After publishing six books in The Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, I’m writing a new series. In the Reluctant Psychic Mysteries , a quirky loner who can read the history of any object with her touch gets drawn into mysteries at the museum of oddities where she works.
The Banditt Museum is fictional, as are all the characters in the novels, but the museum was inspired by the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This family run museum has a focus on the lawmen and outlaws of the Old West, especially Billy the Kid, but the museum also features a wide array of other items, from Barbie dolls to vintage cars – basically anything the founder could buy cheaply or get donated. It’s a maze of rooms and corridors and outdoor spaces. The website says it houses around 60,000 relics, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the number is even higher now.
I visited the Billy the Kid Museum when I was planning the Reluctant Psychic Mysteries, and it seemed like such a perfect location! A small town with a lot of traffic from tourists and people driving across the country, a museum that could easily be home to an eccentric cast of characters, and plenty of artifacts that Petra might “read.”
I took lots of photos when I visited, so I could use them for reference. Here is a selection.
A horse-drawn hearse and a covered wagon from the Billy the Kid Museum.
An old jail cell is an entertaining photo op for the tourists.
The Billy the Kid Museum has some model rooms, like this old homesteader’s cabin.
Driving back home after visiting the museum, we stopped at this classic diner. Penny’s Diner in Vaughn, New Mexico, features 1950s food and décor and is open 24/7, maintained by the railways for their workers on long train journeys. Guests are invited to write or draw on white boards near the ceiling.
The first Reluctant Psychic Mystery, A Stone Cold Murder, is out now! Petra Cloch studied geology because rocks rarely ‘talk’ to her, and she’s dodged friendships so she won’t need to explain her gift or feel like a voyeur. She’s starting work at a private museum in a small New Mexico town. When she picks up a jagged crystal in her new office, she’s flooded with flashes of rage, fear and death. Everyone says her predecessor died in a car crash, but what if he was murdered? Petra normally avoids involvements, but if the previous curator died because of the job, she could be next …
Learn more The Reluctant Psychic Mystery series or order copies. Available in ebook and print at all major retailers.
Readers say:
“A Stone Cold Murder is one of the most vivid books I’ve ever read. Kris Bock doesn’t just tell a story—she immerses you in it.”
“Petra’s psychometry is such a fresh take on psychic abilities… It’s brilliant character work. And the murder plot? So clever.”
“A Stone Cold Murder by Kris Bock isn’t just a murder mystery—it’s a haunting, immersive experience that blends the supernatural with raw human emotion. As someone who adores crime fiction with a twist, this book grabbed me from the first page and refused to let go.”
About the Author
Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance, often with Southwestern landscapes. In the
Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona
and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery and find out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves. Kris’s romantic suspense novels include stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue.
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Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
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