by: Marcy Blesy
Series: Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 25, 2026
The Empty Nest Retreat was supposed to help Juli find herself. Not question her sanity—or reality.
When Juli Tully’s kids fly the coop and she takes early retirement, the silence in her house is deafening—and not in a calming, spa-music kind of way. At her mother’s not-so-subtle urging, she signs for the Empty Nest Retreat at the Sand Bur Estate, a stately mansion perched on the windswept dunes of Lake Michigan.
Juli nearly bolts when she learns the retreat is phone-free. No texts. No doom-scrolling. No emergency updates from her kids. Instead, she’s stuck with an unusual group of fellow empty nesters: Nelle, a perpetually cheerful optimist; Kimmie, a bubbly influencer convinced the estate is magical; and Jedd, an arrogant dad who fancies himself Parent of the Year—and takes an instant dislike to Juli.
Then things get… strange.
Temperatures swing wildly. Lights flicker. Objects float. Juli can’t tell if her menopausal symptoms have gone off the rails or if rumors about the estate’s supernatural past are true.
Between meditation sessions and awkward financial-planning talks, one of the estate’s employees dies under suspicious circumstances. Thanks to Juli’s increasingly unpredictable “episodes,” she becomes the prime suspect.
With a murder to solve, a reputation to save, and a sarcastic talking cat who knows more than she’s letting on, Juli must uncover the truth—before this empty nest lands her in handcuffs.
If you love:
Empty nest reinvention
Midlife amateur sleuth
Retreat gone wrong
Isolated estate near Lake Michigan
Light paranormal elements
Self-help retreat chaos
Haunted (or is it?) mansion
Sarcastic talking cat
Humor with heart
Found family friendships
Wrongly suspected heroine
Cozy whodunit
You’ll adore this humorous cozy mystery set under along the shores of Lake Michigan!
Empty nests bring new beginnings… and unexpected secrets.
Thank you for having me back! I hope you and your readers are doing well! I have been busy working on the Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series as well as putting out book 1 in the Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series!
Congratulations on the release of Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused, which is the first book in your Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery series. Can you please tell me about the series and what readers can expect from Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused?
Sure! This is a very personal book for me (minus the magic LOL). My husband and I have launched our adult sons into the world, and it’s been an interesting and sometimes sad change. In Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused, the main character is Juli Tully. Her family thinks she needs a mental reset after retiring as a teacher and becoming an empty-nest parent. They send her to an empty nest retreat at an estate in the sand dunes of Lake Michigan.
Here is part of the blurb:
Juli nearly bolts when she learns the retreat is phone-free. No texts. No doom-scrolling. No emergency updates from her kids. Instead, she’s stuck with an unusual group of fellow empty nesters: Nelle, a perpetually cheerful optimist; Kimmie, a bubbly influencer convinced the estate is magical; and Jedd, an arrogant dad who fancies himself Parent of the Year—and takes an instant dislike to Juli.Tell me about some of the characters we’ll meet in the book and series.
Then things get… strange.
Temperatures swing wildly. Lights flicker. Objects float. Juli can’t tell if her menopausal symptoms have gone off the rails or if rumors about the estate’s supernatural past are true.
Between meditation sessions and awkward financial-planning talks, one of the estate’s employees dies under suspicious circumstances. Thanks to Juli’s increasingly unpredictable “episodes,” she becomes the prime suspect.
With a murder to solve, a reputation to save, and a sarcastic talking cat who knows more than she’s letting on, Juli must uncover the truth—before this empty nest lands her in handcuffs.
Juli is in her 50s, recently retired as a teacher, and a lonely empty-nest parent. (Don’t worry, she grows greatly in confidence with her new state of life!). She’s the parent of two adult sons and married to her college sweetheart.
I wanted to highlight different parenting experiences of empty-nest parents. Nelle is a bubbly stepmom who adores her adult children. Kimmie is an overly confident social media influencer with a strained relationship with her grown kids. She loves being an empty nester. Jedd is a father who thinks of himself as “dad of the year,” yet not adjusting well to his two girls being on their own. The four of these parents team together to investigate the death of a retreat employee. There are also “guides” who teach the self-improvement sessions as well as the estate owner, Ms. Esther and her caretaker Pinkney. I don’t want to give too much away about Prudence, the estate cat, but let’s just say that she has unique abilities that fit in well with the other mysterious things happening at the Sand Bur Estate.
This sounds good and a little fun. When you started writing Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused, did you know who the killer was, or was it a surprise to you as the story progressed?
I didn’t even know who would be killed. 😊 I always have an idea and notes about where I am headed, but especially with a new series, things evolve as I get to know my own characters.
The book title is very interesting. How did you come up with it?
I love to make it clear that I am writing murder mysteries. I already have a series where each book starts with Dying, one that ends in To Death, so I needed another variation of those words. I like rhyming words, too.
Final question. Do you have a favorite scene you can tell us about?
I love the scene where Prudence exposes her true self. 😊
Oh. I wanna read this, just for that scene. Marcy, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Final question. Do you have a favorite scene you can tell us about?
I love the scene where Prudence exposes her true self. 😊
Oh. I wanna read this, just for that scene. Marcy, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support! Have a nice day.
Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books across genres, best known for her Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series and the Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series —humorous, heartwarming whodunits filled with senior sleuths, quirky characters, and animal sidekicks. Her cozy mysteries spotlight midlife reinvention, found family, and laugh-out-loud amateur sleuthing, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan, and The Golden Girls.
Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.
For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.
Purchase Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused from:
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Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.
For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.
Places to find Marcy Blesy:
You can follow the Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused Blog Tour here.
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