by Sarah Erwin

This week we have a review of a time travel mystery, Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova. We also have an interesting interview with Rosie. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova
Review by Sarah Erwin

Get ready for page-turning time travel in Rosie Genova’s new Murder on the Steel Pier.

It’s the morning after a big birthday celebration in Atlantic City for modern-day crime reporter Tess Mancini. Instead of waking up in a hotel room with her best friend, Tess wakes up in 1955 Atlantic City, living the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa and staying in a boarding house run by Zia Antonetta. Tess doesn’t know much about Theresa because she disappeared decades before Tess’s birth. In addition to helping her aunt at the boarding house, Theresa works as a reporter at the local newspaper. Until Tess can find out how to get back home to the present day, she must fill Theresa’s shoes.

Not long into her stay in 1955, teenager Val Mancini (Theresa’s younger brother and Tess’s paternal grandfather) is accused of murdering a boarding house guest. To save Val and Tess’s future, Tess in Theresa’s shoes jumps into the investigation with both feet.

What a creative mix of mystery, history and time travel! I could not put this down, and I do hope this becomes a series, as more of Tess and time travel would be a lot of fun. There’s also a little bit of romance, which added to my reading enjoyment.

The setting of 1950s Atlantic City was so vivid – all the details made me feel like I was right there with Tess. I loved that she had to learn to investigate without her smart phone and internet.

Tess is a determined sleuth and so smart, as she has to figure out how to adjust her modern-day personality to fit into the role of a young female in the 1950s. It was also lovely getting to witness Tess meeting her future grandmother as a young woman. As someone who adored her grandmothers, I would have loved to meet them as young women, so this was touching to read.

Highly recommend this read for fans of mystery, history and time travel. Even though I read this so quickly, I have been thinking about it and imagining Tess for days after!

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Interview with Rosie Genova:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Rosie: I have been writing since I was very young, first poetry, then personal essays and short stories, but it wasn’t until my forties that I completed my earliest novel and began submitting work to agents.

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Rosie: My first published novel was Murder and Marinara in 2013, the first of my Italian Kitchen Mysteries. The series features a mystery writer who goes back to her shore town to work at her family’s restaurant, but corpses keep getting in the way…

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Rosie: I began writing romantic comedies, but my agent at the time suggested I try cozies, so I’ve primarily written mysteries and suspense for the last decade. However, I do plan to get those rom-coms out there eventually!

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Rosie: This is going to sound crazy, but one of my neighbors has a shiny black 1950s Buick that I would often pass on my morning walks. Seeing it really sparked my imagination and provided the premise of the story: What if a Millennial went to Atlantic City for a drunken birthday blowout and woke up the next morning in 1955? And then had to save her own grandfather from Death Row? I just ran with it, and Murder on the Steel Pier was born.

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Rosie: My primary goal as a writer is to provide escape and fun; however, I think it’s important to create three-dimensional characters that readers can relate to. And I believe that even light fiction can touch on serious topics. My main character Tess is a twenty-first century woman running up against the societal strictures of the 1950s. She’s not immune to the charms of Fifties World but still struggles with the limitations it puts on her and other women.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Rosie: I try to put in several hours a day of writing, promotion, and publishing tasks.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Rosie: I tend to be more efficient in the morning (after lots of coffee).

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Rosie: I generally jump into the first couple of chapters to establish the voice and tone of the story. The very next thing I do is create a story timeline on a whiteboard calendar; from there I use a basic five-act mystery structure to map the story arc that I fill out with a highly sharpened pencil and a nice, clean eraser.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Rosie: Yes. My original agent signed me because she loved the romantic comedy I’d sent her, but she was unable to place it. It took another three years to get the contract for the Italian Kitchen Mysteries.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Rosie: One of my standing jokes is that I have a file full of glowing rejections full of praise for my writing. I would read them and then quote Beyonce: “If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.” On a more serious note, I’ve come to appreciate being a hybrid author. I’ve been traditionally published, and I also publish my work independently. So, when one door closes, another can always open. Rejection for a writer is never easy, but I’ve loved having an alternative to get my work out there.

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Rosie: I don’t have a specific story, but I enjoy signings at conferences rather than at bookstores. It feels a little more personal when I interact with readers.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Rosie: I have a completed suspense novel, much darker than my usual work, that I have tentative plans to publish this summer. I’m also at work on Tess’s second adventure in Atlantic City, and I still haven’t given up on those rom-coms…

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Rosie: I also have a journalism background, and Nora Ephron has always been a role model for me. I love her unique, funny voice and admire how she moved from magazine journalism to essay collections to fiction and ultimately, to screenwriting.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Rosie: So many rabbit holes! My research for Murder on the Steel Pier took me to some fascinating places. For example, my main character drives a 1947 Buick Roadmaster. Through a YouTube video I connected with a vintage car collector who actually owns one. He answered my questions and gave me such an accurate sense of that car—everything from the gear pattern to the sound of the engine.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Rosie: Mysteries, of course, but I am also an unabashed romance reader. I was an English major, and for 25 years a high school English teacher, so I always return to the classics, particularly Austen, the Brontes, George Eliot, and Edith Wharton.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Rosie: Besides being a total PBS nerd—All Creatures Great and Small, Wolf Hall, anything to do with Jane Austen or World War 2—there are some other series I’ve been hooked on. Bridgerton, for one. And back in the day, I was a fan of Lost. The Netflix series Dark shares a similar sensibility, and I’ve watched it twice. My guilty pleasures are Gilmore Girls and This Is Us. And is there anyone who isn’t watching The Pitt right now?

KRL: Gilmore Girls and This Is Us are favorites of mine too! Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Rosie: Learn everything you can about your craft. Believe in the power of revision. Learn to accept criticism and feedback but also trust your gut. In the end, it’s your work, no one else’s.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Rosie: I got my start in journalism writing for a family publication that sent me to review kid-friendly restaurants. That gig didn’t last too long!

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Rosie: I have a Shephard/hound mix named Lucy. She’s a quirky girl who would much rather be home with her humans than hanging out with other canines.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Rosie: Nearly all of my work takes place at the Jersey shore, with lots of boardwalk atmosphere and ocean views. There’s a strong sense of place in my books, and readers often respond to the shore setting.

KRL: Where can our readers find you online?

Rosie: rosiegenova.com
www.Facebook.com/RosieGenova
goodreads.com/author/show/6462450.Rosie_Genova
bookbub.com/profile/rosie-genova

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Murder on the Steel Pier (print or ebook winner’s choice), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “steel pier” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 12, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.