm beeped and she reached for the doorframe to stop her momentum. “Ferris, come on!”

Ferris had a lot of flaws but pulling her on their walks was not one of them. Holding the leash in one hand and firmly placing her foot over the doorframe, she quickly punched in the alarm code. The incrementally louder and faster beeping stopped. She stepped onto the patio and Ferris pulled her onto the backyard’s grass. “You really are a pain in the tush tonight.”

The motion light flicked on as Ferris pulled her into the middle of the yard. He stopped and surveyed what Cecilia figured he imagined as his kingdom. Again, he was in high alert.

She looked around the yard but could only see as far as the backyard’s light illuminated. She couldn’t see the fence that ran around the acre of land. She couldn’t see her closest neighbor’s home. She couldn’t see anything but Ferris. And her breath in the cool night air.

“What’s wrong with you?” She patted him on his back. Usually when she petted him on his back, he squirmed in glee. Tonight, she didn’t think he even noticed the touch.

With the damp grass soaking through her socks, Cecilia wished she had put on shoes. The chill ran up her body and she regretted not putting on a jacket as well. Joey’s T-shirt and boxers did little to keep her warm. Hoping to generate a little warmth, she told Ferris, “Come on, one lap and we’re back in.” Several pulls on his leash yielded no movement. With no motion, the yard’s light flipped off. Suddenly engulfed in darkness, Cecilia let out a short scream.

Ferris twirled around, yanking Cecilia with him. As the light flipped back on, Cecilia screamed again.

You can buy, Saving Ferris, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Ferris-R-Kennedy-ebook/dp/B07GFRPK36/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G2WF7P1U74JD&keywords=saving+ferris&qid=1552254273&s=digital-text&sprefix=Saving+Ferris%2Caps%2C151&sr=1-1-catcorr

Alicia Kennedy and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.

 

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