by: Maggie Blackburn
Series: Beach Reads Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Love and murder are in the air this Valentine’s day in Maggie Blackburn’s third Beach Reads mystery, perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Miranda James.
When Beach Reads bookshop hosts a Valentine’s Day event, “Romance by the Sea,” bookseller Summer Merriweather has no idea that the guest author is under investigation for her own husband’s murder. When that same author is found dead at the local bed and breakfast, nobody assumes it’s natural causes–there were plenty of people who wanted her dead.
As Summer searches for the truth about the author’s stranger-than-fiction life, Summer finds suspicious indications of shady behavior in the author’s belongings. But the casual sleuthing is quickly derailed when Summer’s friend Glads gets hauled in for the murder, and they launch a full-blown investigation to clear her name.
As Summer and company pick through the scant clues to solve the case, they may find more treachery and heartbreak than they bargained for.
Hi, I’m Summer Merriweather and I own the Beach Reads Books, which until very recently has only been a romance bookstore. Now we carry mysteries and quite a few classics, including some Shakespeare. I’m a Shakespeare scholar. I was a college professor until some unfortunate events happened. I’m not comfortable talking about that here.
Can you please tell us about some of the people we’ll meet in your story?
You will meet my mom’s sister, Agatha, who I adore. My cousin Piper is like a sister to me. You’ll also meet some of my mom’s best friends, who are quickly becoming mine as well. Glads, with the pink spiked hair, and Marilyn, with wildflower tattoos all over her body. And let’s not forget about Cash, the man I left standing at the altar years ago. We’ve come a long way and I now call him a friend.
What’s your most prized possession?
I want to say Mr. Darcy, my African Grey but he’s his own man, isn’t he? He’s not a possession, really. I think the house I grew up in and now own is my most prized possession. The front porch on my turquoise-colored beach cottage needs a little work. But the pink shutters were recently painted and I loved them. Sometimes I swear can hear my mom humming softly when the wind whistles through the small attic. There are so many memories here. I hold every one of them close to my heart.
Why do you feel the need to put on your sleuthing hat and investigate murders?
I’d rather not. But it seems the past few years, I’ve been dragged in because either family members were murdered, or friends have been falsely accused. I mean, what can you do in that case? I’ve found that you can’t leave it to the local law enforcement. Well, at least not on St. Brigid Island.
When you aren’t investigating murders, what do you like to do?
I love to read. I always have my nose in a book. I also love to eat. Particularly anything chocolate. I also love spending time with my family, as well as my bird, Mr. Darcy. He’s an African Grey and great fun. Most of the time.
How do you go about finding the right book for someone who comes into your bookstore?
Many of our customers are repeats and we already know what they like. But when someone new comes in, we approach them and ask if we can help them find something. If they are vague, we’ll start asking questions. That usually helps.
What do you think about your creator Maggie Blackburn and the situations she puts you in? Is she hard to work with?
Maggie doesn’t like to be rushed and finds it difficult when I wake her up from a sound sleep with my story. Usually, she’s up at 5 every morning to write stories, including my own. But sometimes I can’t wait. I have so much to say!
What’s next for you?
You’ll have to read the book to find that out. Are you kidding? Mags would KILL me off if I gave anything away!
Summer, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you so much for having me. It’s been fun!
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Thanks so much!
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