by Tracy Condie

This week we have a review of Birds, Puppies, and Murder By Brenda Whiteside & Joyce Proell, and an interview with one of the authors, Brenda Whiteside. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the first book in this series, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder, and a link to purchase the new one from Amazon.

Birds, Puppies, and Murder: Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries By Brenda Whiteside & Joyce Proell
Review by Tracy Condie

Book four of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries opens following the successful launch of Nicole (Nic) Earp’s yoga studio, Namaste, located in Wyatt, Arizona. All is off to a great start with enthusiastic instructors and happy patrons. Patrons like Maggie Alcott who worked at a cafe and volunteered at the local bird sanctuary. At least she did until her dead body was found by Nic’s sister Emma Banefield and their visiting Aunt Lydia.

Nic and Emma have helped the local authorities to solve mysteries, so of course they are going to help with this one. Maggie was a sweet girl who did for others before she did for herself. Who could have wanted her dead? Was this premeditated, a crime of opportunity, or a crime of passion. Either way, the CMS are on the job, even if it isn’t their “day” job.

I am glad to see that the sisters do their best to sleuth in tandem with local authorities. Chief Homicide Detective Ben Guthrie, unknowingly nicknamed DAWG by the sisters, is a by-the-book guy, but his number two, Detective Ken Hanaka, a yoga student and friend of Nic’s, will take her calls and even exchange info with her over coffee dates that aren’t dates. Hmmm, sounds like a possible love connection to me.

One of the topics of discussion are suspects. There is the bad boy band member boyfriend, the grumpy grandpa aged neighbor, the devious resort developer who wants the bird sanctuary relocated, the alcohol abusing younger brother, and a couple of shifty characters added in for extra flavor. In addition to the murder, there is the “case” of the neighbor’s missing dog. Maybe the sisters should consider getting a license and hanging out a shingle.

This is a two-person point of view series, and the sisters are not shy about “voicing” their opinions. They even share a few tidbits of back story, but no worries here about story spoilers involving the previous books.

I enjoyed how former English teacher, Aunt Lydia, is able to interject just the right book quote. She adds a bit of humor to the story because of her enthusiasm at being involved in a CMS “case.” The sisters don’t need encouragement to get involved, ask pesky questions, or show up in places where they probably are not really wanted, and Aunt Lydia is all for it.

The clues were easy to follow, and the mystery made sense. Cheers to the Chocolate Martini Sisters.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Interview with Brenda Whiteside:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Brenda: I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember, but until I took a creative writing class twenty-five years ago, I didn’t consider writing as a serious endeavor. Oh my gosh, twenty-five years ago…hard to imagine. I joined a critique group from that class and wrote short stories. After a couple of years, I decided to try a full-length novel.

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

Brenda: In June of 2009, I contracted with The Wild Rose Press for Sleeping with the Lights On. The book released in May of 2010. This was the second book I’d written. My first book had a hefty stack of rejections from agents. I decided to set it aside for a while and wrote book number two. Publishers of eBooks were getting their legs at that point in time. Many of them were taking unagented works. I did my research and found The Wild Rose Press, a small press accepted by The Romance Writers of America. I submitted, and bam! They offered me a contract. TWRP classified it as a contemporary romance. Sandra Holiday is a fifty-year-old woman who’s had two failed marriages, countless relationships, and not achieved the career she wants.

Short blurb: A secret admirer, a redheaded stalker, and an eccentric millionaire throw Sandra on a dangerous path, just when ex-husband Carson drops back into her life after an eighteen year absence. Can this handsome, country crooner save the day, or will Sandra forever be Sleeping With The Lights On?

I have since had the rights reverted and published it as a romantic comedy.

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

Brenda: My first several books were romance, although the first published book had lighthearted suspense and mystery. I grew tired of strictly romance plots and decided to start killing people. Please chuckle here. I took on romantic suspense and romantic mystery. Jump ahead a few more years, and I found cozy mystery fun to write. I’ve also written a three-book children’s chapter book series with my granddaughter.

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

Brenda: My sister and I celebrate our birthdays twice a year with a chocolate martini in an historic inn and saloon in Prescott, Arizona. We started calling ourselves The Chocolate Martini Sisters. Voila! I had the name and idea for a cozy mystery series. Two sisters meet twice a year in an historic inn in the fictional town of Wyatt, Arizona to toast with a chocolate martini and as luck would have it, someone always ends up dead.

KRL: How did you end up writing this series together with another author, and how does that work?

Brenda: I’m a suspense author primarily, and although there are mystery elements in my stories, the two genres are different. When inspiration hit for a cozy mystery series about two sisters, I decided to enlist a writer friend in Minnesota, Joyce Proell. Joyce writes dynamite mystery stories I admire. She liked my idea, and we became the Chocolate Martini Sisters writing team.

I’m often asked how does writing with another author work? And when the interested person discovers we live in different states, they can’t imagine how we manage. The ideas and characters are a joint effort. For the first book in the series, I’d imagined the sisters and a general plot when I presented the proposal to Joyce. Two sisters…two authors. We emailed back and forth, and we were both on the same page that the two characters had to be very different in looks, tone, and how they approached life and mystery.

I took the younger sister because I enjoy writing characters who are spontaneous and free-wheeling. Joyce’s sister is the plotter, analytical, and precise. That suited Joyce since she is our mystery weaver. The supporting cast of characters have been created by both of us. How we decide who is who, I can’t exactly say. It seems to just happen.

Because I live in Arizona and our fictional town of Wyatt is modeled after Prescott, I am more of the scene setter. Keep in mind all of this creating is a co-effort. We email back and forth, tweak and polish until we agree. Joyce does an outline, and again we tweak and polish. And then we begin, passing chapters back and forth until “the end.”

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

Brenda: I’m all about entertainment.

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

Brenda: When I’m writing a book, I write everyday with few exceptions. Life of course does occasionally throw me curves. I’m better early in the day. Since I rise at 5:30, I’m usually fried by 3:30.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Brenda: Once I’ve had my first cup of coffee, dog is walked, and all of my emails and social media personalities are checked, I like to write. That is somewhere around 8:00.

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?

Brenda: It depends on the genre. I don’t do much of an outline with romantic suspense. I usually do a one-page, rough synopsis. I’m much more detailed with my character sketches, scene descriptions, and chapter plot chart. These three things keep me on target. The plot chart is completed as I write. It’s a different situation with mystery, especially cozy mystery. My writing partner and co-author, Joyce Proell, is the mystery weaver and outline genius. Her outlines can go on for pages! We still use the character sketches, and I often do a plot chart if only for myself. It helps me see the development of the story as it unfolds.

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

Brenda: That’s a yes and no question. The first book, first year, netted me a stack of agent rejections. That was the difficult part. When I wrote the second book, Sleeping with the Lights On, I decided to skip the agent step and submit to publishers who didn’t require an agent. I was contracted with the first publisher I submitted to. Made me feel like it was easy-peasy.

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

Brenda: In the stack of rejections from agents I received on the first book I wrote was one with advice. She told me I tried to cover too much. I needed to distill the story to its essence. I put the manuscript away for a couple of years, wrote another book and was published. When I dusted off that first book, I followed her advice, which resulted in getting the book published.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Brenda: I’d like to keep writing Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries forever. I’m having so much fun with my co-author Joyce. I’d also like to write a prequel to The MacKenzie Chronicles which would be a 60s era story.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Brenda: J L Wilson for one. When I lived in Minnesota, J L and I belonged to the same writing group. I was amazed by how many books she could write and publish while working another full-time job. She was also giving of her time and a great mentor. Another of my heroes is my cozy mystery co-author, Joyce. She’s a master at spinning mysteries that keep a reader guessing until the end.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Brenda: Whatever it takes to tell the story. I’ve researched everything from archaeology to telepathy.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Brenda: I read romantic suspense and mystery, crime novels, detective mysteries, cozies, Diana Gabaldon…(chuckling). I’m not much of a sci-fi reader, but the Outlander Series is one of my favorites.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Brenda: It seems every time I get hooked on a TV show, it gets canceled. The few that have lasted are FBI, Matlock (the new one with Kathy Bates), NCIS, Ghosts. Movies…we used to go to movies nearly every week. The last year or two, I’m finding fewer I want to see. Lately, the movies I’ve enjoyed are A Complete Unknown, FI, and A Minecraft Movie.

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Brenda: Don’t wait for inspiration to hit or for the right moment. Just write. Everyday. You can always throw it away and start again, but you have to get the habit of always writing.

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

Brenda: I belly danced at a Sun’s basketball game. Or there was the time I hitchhiked in Italy and into Monaco.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Brenda: Yes, a rescue mutt named Amigo.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Brenda: Thank you for having me today. I had fun with this interview.

KRL: Where can our readers find you online?

Brenda: Visit Brenda at brendawhiteside.com
Or on FaceBook: facebook.com/brenda.whiteside.58 or
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571687885846
X: x.com/brendawhitesid2
Instagram: instagram.com/brendawhitesideauthor
She blogs and has guests: brendawhiteside.blogspot.com
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win an ebook copy of the first book in this series, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “puppies” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 11, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. 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.

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