Tag Archives: Emmie Lyn

Mystery Books to Read Based on Taylor Swift Songs : September Releases Edition

Hello mystery lovers! Now, we all know how hard it is to ignore a good mystery, but pair it with a Taylor Swift song, and you’ve got to be insane not to check it out! Ready to read a mystery with a songs that embody the books? Check out September’s Releases now! And don’t forget, you can pre-order your books and read them that much sooner! 

1. Reputation – Ready For It? (Taylor’s Version)  ~ The Choice by: Melinda Di Lorenzo 

But if he’s a ghost, then I can be a phantom”

 

Sadie Haller-Bent has already taken the first steps to putting her divorce and her father’s death behind her. She has a new apartment, a new job, and a new life ahead of her. And things are going okay. Maybe not perfectly, but at least she’s on the right road. She can see some light at the end of her dark tunnel.

That is, until tonight. Because tonight, she woke up to find a killer at her door and a strange woman on her balcony, promising help.

In a split second, Sadie makes the only decision she can and puts her faith in a stranger. Now she’s on the run, caught in the middle of deadly a chase that she can’t even begin to understand. She can’t trust anyone, not even the police. But if she wants to survive, she needs to answer three very important questions: Who could possibly want to kill her? Why? And most importantly, can she stop them before it’s too late?

 

2. Speak Now – Haunted (Taylor’s Version) ~ Black Cat Comes Back by: Emmie Lyn

“Can’t turn back now, I’m Haunted.”

 

I’m Audrey Fernsby, just a ghost of my former self floating around Moonlight Mansion in Frog Hollow, Georgia. My death was ruled accidental… but nothing is farther from the truth.

When my precious black cat, Mocha, returns on the same night that two friends, Tilly and Sunny arrive from Maine, I plan to out my ghostly self and enlist their clever sleuthing capabilities.

Mocha knows the truth but can she help catch the killer before someone else ends up dead in my rose bushes?

 Black Cat Comes Back can be read as a stand-alone. Chronologically it fits as the PREQUEL before Scents and a Suspect in the Accidental Ghost Detective series.

Black Cat Comes Back has characters from the Mint Chocolate Chip Series. Get started with Book 1 Claws of Justice or catch up with the full series.

 

 

 

3. Evermore – No Body, No Crime (Taylor’s Version) ~ Panic in the Panhandle by: J.C. Kenney

I think he did it but I just can’t prove it. No body, no crime.”

 

In the sleepy panhandle of Florida, Benjamin “Elmo” Simpson has carved out a comfortable niche as the go-to wild animal removal specialist. Life is sweet until a peculiar service request takes him to a local condo and an unexpected scene. Retired lawyer Fran Cohen is missing and in his apartment is a well-fed alligator that appears to have enjoyed a nice breakfast with…or rather, of…Fran.

All evidence points toward murder, and local alligator farmer, Waldo “Rambo” Quigley has the motive and the means. When Rambo pleads for help to clear his name, old debts and a history of friendship leave Elmo no choice but to investigate. With his girlfriend, Nicola, by his side, and Rambo’s freedom on the line, Elmo’s on the hunt for the real killer, but don’t panic…Elmo’s got a plan…sort of. Maybe.

Reptilian clues lead to unexpected allies, and the call of danger is addictive. Can Elmo uncover the identity of Fran’s killer before becoming the next victim, removed from the scene like an unwanted pest?

Don’t think these quite fit? Send us your suggestions!

 

A month packed full of mysteries and cozies for our August release line up!

Check out our August releases for Tule Mystery! If you haven’t already done so, be sure you’re subscribed to our Tule Mystery newsletter AND, if you’re interested in cozy mysteries, check out Tule’s Cozy Mystery Cafe and read up on our new cozy authors!


Release Date: August 5, 2024

Turning thirty can be murder! 

When a body is discovered next to the Little Dog Diner on her milestone birthday, Dani Mackenzie finds herself scooping up a scandal instead of cutting cake.

The prime suspect is the new owner of the Blueberry Bay Grapevine, but the victim’s stepbrother and ex-girlfriend also have means, motive, and opportunity.

With this trio of suspects, it will take a good nose to uncover whodunnit. At least Dani has her best friend—her Jack Russell, Pip—at her side to help sniff out the killer! But in the meantime, her kick-off to her thirties is turning into more of an upside-down cake than a celebration as she uncovers money, a business scandal, and thwarted love at the core of this crime.

It will take the victim’s black Labrador and finding a winning lottery ticket to solve this mystery, but Dani never throws in the towel. Will she and Pip once again use their experience at solving mysteries to bring justice to Misty Harbor, Maine, or will they be caught in the crosshairs of the killer?


Release Date: August 12, 2024

What’s worse than a murder victim on your doorstep? 

For Rebecca Cuthbert, it’s finding a cursed Egyptian charm tucked into the dead woman’s pocket. The ominous discovery propels the fearless shopkeeper and her immortal, chatty cat on a perilous hunt for the killer and another piece of the missing magical collection.

Unfortunately, Citrus Grove’s annual summer festival is tying up police department resources—including Rebecca’s new beau, Detective Nick Devon—which leaves Rebecca, her grandfather’s wisdom, and Aneksi’s mystical powers to crack the case.

As her investigation delves into the amulet’s eerie peculiarities and the deceased’s shocking connections with a menacing foe, as well as an unwelcome old flame from Rebecca’s past, Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust. Can she rely on her newfound friends in her adopted hometown, or will deadly revelations turn her into the killer’s next target?

Prepare to journey through unexpected twists, ancient mysteries, and a dash of romance in this cozy mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end!


Release Date: August 13, 2024

Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent.

Even in war, your enemies can linger too close to home… 

While war and revolution continue to ravage Europe, Dorothy Peto embraces her new role at Scotland Yard as she and several detectives investigate a series of jewel thefts. Then Dorothy is tasked with assisting the inscrutable Inspector Derwent and the charming Colonel Lamarchant to find a missing French aristocrat. Their enquiries take them to a country house in Yorkshire, that’s been converted to a hospital for wounded soldiers and was the last place the Frenchman visited. However, the more questions they ask, the more questions they have.

When the body of a man suspected of being the marquis is discovered, the investigative team returns to London, but the dead man is a stranger. Dorothy speculates that the death, the jewel thefts and the missing Frenchman may be connected. She finds herself tangled in a web of conscientious objectors, Irish republicans and communist agitators, and not everyone is who they appear to be.


Release Date: August 22, 2024

Some secrets are safer lost at sea…

London based lawyer Kyra Gibson returns to Martha’s Vineyard and the beach house she inherited for an extended summer holiday. Still reeling from her father’s brutal murder and the role she and the handsome detective, Tarek Collins played in uncovering it, Kyra is hopeful for some peace and quiet. But when a summer squall reveals the wreckage of the pirate ship, Keres, rich with rumored treasure, all hopes of peace are dashed. Conservationists and treasure hunters descend on the exclusive island to lay claim to the ship. When two of the salvagers are killed, Kyra and Tarek’s friend, pub owner and amateur historian, Gully Gould is arrested for murder.

Determined to prove Gully’s innocence, Kyra, Tarek, and reformed playboy Chase Hawthorn team up to clear their friend’s name. But someone wants the treasure for themselves. And with someone willing to kill for it, there is more than just danger lurking along the island’s caves and coves. There is death.


Release Date: August 28, 2024

Murder has twisted them together…

It’s bad enough that Kyrie Dawn had an affair and a son with Charlotte McLaughlin’s husband, then, following his death, sued Charlotte for the two-bedroom love nest he’d purchased on a private residence cruise ship. That cabin was Charlotte’s consolation prize, and she’s chosen to travel the world in luxury, with her sister Jane along for the ride.

But now Kyrie Dawn has taken a job onboard teaching yoga—and she’s brought her little boy, who looks just like his father, with her.

Charlotte considers jumping ship as they sail toward Yokohama, Japan. Then the head chef is found in the downward dead position in Kyrie Dawn’s yoga studio, and all evidence points to her as the killer. She begs Charlotte and Jane to look after this friendly toddler—permanently if she’s found guilty.

With a second chance at motherhood snuggled in her lap, Charlotte must decide which life path to follow. Can she even set aside her hurt and anger to help exonerate the woman who ruined her life?

Tule Author Q&A: Get to know Tule Mystery Author Emmie Lyn and where she draws inspiration for her characters

Growing up in a small New England town seems to have influenced your writing. What aspects of your hometown are most prevalent in your books? I’ve always preferred living in a small town – I’m not a city girl at all! I need space around me, nature to wallow in, and room for gardening. I have way too many flower gardens but it’s a passion and really, can you ever have too many flowers? I hope the slower pace in a small town and the ability to get away from the hustle and bustle of life shines through in my books.

Your mysteries are known for their twists and unexpected turns. How do you come up with such intricate plotlines and keep readers on the edge of their seats? Whenever the MC is happily living her life, something needs to change! I ask myself, what can go wrong? Or what’s the worst thing that can happen at a particular place in the story? There are always choices on any journey. When writing, I choose the dangerous path!

Living in rural Massachusetts with such diverse wildlife must be inspiring. How does your environment influence your writing and the settings of your stories? Being in nature is part of who I am. I love walking in the woods. It’s where my mind goes over the details of where I’m at in my story and without fail, something unexpected pops into my brain. Why? I don’t know but I think it’s the quiet that allows me to relax and put myself in the MC’s shoes. I try to add in details like walking on the beach, watching birds, collecting rocks—any element that adds to the scene but doesn’t overpower it.

Your black cat with an ‘extremely bad attitude’ sounds intriguing! Does your cat, or pets in general, inspire any characters or scenes in your books? My black cat is an interesting personality. He’s a survivor. My daughter adopted him in Africa when she was in the Peace Corp and couldn’t leave him behind. I think he has some of those wild African cat genes and I always have to be on guard around him or suffer a random attack. I suppose, he inspires the ‘bad guy’ in my books—unpredictable and sneaky. Not very likeable, is he?

My dogs on the other hand, have been happy go lucky companions. With Dash, in the Accidental Ghost Detective series, I imagine what I’d expect my dog to say or do and it’s usually comical because dogs are so in the moment and literal. I’ve always talked to my dogs and I take that one step farther in my books—they talk back!

What is your process for developing the colorful characters that populate your novels? Do you draw from real life, imagination, or a combination of both? I’m an observer, the person at an event who stays in the background. The person you need to be careful around if you don’t want to end up in a mystery! LOL. My characters come from everywhere. A snippet of a conversation I hear, or a physical characteristic I notice on a stranger. I never know what will work so I file lots of ideas away until the right time. Also, friends (and especially my mom) love to share what they think would work in one of my books. Sometimes they’re good ideas and sometimes not but you never know. Everything has a possibility if you think creatively.

You enjoy spending time in your flower garden. Does gardening provide a creative outlet or a form of relaxation that helps with your writing process? Honestly, gardening is when I clear my head of everything and try not to think about my writing. Pulling weeds, planting, watering, flower arranging is my therapy from mental overload; a way to get away from my characters. That might sound strange but the characters in whatever book I’m writing, live in my head and sometimes I need a break from them!

Hiking and spending time near the ocean are some of your hobbies. Do these activities influence your storytelling or provide inspiration for your book settings? My series that are set in the fictional town of Blueberry Bay on the coast of Maine is where I’d love to live someday. Whenever I get a chance to get away for a day, the ocean is my destination. I walk on the beach, have lunch at a local lobster shack, and inhale the salty ocean breeze. I love it! It all shows up in my books.

What do you find most challenging about writing mystery novels, and how do you overcome these challenges? I’m more of a panster than an outliner. I plan a few chapters at a time but then have to write to find out what will happen next. Writing a mystery is creating a puzzle. It’s easy to figure out how it begins and where it will end but connecting the pieces to get from the beginning to the end is tricky. To help on the journey, I create character images and keep track of important events as I write. The biggest challenge is to be sure everything lines up—timelines, who’s where when, who knows what detail, etc. The solution? Lots of careful rereading. Sometimes I wake up at night and realize something I’ve written doesn’t work and I have to get up to fix it!

Your stories often feature female characters in quaint, scenic towns. How do you ensure these characters remain fresh and engaging across different novels? That’s tough and I’m not sure I’ve been successful creating unique characters. I give them different habits, interests, fears, and desires. A new series is swirling in my head. The MC is in her 60’s so she will have a completely different personality and outlook on life than the characters I’ve written who are I their 30’s.

What advice would you give to aspiring mystery writers who want to create engaging and twisty plots like yours? Read a lot of mysteries and then start writing! There are so many books about writing but the best way to learn is to write. Come up with an idea, create characters, put them in an interesting setting, and have everything go wrong! It’s hard but satisfying when the story comes together. 

BONUS: What is one book that you would consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? When I need to reset, I reach for Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The author, a botanist, embraces the idea that plants and animals are teachers. Her writing is both inspiring and timeless while connecting to the world around us, something I always strive for.

It’s too easy to get caught up in the drama of life. I try to enjoy each small wonder that passes through my day which is something that resonates in Braiding Sweetgrass.