by: Karina Bartow
Series: (Unde(a)Feated Detective
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: September 11, 2024
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Most mothers-to-be spend their pregnancy leafing through baby names and shopping for nursery furniture. Minka Avery spends hers trying to hunt down a murderer on the open seas.
Minka’s promotion to Orlando PD’s homicide department has some bumps at first, including her growing baby bump. Just as she and her partner begin to hit their stride, Logan Baris’s suspicious death baffles them. The investigation leads the detectives to believe he had a hand in a shady operation, but the cruise ship worker’s troubles seem to voyage into the ocean blues with him.
After they meet up with some dead ends on land, Minka convinces her partner and his wife to join her and her husband to embark on a covert investigation on the ship. Will they be able to uncover whatever scheme is underway on the vessel? Or will the choppy waves of personal drama make it run ashore?
I’m doing well, at least for a pregnant lady! Jokes aside, I’ve had a pretty easy pregnancy, even with juggling it and my homicide investigations.
Please introduce yourself to readers.
I’m in my mid-30’s and am a detective for the Orlando Police. I was recently promoted to the homicide department. I was born deaf but had a cochlear implant put in as a kid, so I gained some independence that way. Nonetheless, I really had to prove myself and overcome people's stigmas to achieve what I have.
Outside of my career, I’m married with a seven-year-old daughter, Caela, and of course, a baby on the way. My husband and daughter know the little one’s gender, but I’m hoping to be surprised…if those snitches will let me!
Can you please tell us about some people we’ll meet in your story?
I’m partnered at the precinct with Cael, who’s actually my husband’s brother. We’ve worked together for years, so we’re a good team. Truth be told, my husband, Wes, can get to feeling a tad left out and even interfered in our investigation once. Thus, he was ecstatic when we decided to go on this cruise in Undercover Babymoon to try to crack this case incognito. We had to keep reminding him we just needed to keep our covers as mundane as possible. My husband is anything but mundane, though.
Tell me about a defining moment in your life.
Like I said earlier, I was born deaf, due to my premature birth. My mom didn’t have any history with sign language, so she had to learn it along with me. As you can imagine, that was a difficult process, to learn as I did, yet have to teach me.
Thankfully, we had an inquisitive young neighbor, who would watch us in our backyard as she taught me. Sure, it sounds a little creepy, but he had good intentions. He was learning the signs and would stroll over to tutor me when she’d take a break.
We lost touch when my family moved away, but we reconnected as adults and got married. Yes, it was Wes! Obviously, it changed my life to learn sign, but it also did a lot for my morale to have a hearing kid take an interest in me. It was a defining moment for him, too, because he became fluent in it and now teaches biology at a school for the deaf.
What’s your most prized possession?
My family…with my hat and shoe collection a close second!
What drew you to police work?
My little brother was abducted when we were children; sadly, it happened under my watch. Police located him after just a couple of days, so I appreciated police work from then on. I also wanted to make up for my mistake and strive to protect people from jerks like that kidnapper.
Do you find being a detective and a working mom more challenging than you expected?
I tried to prepare myself for it, considering I stayed at home with Caela for five years before I returned to the force. That said, there’s no adequate preparation for multitasking running the house with doing homework with keeping track of Wes, all the while waiting for a monster to send me into an investigation. I can only imagine what it’ll be like with a newborn added into the mix.
What can readers expect from Undercover Babymoon?
A homicide investigation that keeps you guessing, along with some personal revelations for my family and me. With the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop, we hope readers feel like they’re on vacation with us, albeit alongside some interesting characters and maybe danger afoot.
Minka, thank you so much for your time.
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Thank you for having me and Minka!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you so much for the interview. Good luck with the book.
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