Mikki Lincoln, the protagonist in my “Deadly Edits” series, hasn’t had much time for hobbies lately, but at some point she’ll reveal that she shares one with me, and with Liss MacCrimmon, the sleuth in my other Kensington mystery series. We’re all “puzzlers”—folks who enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles.
I’m not sure when I caught the puzzling bug, but at one point everyone in the family seemed to have a puzzle going—me, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law. We all had the same problem, too. We needed a way to keep the puzzle pieces organized and prevent the pets, mostly cats, from running off with them. At about that same time, my husband set up a woodworking shop in our garage. One thing led to another and before long, between us, we’d designed a jigsaw-puzzle table that would fill the bill. It has drawers for sorting and storage and a cover to keep the cats off. Eventually, my husband ended up producing custom-made jigsaw-puzzle tables as a retirement business, but the prototype is all mine. It has detachable legs, so it can be set up anywhere, but I soon discovered I preferred to leave off the legs and keep it on the dinette table instead. Puzzles I’ve done and puzzles I’ve yet to do are stacked against the wall to one side of the table.
I find doing jigsaw puzzles relaxing, as long as there aren’t huge stretches that are all one color. That can be frustrating, which takes the fun out of it. I like my pieces, just like my mysteries, to contain plenty of clues. When you get right down to it, putting a puzzle together and writing a cozy mystery have a lot in common!
Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett is the author of more than fifty-five traditionally published books written under several names. She won the Agatha Award and was an Anthony and Macavity finalist for best mystery nonfiction of 2008 for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries and was an Agatha Award finalist in 2015 in the best mystery short story category. She was the Malice Domestic Guest of Honor in 2014. Currently she writes the contemporary Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries and the “Deadly Edits” series (Crime & Punctuation—2018) as Kaitlyn and the historical Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries (Murder in a Cornish Alehouse) as Kathy. The latter series is a spin-off from her earlier “Face Down” mysteries and is set in Elizabethan England. Her most recent collection of short stories is Different Times, Different Crimes. Her websites are www.KaitlynDunnett.com and www.KathyLynnEmerson.com and she maintains a website about women who lived in England between 1485 and 1603 at A Who’s Who of Tudor Women.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kaitlyndunnett/
After splurging to buy her childhood home in the Catskills, recently widowed Mikki Lincoln emerges from retirement as a freelance editor. With her ability to spot details that others fail to see, it’s not long before Mikki earns clients—and realizes that the village of Lenape Hollow isn’t the thriving tourist destination it was decades ago. Not with a murderer on the loose . . .
When perky novice writer Tiffany Scott knocks at her door holding a towering manuscript, Mikki expects another debut novel plagued by typos and sloppy prose. Instead, she finds a murder mystery ripped from the headlines of Lenape Hollow’s not-too-distant past. The opening scene is a graphic page-turner, but it sends a real chill down Mikki’s spine after the young author turns up dead just like the victim in her story . . .
Mikki refuses to believe that Tiffany’s death was accidental, and suspicions of foul play solidify as she uncovers a strange inconsistency in the manuscript and a possible motive in the notes. Then there’s Tiffany’s grandmother and husband, who aren’t exactly on friendly terms over the local area’s planned rejuvenation efforts . . .
Unable to convince police that they are focused on the wrong suspect, Mikki must rely on her keen eyes to catch the truth hidden in Lenape Hollow. As she gets closer to cracking the case, only one person takes Mikki’s investigation seriously—the cunning killer who will do anything to make this chapter of her life come to a very abrupt ending . . .
Praise for Kaitlyn Dunnett and her Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries!
Kilt At The Highland Games
“An enjoyable cozy from start to finish.” —Publishers Weekly
The Scottie Barked At Midnight
“Dunnett’s latest is full of local color, suspicious characters, and adorable fur-babies. What’s not to like?” —Kirkus Reviews
Ho-Ho-Homicide
“It has two things everyone likes, Christmas and murder.” —Jimmy Fallon
Vampires, Bones, And Treacle Scones
“Spooky . . . Cozy fans are in for a Halloween treat.” —Publishers Weekly
Bagpipes, Brides, And Homicides
“Fans of Scottish lore or bookstore mysteries like Lorna Barrett’s and Carolyn Hart’s will enjoy this one.” —Booklist
Scotched
“This well-plotted novel provides pure entertainment.” —RT Book Reviews
A Wee Christmas Homicide
“The blend of romance and cozy mystery will please lovers of all things Scottish.” —Kirkus Reviews
Kilt Dead
“A blithe and bonny mystery.” —Nancy Martin
Uncover the Truth With These New Mystery Series