Spotlight on CLEO COYLE'S HAUNTED BOOKSHOP + DOUBLE #GIVEAWAY!

 

From Cleo Coyle: Some characters haunt you long after a book is done, especially when they’re ghosts. Here are 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery, recently honored as a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Pick of the Month! 

 OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY...

Before we continue with today's Spotlight post, we'd like to tell you about the first of our two giveaways. CLICK HERE or see the link below to jump to the prize package giveaway we're running for our Cleo Coyle Newsletter Subscribers to celebrate last week's release of our new Coffeehouse Mystery...

Cleo's Eat, Drink, and Get Buried 

Prize Package Giveaway 

Winner will receive:

> A signed copy of Cleo Coyle's New Coffeeouse Mysery Eat, Drink, and Get Buried in it's beautiful first edition hardcover format

> A Sturdy, Canvas Coffeehouse Tote Bag

> A Set of Glossy Cleo Recipe Cards, and...

 🍀 A bone china Irish Blessing  coffee mug from Royal Tara's "Clara" line of Irish gifts.

Jump to our first Giveaway 

by Clicking Here

Now for the 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery...

Reason #1 PENELOPE, THE BOOKSELLER

A young widow with a growing son and busy life, Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts. Oh, sure, she knew locals gossiped about her family’s shop being haunted, but she never believed it, not until one horrible night when everything went wrong and she was under a great deal of stress. That’s when he spoke to her. The Ghost. From then on, Jack speaks to Pen at will—his will, not hers—blowing in and out of her head like a blustery gale. Despite his troubled spirit, Jack has a wicked sense of humor, and…after everything they go through together, Pen is amazed at the strangest irony of all, one that uplifts her own spirit: The Ghost believes in her...

Reason #2 JACK, THE HARDBOILED GHOST

A tough PI with an acre of shoulders and an iron jaw, Jack Shepard lived a hard, whiskey-swilling life on the meaner streets of New York City. His death (in 1949) was no picnic, either. Gunned down in a Rhode Island bookshop while following a lead in a case, he found his spirit locked in the fieldstone walls of that bookshop, unable to communicate with anyone—until his breakthrough with the prim young widow. While he has little patience with being stuck in this “cornpone” backwater town, he can’t deny the auburn-haired bookseller has improved his intolerable existence. Yeah, the broad is one of those annoying “do-right, fair-play Jane” types, but he secretly admires her character. Now he feels lucky that his purgatory has come with an angel, a doll he can't stop watching or watching over...

image courtesy giphy

#3 THEIR QUAINT RHODE ISLAND TOWN

Pen’s charming hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island, is a character all its own. Not far from the Atlantic coast, it may be smaller and less posh than nearby Newport, but its residents are proud of its revived Cranberry Street business district and renowned Victorian B&B. Fresh ocean air, amazing seafood, and a neighborly community make it one of the area's most pleasant places to live—even if you happen to be dead...

Pen's Bookshop Cat "Bookmark"

#4 THE QUIBBLERS IN THE BOOKSHOP 

The "Quibblers" are a quirky group of folks who make up the local Quindicott Business Owners Association. They meet regularly in Pen’s charming old bookshop, guarded by mouse-hunter Bookmark, the cat. There's Fiona Finch, the fastidious co-owner of Finch Inn, who has a penchant for True Crime books and "happening to overhear" conversations between guests. Seymour, the outspoken mailman who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver, collects vintage pulp fiction, and likes to ghost hunt at midnight. And many more oddball characters, people Pen dearly loves—and her hard-boiled ghost barely tolerates.

#5 THE MYSTERY OF THE DEAD LIBRARIAN 

Join our earnest bookseller as she teams up with her hardboiled ghost to catch the cunning killer of Dory, a beloved local librarian in our new release THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN. We truly love our characters, and we hope you will thoroughly enjoy visiting their Haunted Bookshop world.

Coming this Tues. 9/29

To Pre-Order Now: 

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

+ Many more buy links

CLEO COYLE (cleocoylebooks.com) is the New York Times bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, collaborating with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million copies of their books sold, Alice and Marc have gained an enthusiastic following. THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN, a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Mystery Pick of the Month, marks the launch of an exciting new spin-off series in Cleo's beloved "Haunted Bookshop" world. Cleo also writes the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries with its 22nd entry, EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED, just released and already a #1 Amazon Category Bestseller with more titles to come. Cleo’s novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc have also created bestselling tie-in properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, they cook like crazy, drink a lot of java, and write independently and together.

Visit Cleo's online home here.

Follow Cleo at: Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky 

Instagram | Newsletter | Pinterest  

Bookbub | Goodreads

OUR SECOND GIVEAWAY...

Enter to win an autographed copy of THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN in its beautiful first edition hardcover format by leaving a comment on this post with your email address. If you win our random drawing, that's how we'll contact you, so don't forget to include your email!

Our favorite PI ghost is back in time for Halloween Season! Be sure to subscribe to our Free Cleo Coyle Newsletter so you don't miss the upcoming Haunted Bookshop parties and giveaways. 

Good luck in our Eat, Drink and Get Buried 
& Haunted Bookshop Giveaways, and... 

Happy Haunted Reading, 

Everyone! 

~ Cleo

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Midnight, Friday, Oct 2.
Be sure to include
your email address.

Spotlight on Leslie Karst: Why the "Orchid Isle" Mysteries? @LeslieKarst

  

Today it’s my turn to be in the Kitchen Spotlight and I thought it would be fun to talk about orchids, since some of you might be wondering, why are my books called the "Orchid Isle" mystery series? Well, the answer is that the Big Island, officially known as Hawai‘i Island, is also known as the Orchid Isle. And once you’ve been here, you’ll understand the reason for this: orchids absolutely thrive in this tropical climate.

a tree fern with orchids in my Hilo neighborhood

Orchids are native to nearly every part of the world except Antarctica, with the highest diversity originating in tropical and subtropical regions. They are most heavily concentrated in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, but also the Himalayas and the Andes mountains of South America, particularly in Ecuador and Colombia.

Three species are native to the Hawaiian Islands, and non-native orchids were first introduced in the late 1800s, with significant importation by Asian laborers and wealthy residents by the turn of the 20th century. Massive cultivation of orchids started after World War II, at which time Hawai‘i Island—where much of the commercial cultivation took place—first earned the moniker, “the Orchid Isle.”

They’re now very much a part of island life here. Folks make them into lei to present to friends, family, and honored guests.

 

at one of my book events here in Hawai‘i some years back

And most everyone has at least a few orchids growing in their garden. Here’s one with a local gecko peeking out from behind:

 

They’re so common that you even see them at the local land fill! Here’s Robin, having fun with a huge pile of orchids (Dendrobiums, I’m pretty sure) someone dumped along with their palm fronds and other green waste.

So when it came time to come up with a name for my mystery series set here on the Big Island, I decided to call them the Orchid Isle Mysteries.

The first two books in the series, Molten Death and Waters of Destruction, focused on volcanoes, and the river and sea, as you can guess from their titles. But for the third book, I realized that given the name of the series, I really needed to put some orchids in the story! Thus was born Murder, Local Style (which just released on April 7), in which Valerie joins the local orchid society as a way to make new friends and get to know her neighbors better.

Some years ago I was a member of an orchid society in Santa Cruz, California (where I live when I’m not in Hilo), and so I was able to draw from that experience in writing the book. But I still had to do a fair amount of research. Orchid people know their stuff, and I didn’t want to get anything wrong!

I was lucky enough to visit a vanilla farm (a variety of orchid) here on the Big Island a couple years ago, where we learned all about the process for growing vanilla plants and making your own extract. Inspired, I bought some vanilla pods for myself and made my own vanilla extract. (You can read about it here on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen.)

vanilla pods growing at the vanilla orchid farm

This gave me an idea for one of the subplots of the new book: Since Valerie is a retired caterer for the film and TV business in Los Angeles, I decided to have her volunteer to help run the annual benefit dinner the society is putting on. And one of the stars of the meal is a chocolate mac-nut tart, using vanilla made by the orchid society president from the vanilla plants that he propagates.

Alas, things go very wrong when the food from the dinner ends up poisoning the guests at the dinner, and fingers are pointed directly at the newcomer haole, Valerie.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t the best way to make new friends, after all....

 

READERS: Have you ever tried to grow orchids, or any other finicky plant? How did it go? 

 

🌱  🌸 🌿

 

Just Released!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for purchase here.

 

"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."

Kirkus Reviews 

 

 🍍 🌴 🍹

 

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here. 

 

2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist

for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!

 

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

 

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery  #1

Buy link here

 

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

 

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

 

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

 

 

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

 

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

 

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

 --Publishers Weekly

 

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served:  A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

 

 

 

Praise for Justice is Served:

 

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court." 

 

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

 

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON #GIVEAWAY

 

I’ve done a few of these now and I’ve been puzzling over how to make this Spotlight different.  I could tell you that my 31^st book, Where the Bodies Are Berried, #10 in my Cranberry Cove Series, just came out.  I still can’t believe I get to write books let alone thirty-one!  My first books were published by what was then Berkeley Prime Crime.  The logo was a bloody handprint on the spine.  I remember going in bookstores on my lunch hour, seeing those books and thinking one day I want my name on one of those.  I can’t believe it’s actually come true!

 

And now, I thought I’d do a Q&A highlighting a few things about my various books.

 

Favorite Series I’ve Written:  My Murder, She Reported series.  It’s set in New York City in 1938.  Researching the details for the books was so much fun—finding a floor plan for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel so I would know where the ladies room was on the ballroom floor (where my victim is murdered);  pouring over details of the 1939 New York World’s Fair including the pool where Billy Rose staged his Aquacade musical (and where my victim is found dead, floating in the water) ; reading all about the “Long Island Express” the terrible storm that took the east coast by surprise causing untold damage and loss of life (and nearly covering up the murder of my victim).

 

 

Favorite Research Trip:  Visiting a cranberry farm in South Haven, MI to witness a cranberry harvest firsthand for my Cranberry Cove Series.  I also startled the tour guide when I asked him what they would do if a body floated up in the bog!

 

 

Favorite Character:  Impossible to pick!  I love all my characters and can’t single out a favorite.  That would be like asking which of my children was my favorite.

 

Series That Made Me Laugh:  My Lucille Series actually made me laugh out loud on occasion as I put my character Lucille Mazzarella in humorous situations.

 

 

Series That Allowed Me to Travel:  My Open Book Series written as Margaret Loudon, although it was only armchair travel to England.  And I wouldn’t have been able to visit my setting, the town of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, since it was purely fictional.  

 

 

Most Unusual Murder Method: In Steamed to Death from my Gourmet De-Lite Series, the victim is drugged and trapped in an overheating steam cabinet.

 

Now for my question for you:  what is your favorite location to visit vicariously through the books you read? 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! 

 I am giving away one e-book copy of Where the Bodies Are Berried to one person who comments below--what is your favorite location to visit vicariously through the books you read?

 

 

  

 

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . . 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan with her husband. She is the author of numerous cozy mystery series including the Open Book (writing as Margaret Loudon), Murder, She Reported, Cranberry Cove, the Farmer's Daughter, Gourmet De-Lite, the Lucille series and Sweet Nothings Lingerie (written as Meg London). When she’s not writing, you’ll find her either cooking, reading or spoiling her granddaughters and grandson.

 

My Journey from the Pokey Little Puppy to Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen by Ang Pompano

Ang Pompano: Hi Everyone, I’m really pleased to be here today with my first Spotlight piece for Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. I joined the blog back in June, but this is my first time taking center stage for a couple of days. I’ve popped in before as a guest with some quirky recipes, so I thought I’d stick with that theme and share a little about how I grew up, what I read, and how I ended up writing mysteries. (Food is involved. It always is.)

I come from a long line of great cooks, and then I went and married another one, so eating well has never been a problem in my life. I loved being in the kitchen from the moment I was old enough to reach the stove. And I’ll admit something here: one of the first things I ever made was a fried onion grilled cheese sandwich. Weird, I know. But it was delicious, and I made it more times than I probably should have. Maybe that was my first experiment in culinary creativity, or maybe it was just a hungry kid home after school. Either way, I was hooked on cooking early.

I was also one of those kids who always had my nose in a book. My early favorites were the Golden Books—The Pokey Little Puppy and the Donald Duck story where Chip and Dale steal his toy train. 

Then I discovered the Landmark Books, which made me feel like the world was a much bigger place than my neighborhood. And Tom Swift, Jr. books which introduced me to science fiction/mystery. By high school, my reading veered toward the dramatic. I loved Poe. I memorized "The Raven" and learned to type by pounding it out again and again on my old manual typewriter. (It’s probably still got a few “Nevermores” etched into its roller.) 

I also loved to read Mark Twain. His humor suited the clown in me. I once turned his short story “The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm” into a play for a class project. I don’t know if anyone else understood what was happening, but I had a great time.

Of course, I read the Agatha Christie stories, and Sherlock Holmes too. The mystery seeds were planted early, even if I didn’t realize it.

Some books I won’t part with.

Even as a kid, I was always making little books with construction paper covers, or publishing newspapers full of important stories like “Angie Hits Homerun!” In high school I wrote for the school newspaper. Writing was just part of who I was.

But it wasn’t until I read Martha Grimes’s The Man With a Load of Mischief that a lightbulb went on and I thought, Hey… I might be able to do this.

When Annette and I were first married, I was teaching and she worked evenings in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. After putting the kids to bed, I’d drag out that same old typewriter and write until she got home. I churned out pages and pages, most of which are buried in a drawer somewhere, but they taught me how to stick with a story.

Same typewriter, new generation of author

Eventually I signed up for a creative writing class through adult education. That class changed my life. It’s where I met Christine Falcone (the Melanie Bass Mysteries), who I didn’t know at the time, but who worked with Annette in the NICU. Small world.

When the class ended, Chris formed a writing group with a few of us. At that point, I was focused mostly on short stories. Then Roberta Isleib, our own Lucy Burdette (the Key West Food Critic Mysteries), joined the group. Watching her approach and her success nudged me back toward writing novels. That group has been going strong for over 25 years, and I’ve been at it ever since.

Looking Ahead, I’m eagerly awaiting the re-release of my book Diet of Death and the release of a new book in the Reluctant Food Columnist series, Simmering Secrets. So, instead of sharing a new recipe today, I thought I’d revisit one of my all-time favorite guest posts. It features the legendary (or infamous, depending on your feelings about snack cakes) Twinkie Tiramisu from Diet of Death.

Twinkie Tiramisu don’t laugh until you try it.

Find Twinkie Tiramisu here: Twinkie Tiramisu

Thanks for stopping by and for welcoming me into the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen family, not just since June, but from my guest days too. I’m looking forward to sharing more food, stories, and fun from the kitchen.

What was your favorite childhood book? Or what dish did you first learn to cook? I’d love to hear. Drop a comment and your email in the link and you’ll be in the drawing for Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025 which has my story “Minnie the Air Raid Warden” plus other stories you won’t want to miss.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher and blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and The Reluctant Food Columnist series. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs, Dexter and Alfie.

Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025

Edited by Christine Bagley, Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano, and Leslie Wheeler

 BUY LINK

Readers root for criminals in fiction—and sometimes in real life—for many reasons: fighting injustice, acting on temptation, or simply getting away with a daring act, as in Sean Harding’s The Books Job. Crime fiction often probes justice, offering no easy answers but satisfying conclusions. Women in Gabriela Stiteler’s Money Well Spent and Chris Knopf’s Submission make choices we understand, while Cheryl Malone’s ranger in As the Crows Fly confronts moral ambiguity. Beth Hogan’s Willful Blindness and Bruce Robert Coffin’s Writer’s Block mislead readers before revealing the truth.

Twists are a staple of mystery. In Laurel Hanson’s Out of the Reach, an early twist sets the stage, echoed in Bonnar Spring’s At the End of the Day. Conscience shapes characters too: Nikki Knight’s Other Voices Carry explores diverging paths in crime, while Christine Bagley’s Sakura shows morality surfacing under pressure. Some villains—like Dale Phillips’s gas jockey in Gas or Judith Carlough’s writer in Catch and Release—drive the story, leaving readers conflicted.

Historical stories offer clarity: Sarah Smith’s The Woman Who Loved Her Husband’s Teeth depicts a war bride’s determined search, Paula Messina’s Perfect celebrates teenage cleverness, and Ang Pompano’s Minnie the Air Raid Warden highlights resourcefulness. Contemporary tales show women mastering technology to their advantage, as in Leslie Wheeler’s Graham 2.0 and Kat Fast’s Virtually Yours.

Many stories leave readers both satisfied and thoughtful: Brenda Buchanan’s Cape Jewell ends with a wiser heroine, Susan Oleksiw’s The Receptionist delivers a hard lesson, Avram Lavinsky’s The Long Shot evokes 1950s New York tensions, and Moe Moeller’s The Last Stone from the House of Usher offers a modern, near-happy ending.

Across this anthology, writers share the skill to yield to complex narrators, as in Stephen D. Rogers’s Chekhov, Sartre, and the Unity of Effect. Once again, this year’s collection delivers surprises and satisfaction. Welcome to crime in 2025.

When It’s Time for Leaving by Ang Pompano

Buy Link

Al DeLucia walked away from the police—and his past. But when his long-lost father leaves him a detective agency in Savannah, Al finds himself trapped between family secrets and a murder on the agency’s dock. Partnered with Maxine Brophy, a fierce detective who doesn’t trust him, Al is pulled into a deadly search through Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp—where the truth about the case, and his father, may cost him everything.

Blood Ties and Deadly Lies by Ang Pompano

Buy Link

Al DeLucia returns to Sachem Creek expecting a kayak race and a chance to confront his childhood bully, Abe Cromwell. Instead, he finds a dead lawyer, a web of deceit, and Abe claiming they’re brothers by DNA. Reluctantly joined by Maxine Brophy, his formidable partner and girlfriend, Al dives into a murder investigation that exposes land swindles, hidden maps, and buried family secrets. In a town where the past won’t stay buried, Al must face truths that could upend everything.