Tag Archives: something shady at sunshine haven

Top 5 Mysteries to Read on a Plane

Flying these days requires a lot of patience—and there’s no better way to harness that skill than to be absorbed in a world far away from middle seats between two people hogging your arm rests, narrow aisles, and a roller bag stuffed at your feet because someone else thought the overhead bin was for their coat and purse.

Travel today is crying out for a world where there is no turbulence, just sheer excitement. So check out these Tule mysteries on your next trip and touch down in a good mood!

  1. Buried (Twisted Cedars Mysteries), C.J. Carmichael

    Decades of silence. A shocking discovery. Some secrets refuse to stay buried.

    True crime writer Dougal Lachlan swore he’d never set foot in Twisted Cedars again. Not even for his sister’s upcoming wedding. But an email promising the story of a lifetime pulls him back to his hometown against his better judgement.

    Thirty years ago, five librarians were murdered across quiet coastal towns in Oregon, leaving a trail of unsolved mysteries. All signs point to a serial killer.

    As Dougal plunges into the investigation, he enlists the help of local librarian Charlotte Hammond, who prefers her mysteries between the covers of a good book since the disappearance of her older sister Daisy.

    The more they dig, the more buried secrets they unearth only to realize nothing is quite what it seems, and the danger may be closer to home than they thought…

    Recommendation: 21k reviews at Amazon with a majority of them 5 stars says it all. CJ Carmichael’s easy style draws you in, so pull out your neck pillow and settle in. If it’s a long flight, download the series. You won’t want to leave small-town Twisted Cedars, Oregon!


  2. Killer Close to Home (Cluttered Crime Mysteries), Carol Light

    Not all clutter is visible to the human eye …

    Professional organizer Crystal Ward’s latest client, her neighbor Roscoe Tremaine, is changing his will, an announcement that sets off an explosive reaction within his family. That same night, a gas leak ignites, destroying his house, killing him, and rocking the Ward family at its foundation.

    Her husband, Rick, is injured in the blast, so Crys hires Roscoe’s former caregiver, Wink Keller, to help him recover after surgery. But trouble is just beginning. Both Crys and Wink are beneficiaries in Roscoe’s will, and their alliance sends accusations flying from the Tremaines’ side of the fence.

    Crys has her hands full dealing with her client’s not-so-grieving relatives, a teenaged girl stalking Wink, and a suspicious fire inspector. But when threatening “gifts” left on the Wards’ doorstep escalate, Crys is forced to sort through a tangled web of relationships, including her own, to keep her family safe.

    Recommendation: A story that is as much about family as it is solving the mystery, Killer Close to Home absorbs you into this very real neighborhood that feels just like your own. The setting is Chicago, but the appeal is to every suburban traveler looking for reassurances that nice folks don’t finish last.


  3. A Chain of Pearls (Martha’s Vineyard Murders), Raemi A. Ray

    The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…

    When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.

    She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.

    As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.

    Recommendation: An idyllic island setting known for its iconic lighthouses, fantasy cottages, and famous residents is an excellent vacation destination—but even if you aren’t bound for the East Coast, this Martha’s Vineyard mystery brings the mystique right to your seat. Bonus points for a hot detective, too.


  4. Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective), Kris Bock
    She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

    Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

    When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

    If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

    Recommendation: The father-daughter relationship will warm your heart far more than Phoenix, Arizona, sun in this Southwestern setting. Kate’s used to danger, knows how to investigate, and that makes her the best option to tackle problems that don’t interest the police yet, so you can count on plenty of clues, twists, and characters in this whodunnit.


  5. A Long Shadow (Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery), HL Marsay

    Old sins cast long shadows…

    When the bodies of a young, homeless girl and a girl who disappeared thirty years ago are found on the same day, residents in the historic city of York are aghast. It seems unlikely the two cases are related, and yet some of the same players knew both victims. As Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow and his eager new partner, Sergeant Jimmy Chang, dive into their investigation, they uncover a complicated web of pop stars, pub owners, shopkeepers and old school friends who each have something to hide.

    John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company, but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone and is perpetually trying to dodge his partner, who’s full of energy, modern ideas and theories.

    But as the two men gradually learn to work together to solve the case, it’s clear that the past is never as far away as you think.

    Recommendation: Seasoned British detective. Eager young pup for a partner. Enough said. With a name like John Shadow, you know this inspector has many fascinating layers just waiting to be revealed.

Tule Author Q&A: Kris Bock has lived around the world!

Kris Bock stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the first book in The Accidental Detective series, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven!

Welcome to Tule! Can you share a fun fact about yourself to help us get to know you?

I started my writing career in children’s literature. My first published book was The Well of Sacrifice – historical drama set in ninth-century Mayan Guatemala for ages nine and up. It’s still used in some schools when they teach the Maya. I’ve also been a ghostwriter for some popular children’s mystery series starring your favorite young detectives. I write for kids as Chris Eboch and MM Eboch.

 

Where did you get the inspiration for Something Shady at Sunshine Haven?

I was thinking about the popularity of elderly women as amateur sleuths, and also about the Phryne Fisher mysteries, where the main character has a background as an ambulance driver in World War I. Somehow the two crossed in my mind and became a woman in midlife who had decades of experience observing people and also had a dangerous job, making her fearless.

As I faced fifty, I wanted to create a mystery lead dealing with some of the same issues: aging parents, concerns about financing retirement someday, and a body that doesn’t recover like it once did. I also wanted to give Kate a reason to be adventurous, thus the background as a war correspondent. 

 

Free String Lights Hanged on Bed Frame Stock PhotoYour heroine, Kate, is back in her childhood bedroom. If you were transplanted back to your childhood/teenage bedroom, what could we expect to see?

My family lived in Saudi Arabia when I was in grade school. We moved there just before my fifth birthday and lived in an American camp for six years while my father worked for the oil company. My family camped in the desert and shopped in the nearby Arab town. Santa visited on a camel. 

After two years in Colorado, we moved to Alaska, where I went to junior high and high school. I hiked around a glacier, picked wild blueberries, and joined the junior ski patrol. Despite the unusual locations, my room probably wasn’t that surprising – lots of stuffed animals and lots of books. In high school, I had pictures of Sting and The Police on my wall.

I still have stuffed animals and books, but no rock star posters.

 

What was your favorite scene to write and why? (include a snippet)

I didn’t specifically set out to write humor, but a lot of early readers said they laughed a lot. That got me thinking about and studying types of humor. In my books, a lot of the humor is of the wry observational type, coming from the way Kate sees the world. Then you have eccentric friends and family, who can be wacky while also remaining believable and lovable. 

Another option is slapstick. I think a little slapstick goes a long way in written humor, but I do enjoy the following snippet for its visuals. Kate is investigating the staff and residents of the nursing home where her mother is: 

I turned to Tommy. “It was lovely talking to you. I hope we’ll meet again when I’m here visiting my mother. I need to speak to some other new friends now.” 

Mendelson scowled and shuffled his feet. 

I grinned. “Have a great day.” 

I felt his gaze on me as I turned to cross the room.

Between the residents, visiting family members, dogs, and their handlers, the spacious room was a swirl of activity. I waited for a woman using a walker to cross in front of me. My leg ached, so I shifted more of my weight onto my good leg and the cane. A man to my right half turned, gesturing wildly with his arms while he told a story. I flinched back to avoid being hit.

Something slammed into my left leg. I grunted in pain as my leg collapsed. My cane swung upward, goosing the gesturing man and tangling in his legs.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the floor in a heap.

 

What are you currently reading?

I read several books a week, so that answer changes daily. Recently I’ve enjoyed the Heathcliff Lennox series by Karen Baugh Menuhin (1920s Britain), the Professor Bradshaw Mysteries by 

Bernadette Pajer (1901 Seattle), and the Lord Edgington Investigates series by Benedict Brown (also 1920s Britain). I adore KJ Charles and have been rereading the Will Darling Adventures Series (once again, 1920s Britain). I haven’t yet been tempted to write historical mysteries, which means it’s easier to enjoy them without analyzing them as a writer.

 

About the Author

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance. She has lived in ten states and one foreign country but is now firmly planted in the Southwest, where many of her books are set. In New Mexico, Kris enjoys hiking, watching the sunset from her patio, and hanging out with her husband and their ferrets. Kris writes for children under the name Chris Eboch.

Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter. This collection includes a ten-page mystery short story set in the world of “The Accidental Detective” series, information about the series, and the first chapter of book 1. After that are three fun, short stories originally written for children. You’ll also get Lions and Love at the Cat Café, a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of Kris’s Furrever Friends cat café sweet romance series.

Find Kris:

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Amazon US page or Amazon UK page.