Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

I love a debut mystery, and I love to take a chance on the winners of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel contest. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove is an atmospheric, delightful mystery of found family. The book, and Cameron House...

The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin

The writing in Sherry Rankin’s debut mystery, The Killing Plains, shows why she won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger Award. Set in Crescent Bluff, West Texas, it’s a gritty, atmospheric story. Colly Newland retired from the Houston...

The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

Deborah J. Benoit’s debut, The Gardener’s Plot, is a Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner. Not only does it introduce an interesting amateur sleuth in the cozy, but it has a gorgeous cover. The story is set in the...

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara

Maxie Dara’s debut SCYTHE mystery wasn’t at all what I expected. A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer was better than I expected with more humor and a lot more love. Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and six months pregnant with her...

Sunday Spotlight – Kate Michaelson

Today, I have the opportunity to introduce a debut mystery author, Kate Michaelson. Kate originally contacted me after I did a program for Buckeye Crime Writers. Buckeye Crime Writers is the Central Ohio Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Since her first book, Hidden Rooms,...