In a book, there is no such thing as unimportant characters. They are all important and crafting them is a meticulous, fun job. In the Ned McNeil cozy mystery series, Ned, of course, is the protagonist. Then, there’s Cade, Pat, and Jackie. Another person in this series who insisted that I take care to describe […]

How It Began
·I had a feeling there was no use in responding to Miss Evangeline, because she was what my father used to call, “wound up.” She wanted me to listen, so that’s what I did. Without warning, she grabbed my arm. I jumped. She whispered, “Shh. What was that? Did you hear anything, Nettie?” Her grip […]

Three Sleuths in Rhyme
·I couldn’t resist putting my three sleuths in a rhyme. They didn’t seem to mind in; in fact, I think they rather enjoyed being subjects of poetry. Cozy Sleuths Darcy and her mom, Flora is her name, never wanted fortune and never asked for fame, But, somehow, mysteries find them, in one way or […]

A Murderer Among the Mourners
·I had no invitation to Miss Evangeline’s funeral. That wasn’t the way things were done in small-town Ednalee. Her death notice and a short obituary were in the local paper, giving the date and time for her burial. That was enough for anyone who was interested. It was such a murky day and, according […]