I’m so excited to be celebrating the release of book two in the Shepherd Sisters Mysteries, Murder On Display! These books found the most perfect publishing home with Tule, with a new book in the series dropping every other month, all year long.
Savanna Shepherd is an accidental sleuth. A former art authenticator whose job it was to detect forgeries from the real thing, Savanna has a knack for spotting clues hiding in plain sight, sometimes without even trying. When she discovers a local politician dead in his locked home, the victim of foul play, and then police arrest a good friend for the murder, Savanna and her sisters race to uncover what really happened. Ratcheting up the stakes are a mysteriously vandalized town monument, a coveted art fair now at risk of being canceled, and a wrench thrown into a budding romance a long time in the making.
So, why three sisters? Who doesn’t love a good bestie trio? I am a sucker for women helping women, girl power, soul sisters, women amplifying women. If a set of sisters, or two friends, seemed like it might be fun to write, three seemed even better. Growing up, I fell in love with Charlie’s Angels—the television series and then the fun and fabulous movies. Those women knew how to team up and kick butt when necessary. I also couldn’t get enough of the gang in Buffy the Vampire slayer—Buffy, Willow, and Xander, and sometimes Cordelia. They were stronger together than alone. And, in a non crime solving example, I also loved the friend group in the show Friends, especially the trio of Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe. They brought out the best in each other.
When Savanna Shepherd first appeared in my mind, fully formed with her own personality traits and back story, I knew she had to be the middle sister. Coming home to her small lakeside town after a decade away, she fits easily back into her family and community. She tends to be the “glue” within her sister trio, and even though Savanna is the primary female protagonist, she relies on her sisters on a daily basis, just as they do her.
Skylar, like me, is the eldest sister. She’s the most serious in the trio, a bit of a perfectionist, her type A personality serving her well in her career as an attorney. Her two younger sisters often have fun poking at serious Skylar, trying to get a laugh out of her but sometimes just causing her exasperation. But Skylar is also the person Savanna and Sydney turn to anytime they’re in need of advice or help with difficult problems—she always comes through.
The youngest sister is Sydney. Free-spirited, laid back, not to be confined by business suits or corporate schedules, Sydney runs a gourmet dog bakery and grooming salon called Fancy Tails and Treats. Sydney delights in finding new ways to tease and joke with her sisters, calms her mind with yoga and meditation, and knows the name of every dog in town. Sydney is the heart of the sister trio, happy-go-lucky, loyal, and quick to act when her sisters need her.
The series of course holds plenty of other intriguing characters: a grumpy but kind detective, a swoon-worthy cardiologist and his bad-boy brother, the sisters’ parents who are relationship-goals to their daughters, and a wealth of intriguing townspeople, some of whom are not to be trusted.
The Shepherd sisters are at the center of this cozy mystery series. They may argue now and then, they don’t always agree, but they love and protect each other fiercely. I can’t imagine a better mystery solving trio!
About the author
Tracy Gardner is an Edgar Award nominated author of two cozy mystery series, one recent novel earning a spot on New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books list. Tracy also writes book club fiction with heart and grit under pen name Jess Sinclair. A Detroit native with one foot in the sand of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tracy is a mother of three, the daughter of two teachers, and works as a nurse when not writing. She lives with her husband and a menagerie of spoiled rescue dogs and cats who inspire every fictional pet she writes. Check out Tracy’s website https://www.tracygardnerbeno.com/.
Old Habits Die Hard includes tropes familiar to any mystery reader. The amateur sleuth can’t stop themself from meddling and helps solve the case. Generation gap. Close-knit community. Eavesdropping, snooping, everyone’s got an axe to grind with everybody else so they’re all suspects. My opening scene tickles me still, Bernie returns to The Abbey: Senior Living one night to discover a body dead in the hallway and the detective called to the scene is her former student. Of course they’ll work together! It’s her turf and his case! Brilliant!
I was in a giddy state of mind writing this book. It was my first time working off a clear outline and knowing exactly how the story ended. Everything slotted into place as neat as you’d like. I sent out my requisite hundred queries to agents and editors and thought I was done. I’d written my first murder mystery, and it wasn’t nearly as challenging as I’d feared. Feeling cocky (and obviously very overconfident) that I’d nailed it in one shot because I am a genius, I got to work on another project involving four women fighting a big corporation from stealing their town’s water. Months later, responses to my queries started coming in: Clever concept, great story, what’s book two about? And three? That’s when I learned a sobering truth. To get this book published, I needed to pitch more Bernie and AJ adventures. Suddenly this project became Much. More. Difficult.
Repeatedly offing the residents at The Abbey: Senior Living is unsustainable for obvious reasons. It was a great idea once, but I’m no Horowitz with Midsomer Murders. Even the great Agatha Christie moved Poirot and Marple around to new settings. I’d foolishly paired the amateur sleuth, a retired nun who lives in senior apartments, with a detective in his late twenties. Any case they work together requires colliding their worlds. AJ’s end of things is easy, as a detective he can take any case I assign to him because solving a crime is literally his job. Bernie’s more challenging because her world must overlap so she has a stake in solving the murder, access to key clues, and a plausible way to be involved in the investigation. Oof. I couldn’t have made this tougher if I’d tried! At least the vicar in Grantchester can help Geordie because of course people will confess their sins to him. There’s a reason most amateur sleuths are writers or reporters because they can always fall back on While I was researching… But a retired nun living in senior apartments? Where do I find her point of entry for the next murder? And the next? And even the next?
Writing Old Habits Die Hard gave me a bigger mystery to solve because I had to figure out whodunnit, how, and why over and over again within very narrow parameters I’d naively set for myself. Thank God I’m a fiction writer, I can make this stuff as I go along, right? Now I’m constantly on the lookout for an idea that would conceivably pull Bernie and AJ back together. In the next book, Dropped Like a Bad Habit, the murder takes place in the neighborhood, down the block from The Abbey. (I confess, I might’ve gotten a little carried away because the bodies kept piling up in that book). In A Regular Habit I send Bernie and AJ out of town where their paths cross as they solve another murder. The Nun the Wiser Mysteries will continue as long as I can keep coming up with credible reasons to bring Bernie and AJ together.
About the author
Melissa Westemeier grew up around the edge of nerd culture, but marriage and motherhood with three sons immersed her in it. She’s fluent in Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Godzilla, and more thanks to their influence. Her fiction work includes rom-com and a trilogy loosely based on her experience tending bar on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. She’s thrilled to realize her childhood dream of writing murder mysteries. Her books blend her humor and appreciation for nerd culture while tackling serious themes and unpacking the puzzle of whodunnit (and how and why!). In her spare time, Melissa needs to be outside or near a window. Her passions include hiking, swimming, biking, reading, and fantasizing about her next vacation destination.
Readers and editors alike have been befuddled by some of the things that appear in my Pecan, Texas Dog Groomer Mysteries. My latest addition to the series, A Wiener Dog Wedding released today so I figured I should give y’all some insight into my Texas madness.
The Stetson Stallion cowboy hat
Worn by Mr. Williams when he was found dead in his hot tub, this is a Texas older gentleman staple. The first hats were actually created by a man traveling west from Pennsylvania but soon the cowboys of Texas took hold, with the ten gallon hat and now if you ask about Stetson Stallions to a life long Texan man, they may have a collection to show you for winter and summer wear.
Bunco
This has become a rising popular past time of women in the last few years, but no greater than church women, bringing pot luck meals and gabbing over this game. Yes the author is a frequenter to the Lutheran church round up of this dice game. It’s a simple, rolling the dice with partners to get to a certain number but it’s more about meeting about with other women and trying to beat them to 21 for the prize.
FFA or Future Farmers of America
This is more than a Texas thing but a group that focuses on agriculture. Our local chapter is also affiliated with the school and agriculture classes that aren’t just about animals but included horticulture as well.
Dr Pepper
All of the characters drink it and it’s available everywhere. That’s because Dr Pepper originated in Texas and you can still visit the Dr Pepper museum in Waco! Most restaurants will serve Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper around here, which is always very upsetting when this author visits her parents in IL and can’t get said Dr Pepper.
Clay soil
It was a big thing in A Corgi Conundrum and how Texas soil is harder to grow certain crops in. Texas has clay, not red dirt clay, but this is like muddy play-doh that takes an art to growing certain things in (which is why we use fertilizer and container gardens). It’s also why houses are built more with bricks, because if you’ve ever been to Texas during a draught, you may find big holes and craters in the yard. That’s the separation of the clay and you don’t want your house separating with it! (Which is also why, yes, we do have a soaker house, to water our house every six months. You heard that right, watering our gardens and our houses).
What other Texas things from the Pecan, Texas Dog Groomer Mystery series have you been confused about? Happy to answer in the comments!
About the author
M. Alfano is a crazy dog lady from a small town in Texas. When not writing cozy mysteries you can find her as the substitute elementary school music teacher or writing contemporary romance under Magan Vernon.
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes an exciting lineup of books you won’t want to miss! Whether you’re in the mood for heart-pounding thrillers, warm and charming cozies, or twisty mysteries that will keep you guessing, these upcoming titles are sure to keep you turning pages well into the season.
To celebrate these new releases, we’re hosting a giveaway! One lucky winner will receive an eBook of one of the upcoming releases. To enter, simply comment below and let us know: What’s your favorite mystery or thriller trope?
We can’t wait to see your answers, and good luck!
She just wants to share her delicious sweets. But a sticky surprise has this amateur detective dusting off her snooping skills.
As the chill of February settles in, there’s no better way to warm up than with a good book—especially when it involves a little mystery, a lot of intrigue, and a dash of cozy charm. This month, we’re beyond excited to introduce two brand-new cozy mysteries that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, all while keeping things comfortably cozy.
Did the professor get what he deserved, or is murder on the prowl in small-town California?
As a late-summer heat wave scorches the sleepy town of Citrus Grove, the suspicious death of a notoriously unpopular professor puts Rebecca and her talking cat, Aneksi, hot on the trail of another cursed artifact and a killer.
Police Detective Nick Devon, her dashing new flame, is following the rulebook in his investigation, but the Cuthbert Exotic Antiques manager is trusting her instincts as she follows the clues. With her grandfather distracted by an unexpected visitor—who may not be what he seems—and Aneksi rekindling a bond with a long-lost sibling, Rebecca knows she’s on her own to search for the ancient scepter that may hold the key to the dead professor’s medical miracle…and the reason behind his demise.
In this twisty tale of hidden motives, intensifying danger, and a dash of magic, Rebecca must rely on her wits—and, hopefully, Aneksi’s sharp claws—to solve the case before she becomes the cunning murderer’s next victim.
What you can expect: plenty of feline antics, sharp detective work, and a sense of humor that’ll have you chuckling through every chapter. Whether you’re a die-hard cat lover or just looking for a mystery that’s both lighthearted and gripping, this cozy is your perfect companion for a chilly February evening.
Join the Shepherd sisters in solving a mystery…before it’s too late! This artful cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Krista Davis and Joanne Fluke.
Savanna Shepherd is a former art authenticator―someone who can tell a forgery from the real thing. She’s got a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight.
After being fired and dumped in the same terrible day, Savanna moves back to her idyllic hometown on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as a grade school art teacher.
Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural. But when a cozy book club meeting ends with a possible murder, and then dangerous incidents occur in and around the friend’s mansion, Savanna’s sharp eye is put to the test. With a little help from her sisters―and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor―will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture?
What you can expect: It’s not just the cleverly crafted mystery, but the rich, atmospheric setting and the fun loving cast. You’ll find yourself guessing at every twist and turn, unable to put the book down until the final page. If you’re looking for a new book to cozy up with, this one will keep you hooked.
