Annette Dashofy--When Sidekicks Take Over

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  We have a "favorite author" bonus for you here on Jungle Red today! Just back in October Annette Dashofy was on the blog, sharing the third novel in her Detective Matthias Honeywell series, THE DEVIL COMES CALLING.

And now there is fourth Detective Honeywell, NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED! How lucky are we to have another book in this terrific series! This one has a super premise, too, as Annette will explain!

When Sidekicks Take Over

 Annette Dashofy

Fictional sidekicks come in all forms, shapes, and sizes from Snoopy to Robin to Chewbacca to Dr. Watson. If you think about it, what would our favorite heroes be without them. Charlie Brown without his beagle? Batman with no Robin? Who besides Chewy would put up with Han Solo? And Sherlock would be intolerable without Dr. Watson.

I think it’s safe to say, as readers and viewers, we love our sidekicks. As writers, we love them, too.

Generally, when we’re creating our cast for a new book or series, each character tends to have their own specific “purpose” within the story. Protagonist AKA hero, love interest, mentor, villain, and the previously mentioned sidekick. Often one character takes on dual roles. A sidekick might also become the hero’s love interest. Think Pepper Potts in the Iron Man movies. Lois Lane might fit the category as well. A sidekick might also be a mentor. Or as in the Star Wars example above, they can provide comic relief.

And sometimes, the sidekicks or other secondary characters outgrow their small roles to become fan favorites. It’s almost as though they don’t realize they’re only sidekicks.

For instance, Pete’s father Harry in my Zoe Chambers mysteries was never meant to appear beyond the end of Lost Legacy, which was the second in the thirteen-book series. Readers, though, kept hounding me. When’s Harry coming back? How’s Harry doing? We want more Harry!

It took a while, but I did find several more stories for dear Harry.

Something similar has been happening with my Detective Honeywell mysteries. In this case, Detective Sergeant Cassie Malone is Matthias Honeywell’s partner. She’s older, taller, and carries a higher rank, all of which she never lets him forget. From the very beginning, I’ve described her as part Amazon warrior, part mother hen. She’s also better with people than he is. But Matthias knows Cassie has his back no matter what.

She’s been a great counterpoint to him in so many ways. Matthias dates frequently, but rarely (until he meets Emma Anderson, that is) gets to a second date. Cassie has been happily married to a veterinarian for decades and is raising her 8-year-old granddaughter whose mother (Cassie’s military daughter) is deployed overseas.  

It’s been a blast writing her as the Wise One of the pair.

While it was never my intention, it became a natural progression to give her a featured role in No Stone Left Unturned, my fourth Detective Honeywell Mystery. Instead of simply being a smart, savvy cop, we get to see her deal with tragedy in her own family. She’s still tough, but she’s also vulnerable. Forced to sit on the sidelines in an investigation into her husband’s shooting, she must rely on Matthias and the rest of the police force to do what she’s used to doing—tracking down the bad guy. And we get to meet the rest of the Malone family, who up until now have only been mentioned in passing.

And ultimately, we get to see Cassie as a victim. Will she be tough enough to save herself?

You’ll have to wait to find out!

I’ve had a lot of fun shifting much of the focus and storyline to a secondary character and getting to flesh her out. How about you, Reds? When have you brought a sidekick or minor recurring character to the forefront of the action? And, readers, do you enjoy getting to know more about the peripheral members of the cast? Are there sidekicks you would like to see more of?

DEBS: I have certainly had my sidekicks decide they want to be major characters! Looking at you, Melody Talbot and Doug Cullen!

Here's more about NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED:

When a local Erie vet is shot during a robbery, Erie City Police Detective Matthias Honeywell and his partner Cassie Malone are tasked with pursuing the perpetrators. But as they close in on the truth, a mysterious sniper targets those involved in the case.

Emma Anderson has seen more than her share of cases since becoming a journalist in Lake Erie, and with news of the shooting becoming local interest, her instincts kick in. What she didn’t expect to uncover was a secret that could cause an ethical dilemma between Matthias and Cassie.

As the search for the sniper continues and the investigation taking a dark turn, Cassie and Emma find themselves caught up in a kidnapping plot. As the women are forced to draw on their resourcefulness to survive, will they manage to escape or is time against them?

I can't wait to find out!

 

Christmas Reading Treasures

DEBORAH CROMBIE: One of my favorite traditions of the holidays is getting out my well-loved Christmas books. Some of them are quite bedraggled! Look at this much-patched copy of Clement C. Moore's THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Other than the dust jacket, the book is in beautiful condition.

And the book plate, with my maiden name in my still loopy schoolgirl handwriting!

Or how about A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1961 edition, illustrated by Ronald Searle? This one is stamped inside with my parents' name and address.

And this is a replacement copy of my decades old paperback copy of Dylan Thomas's A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, illustrated with woodcuts by Ellen Raskin. I still have the tattered original, and I have different, newer editions, but none of them have quite the same charm.

There is also a 1984 edition of THE NUTCRACKER illustrated by Maurice Sendak!

Aren't these illustrations fabulous??

But most treasured of all is my copy of the Christmas story published in 1973 by my late uncle, A.C. Greene, A CHRISTMAS TREE, illustrated by the painter Ancel E. Nunn, who was his great friend. It's about his childhood Christmases in west Texas, and one particular year when the Christmas tree didn't quite fit. If ever you can find a copy, snap it up!

Unfortunately, the book was at one time shelved on a lower shelf in one of our bookcases and some puppy or other, I don't remember which one was the culprit, chewed a corner quite thoroughly.

Now the book is kept safely stowed on a top shelf!

All of these have pride of place on our coffee table for the season, just waiting to be read. The only problem is finding the time to sit down and enjoy them!

Dear REDs and readers, do you have treasured Christmas books? And which is your favorite?

Paula Munier--The Snow Lies Deep

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I adore Paula Munier's Mercy Carr books when they are set any time of the year, but Christmas, and Christmas in snowy Vermont, is the icing on the Buche de Noel!! And if a new adventure featuring Mercy and Troy with their search and rescue dogs Elvis and Susie doesn't get you in the mood to curl up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, Paula has a few more suggestions to get you in the mood!

Winter Solstice

Paula Munier

“You can’t get too much winter in the winter.”

 — Robert Frost

Winter is my favorite season. I love everything about it: the snow, the soup, and most important, reading and writing snuggled up with a cat and a dog (or two or three or four) by the fire. That’s why, for me, the Winter Solstice is a very important holiday.

So important that in my latest Mercy Carr mystery, THE SNOW LIES DEEP, the Winter Solstice plays a big role, as do the Druids who observe the longest night of the year in a grand way in this story. And while I’m no Druid—fond as I am of trees—I do honor the solstice in my own way. I thought I’d share some of those ways with you.

Some of these may seem surprisingly familiar to you, since the winter solstice was the precursor to many of our modern-day holiday traditions. Pagan peoples of old welcomed the turning point that was the winter solstice, with its promise of longer, warmer, more sunlit days to come. They celebrated the return of the sun by burning Yule logs, lighting bonfires, decorating with evergreens and mistletoe, singing and drumming and feasting. I know, very familiar, right? 

Perhaps we are all pagans at heart. But no matter what your tradition or how you typically celebrate this time of year—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, etc.—you might enjoy incorporating some of these Winter Solstice customs into your holiday season this year (if you don’t already):

        Go for the Light. The winter solstice is all about the light in the darkness, so anything that represents that light is apropos:

                 --Yule log. Burn a Yule log in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit for the twelve days between the Winter Solstice and New Year’s as is the tradition—or whenever you wish. The kind of log is up to you: The English Druids use oak, the Scottish Druids prefer birch, and the French Druids like cherry, with a little wine sprinkled on top because, well, they’re French.

                 --Bonfire. Traditionally, bonfires were lit from sunset to sunrise on the night of the Winter Solstice to welcome the sun. you can burn yours—safely—any time. All you need is wood, family and friends, and maybe a guitar. I’m just saying.

                --Ice Lantern. Lanterns of any kind are good ways to honor the solstice, but if you’re looking for a fun crafty activity to do with your kids or grandkids, making ice lanterns fits the bill. There are a number of how-tos on YouTube; researching different methods is half the fun. Note: If you live where it’s warm in the winter, you can freeze the water in your freezer in plastic tubs. Let there be light!

                --Candles. Advent candles, Menorah candles, Kinara candles…whatever warms your heart and soul. Any and all candles brighten the gloom on a winter’s day. Enjoy!

        

        Mistletoe. If you’ve never hung mistletoe, now’s the time. Mistletoe has always been sacred to the Druids because it grows on trees—and even while trees go dormant in the winter, mistletoe does not. Its host trees are “dead,” but the parasitic plant grows on, despite the cold and lack of sunlight. We’re talking a symbol of fertility here. Which leads us to kissing. Kissing is good.

        Evergreen. Wreaths, garlands, centerpieces—however you decorate with pine or spruce or fir, you’re participating in an age-old tradition that honors the trees that survive the winter with strength and resilience and vibrancy. Go for it! 

        Nature Tree. Adorn a living pine or spruce or fir in your garden or the nearby woods with unsalted popcorn, fresh cranberries, and dried fruit. Be sure to use sturdy string, and do not use fishing line, which can harm birds. Note: If you live in bear country, skip this—and stick to planting native plants that attract birds and other pollinators.

        Bûche De Noël. This is the traditional Yule log dessert. Mercy Carr’s grandmother Patience bakes one in THE SNOW LIES DEEP—a homemade chocolate sponge cake with cocoa hazelnut whipped cream rolled it into a log, with a chocolate ganache icing topped with fresh sprigs of rosemary and sugared cranberries. Not exactly easy, but here’s a recipe from the kitchn that tries to streamline the process.

What are your holiday traditions that echo back to the Winter Solstice? Let’s chat about it here on Jungle Reds! Here’s to a lovely holiday season for us all—and the coming of the light!

 

The seventh Mercy Carr Mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must track down who’s killing the Santas of Northshire’s Solstice Soirée before another St. Nick goes up in the flames of a burning Yule log….

It’s December in Vermont—and Mercy is determined to give her baby Felicity the very best first Christmas ever. Starting with a visit to see Santa at Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée. But when Santa abandons his post and runs into the woods, Mercy and Elvis go after him—and the shepherd finds the jolly old elf flat on his back in a small clearing, dead, a Yule log ablaze on his belly.

 

Mercy wants nothing more than to stay at home at Grackle Tree Farm taking care of Felicity, but as this St. Nick is really “Uncle” Lazlo, her family presses her to help solve their old friend’s murder and save the Solstice Soirée. She demures, but when another Santa ends up dead and the bones of a long-missing trapper turn up in the woods, Mercy and Troy and the dogs team up with Thrasher and Harrington to rid Northshire of the bad elements ruining the holidays for their town and their family.

 

Together they chase down clues leading to poachers and endangered lynx, evangelical zealots and Russian emigrés, and the terrible secrets haunting the village, past, present, and future. It’s not just Santa at risk, it’s everyone in town—including baby Felicity. It’s up to Mercy and Troy and the dogs capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

 

 

PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the  USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night was named Library Journal’s Mystery Pick of the Month. The Night Woods, the sixth book in the series, earned a starred Library Journal review among other acclaim. THE SNOW LIES DEEP debuts in December 2025. Along with her love of nature, Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue animals, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. She’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She lives in New England with her family and four rescue dogs and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs. For more, check out www.paulamunier.com.

DEBS: Paula, I thought you might get a kick out my daughter's Instagram post on Monday!

Because of course she is a big fan, too!

 

 

Connie Berry--A Grave Deception

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I have been huge fan of Connie Berry's Kate Hamilton books since the first one, and now with A GRAVE DECEPTION we have SIX! And, look, there is a quote from Hank on the cover!!!! I'm jealous that Hank got to read this one first, because this plot sounds amazing. Here's Connie to fill us in!

Inspiration: Finding Plot Ideas Hiding in Plain Sight

by Connie Berry

Thank you for inviting me! Today A Grave Deception, the sixth full-length novel in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series, makes its debut in the world. I’m excited and a bit nervous. After more than a year of thinking, developing characters, sketching out plots and subplots, slogging through a first (hideous) draft, and then shaping that unruly blob into a novel, my book must make its own way in the world. I hope my loyal readers will love it, and I hope the book will be discovered by new readers as well.

I’ve been thinking about how that happens—how books find readers. Every series has its own distinctive vibe, its own world populated by characters we hope readers will care about. The Kate Hamilton books are traditional amateur sleuth mysteries set in the British Isles in the world of antiques and antiquities. The focus isn’t on the objects themselves, however. The precious artefacts Kate deals with are literal time travelers, born in another age but surviving for decades, centuries, millennia. I use them as metaphors or launching pads for plots exploring the impact of the past on life today.

I’m often asked where my plots come from. Are they inspired by real events or real people in history? The answer is yes. Every book I’ve written began with something I’d read about, a place I’d seen, or people I’d heard about: What if something like that happened to Kate? How might she get involved? If I’m intrigued, chances are my readers will be, too.

The first novel in my series, A Dream of Death, for example, was inspired by a tale I heard in Vermont years ago while researching an article I wrote for a scholarly journal. In the 1740s, a young woman perished when her horse-drawn sleigh went through the ice on Lake Champlain. It was nighttime. It was March. What was she doing out there alone? Didn’t she know the ice was unstable? Was she fleeing from someone? I moved the setting from Vermont to the Scottish Hebrides, and the story took off in my mind. Since one of my plotlines was set in the 1740s, I brought in Bonnie Prince Charlie and placed my modern story on a fictional island in the Inner Hebrides that refused to let “The Great Hope” die.

Book Four, The Shadow of Memory, was born when I heard a story on NPR’s This American Life about a group of young teenagers who explored an abandoned house in New Hampshire one summer. Who were the people who’d lived in that house, and why had they left everything behind, including clothes, wallets and eyeglasses? It felt creepy. What if those teenagers had stumbled upon something nefarious, something that put their lives in danger? At the time, I was also reading Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling and was fascinated by his stint as an aide in a Victorian mental hospital now being converted into luxury apartments. What if the abandoned house had belonged to one of the psychiatrists? What if traces of blood could still be seen on the wooden floorboards?

My new book, A Grave Deception, is based on the discovery in Cumbria in 1981 of a fourteenth-century body so miraculously preserved that archaeologists thought at first they’d discovered a modern murder mystery. The body has since been identified as a knight killed in the crusades in Lithuania and shipped back to Britain for burial. The lead coffin and the methods used to preserve the body turned out to be so effective, liquid blood was found in the man’s chest cavity. What if a medieval body was found in Suffolk, in archaeological excavations in an abandoned plague village—this time of a woman murdered when she was about to give birth? Kate and her colleague Ivor Tweedy might be called in to appraise the grave goods. But then what if another body was found in the excavations—one of the archaeologists?

Plot ideas begin as a single seed that takes root in an author’s brain where it begins to grow and multiply and mature. And these seeds are scattered everywhere. Prolific author Anthony Horowitz said:

There isn’t a single thing in the world that doesn’t have a story attached to it, and all you have to do is ask the right questions. An example: there’s a black telephone box outside my house that’s never actually had a telephone installed. What’s it doing there? Who paid for it? This could be the beginning of a sci-fi novel (it’s a portal to another university [sic]), a spy story (it’s an MI6 dead letter box) or a satire (it’s a costly mistake by an incompetent council… possibly true). [“Five Things Anthony Horowitz Can Teach You About Writing,” https://www.writingcoooperative.com, Oct 13, 2017].

Where in your world might you find the seed of your next plot? That seed could be as simple as a city bus running ahead of schedule or as enigmatic as a gravestone with a disturbing epitaph. It could be as innocent as a child’s imaginary friend or as chilling as a mummified body found in Disney World’s Haunted Mansion.

I hope you enjoy Kate’s adventures in medieval archaeology and murder.

DEBS: Here's more about A GRAVE DECEPTION:

American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a fourteenth-century woman, Kate and her colleague Ivor Tweedy are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify the woman and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.

Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeology team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up dead at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations.

With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.

And more about Connie!

Connie Berry, unashamed Anglophile and self-confessed history nerd, is the author of the USA Today best-selling and multi-award-nominated Kate Hamilton Mysteries, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. During college she studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and St. Clare’s College, Oxford, where she fell under the spell of the British Isles.

Connie is a member of the Crime Writers Association (UK), the Authors’ Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Buckeye Crime Writers, and Guppies, of which she is the immediate past president. Connie lives in Ohio and northern Wisconsin with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie. Her latest novel, A Grave Deception, is available at fine bookstores everywhere. You can sign up for her very entertaining monthly newsletter at www.connieberry.com.

 

  

The Christmas Clock is Ticking

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My suggestion (which I don't see being adopted anytime soon) is that Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving in the middle of October, like our dear Canadian neighbors. The fourth Thursday in November is pretty arbitrary, after all, as President Lincoln originally designated a holiday of thanksgiving (hoping to calm the strife of the Civil War) on the last Thursday of November.  But there was a big stink in 1939 when there were five Thursdays in November, and in 1941 Congress decreed that Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of the month. This was condemned as a blatant power grab by retailers to extend the Christmas shopping season (gosh, imagine that!) but there Thanksgiving has stayed. 

 

But when Thanksgiving falls late, as it did this year, it leaves us with a mere four weeks to recover from one holiday and get everything organized for the next, and I am one of those folks who is never ready! Here I am a week into the month and I have bought a total of four gifts: a bottle of the amazing garlic-removing hand scrub for my daughter, and two books and a fountain pen for my granddaughter. I don't even have a list!

Nor have I bought a tree, and my one little gesture towards decorating has been to change the sofa cushions to the Christmas version. I have a good friend, an interior designer, who has all her shopping done and wrapped at least two weeks before Thanksgiving! I gaze at her and marvel!

How are you doing, my darling Reds? Is your shopping finished or barely started? Are you do-ahead-ers, or last-minute-ers? Do you welcome the Christmas season with cries of joy, or with moans of "Already? Please can I have another week or two?"

RHYS BOWEN:  I’m almost done. Everything ordered online which means packages arriving in a steady stream. Most of my cards are mailed. On Sunday my neighbors who are dear friends come to decorate the tree. Since they are Jewish this is a lovely moment for all of us. Then it’s wrapping presents before I juggle the logistics of where to put 7 people in which bedroom and how much food will 15 people eat. 

 

JENN McKINLAY: I hosted Thanksgiving and then had three days to write 12K words to finish a book due on the first. Then I caught the crud and have mostly recovered. I have a 5K to run this Sunday and then I might start to think about decorating for Xmas. Thankfully, I’m not hosting — just bringing dessert— none of my people are gift oriented so it’s mostly cash, gift cards, a sweater, a book or two and boom we’re done! 

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Hanukah will be early this year, too, and I’ve just bought chocolate coins for the kiddoes and a fresh bunch of candles. 

But the best thing is that my kids and grands will be here for a week, celebrating Christmas. so I’m heading out soon for a mini tree and the Xmas presents from the kids are ordered. Otherwise I try to keep gifts for grownups limited to homemade candy (chocolate turtles and chocolate-coverred orange rind) and money. And of course lots of good food (potato latkes and brisket for Hanukah-after-Hanukah). 

 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ha ha ha ha ha.  I have holiday cards. In their boxes. I have a mailing list. Will the two ever meet? We shall see.

All of the Christmas decorations are up all over our neighborhood, so we will bask in the reflected light of our more organized neighbors.

As for gifts. Ha ha ha, see above. 

Every year I say – – let’s get a tree! And Jonathan says we’re Jewish. And I don’t see how that matters. 

And we’re not sure if anyone is coming, so hey, if they can’t decide, I don’t need to decide either. Right? It’ll all be fine. No matter what. 

 

LUCY BURDETTE: We are pretty much done because we had to be. We head to California next week to see the grands and needed to send things ahead so we can open while we’re there. (Otherwise our gifts get lost in the mayhem of the actual day…) We don’t have a live tree anymore as by the time they arrive in Key West, they are already losing needles. So we pulled out our little fake tree last night, put lights on the balcony, and decorated a small extra Norfolk pine. The pillows are in varied states of disarray as Lottie tore into them over the years–they are all out anyway except for my favorite Santa, which she still believes is hers! (PS cards are done too because we had a good photo to use! Plus Shutterfly makes it pretty darn easy.)

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The tree arrived yesterday, courtesy of my friend Samantha, who picked it up from the Gray Fire Department sale. Only live trees in Maine - at least for now.

I've shopped for several kids in actual stores, and will probably order the majority of the rest of the gifts online. Cards? Ahahahaha! I have the same box I bought last year, untouched. Someday, I'll have my act together enough to send them out on time, but this is not that year.

The next step for me is house cleaning, which fell WAY off while I've been traveling for the new book. I can't stand decorating on top of dust or mess, so everything needs to have at least a swipe with the lemon oil and a few passes of the vacuum. 

The holiday is a bit in flux this year, since my son just got a new job and the Mrss. haven't decided how much of it will be at my house and how much at home with the new baby. Which is fine; since the pandemic years, I've been more and more relaxed about the holidays. One way or another, it will all be fun! 

DEBS: How about it, dear readers? Is Christmas sneaking up on you? 

I hope you are all so organized that you will spend the next couple of weeks sitting in front of the fire, sipping hot chocolate and reading good books!

Rambling Notes on What I'm Reading by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: Probably because I finished the draft of the short story I was working on as well as the murder mystery for the library, and because I was sick of course, I had more time to read this week. I feel so lucky (and I know you guys do too) to have talented writing friends from this blog and beyond whose books I savor. But once I’d torn through the three new ones from Jenn, Rhys and Julia, what could be next?

“I’ve got nothing to read,” I said to John. He just laughed.

Since our library book sale season is coming up, I took this as a sign to sort through my stacks to cull out ones that, to be honest, I will never read or reread, and try a few others that I’d set aside for some reason. One of those was Fly Girl by Ann Hood. She was a guest speaker for our Friends of the Key West Library series last spring, along with her husband Michael Ruhlman. They were so lovely! Fly Girl tells the story of Ann’s years training and working as a stewardess with Pan Am. It may sound like an odd topic, but it was really fascinating and she’s a wonderful writer so I highly recommend. Then I picked up The Family Chao, about a family of Chinese immigrants with three sons who have settled in a small town in Wisconsin and are running a Chinese restaurant. It was beautifully written, but I had to skim through parts of it because their lives were so grim. I’ll probably think about it for a long time. For something lighter, I moved on to Jenny Colgan’s Secret Christmas Library. It’s a perfect Christmas read, with people snowed into a castle in northern Scotland with hundreds of thousands of old books as they hunt for the one that might be worth enough to save this estate. Very much fun and on point for the season.

Next I turned to my dusty iPad to open my Kindle app because you know and I know I have hundreds of books waiting there. I’ve been wanting to read The Correspondent forever. But I was thwarted because I’d let the charge die, so I had to turn back to a paper book. I dug out Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly. I wondered if this was one of the books that Debs recommended? I often follow her lead when it comes to women’s fiction. I’ll keep you posted on that--so far I love it. 

What are you guys reading? Anything out of your usual lane?

***By the way, SUSAN is the winner of Ellen Byron's Crescent City Christmas Chaos! Please email me at raisleib at gmail dot com and we'll arrange the drop...

Book Clubs, Part 2

LUCY BURDETTE: Back in August we had a post that featured our new summer releases, The Mango Murders, Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure, and All This Could Be Yours. 

The Reds have three more books out this fall, and we invite you to choose one or more of them for your book group’s discussion. Here now are questions for Jenn McKinlay’s WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN, Julia Spencer-Fleming’s AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY, and Rhys Bowen’s FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. They might also suggest a snack that might best complement the stories!

Jenn McKinlay’s Readers Discussion Questions (no spoilers version): Witches of Dubious Origin

Identity and Legacy

Zoe discovers she is descended from a powerful line of witches. How does her background and family history shape her sense of identity? In what ways does she resist and in what ways does she embrace her witch heritage?

Magical Books

The mysterious family grimoire plays a central role in the story. What does the locked book symbolize for Zoe and for the BODO (Books of Dubious Origin) team? How is knowledge (especially magical knowledge) portrayed as a form of power? What did you think of Freya? Would you want a book-cat of your own?

Fear, Vows, and Promises

Zoe made a vow (to her mother) never to use magic — how does that promise affect her decisions? Do you think her fear of magic stems more from personal loss, or from the responsibility that comes with power (or both)? How do promises like that drive the conflict?

Found Family & Community

The BODO staff become a kind of found family for Zoe. What roles do Jasper, Olive, Miles, and Tariq play in her journey — not just in solving magical mysteries, but in her emotional growth? How does belonging to a community change her outlook?

Good vs. Evil & Moral Ambiguity

There are dark forces at work, including an antagonist who threatens Zoe. How does the novel define “evil”? Are the magical threats purely bad, or are there shades of gray? What moral challenges does Zoe face as she learns to harness her power, and how does she choose to use it?

 

Because our heroine Zoe survives on a diet of junk food, here is the classic recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, a bad breakfast choice for her—IYKYK.

 

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 10 oz large marshmallows)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) A pinch of salt

Instructions:

Prepare your pan

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper) so treats don’t stick.

Melt butter and marshmallows

In a large pot over low to medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted and smooth. If using, stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Mix in cereal

Remove the pot from heat. Quickly add the Rice Krispies cereal and gently fold until all the cereal is coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Press into pan

Using a buttered spatula or lightly buttered hands, press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Don’t press too hard — you want them compact but still a little light so they're chewy, not rock hard.

Cool and cut

Let the treats cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until set). Then cut into squares.

Serve and store

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days at room temperature.

Discussion Questions for Rhys Bowen’s newest Royal Spyness mystery,  From Cradle to Grave.

What do you think of Georgie’s reaction to a new nanny appearing on her doorstep?

What would your reaction have been?

Do you think she should have spoken out sooner?

How would you feel about having a nanny for your child?

Did you cheer when Georgie finally put Fig in her place?

Did you enjoy the complex puzzle of the mystery? 

Were you surprised when you  found the link between the victims or had you guessed something similar?

If you’ve been following the series from the beginning how do you think that Georgie has grown and matured?

Queenie…love her or hate her?

Has the writer played fair with the clues?

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  

 

Discussion questions for AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY (and book club snack suggestions!)

 

Both Russ Van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson are wrestling with changes of their identities - from police chief to unemployed, and from a couple to a family with a child. How well do they manage these transitions? Do you think they're avoiding these changes, or tackling them head-on? Have you ever faced a major life change, and if so, how did you deal with it?

 

Clare impetuously (how else?) gets involved with two women on the fringes of a white militia movement. Is her desire to change their views generous, or naïve? Do you think she succeeds in any way?

 

Kevin Flynn has always wanted to be a police officer. After the events of the book, do you think he still belongs in law enforcement? 

 

Hadley Knox juggles her job, her kids and helping her grandfather. She doesn't really want to care about Kevin and what nay have happened to him, but she just can't help herself. If you were sitting down to a cup of coffee with Hadley, what advice would you give her?

 

Nature plays a large role in the story. Can you see yourself winter hiking through the Adirondacks, or are you more likely to be at home playing Christmas music by the fireplace?

 

Do you see any symbolism in the natural world versus the man-made concrete environment we spend time in later in the book?

 

We meet two new characters who throw their hats in with our heroes. What do you imagine happening to them after the end of the story? 

 

Snack: Clare serves shortbread cookies to Russ, Hadley and Yixin Zhao when they meet at the rectory. If you don't have parishioners dropping cookies off to you, I suggest Celia Wakefield's shortbread recipe. You can make it more seasonal by adding crushed candy cane or peppermint crunch to the dough. Serve with the strong hot cocoa the group shares while decorating the tree - and if you're not sober, like Russ and Clare, a tot of bourbon in the cocoa is very nice indeed!

Reds, have you read these books yet? What are your book groups reading--and eating?

Holiday Nostalgia by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: I was stuck at home for thanksgiving with the dregs of a cold and feeling a little sorry for myself. Then my cousin sent this photo of their home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and that made me feel nostalgic for holidays in the past, and yes, even winter. 

We grew up in New Jersey, and there were never palm trees, always snow. Always a house full of relatives and home baked cookies and books and dolls under the tree. (Despite the Barbies in the second photo, we were so jealous of my brother's guinea pig.)

I got over the envy though, with my brother last year

I can remember one year for my January birthday my father tromped what seemed like miles through the deep snow in the back woods to make a scavenger hunt for the friends at my party.

photo by Ed Drew

When John and I lived full time in Connecticut there was plenty of snow too around Christmas—it seemed like a gyp to go to the service of carols and lights on Christmas Eve without snow!

I miss people who are gone, and animals, and parts of my life that I’ve moved past. 

Tonka at the door

Poco loved the snow!

These days, when I’m feeling nostalgic, I try to channel that into one of my characters. Miss Gloria is the best, because at 85, she’s seen so much change. She doesn't shy away from her feelings about that and yet she embraces life as it is completely. Here’s a little snippet from The Mango Murders where Hayley went to find her in the cemetery:

I sat beside her on the bench and tucked my arm around her shoulders. “I got a little concerned about you because we’re due at Salute in an hour or so. I hope you don’t mind that I came to give you a ride home.”

She looked at me, seemingly puzzled, her expression a million miles away.

“I thought you might have been hit by a car or one of those crazy people drinking beer in golf carts with the right-hand turn signal permanently on.” That was a joke she loved to tell about how some tourists behaved on our island.

Miss Gloria smiled briefly and patted my knee. “We can’t really know when our time is up, can we?” she said in a wistful voice. “I don’t think mine is anytime soon. Though with a murder or a freak accident, those are impossible to predict.” She paused and I suppressed the urge to fill the silence. She needed to talk, and I needed to listen. “The one thing I don’t like about getting older is remembering and missing all the friends and relations who’ve passed before me. I love my life and my new friends, but I miss the old ones too.” 

“Of course you would, that seems only natural.” She had a melancholy look on her face that I’d rarely seen. I wondered if she was thinking about her husband Frank. He’d been gone for many years, but they’d had a happy marriage full of adventure and love and I knew how much she still missed him. 

“Are the plans for big gatherings and parties this week wearing you out before they even happen?” I asked. “We could call the whole thing off, it’s not too late. I can tell the influx of relatives and friends that they should consider this a vacation rather than a birthday party, that you are feeling indisposed. People will understand.”

“Some of them,” she said, with a wry grin. She shook her head. “No, these are my people, the people who love me. Let’s shake it off and carry on.”

Miss Gloria helps remind me how very lucky I am to have the life I have now with its wonderful family and friends and career, and memories too. Moreover, I'd last about an hour in that snow and ice!

How about you Reds, do the holidays make you feel nostalgic sometimes?

My Love of Library Sales by Ellen Byron #GIVEAWAY

LUCY BURDETTE: You know how devoted I am to the Friends of the Key West Library--in fact it turns out our first book sale is this weekend. It also turns out that our friend Ellen Byron feels the same way about her California library. I'll let her tell it...

ELLEN BYRON: On the last Saturday of every month, this sign goes up outside my local library branch in Studio City, and I do a happy dance.

When you’re a passionate reader like I am and a collector of a specific genre— in my case, the vintage cookbooks that inspired my Vintage Cookbook Mystery series—there are few things in life more thrilling than the vast array of affordably priced books available at a Friends of the Library book sales. I make sure to hit the ones hosted at New Orleans’ Milton Latter Library whenever I’m in town. And every month I’m available, I show up to the sale at our local branch of the famed Los Angeles Public Library system.

As a regular patron, I’ve established a pattern. First, of course, I check out the Cookbooks section, where I’ve scored some incredible finds, all for the incredibly low price of a dollar for hardcovers and fifty cents for paperbacks.

My favorite find is a 1928 edition of Photoplay’s Cook Book [sic] of the Stars. Film fans know that 1928 was a pivotal year in the industry, marking the transition from silent movies to talkies. This is reflected in the cookbook itself, featuring recipes from silent stars to those who survived the seminal change like Greta Garbo and Gary Cooper. (BTW, the odds of the stars actually supplying the recipe are minimal. I’m sure they were “cooked” up by studio publicists.)

Once I’ve thoroughly perused cookbooks, I move on to the mysteries section, which the Friends of the Studio City Library separate into two categories, Paperback Mysteries and Mysteries and Suspense, which are hardcovers. I love searching for my friends’ books, which I photograph, buy, and mail to them.

After working my way through the mysteries, I travel to the travel section (see what I did there, wink wink?), after which I scope out Crafts. I’m an avid needlepointer and have found great needlework books at the sale. I also check out Nonfiction and the special section where items are incrementally more expensive. 

Here’s my haul from this past Saturday’s sale: A 1949 cookbook I’ll keep for myself, plus two or three to use as giveaways (I’m on the fence about the Paris Café cookbook. It’s so cool!) There’s a hiking guide I picked up in the Travel section and a collection of walks in Paris from the Special Section that set me back a whopping two dollars.

Over the years, I’ve befriended many of the volunteers, making the monthly event even more special. I’m incredibly grateful to them for their commitment to the sale and to our library branch. So grateful, in fact, that this is the dedication in Crescent City Christmas Chaos, my fourth Vintage Cookbook Mystery:

Readers, do you have a Friends of the Library sale in your neighborhood and do you occasionally pay it a visit? Comment to be entered in a giveaway for a Kindle edition of Crescent City Christmas Chaos.

SYNOPSIS: 

Have yourself a merry little . . . murder?

Ricki James-Diaz gets the best present ever when her parents arrive in New Orleans for the holidays. Not only is it a chance to catch up, it’s also an opportunity to jog her mom Josepha’s memory about Ricki’s adoption. The details have always been shrouded in mystery. And Ricki understands why when she learns her mother was blackmailed for years, simply for not wanting to lose her precious daughter.

But digging into the past soon lands the James-Diaz clan in water hotter than a big pot of gumbo! When the woman who extorted Ricki’s mom is found dead at her home, Josepha becomes the primary suspect. Now Ricki has another murder to solve, and tracking down a killer in Crescent City is going to take a miracle.

Luckily, ‘tis the season! And Ricki has all the staff at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum on hand to help. Can she prove her mother’s innocence and have the case wrapped up in time for Christmas? 

ORDER NOW:

Crescent City Christmas Chaos a book by Ellen Byron - Bookshop.org US

BIO:

Ellen is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries,  Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. Visit her at http://www.ellenbyron.com/.