by Kris Bock

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

In the humorous Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of starting over in midlife.

What attracts you to cozy mysteries?

When I’m exhausted from a long day of writing, I want to read something that makes me feel good. Mysteries usually have an active plot, with lots going on. Humorous mysteries add quirky characters and fun dialog. Cozy mysteries also have a happy ending. You know you’ll get a good time and finish in a positive mood.

Are you challenging any genre conventions?

Books with amateur detectives often have people accidentally stumbling on bodies. I made Kate a journalist so she’d have a reason to get involved with investigations. People bring her problems they can’t or don’t want to take to the police. I’m not saying she’s not insatiably curious – she is a journalist – but she doesn’t have to be a busybody poking into things that are none of her business.

Are you addressing any issues in your series?

The series explores challenges related to aging, such as memory and health problems, loneliness, the potential for elder abuse by family members, and being treated as incapable. But it’s not all bad news. Kate’s father and his friends are in their seventies and eighties and are active, intelligent, and a positive force in society. (They are sometimes a negative force in Kate’s investigations, but they mean well.) I hope this example will encourage people to think about the assumptions they make.

Meanwhile, Kate turns fifty at the end of book 3. Due to her injury, she walks with a cane. Between that and her undyed silver hair, people treat her differently. This gives her insight into how society dismisses older people, especially women. She has a sense of humor about it, and she sometimes uses people’s assumptions to her advantage, but it can still sting. She’s also dealing with midlife issues, such as aging parents, perimenopause, a body that doesn’t recover like it once did, how to start a new career, and how to save for retirement. Unlike many cozy mystery heroines, she doesn’t inherit a house and business right when she needs to start over.

Was Kate inspired by a real person?

She’s a version of me if I had veered off in a different direction after college. She’s braver, but maybe I would have developed that bravery if I’d become a war correspondent instead of a freelance writer working from home! I did travel a lot, starting in childhood and continuing through my twenties, because my family lived overseas. That gave me a broader view of the world, like Kate would have.

She also views the world with wit and sometimes snarky humor, and that’s all me. Some of the topics in these books might seem dark, but the books are fun, due to Kate’s wry sense of humor and the quirky friends and helpers she collects. Readers say they’re falling in love with Kate and her sidekicks.

Also, Kate’s father has a friend who has gotten into baking in his retirement. As the group of people helping Kate with her investigations grows, they spend a lot of time drinking coffee and eating cookies or muffins or cupcakes. I prefer tea to coffee, but chatting and eating baked goods is one of my favorite ways to spend time!

Book 3, Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek, is out October 3!

Turning fifty in her childhood bedroom wasn’t on her bucket list…

Kate Tessler is convinced her sister is trying to kill her. In fact, she might prefer death to Jen’s “50 for 50 Challenge,” where Kate will try fifty new things throughout the year she turns fifty. She’s still adjusting to the limp she got after a bombing as an international war correspondent and her new underemployed life back in her childhood home in Phoenix. The last thing Kate wants is to prepare for paddle boarding, especially when she receives an anonymous message claiming that Mayor Todd Paradise is taking bribes. The author claims to have proof, including photos, and challenges Kate to publish the story.

Could good guy Todd, Kate’s almost boyfriend, really be corrupt, or are political enemies trying to destroy his career? Kate sets out to discover the truth, with help from her multi-generational, unconventional, and often troublesome crew. She thrived reporting from war zones, but can she survive a deadly fundraising party, a close encounter with a taser, a turn at an open mic night, and a hundred-pound dog named Whiskers?

Apply for a review copy of Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek HERE.

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 the Furrever Friends cat café, and “22 Recipes From The Cat Café.” (There’s no commitment – unsubscribe any time.)

Find links to purchase The Accidental Detective Series on Kris’ website.

To celebrate the release of Book 3, book – Something Shady at Sunshine Haven – 1 is 99 cents until Oct 10! Find all the links to Something Shady at Sunshine Haven here.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “creek,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 15, 2022. 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. A new episode went up this week.

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Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Her romantic suspense novels featuring treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest are perfect for fans of Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels. Learn more.
As Chris Eboch, she writes for young people, including ghostwriting for popular children’s mystery series. The Eyes of Pharaoh, a middle-grade mystery set in ancient Egypt, brings the past to life as three friends investigate a plot against Pharaoh. The Well of Sacrifice is a middle-grade Mayan adventure, used in many schools. Learn more.
Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for the romantic comedy newsletter to get a short story preview, or find the books at Amazon US or All E-book retailers.

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, which are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.