by Tracy Condie

This week we have a review of A Ghostly Clue, the latest Pet Momma Mystery by Maryann Shanesy. We also have an interesting interview with Maryann. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

A Ghostly Clue by Maryann Shanesy
Review by Tracy Condie

Welcome to the town of Starport Cove and the Bluffington Hills suburb, where Tarsey Quinston, an empathic sleuth, is getting ready for Christmas. Having taken time off from her nonprofit job, she looks forward to decorating her new home with her husband Steve and their fur baby Silver the fluffy feline. This second installment in the Pet Momma Cozy Mystery series is a cute Christmas cozy that comes complete with a spirit from the past and a Scrooge-like business magnate.

The story starts off like most cozies, and it isn’t long until Tarsey and her BFF Amanda Worthshire stumble upon the body of Milton of Milton’s Treasures sitting in his office in an authentic antique suit of armor. Amanda mentioned that Milton was going to liquidate everything and head south to retire. Tarsey doubts that Milton meant a permanent retirement. Finding a victim set up in a suit of armor is definitely a new and unique body-drop scenario for her. Well, there goes Tarsey’s vacation full of holiday happiness. How could an empath ignore such a mystery as this? Things become even more mysterious with the finding of a secret corridor between Amanda’s shop and Milton’s shop, a civil war ghost, Silver’s button discovery, and the slew of suspects. Was Milton killed for his shop space?

While Amanda considered the possibilities of an increased storefront if she could combine her shop space and her neighbor Milton’s space, she isn’t one of the potential suspects. The two fast-driving gals and Edie with plans fora mega gourmet store are another story. They couldn’t wait for Milton’s property to become available. Did they help Milton along to shorten their timeline? Mrs. Briskworthy, who has no time for consignment stores or antique dealers who do not know how to properly handle her late husband’s baseball collection, is quite a cold character. Was she cold enough to do the deed? Then there is Cornelius, Milton’s cousin, who blames Milton for the untimely death of his father. Cornelius’s dad gave Milton the start-up money to help Milton open his antique shop doors. Did Cornelius decide it was time to liquidate the merchandise and Milton?

In addition to the mystery, Tarsey goes about her day-to-day activities interacting with the locals, fleeing from Shelley the aggressive reporter, tracking down clues, making cookies, researching First Lady Alice, teaching Catazine nominee Silver to walk on a leash, relaying information to Detective Joist, helping with the Christmas bazaar, working with medium Cassandra to commune with a ghost, and keeping herself out of trouble.

The story is entertaining and keeps your attention as you go from clue to clue and calamity to calamity. Small spoiler: Silver is nominated for the first ever Catazine award for efforts to help with a rescue and for being a good citizen. This event seems almost over the top to Tarsey and Steve and what happens at the award ceremony will have you chuckling out loud. Needless to say, the characters are what really made me continue turning pages even after the murderer is revealed.

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 Maryann Shanesy:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Maryann: Since childhood, I’ve been writing poetry and short stories.

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

Maryann: My first novel in the Pet Momma Cozy Mystery Series is called A CATastrophic Neighborhood and was released in 2023. The story is about a young couple who buy their first home in a picturesque community. The main character, Tarsey, encounters quirky neighbors, an angry property manager and learns of the death of the town seamstress. Tarsey’s cat nudges her to look into what happened to the seamstress. Her cat and the property manager both disappear and Tarsey must figure out the mysteries.

Maryann Shanesy

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

Maryann: My earlier short stories had an adventure theme.

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

Maryann: I love the setting of a small town where everyone talks to each other. A main street of town is so charming. So, I hoped to recapture that. I’m similar to the main character because I am extremely inquisitive and observant. I love cats and feel that animals are sometimes tuned in a little more than humans to that sixth sense they have so I really wanted to have a cat that helps the main character with hints.The poltergeist activity is an interesting theme. I’ve had similar experiences when I’ve gone to older buildings where unsettling events happened! I do believe if certain events occurred at a building, sometimes the energies remain and depending on your sensitivity level, you might get strong vibes.

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

Maryann: I wrote both stories to entertain. I wanted to provide readers with an escape from real-world issues as they are transported to the small town of Starport Cove for as long as it takes them to read the book.

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

Maryann: Whenever I am inspired, I make time to write.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Maryann: Usually later in the evening with my cat sitting by my side.

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?

Maryann: For my second book, I did do an outline which helped me stay on track with where I wanted my story to go.

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

Maryann: I decided to self-publish so I had to learn about that process and coordinate beta readers, editing, cover design, publishing and marketing the books. It’s a process and like any project, the difficulty can be with the learning curve of how to make the process run smoothly.

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

Maryann: I did reach out to a traditional publisher, and they said they might consider me if I could provide an outline for a series of several books with many thousands of words. My first draft was not that long. While it wasn’t a rejection per se, I had just started writing my first book and the idea of planning this far ahead was overwhelming. So, I went the self-publishing route. It’s great there are so many options available for writers these days.

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

Maryann: I haven’t done a formal book signing but it is wonderful to have readers who ask me to sign their copies upon request. My book club has been tremendously supportive and when they asked me to sign their copies I was thrilled.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Maryann: I will keep writing and hope to explore another genre at some point.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Maryann: MC Beaton and Agatha Christie.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Maryann: The internet has so much helpful information, so I make good use of that or speak with a friend if they have a particular hobby that I want to integrate into my story.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Maryann: Any mystery – especially the Agatha Raisin series.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Maryann: Murder She Wrote, Perry Mason, Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Agatha Raisin, and Vera are my favorites.

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

Maryann: When you write out a draft, have some trusted readers look it over. Make sure you do listen to constructive feedback. Don’t be offended if not everyone wants to read what you write. Accept that even if you publish, there will be some readers that simply may not like your book. Some people may not want to read the particular book you write as they may be a fan of books with other themes. Write from the heart and put it out there. If you are going to self-publish having an editor is extremely helpful too.

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

Maryann: I grew up outside Washington DC and returned after college and I still haven’t been to the Washington Monument.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Maryann: Yes, two senior rescue pets. Quincy is our cat, and his name inspired the last name of my main character which is Quinston. Shelley is our lab mix. I named the reporter in my stories after her.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Maryann: I enjoyed writing my two books and hope readers find the stories interesting.

KRL: Website? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?

Maryann: Instagram instagram.com/petmommacozies
Twitter /X twitter.com/PetMommaCozies

To enter to win an ebook copy of A Ghostly Clue, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “ghostly” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 10, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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