HALLIE EPHRON: Today it's my pleasure to introduce Mina Allan and her debut(!!!) mystery, A PARADE AND A PERP, the first in her Beach Hill Cozy Mystery series featuring Andrea Biscotti who gets up to her neck in mystery helping a pop star move into a beachy estate.
It's a perfect read for those of us celebrating the holidays but yearning for a break from winter's chill.
Mina visits today, musing about how you enjoy a frigid December when you're yearning for a warm day at the beach.
MINA ALLAN: Ahhhh, the holidays. Carols and joy and good cheer, family and friends and parties, presents and shopping and cooking, papers and projects and grades to turn in…And the frantic busyness that comes with it all.
It’s enough to turn a girl into a Grinch.
But look, no one wants to be grumpy at the most wonderful time of the year. After spending plenty of time grumping and grousing, I realized that I needed to cultivate that sense of calm and joy.
A couple of years ago, I finally figured out what would get me through the holiday hustle and banish my inner Grinch: Summertime. Specifically, that relaxed, “I’m-on-vacation” -feeling that comes with laying on the beach.
Unfortunately, I live in Massachusetts. And I’m a college professor with a family and medium-sized kids. So jetting off to Cancun or Key West for a yuletide reset is (regrettably) not in the cards. During the pandemic, I realized that if I couldn’t go somewhere (anywhere), I’d create my own taste of summer in December.
Tropical location? Yes!
Sandy shores? Please!
A dash of murder and mayhem? Even better.
My house is decorated, the tree is up, and there are cookies to bake, but I happily skip the latest festive rom-coms. Seeing fictional characters lose it over their holidays makes me even more stressed out about my own.
When I snag precious time alone with the remote in December I’m all about a palm tree or seascape--or Die Hard. Give me ocean sounds and seagulls. In 2021, I spent my December downtime watching a surfing documentary about giant waves. It was glorious.
My reading follows this trend, too. I dig out those “summer reads” lists that magazines and websites posted back in May or June and blitz through novels with July and August vibes…while I sit by the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree.
There’s eggnog in the fridge—but also pineapple juice and coconut puree. Who says a piña colada can’t be festive?
It’s those little bits of sea and sand that get me through the most wonderful time of the year. In January, when my grades are long turned in, the holiday hustle has faded, and my winter semester break is in full force, I’ll snuggle up with a cozy winter read or stream a snowy flick. But until then, I’m imagining ocean breezes, late sunsets, and the sounds of waves lapping the shore…while I sit by the fire and wrap these presents.
Readers, what do you do to cultivate a sense of calm during the busiest time of the year?
Giveaway: To help you enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, I’d like to give away a paperback copy of A PARADE AND A PERP. Just post a comment responding to the question in this post in the comments and Mina will draw a winner on December 16!
MINA ALLAN writes cozy mysteries and plots fictional dastardly deeds from her home in Massachusetts. She likes seaside views, fruity cocktails, and is always in search of the perfect purse. Find her online at MinaAllan.com.
A PARADE AND A PERP: Andrea Biscotti has a lot to juggle: She's helping pop star Madison Beech move into her newly-renovated Beach Hill estate and prepping her family's rental cottages for the start of the summer season-just a few days before Beach Hill's annual Memorial Day Boat Parade.
When Andrea's cousin and cottage handyman Ricky doesn't show up at a family birthday party, Andrea is annoyed. The morning after the party, the body of a local art dealer is found floating in the cove. The prime murder suspect? Ricky.
As evidence against her cousin mounts, Andrea must prove his innocence, identify the real killer, make sure that Madison's house is move-in ready, and greet her guests with fresh towels and a smile-all before Boat Parade Weekend.
