CANR
WORK TITLE: Death Scene
WORK NOTES:
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WEBSITE: http://caroljperry.com/
CITY: Tampa Bay
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LAST VOLUME: CA 391
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Salem, MA; married; husband’s name Dan.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former advertising copywriter; travel journalist.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals, including Southern Travel; contributor to the Halloween Cupcake Murder anthology, 2023.
SIDELIGHTS
Carol J. Perry is a lifelong reader who always wanted to become a writer. First, she worked as an advertising copywriter. Then she became a journalist, specifically a travel writer. Assignments took her from her native Salem, Massachusetts, to Tampa, Florida, where she eventually made her home. One travel article was about a nearby sand castle, purportedly the world’s largest. That story became the inspiration for Perry’s first novel for young teens. Sand Castle Summer was followed by My Perfect Winter. 13 and Loving It was followed by Sister vs. Sister. After six of these novels and a few nonfiction books, Perry turned to another genre: paranormal mystery. She has written novels across several series, including the “Witch City Mystery” and the “Haunted Haven Mystery” series.
Caught Dead Handed
The “Witch City Mystery” series features Lee Barrett, like Perry a native of Salem, Massachusetts, who relocated to Florida. In Caught Dead Handed, the reader learns that the former Maralee Kowalski has lost her job as a weather person and host of a home shopping network. Recently widowed, she returns to Salem to live with her Aunt Ibby and look for work as a television news reporter. By the time she arrives, the posted job opening has been filled, but WICH-TV needs a quick replacement for call-in psychic Ariel Constellation, who has disappeared without notice.
Lee makes her debut as Crystal Moon, the new psychic and host of the late-night movie program Nightshades. The first revelation that emerges from her obsidian “crystal ball” is that Ariel was murdered. Her next discovery is even more surprising: Lee seems to have psychic powers of her own, dormant since childhood. With renewed paranormal vision, Lee investigates the death of her predecessor, beginning with the backgrounds of her coworkers. She learns that Ariel had been an actual practicing witch with a supernatural cat named O’Ryan. Lee’s most disturbing vision predicts another murder linked to the annual Witches Ball and Halloween, which is right around the corner. She will have to work fast to find the killer in time to prevent another death.
In her review of Caught Dead Handed on the Kings River Life Web site, Cynthia Chow commended Perry for creating “a heroine sympathetic and strong enough to carry this new [series].” She appreciated “behind-the-scenes glimpses into a working news station and the realistic investigation of [Lee’s] co-workers.” Chow called Caught Dead Handed “a charming novel full of subtle humor, witty dialogue, and a skillful blend of practical detecting and the paranormal.”
Tails, You Lose
Scandals that rocked WICH-TV after the murder of Ariel Constellation cost Lee Barrett her job. After she is replaced by another authentic witch named River North, Lee finds work as an instructor at “Tabby,” the fledgling Tabitha Trumbull Academy of the Arts. She will mentor a group of local residents who are filming a documentary about the historical building that once housed Trumbull’s Department Store. The conversion of the store into a school is nearly complete when handyman Bill Sullivan is found dead near the Salem waterfront. Broadcasting skills are not the only talent that Lee must employ to find his killer.
With the aid of Aunt Ibby’s experience as a librarian, Lee and her students research the history of the storied Trumbull building. They investigate Trumbull family secrets, a maze of tunnels beneath the century-old building, and legends of a ghost who lives in the attic. River North finds connections to Wiccan tradition, and Lee’s detective boyfriend Pete Mondello steers her toward a formal criminology course. Then Lee’s psychic visions return, convincing her that the evil stalking the streets of Salem is far more dangerous than a ghost in the attic.
According to Chow, writing once again on the Kings River Life Web site, “While the Salem setting ensures a little witchy involvement, the motivations behind the murder are far more mundane.” Still, she predicted that “few will be able to predict the true culprit responsible for the crimes.” Chow recommended Tails, You Lose for “the blend of humor, interesting characters, and clever dialogue.”
Look Both Ways and See Something
In Look Both Ways, Lee Barrett is settling into the rhythms of life in America’s fabled “witch city.” She plans to spend her summer acquiring antique furniture for the theatrical properties collection of the Tabby and restoring her fire-damaged apartment at Aunt Ibby’s house. When Aunt Ibby tells her about a WICH-TV ad for an antique oak dresser that seems to match one from her childhood bedroom, Lee buys it. Sure enough, it has six secret compartments identical to the ones that delighted her as a child. Antique shop owner Shea Tolliver hints at a mystery connected to this particular dresser, however. It once belonged to heiress Helena Trent, who was supposedly murdered by her husband, perhaps for a pink diamond necklace that has been missing ever since. Lee takes the story in stride until the next day, when Shea Tolliver is found dead in her shop.
Lee begins to wonder if her own life is in danger. She uses her summer school project to research the lives of Tolliver and Trent, aided by her growing psychic power to delve into Trent’s past. For the first time, her prescient visions are more helpful than they are frightening. Additional support comes from the witch River North, who encourages Lee to embrace her special power instead of fearing it, and from the telepathic communications of Lee’s adopted cat O’Ryan. Chow observed on the Kings River Life Web site: “Not only does this former familiar of a witch bring an ample amount of humor with his silent commentary, his presence helps to calm Lee as she struggles with her insights.” Lee is tempted to discuss the investigation with her detective boyfriend Pete, but that would require her to reveal her supernatural gifts—information that she is not yet ready to share with him. The hidden compartments in the dresser yield intriguing clues, but time is running out. Can Lee solve the case without Pete’s help before she becomes the next victim?
Chow reported that “humor and practicality” help Lee to deal with her growing supernatural gift. The pleasant townspeople add to the charm, she observed, sharing that the cat “O’Ryan is the most enchanting aspect of this series.” Chow wrote that Perry “continues to entertain by blending the paranormal with a deftly-crafted story.”
(open new)In See Something, Lee now works as a television producer and program director. After learning about the town’s new murder victim, she invites a strange woman she sees at the park to her home. The woman looked scared, and Lee suspected there might be a link between her and the murder. Her Aunt Ibby and boyfriend, Pete, are less certain about the woman’s trustworthiness, wondering if she may not be a victim at all, but rather the one responsible for the murder. A Kirkus Reviews contributor mentioned that “the latest installment of this long-running series focuses more on the puzzle and less on the thrills.”
Be My Ghost and ‘Til Death
Be My Ghost is the first novel in the “Haunted Haven Mystery” series. Maureen Doherty loses her job as a women’s sportswear buyer as her financial worries increase. Her luck turns around after receiving a letter from a Florida law firm informing her that she has inherited the recently deceased Penelope Josephine Gray’s house and her Haven House Inn business. Despite not knowing Penelope at all, Maureen and her dog, Finn, move to Florida to start a new life. She starts to introduce some new changes at the inn, much to the chagrin of the staff. She even wonders if the inn’s haunted reputation could help improve its popularity. However, when a man’s body is found on the porch, all of the renovation work comes to a halt. A contributor to Publishers Weekly suggested that “readers will look forward to Maureen’s further adventures.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor noticed that “Perry’s new series kickoff smartly doesn’t give away its biggest mysteries.”
With ‘Til Death, Lee enjoys the extra time she has from working in television production, compared to when she was an investigative journalist. She is busy making plans for her upcoming wedding to Pete and also looking for a house together. With her planned exit from living at her aunt’s bed and breakfast, mystery writer Fenton Bishop is planning to move in. She is uncomfortable about him living with her aunt as he was previously jailed for the murder of his wife. While Pete looks into Fenton’s past and current motives, Lee is tasked with doing a piece on Pirate Island, where both her parents tragically died, bringing up some difficult memories. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that “Perry teases readers long and hard with the mystery of which puzzle Lee will try to unravel before she lets her heroine get down to the actual unraveling.”
High Spirits and Now You See It
In High Spirits, Maureen aims to get her inn involved in the town’s Christmas holiday film festival by organizing a themed event. When Paramount Theater projectionist Decklin Monroe, who is a guest at the inn, gets shot to death, police believe there is a connection to the the shotting of Buddy Putnam at the theater decades earlier. The inn’s resident ghost, Lorna Dubois, tells Maureen about Buddy, giving her a lead to do some investigating herself. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that “this ghost-infused cozy has all the pieces but just doesn’t stack up.” The same critic suggested that readers should “blame the spirit world.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented that “paranormal cozy fans will get their money’s worth.”
With Now You See It, the newly married Lee Mondello is settling into life in her new house nearby her Aunt Ibby’s bed and breakfast. At work she is serving as the executive director of an historical documentary that the televisions station is producing. While researching the Salem International Museum project for the documentary, her attention is drawn to an armored car driver who was killed after escorting museum artifacts. Lee finds a way to incorporate her murder investigation into her documentary. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described it as being “smart humans and a smarter cat in a cozy that’s all about the characters doing the investigating.”
Haunting License and Death Scene
In Haunting License, Maureen has gotten fully accustomed to all the ghosts at her haunted inn. While walking on the beach, she discovers Tightline charter boat owner Eddie Manuel dead. An assortment of individuals come to the inn in relation to the death, and police detective Frank Hubbard is worried that Maureen could get into trouble with her bad luck of finding multiple bodies since she moved to town. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that the novel offers “lots of local color, a little romance, but no real mystery.”
With Death Scene, Lee gets involved with Paragon Productions in their production of a feature film. She finds an interesting story with the lead actress, Darla Diamond, who is quite temperamental. When Darla is murdered, Lee makes this her story by tying it together with a number of other related stories in the region. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that “a little history and a little mystery provide just the right mix in this good-natured tale.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2015, review of Look Both Ways; April 1, 2021, review of See Something; June 15, 2021, review of Be My Ghost; February 1, 2022, review of ‘Til Death; September 1, 2022, review of High Spirits; August 1, 2023, review of Now You See It; April 15, 2024, review of Haunting License; August 1, 2024, review of Death Scene.
Publishers Weekly, July 19, 2021, review of Be My Ghost, p. 192; September 19, 2022, review of High Spirits, p. 39.
ONLINE
Carol J. Perry website, http://caroljperry.com (November 17, 2024).
Creative Loafing Tampa, https://www.cltampa.com/ (July 13, 2018), Nano Riley, “Sitting Down with Seminole Mystery Author Carol J. Perry.”
Fantastic Fiction, https://www.fantasticfiction.com/ (May 20, 2016), reviews of Caught Dead Handed and Tails, You Lose.
J Fox Ink website, https://jfoxinkpublishing.com/ (January 16, 2016), author interview.
Kings River Life, http://kingsriverlife.com/ (October 4, 2014), Cynthia Chow, review of Caught Dead Handed; (April 4, 2015), Cynthia Chow, review of Tails, You Lose; (October 24, 2015), Cynthia Chow, review of Look Both Ways. *
Carol J Perry
Carol J. Perry is the happy author of Nightshades, which Kensington Publishing bought and will publish as Caught Dead Handed. Even more exciting, Nightshades garnered Carol a three-book deal and will be the debut mystery in the Witch City Mystery series.
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Children's Fiction
New and upcoming books
August 2024
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Death Scene
(Witch City Mystery, book 14)May 2025
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The Spirit Moves
(Haunted Haven Mystery, book 4)
Series
Witch City Mystery
1. Caught Dead Handed (2014)
2. Tails, You Lose (2015)
3. Look Both Ways (2015)
4. Murder Go Round (2017)
5. Grave Errors (2017)
6. It Takes a Coven (2018)
7. Bells, Spells, and Murders (2018)
8. Final Exam (2019)
9. Late Checkout (2019)
10. Murder, Take Two (2020)
11. See Something (2021)
12. 'Til Death (2022)
13. Now You See It (2023)
14. Death Scene (2024)
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Haunted Haven Mystery
1. Be My Ghost (2021)
2. High Spirits (2022)
3. Haunting License (2024)
4. The Spirit Moves (2025)
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Novels
Sand Castle Summer (1988)
13 And Loving It (1989)
Make-believe Love (1989)
Going Overboard (1991)
One Sister Too Many! (1998)
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Collections
Halloween Cupcake Murder (2023) (with Liz Ireland and Carlene O'Connor)
Unable to copy bio.
Sitting down with Seminole mystery author Carol J. Perry
Seven questions with this popular Tampa Bay mystery writer.
By Nano Riley on Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 4:19 pm
Seven questions with Florida mystery writer Carol Perry - Tropical Focus
Tropical Focus
Seven questions with Florida mystery writer Carol Perry
At 19, Carol Perry left Boston University to write ads at the Pickering Fuel Company in her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, where she was born on Halloween Eve. Though Perry never returned to college, she continued copywriting, her byline is on dozens of magazine articles, several “middle grade” books (for kids in middle school) and travel books. Her current popular Witch City mystery series, set in Salem, is for Kensington Publishing, one of the major houses for crime fiction. Since escaping the New England winters 30-plus years ago, Perry’s now a bona fide Floridian. We sat down for a long chat, and she shared her lifetime love of writing and a few tips for success in the hard-to-crack publishing field.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have a great love of the English language. I started writing as a child; one of my first efforts was a hand-lettered neighborhood newspaper when I was about 10, and in seventh grade I wrote a play and wrote for the Salem High School paper. When I got a chance at Pickering Fuel, I became a gainfully employed college dropout. Later I wrote many, many freelance articles for all kinds of magazines, did travel writing and a couple of non-fiction biographies
How did you start writing fiction?
In 1988 they built the world’s tallest sand castle near my home in Treasure Island. I wrote a magazine article about it and made a scrapbook with stats documenting it for the Guinness Book, so I had access to everything close-up. It gave me an idea for a teen novel, Sand Castle Summer. School Book Fair published it, and others followed for the same age group. There was Thirteen and Loving It, My Perfect Winter, and Sister vs Sister ([which dealt with] dealing with daughters from previous marriages [and was] acclaimed by the University of Michigan). I also wrote a couple of bios for that age group (Tiger Woods: Making of a Champion, and Ten Women Political Pioneers).
Why did you start writing mysteries?
I love the genre, and I’ve read them all my life, starting with Nancy Drew, so I’d always wanted to write one. The first Witch City book was in a drawer for a few years titled Nightshade. I’d get it out and work on it, show it to friends and finally decided to publish it as Caught Dead Handed, the first in the Witch City series that’s now up to six in print.
What makes your Witch City books so popular with readers?
Well, I write about real places. Salem is a magical city, so readers can visit the harbor, the restaurants. They can take the Witch Tour, and see the cemetery in Grave Errors, the fifth book. Of course, Lee, my main character, works at WICH-TV, a fictional TV station, but other settings are mostly real. And people like reading about magic and witches and the supernatural. Lee also collects vintage stuff, and readers like that.
How did you go about getting the series published?
I’ve been in the writing business since I was 19, so I know lots of tricks of the trade, but I got quite a few polite rejections from agents I queried. One just after I signed the contract wrote, “I don’t think I could interest a New York editor in this work,” so I had the pleasure of writing him back, saying "I’m sure you’ll share my joy on my recent contract with Kensington.” You must be persistent — don’t give up.
What tips do you have for aspiring mystery writers?
Know your genre. Read mysteries, especially popular ones. Sue Grafton was an inspiration, Martha Grimes is wonderful, and Sofie Kelly’s Mystery Cats are a delight. Also, do research because characters become involved in areas I know nothing about — I studied Russian history for Murder Go Round, and because Lee’s friend River is Wiccan, I’ve learned Tarot, astrology and other occult aspects. You have to know what you’re writing about.
What’s in the future?
I’ll keep this series going as long as it’s popular. It Takes a Coven, book six, just came out, and Bells, Spells and Murder comes out in October. This month they’re featured nationally at Barnes & Noble, and I’m working on one for spring. We’ll see!
So, we’ll see. As psychics say, “More will be revealed!’
Perry, Carol J. SEE SOMETHING Kensington (Fiction None) $8.99 5, 25 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3141-8
A young woman with amnesia shows up in a town the same day as a dead body.
Is that coincidence or something more? Though her promotion from WICH-TV field reporter to producer and program director has removed her from the front lines, Lee Barrett gets all of Salem’s news fresh. So she’s among the first to hear the word around the station that the town has yet another murder when an unidentified drowning victim washes ashore with his hands bound. Lee’s been in a relationship with police detective Pete Mondello for a few years, but his cautious ways can’t have rubbed off on her. On the very same day that she hears about the drowning victim, she sees a stranger sitting on a park bench unsure of who she is or how she got there and promptly invites the poor woman into her home. Lee is sure about her instincts—the stranger is obviously more scared of anything than anyone needs to be of her—but when Pete finds out, he’s immediately suspicious. Lee has the support of her Aunt Ibby, who’s both a friend and a housemate, and she’s determined to figure out what’s going on with the so-called Jane Doe (or Janie, as they quickly nickname her). Aunt Ibby brings the case to her seasoned friends for help, but as she and Lee learn more, they can’t help wondering whether Pete is right. Is Janie a victim or a mastermind?
The latest installment of this long-running series focuses more on the puzzle and less on the thrills.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Perry, Carol J.: SEE SOMETHING." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A656696569/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=031beff5. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. BE MY GHOST Kensington (Fiction None) $15.95 8, 31 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3135-7
A laid-off retailer left a property by a mysterious benefactor tries to make it a profitable business in spite of the dead man on the front porch.
Things aren’t looking good for Maureen Doherty. When her job at Bartlett’s disappears, she’s not sure where she’ll find another company willing to hire a women’s sportswear buyer, and the generous severance she’s been given still won’t cover the cost of heat for the cold Massachusetts winter ahead. But things turn around suddenly with a surprising envelope from a Florida law firm. A Penelope Josephine Gray has died and left her home and business, Haven House Inn, to Maureen. Like other heroines of cozy mysteries, Maureen doesn’t wonder too much about being willed property by someone she’s never met in a place she’s never been. Instead, she straps her dog, Finn, into the car and heads down to start a new life. Haven House is a quirky place that could do with a bit of a renovation, not just in the dated furniture and linens, but also in some of the staff, many of whom appear to have been taking advantage of the former proprietor. Of special note is manager Elizabeth Mack, who’s not only unfriendly to the changes Maureen tries to make, but also commits the cardinal sin of not liking dogs. Maureen tries to figure out how to wrangle staff and turn Haven House profitable—maybe by capitalizing on its alleged haunting—but she soon finds herself in trouble when she finds a very still man on the porch who isn’t just sleeping….
Perry’s new series kickoff smartly doesn’t give away its biggest mysteries.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Perry, Carol J.: BE MY GHOST." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667041875/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3a70c997. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Carol J. Perry. Kensington, $15.95 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4967-3135-7
Maureen Doherty--the smart, forthright protagonist of this exceptional paranormal cozy launch from Perry (the Witch City mysteries)--has worked at a Boston department store for 10 years. Shortly after it goes out of business, Maureen receives a letter from a law firm in Haven, Fla., informing her she has inherited Penelope Josephine Gray's estate, consisting of the century-old, and reportedly haunted, Haven House Inn. Maureen has no idea who Miss Gray is. However, with no other options, she packs up and heads for Haven. Within hours, she discovers a prominent ghost hunter's lifeless body on the inn's front porch. The police, led by unimaginative officer Frank Hubbard, target Maureen and several members of the staff as potential murderers. Maureen is a breath of fresh air in the cozy world: no ruminating on her looks or past tragic loves, no drowning her sorrows in cookies and cake. The ghosts, in a refreshing departure from most paranormal cozies, don't take center stage, and entertaining subplots, such as her efforts to discover why Miss Gray left her the inn, keep the pages turning. Readers will look forward ro Maureen's further adventures. (Sept.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Be My Ghost." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 29, 19 July 2021, p. 192. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A669907319/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=09d39bd1. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. 'TIL DEATH Kensington (Fiction None) $8.99 4, 26 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3143-2
A program director for a TV station just can't leave her days as an investigative journalist behind.
Lee Barrett likes being on the production end of things at WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts. It gives her access to a wide variety of program material, from Ranger Rob's Rodeo to Tarot Time With River North to Cooking With Wanda the Weather Girl. It gives her an in with local celebrities like Fabulous Fabio, an aspiring magician whose day job involves baking the tastiest cakes in town. It allows her to score one of Fabio's fabulous creations for her upcoming wedding to police detective Pete Mondello in return for giving Fabio a chance to showcase his sleight of hand on Ranger Rob's. And it gives her time to order flowers, have her dress altered, pick out invitations, and buy a new home, tasks her old schedule as a reporter would never have allowed. Lee's ready to leave the home she's shared with her Aunt Isobel since her parents' tragic deaths in a plane crash on Pirate's Island when she was almost 5. Unfortunately, the tenant first in line to take her place in Aunt Ibby's newly renovated bed-and-breakfast is Fenton Bishop, a mystery writer who learned his craft in the slammer after pleading guilty to the murder of his wife. With Pete's help, Lee looks into Bishop's past. At the same time, station manager Bruce Doan wants her to do a piece on Pirate's Island while she and Pete are stopping there during their honeymoon to visit her aunt and uncle. Perry teases readers long and hard with the mystery of which puzzle Lee will try to unravel before she lets her heroine get down to the actual unraveling.
Just what all proper brides should have: something old and something new.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Perry, Carol J.: 'TIL DEATH." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A690892253/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=78047a73. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Carol J. Perry. Kensington, $16.95 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4967-3137-1
In Perry's charming sequel to 2021 's Be My Ghost, Maureen Doherty decides to promote Haven House, the hundred-year-old inn she has inexplicably inherited in Haven, Fla., by creating a themed event to tie in with the town's Chrisrmas holiday film festival at the Paramount Theater. During the opening night's screening, a guest at the inn, projectionist Decklin Monroe, "who knows how to show the old two-reel movies," is shot dead. Local law enforcement suspects that Decklin's death is related to the unsolved murder of Buddy Putnam, an old pal of Decklin's who was shot at the Paramount 50 years earlier. Maureen along with Lorna Dubois, "a long-deceased movie starlet" who haunts the inn and remembers that Buddy was a small-time crook who used to hang around Haven, try to put the pieces together to see whether the murders are connected. Digging deeper, Maureen finds our more of the history of Haven House and the mysterious benefacror who lefr her the inn. Ted Carr, Maureen's live-in executive chef, lends some welcome romantic interest. Paranormal cozy fans will get their money's worth. (Nov.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
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"High Spirits." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 39, 19 Sept. 2022, p. 39. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A720470536/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1449eaef. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. HIGH SPIRITS Kensington (Fiction None) $15.99 10, 25 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3137-1
A Florida innkeeper's latest attempt to build her haunted business is hampered by a murder.
Just because the circumstances under which she inherited the Haven House Inn in the Gulf Coast town of Haven are shrouded in obscurity doesn't mean that Maureen Doherty won't try her darnedest to make her new career as the inn's owner and manager a success. And while she may not know the mysterious Penelope Josephine Gray who willed her the property, that doesn't absolve her of the responsibility to the town's locals to keep the century-old community hub alive. Christmas is the perfect time to build on the inn's ongoing programming through a creative connection with Haven's vintage theater, the Paramount, for a Twelve Days of Christmas extravaganza. Maureen gets her second-in-command, executive chef Ted Carr, to plan themed menus to complement the Paramount's offerings in a sort of dinner-and-a-movie special. Maureen and Ted get into a groove of working with Paramount projectionist Decklin Monroe, whose history at the theater enables him to tell all the old stories, including a doozy about a patron shot midway through a flick 50 years ago. If the theater is still haunted, it's in good company, for fashionista and ghost (but fashionista first) Lorna, Maureen's unofficial roommate at Haven House, is accompanied by a rotating cast of spectral characters, including some of her dates. Though Ted and Maureen want to know more about the paranormal at the Paramount, a modern murder disrupts their digging. Has the past come back to haunt the present?
This ghost-infused cozy has all the pieces but just doesn't stack up. Blame the spirit world.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Perry, Carol J.: HIGH SPIRITS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A715353122/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=98591692. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. NOW YOU SEE IT Kensington (Fiction None) $8.99 9, 26 ISBN: 9781496743640
A mysterious death that's connected to a newly minted museum has an amateur investigator wondering about a motive for murder.
The former Lee Kowalski, married and widowed as Lee Barrett, is settling into her newlywed life as Lee Mondello, wife of Salem, Massachusetts, Det. Pete Mondello. Apart from changing her name, the biggest shift in Lee's life is moving from the home she'd shared with her beloved Aunt Ibby into a home she shares with her husband that's thankfully on the same block. The proximity allows the family's shared feline, O'Ryan, to bestow his presence on both abodes, surely as God intended. Not only is Lee a woman of many names, she's also a woman of many jobs. WICH-TV station manager Bruce Doan has cast her in the role of program director, field reporter, and, now, after a recent meeting, historical documentary executive director. While it's a lot to take on, Lee's never said no to a challenge, and she's eager to begin Doan's proposed project of documenting the inception of the Salem International Museum project, which Doan anticipates should be done in three weeks. Lee's eager to dig in and learn about the "Seafaring New England" exhibit, but by the time she's scheduled to film, a bigger museum story has broken. One of the men driving an armored car with museum artifacts is found dead under a leaf pile under what Pete calls definitely suspicious circumstances. Lee loops her historical project into this bigger story, but she'd never get anywhere investigating without the help of savvy O'Ryan--at least, according to him.
Smart humans and a smarter cat in a cozy that's all about the characters doing the investigating.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Perry, Carol J.: NOW YOU SEE IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A758849177/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6f6dbb3d. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. HAUNTING LICENSE Kensington (Fiction None) $16.95 6, 25 ISBN: 9781496743602
A woman who's moved from Massachusetts to the Gulf Coast town of Haven increases the already-impressive number of corpses she's found during her first year in sunny Florida.
Inheriting the Haven House Inn from "mysterious benefactor" Penelope Josephine Gray has proven a mixed blessing for 27-year-old Maureen Doherty. Like most of Haven's residences, the inn is full of ghosts. But the spirits who haunt Haven House are a fairly respectful lot, even if the scent of tobacco in the elevator tells Maureen when Reggie's been breaking the hotel's no-smoking rule again. Molly, Gert, Sam, and George, Maureen's flesh-and-blood staff, are a dedicated if sometimes quarrelsome lot. Executive chef Ted Carr make Maureen's pulse race, and his culinary skills make her taste buds tingle. Though it's been a journey getting the century-old building up and running, Maureen's greatest challenge this time comes from outside the inn. While walking her golden retriever, Finn, along the beach, she discovers the body of Eddie Manuel, owner of the charter boat Tightline. Eddie's is the third corpse Maureen has stumbled across since her arrival, and local police detective Frank Hubbard is getting tired of interviewing her. But he also wants to protect her from the risks of her own snoopiness. Danger predictably follows as an archeologist, a wildlife photographer, and possibly a gang of grave robbers descend on the inn. In response, Maureen sleepwalks through the investigation, letting everything from Penelope's old trunk to a fishing tournament and a pregnant cat distract her from her mission.
Lots of local color, a little romance, but no real mystery.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Perry, Carol J.: HAUNTING LICENSE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A789814845/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=15f90c92. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Perry, Carol J. DEATH SCENE Kensington (Fiction None) $8.99 8, 20 ISBN: 9781496743664
A move into programming proves anything but routine for Salem, Massachusetts, TV reporter Lee Barrett Mondello.
Married less than a year ago to Det. Sgt. Pete Mondello, Lee expects and hopes for greater stability as program director than she enjoyed as a reporter. But Bruce Doan, station manager at WICH-TV, likes his staff to be willing to "wear more than one hat." So Lee finds herself snarled in late October traffic as she races to meet with someone from Paragon Productions about a documentary story on the making of their upcoming feature film,Night Magic. Rumors about budget overruns and preproduction headaches abound, but it's the antics of the temperamental star, Darla Diamond, that cause the most grief and provide the biggest potential draw for Lee and her audience. Of course, someone kills the troublesome diva, but her death doesn't end the story. Lee begins a search for answers to the mystery and for anything that will help hook her audience into her narrative, from the history of the Salem Witch House to an 1898 poisoning in Dover, Delaware, the first documented case of the U.S. Postal Service being used to help commit murder. Perry's account of what a field reporter turned program director needs to pay attention to in covering an evolving story provides a novel twist on the small-town-snoop formula. As every reporter knows, getting the scoop is every bit as important as getting the bad guy.
A little history and a little mystery provide just the right mix in this good-natured tale.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Perry, Carol J.: DEATH SCENE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802865182/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1e38a040. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.