Death of an Antiquarian - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Luke Forbes to Cozy Up With Kathy. You can find Luke on the pages of the Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery series. DEATH OF AN ANTIQUARIAN is the second book in the series and was released last year.

 
Hello, Luke Forbes here. I’m an agent with Interpol’s AART. That’s Antiquities, Art Recovery Team. I’ve been living in London, England for approximately ten years.

I attended university in Chicago and met Mia there. We hit it off immediately and lived together for the better part of two years. We fully intended to live our lives together. After our graduation, I had to return home to England, my father had been ill. While I was there, a former girlfriend showed up at the house and we went out for dinner. One thing led to another and a few weeks later, she found me and told me she was pregnant. Now, I don’t know how that happened, because when I woke up she was nowhere to be found. And I had a massive headache. Which I don’t get after one drink. I think someone slipped me a Mickey. I tried to reach Mia, but she was on a dig in the jungle and couldn’t be reached. I did the honorable thing and married the woman. Turns out she wasn’t pregnant. I tried to make it work with her, but it was an impossible situation. I was miserable without Mia.

I was working with the British Museum for a few years when I was approached by a patron who wanted to sell an artifact that he had in his possession. I suspected the artifact was stolen. I spoke with my supervisor and together we researched the artifact and learned it had been stolen. My supervisor contacted Interpol and an agent came to the museum.

We worked with the agent and were able to obtain the artifact. The patron claimed he’d been given it as a gift, but couldn’t provide proof. The patron was a wealthy aristocrat and my wife thought I should simply help him sell the artifact. My wife was furious with me and that was the last straw as you would say. We divorced shortly afterwards.

The Interpol agent spoke with me about joining Interpol and working with AART. I admit it appealed to me. Being part of repatriating missing artifacts would be satisfying. I did my training in London and in several cities on the continent. My job is very satisfying. Locating missing artifacts and repatriating them to their rightful place.

This past summer, I was working with police in Scotland when we were advised of a sudden death at an archaeology dig on the Isle of Skye. The officer I was working with had to return, I followed because there was concern artifacts might have been taken as well.

I was shocked to learn Ethan Carter was the archaeologist who was dead. Ethan was a very good friend of mine and Mia’s when we were in grad school. I was more shocked to learn Mia was enroute to the dig for the summer.

We met and reconnected. It was awkward at first to say the least. We both had work to do. Mia with the dig and the students and me with the police and trying to recover missing artifacts.

We had a few close calls on Skye that made me realize Mia was still the person I wanted to be with.

At the end of our time on Skye, Mia and I had decided our relationship deserved a second chance. We spent ten days together in London, then went to the United States for Ethan’s memorial service. After that, Mia asked if I could spend some time with her in Lakeview. I was able to reconnect with Gran and with Alex too.

We’ve decided to give our relationship time to develop. At first, it appeared it would be a challenge. Me, in Great Britain, and Mia, in Canada. When I returned to London, I spoke with my supervisor at Interpol and asked if there were opportunities for me to work in Canada. Unbelievably, there was! I was pleased to learn that I could work in Lakeview City and provide hands on training to the local and provincial police as well as the RCMP. So, I’m back in Lakeview, at least for the moment. It’s been wonderful being with Mia.

Mia’s been pulled into investigating Mr. Fraser’s death and I’m beside her, making sure she’s safe. Although she really doesn’t need me to do that. She’s a smart, resourceful woman who’s proven time and again that she can take care of herself. But I don’t like the threats that she’s been receiving against her and Gran. I don’t want to lose Mia again.

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Review

DEATH OF AN ANTIQUARIAN by Rose Kerr
The Second Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery 

Pleased with the progress of her exhibit of Aztec artifacts at the Lakeview City Museum, archaeologist Mia Reid is happy to accompany her grandmother to a special sales event at Timeless Treasures, a local antique store. She's even happier that Luke Forbes, her significant other will be arriving in Canada soon as Interpol has him on assignment training local police about theft of artifacts. The following morning Tim Fraser, owner of Timeless Treasures, is found dead at his desk, poisoned. With ties to his family Mia becomes involved, soon discovering that Tim appeared to be linked with  a major smuggling ring. As police investigate, with help from Luke, Mia begins to receive notes threatening both her and her gran if she doesn't back off. Will they stop a smuggling ring and catch a killer or will a murderer strike again?

I absolutely love this series and changing the locale from the site of a dig to a museum is a fun change. It's fascinating seeing the various work involved at museums, from creating exhibits and authenticating items to marketing and publicizing events, working with schools, and helping the police! And this is just what Mia does. Living just over the border I also enjoy books set in Toronto, though it's called Lakeview. 

Mia makes a fantastic protagonist. She's smart and capable, with a fulfilling life. I also appreciate how Luke compliments her. They make a great team. The mystery was intriguing, with surprises about people Gran and Mia know to the shadow of an old bad guy. There's an indescribable quality to this book; conveying a sense of intelligence, family, and a strong work ethic with steady police work, thrills, and dogged determination.

Blending antiquities, police work, and relationships DEATH OF AN ANTIQUARIAN is a captivating mystery that has me dreaming of museum visits and butter tarts.

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 Death of an Antiquarian: A Mia Reid, Archaeologist, Mystery by Rose Kerr

About Death of an Antiquarian

Death of an Antiquarian: A Mia Reid, Archaeologist, Mystery
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Lakeview City, Ontario, Canada (loosely based on Toronto, Canada)
Publisher: ‎ Level Best Books
Publication Date: ‎ December 16, 2025
Print Length: ‎ 242 pages

When archaeologist Dr. Mia Reid takes a contract position at the Lakeview City Museum, she expects artifacts, exhibitions, and research notes, not murder. The death of a local antique dealer, with unexpected ties to artifact smuggling, draws Mia into a dangerous mystery.

As chatter of an international smuggling ring surfaces, Mia and Luke race to uncover the truth. The stakes rise when threats reach her—and her beloved grandmother.

With lives in jeopardy and artifacts at risk of vanishing forever into the black market, Mia must use all her skills to piece together the puzzle. Can she expose a killer before the next artifact or person disappears?

About Rose Kerr

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region and indulging her lifelong curiosity.

Author Links: 

Website: https://rosekerr.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/?hl=en  

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/RoseKerrauthor/  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22146877.Rose_Kerr  

Amazon Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/author/rose-kerr-mysteries  

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Bookshop.org

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Death of an Antiquarian by Rose Kerr. This book is the second in the Mia Reid, Archaeologist Mystery series.

Pleased with the progress of her exhibit of Aztec artifacts at the Lakeview City Museum, archaeologist Mia Reid is happy to accompany her grandmother to a special sales event at Timeless Treasures, a local antique store. She's even happier that Luke Forbes, her significant other will be arriving in Canada soon as Interpol has him on assignment training local police about theft of artifacts. The following morning Tim Fraser, owner of Timeless Treasures, is found dead at his desk, poisoned. With ties to his family Mia becomes involved, soon discovering that Tim appeared to be linked with  a major smuggling ring. As police investigate, with help from Luke, Mia begins to receive notes threatening both her and her gran if she doesn't back off. Will they stop a smuggling ring and catch a killer or will a murderer strike again?

Death of a Proper Bostonian - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm very pleased to share this missive from Mrs. E. Sutton. You can find her on the pages of  Death of a Proper Bostonian by Anne Louise Bannon. This book is the sixth in the Old Los Angeles Mystery series and will be released this Friday!

14 Tulip St. 
Boston, Massachusetts 
August 27, 1873

Mrs. E. Sutton 
Sutton Funeral Parlor 
12 Calle de la Eternidad 
Los Angeles, California


My Dearest Angelina and Regina;

Pray forgive me for addressing you both in this missive, but I have suddenly become quite occupied, both with a new patient and an old misery. I had thought I would be enjoying a much-needed respite from the violence that so often plagues the pueblo. But, no. I am once again mired in the nefarious misdeeds of some unknown person.

I shall begin at the beginning. I believe in my last letter, I mentioned that I was expecting to dine with the elder brother of my late and unlamented husband. My darling sister Carrie made every excuse. However, my father had implored us to be kind to Mr. Wilcox for the sake of the friendship between our respective fathers.

This is the same fellow of whom I remarked that I would have thought he was courting me, but that his wife still lives. Mrs. Wilcox turned out to be quite pleasant, if sickly. The meal itself was rather bland, the conversation almost the same, but for one of the other guests, Mr. John Wilcox, a poor cousin who is a naturalist and there to give a lecture and Magic Lantern show about his travels. The dinner conversation was the usual tut-tuttery about women’s roles and suffrage, and the younger Mr. Wilcox argued quite sensibly in favor of suffrage and women in the medical profession.

Poor thing. He would soon be in the position of putting the proof to his words. But first, the elder Mr. Wilcox accosted me in an attempt at wooing me. He clearly still had designs upon my property. I removed myself immediately from the room and went to the lecture.

It was very well done, with Mr. John’s uncle changing the slides in the lantern as Mr. John talked. But then a shot rang out, and Mr. John was hit in his lower limb. Elena and I were, of course, at his side immediately. We oversaw his removal to an upstairs bedroom, while my brother-in-law fetched our surgical tools and work clothes, Carrie’s house being but three doors away.

The surgery went well. However, the greater horror was that the elder Mr. Wilcox was found shot to death in his bed the next morning. Thanks to your ongoing and excellent study of rigor mortis, dear Angelina, when I examined the corpus, I was able to determine that the elder Mr. Wilcox had probably been shot at the same time as his younger cousin. And, as such, it seems likely that Mr. John had been shot as a diversion.

So, yes, I am once again on the search for a killer. Whatever knowing smirks you two are sharing with each other, I firmly believe that none of us wishes it were so. I already sorely miss your wise counsel, or at least our conferences in my study with pan dulces and angelica. Oddly enough, Mr. John seems to be quite helpful, but not nearly as helpful as you two, so dear to my heart as you are.

I received both your letters the other day and was quite warmed by them. However, as I have no way of knowing how much longer I will be here in Boston, I must beg you to wait to send more for fear that they will be chasing me back and forth across the country. My sister Carrie offers you her best regards, and I have given her yours.

I miss you, my dear hearts.

With great affection,

Maddie

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 Death of a Proper Bostonian (Old Los Angeles) by Anne Louise Bannon

About Death of a Proper Bostonian

Death of a Proper Bostonian (Old Los Angeles)
Historical Mystery 6th in Series
Setting - Boston, 1873
Publisher: ‎ Healcroft House, Publishers
Publication Date: ‎ June 12, 2026

A deadly homecoming It's August 1873, and at long last, physician and winemaker Maddie Franklin Wilcox makes the journey home to her beloved native Boston. Her business is to deliver her ward and apprentice, Elena Ortiz, to the local women's medical school, and that also includes visiting her father, her sister and her family. But at a dinner with the family of Maddie's late and very much unlamented (at least, on her part) husband, young John Wilcox, a cousin there to entertain the guests with his nature talk, is shot. Then the next morning, the eldest of the Wilcox brothers is found shot in his bed. Maddie quickly concludes that the shooting of the oh, so charming naturalist was but a distraction for the shooting of her former brother-in-law. Chased by a corrupt Boston police officer, confronted again and again by the relentless prejudice of the city's medical practitioners, and in danger of losing her heart to young John Wilcox (who had plenty of reasons to want his cousin dead), Maddie's happy homecoming becomes a morass of suspicion with someone willing to kill her and the people she loves.

About Anne Louise Bannon

Author Anne Louise Bannon’s husband says that his wife kills people for a living. Bannon does mostly write mysteries, including the Old Los Angeles Series, the Freddie and Kathy series, and the Operation Quickline series. She has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. She and her husband, Michael Holland, created a wine education blog, and she co-wrote a book on poisons. She and her husband live in Southern California with an assortment of critters. Visit her website at AnneLouiseBannon.com.

Author Links:  

Website: Https://annelouisebannon.com,  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinGoodfellowEnt  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelouisebannon4  

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@annelouisebannon  

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/annelouisebannon.bsky.social  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnneLouiseBannon/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelouisebannon/  

Substack: https://substack.com/@annelouisebannon  

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/513383.Anne_Louise_Bannon

Purchase Links Barnes & Noble Kobo Books2Read Apple Amazon Google Bookshop.org

Sconed to Death - A Spotlight

Sconed to Death (A Crochet and Crumpets Mystery) by Betty Hechtman

About Sconed to Death

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Indiana
Publisher: ‎ Severn House
Publication Date: ‎ June 2, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 224 pages

A brand-new series from the queen of culinary cozies. Full to the brim with crochet, crumpets, and crime! The perfect ingredients for murder . . . Annie Hart has transformed the yarn shop she inherited into a thriving business and tea shop. Now she needs to sell it so she can move back to LA. She just has to ensure that young Toby Swanson is kept on as the supplier of their famous scones. Annie decides to secretly enter Toby in a new reality TV cooking show. But his application video takes a deadly twist when Annie and her business partner, Gray, discover a body on the beach while filming. Even worse, it looks like the young woman had been enjoying Toby’s cherry scones and the shop’s rose tea before her death. With the help of her misfit group of local yarn artists, can Annie find a killer and save her reputation? Readers who love super cozy culinary mysteries will eat up this new charming cozy mystery series.

About Betty Hechtman

 

Despite completing a Fine Arts degree, all Betty Hechtman ever wanted to be was a writer. She wrote a weekly column in her college newspaper and later wrote magazine and newspaper pieces, along with short stories and a prize-winning screenplay. She has published over thirty books across four cozy mystery series, all of which have yarn craft. She lives with her family in Southern California  

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.Bettyhechtman.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettyhechtmanauthor  

Blog: https://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com  

Purchase Links Amazon Barnes and Noble

A Necessary Death - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Terri Karsten to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Terri writes the Tucker's Crossing Mystery series. A NECESSARY DEATH is the first book in the series.

Kathy: In A NECESSARY DEATH we meet Penelope Corbitt in the spring of 1763. What made you choose this time period for your series?

TK: 1763 is the end of the French and Indian War, in the period before the Revolutionary War. It’s the ‘between times’ that can be glossed over in the history books but actually was very significant in the ways attitudes in the colonies shifted. I wanted to write about ordinary people in a changing world. The late colonial period offers a lot of opportunity for conflict. The colonists were not just British any more, but neither were that yet Americans. Also, I’ve always been a big fan of Abigail Adams.

Kathy:  Penelope can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. Are you able to do the same?

TK: Yes, though if you give me a few mushrooms and onions, the pie will be even better. Cabbage and vinegar can make sauerkraut or pan slaw, both of which are delicious and filling.

Kathy:  Have you tried to recreate period recipes?

TK: Yes, absolutely! Historical cookery is one of my hobbies. I’ve experimented with recipes from ancient Mesopotamia, medieval England, and Colonial Virginia, to name a few. A NECESSARY DEATH includes modernized versions of some of the recipes Penelope makes. In fact, everything Penelope serves is something I’ve made. My blog, https://bricabrac164.blog/category/cookery/ has several examples of period recipes I’ve tried.

Kathy:  Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?

TK: While I love reading all sorts of manuscripts, my favorite way to research is what I call ‘experiential,’ or historical reenactment. I know what it feels like to carry water in a linen bucket through dewy grass while wearing long skirts, because I’ve done that. This kind of experience helps me bring the setting to life.

Kathy: What first drew you to historical mysteries?

TK: Since childhood, I’ve loved historical fiction. The first chapter book I remember reading was A BOY OF THE LOST CRUSADE, by Agnes Danforth Hewes. It’s about a French boy who joined the ill-fated Children’s Crusade in the 13th century. I was fascinated by the different cultures and people he met. Adding mystery to historical fiction came later, after reading such great authors as Elizabeth Peters and Lindsey Davis.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

TK: Yes. I have several Steampunk short stories published in various anthologies and on-line magazines. I also have written a couple of non-fiction books, and two children’s picture books focused on legends from different parts of the world.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

TK: A NECESSARY DEATH is the first in a planned three-book series, Tucker’s Crossing Mysteries. The series is set in a tavern in colonial Pennsylvania, and features tavern owner/constable, Miles Tucker, and the tavern cook, Penelope Corbitt. The second book in the series, A PLAYER’S EXIT, is due out in September, 2026, and I’m hoping the third will be ready to publish by 2027.

Kathy:  Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

TK:  I’m very fond of Penelope Corbitt because she's got the courage to do what she needs to do to keep her family safe. She’s a capable, stubborn woman, full of common sense and gumption. She knows she’s right.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

TK: The initial idea for this story came from an article in Smithsonian about archeological excavations in Pennsylvania. The archaeologists had discovered the skeleton of a colonial era child buried in a tavern yard. I kept thinking about this boy, imagining what might have happened for him to end up there, not in a cemetery. After making up his story, I realized that my main characters had more story to tell and a tavern is a great place for drama, so decided to develop this series.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

TK: I like sharing my stories with readers. The characters I’ve created seem very real to me, and I think they deserve an audience.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

TK: It’s hard to pick only four among the greats, but these four all have great insights into human nature. I think we’d have a lively discussion. Geoffrey Chaucer (THE CANTURBURY TALES), William Shakespeare (A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and many others), Jane Austin (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE), Michelle Magorian (BACK HOME). 

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

TK: I’m just starting VITA BREVIS, Book 7 in Ruth Downie’s historical mystery series set in Roman Britain. The main characters are Ruso, a Roman medical officer, and his wife, Tilla, a native Britain. Besides offering an intriguing mystery in each book, the series gives readers a delightful peek into cross-cultural conflict between two people who love each other but see the world from very different perspectives.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

TK: Besides writing, cooking, and playing with grandkids, I love travelling. I enjoy experiencing different cultures, languages, and foods. I’ll be heading to Norway and Finland in July. I’m excited to learn more about the Sami people and experience long summer nights above the arctic circle.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

TK:  Homemade bread (I bake a lot.), Cheese (several kinds), Almonds (great for snacking), Canned tomato sauce (such a useful ingredient)

Kathy:  Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

TK: Yes. The next book in this series is A PLAYER’S EXIT. When an actor from a travelling theater troupe is found dead in the tavern stable, Miles and Penelope scramble to discover the killer before the tavern is ruined or worse, someone else gets hurt. The third book in the series is titled A WIDOW’S PORTION, it concerns the various fates of widows in the colonial era.

o I have a few other projects rattling around in my brain, including a steampunk anthology and an adventure set in Charlemagne’s time, but I try not to let the ideas distract me from the current work.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

TK: It’s a grown-up way to ‘play pretend.’ I can make the story go any way I want it to. 

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Review

A NECESSARY DEATH by Terri Karsten
The First Tucker's Crossing Mystery 

With changeable weather traveling in the spring of 1763 is unpleasant at the best of times and these were definitely not the best of times. After the death of her seafaring husband Penelope Corbitt lost everything, including her lovely house in Philadelphia, to his heretofore unknown gambling debts. Now she and her children, sixteen year old Nebby and nine year old Nathaniel, are forced to move to Boston to live with the sister she hasn't seen in a decade. Not only that, her boorish brother-in-law is escorting them. When the storm worsens the rain soaked road proves too much and their coach overturns. While the coachman works to get the carriage upright Penelope and her family walk to the nearest inn. Penelope's first thought is to use the necessary, but when she opens the privy door she discovers a man inside...a dead man.

I truly enjoyed A NECESSARY DEATH. Penelope Corbitt is smart, pragmatic, and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Miles Tucker is also smart, capable, and completely confounded by Penelope who has completely disrupted his life. The dynamic between these two was wonderful to see. It was fun seeing Penelope completely befuddle the man all while transforming his dingy inn into a place where people would enjoy congregating. I also liked how she was one step ahead of him when it came to theorizing about the murder and had no qualms sharing her rationalizations. Penelope's children are helpful and well behaved and while I typically don't like children, I really liked Nathaniel, while Nebby is really a young adult. The person I couldn't stand is Penelope's brother-in-law. What an obnoxious self-righteous snob! I also wanted to clobber Abner and the more I found out about the parson, I was quite pleased with his demise.

The first Tucker's Crossing Mystery provides a confounding mystery. Just who killed the parson? And how? Poison? Stabbing? An accident? With multiple people confessing it becomes quite a conundrum! Prejudice rears its ugly head and plays a major role along with societal expectations. The attention to period detail made the book even more fascinating. I especially appreciated the modern day versions of colonial recipes mentioned in the book complied at the end.

A compelling, well plotted mystery filled with fascinating characters A NECESSARY DEATH is one of my favorite reads of the year and a fantastic start to a new series.

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 A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten

About A Necessary Death

A Necessary Death Historical Cozy Mystery
Setting - A tavern in Colonial Pennsylvania (1764)
Publisher: ‎ Wagonbridge Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ September 15, 2025
Print Length: ‎ 272 pages Paperback

With Penelope Corbitt in the kitchen, the tavern will never be the same.

Penelope Corbitt can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. But all her skill can’t save her family in the spring of 1763, when she loses everything to pay off her missing husband’s debts. Walking a tightrope between the freedom of poverty and the confines of propriety, she must accept her stingy brother-in-law’s reluctant charity to keep her family fed and her children close. The miserable journey north from Philadelphia is interrupted when the coach crashes in the mud. Penelope and her children are stranded at a run-down tavern. Penelope doesn’t think things can get worse.

Then she finds a dead man.

About Terri Karsten

Living in the shadow of the Mississippi River bluffs, Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator for many years. She grew up in sunny San Jose, California, playing amid the cherry orchards that soon gave way to houses. In her search for education and adventure, she lived in Iowa and Wisconsin, Mexico and France, before settling into a hundred-year-old house in Winona, Minnesota. She spends most days in her tiny office, surrounded by books, papers, and good memories.

With more ideas than time, Terri writes a bit of everything, ranging from historical fiction novels to picture book folktales to dozens of short stories and articles in magazines, encyclopedias, and newspapers.

When she is not writing, Terri loves poring over old cookbooks and recreating dishes from long ago, especially medieval, Renaissance, and colonial foods. Always ready for the next adventure, she enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling. Her latest goal is to visit National Parks in every state. Only 13 states to go!

Author Links

• Webpage: https://terrikarsten.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrikarsten
• Substack: https://historicalcookery.substack.com/
• GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7343260.Terri_Evert_Karsten
• Purchase Links - Amazon B&N

Currently Reading...

I just started reading A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten. This book is the first in the Tucker’s Crossing Mystery series and was released last fall.

With changeable weather traveling in the spring of 1763 is unpleasant at the best of times and these were definitely not the best of times. After the death of her seafaring husband Penelope Corbitt lost everything, including her lovely house in Philadelphia, to his heretofore unknown gambling debts. Now she and her children, sixteen year old Nebby and nine year old Nathaniel, are forced to move to Boston to live with the sister she hasn't seen in a decade. Not only that, her boorish brother-in-law is escorting them. When the storm worsens the rain soaked road proves too much and their coach overturns. While the coachman works to get the carriage upright Penelope and her family walk to the nearest inn. Penelope's first thought is to use the necessary, but when she opens the privy door she discovers a man inside...a dead man.

The Diva Hosts a Murderer - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cyril Chevalier to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Cyril on the pages of THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER by Krista Davis. This book is the nineteenth in the Domestic Diva Mystery series and was released last week.

Cyril Chevalier: 

You might know Sophie Winston. She was kind enough to include me when she invited her family to stay with her over the Fourth of July. I’m honored to be thought of as a member of the family.

I went to high school with her dad, Paul, his sister Melly, and Sophie’s mom, Inga. We had a grand time growing up together! We went our separate ways in our college years. I became a professor of engineering, a job to which I was married. I took it very seriously and was always there for my students. I was all in when it came to special events on campus. I was the dependable go-to guy whenever anyone needed help.

But now that I’m retired, I’m really sorry that I didn’t think about a social life outside of my job. So many of my friends, like Paul and Inga, have each other now. Someone to share fun times with, to travel with, even just to sit on the porch and rock with on a warm summer evening.

I told Sophie that I feel like the song On Top Of Old Smoky was written about me because I courted too slow. Or, in my case, not at all. Now, I don’t want you thinking I never met the right woman. I did! But she married someone else.

I wonder sometimes if it’s wrong to tell an engaged woman that you’re in love with her. I backed away and watched as she married and went on with her life. But what if I hadn’t? What if I had told her the truth about how I felt? It would have been her choice then. Him or me? Maybe she would have chosen him, but at least I would have tried. I would have known that she didn’t feel the same way about me.

So, I went about my life for decades, seeking someone else. But she held my heart the whole time. It wasn’t easy watching her with her husband. But that was my lot. And it was all my fault because I never let her know how I felt.

Her husband passed away about a year or so ago. I was in a quandary because I knew she needed time to heal. Time to come to grips with the loss of her husband. I certainly didn’t want to make a move too fast. That would have been most distasteful! So, once again, I carried on, waiting, waiting, waiting for the right time to ask her out on a date.

But wouldn’t you just know that she went on a vacation to Las Vegas with a man who was new to town, and they came back married! Once again, I missed the timing. And now I’m back to watching her with another man.

I have a bad feeling that he’s a worm. But I can’t just walk up to her and say that! Can I? 

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Review

THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER by Krista Davis
The Nineteenth Domestic Diva Mystery 

Sophie Winston is planning a big Fourth of July celebration and has opened her home to a variety of family and friends. Although she's happy to spend time with her parents and Aunt Melly, she not quite sure about Melly's new husband, Gus. In the days before the holiday Sophie has arranged plenty of tours for the group. For the most part everyone seems to be having a good time, but it all changes when the tour guide is found dead and Sophie's dad becomes the prime suspect. In addition to being a superlative hostess, Sophie will have to revisit her role as a cunning detective in order to keep her family safe and find a killer!

With the nineteenth Domestic Diva Mystery I find myself once again envying Sophie's casual style and ease of entertaining, effortlessly whipping up scrumptious dishes while putting everyone at ease. That being said, she can keep her houseload of guests! One of the things I enjoy most about the Domestic Diva Mystery series is how the author seamlessly weaves together great food, household tips and crime solving with ordinary daily life. All while having an active social life and working! In addition this book also provides a warning for women, especially older women.

I enjoyed the variety of characters in THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER. The majority have secrets, but just which secrets are dangerous? I really liked Dollie and hope we see more of her in future books. Natasha is her usual obnoxious self and I'm glad she was primarily just brief comic relief in this outing. I love how Sophie and her core crew work together and I really appreciated the two final surprises...ok, three final surprises.

This Independence Day fireworks are exploding all over Old Town Alexandria in THE DIVA HOSTS A MURDERER with volatile relationships, suspicious behavior, and murder!

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 The Diva Hosts a Murderer (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis

About The Diva Hosts a Murderer

The Diva Hosts a Murderer (A Domestic Diva Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 19th in Series
Setting - Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ May 26, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 336 pages

Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis.

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s longtime, now-heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . .

Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

About Krista Davis

New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Domestic Diva Mystery series. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two cats and a brood of dogs. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back.

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