Miranda and the D-Day Caper
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books (March 1, 2020)
Paperback: 338 pages

Synopsis

A modern day mystery with WWII tactics, old-time heroes and values, and the efforts of two amateur cousin sleuths from the Heartland.

On a sparkling spring morning in the Blue Ridge, small-town realtor Miranda Davis approached the tailgate market, intent on dealing with her whimsical cousin Skip’s unexpected arrival from New York. It turns out that Skip was on the run and, in his panic, grabbed his beloved tabby Duffy, recalling that Miranda had a recent part in solving a case down in Carolina. His predicament stemmed from intercepting code messages like “Countdown to D-Day,” playfully broadcasting the messages on his radio show over the nation-wide network, and subsequently forced to flee.

At first, Miranda tried to limit her old childhood companion’s conundrum to the sudden abduction of Duffy the cat. But the forces that be were hell-bent on keeping Skip under wraps by any means after he now stumbled close to the site of their master plan. Miranda’s subsequent efforts to decipher the conspiracy and somehow intervene placed both herself and her old playmate on a collision course with a white-nationalist perpetrator and the continuing machinations of the right-wing enterprise, with the lives of all those gathered for a diversity celebration in nearby Asheville and a crucial senatorial vote on homeland security hanging in the balance.

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Guest Post

A Guest Post from Skip

Hi, my name is Skip. You’re probably wondering why I’m writing this but I figure maybe if I can get it down on paper I can try to make some sense out of the predicament I’m in. Like how in the world I wound up in this little mountain town of Black Mountain a few miles east of Asheville when just a few days ago I was in the Big Apple of Manhattan filling in for an old acquaintance from the Heartland on his late night radio show.

First of all, I should explain that I’m an incurable storyteller. Very whimsical I might say. It just comes naturally to me. Second of all, I’ve done a lot of improv with a Second City troupe out of Chicago plus children’s theater.  In short, I’ve been trained to jump on anything that comes along and use it. Anything can be tapped and serve as a trigger. That’s the fun of it, that’s what gives you the great sense of freedom. Riding that wave into the unknown, making discoveries along the way. I love it, listeners and audiences love it. It’s kind of magic making something out of nothing.

At any rate, I’m about to go on following this pundit Russ Mathews who’s a kind of blowhard carrying on about how awful everything is and what this country needs is a big shakeup.  Sort of “Get them before they get you.” The other night, when he starts using World War II code—“D-Day is coming” words like that, I couldn’t take it any more. The minute he left the station after the five minute commercial break, I follow my opening kazoo signature theme doing a take-off on good ol’ Russ. I mean, I’m on the air to get all the insomniacs out there across the country to relax and hopefully go to bed. The last thing they need is to get all riled up by fear-monger Russ. So I start winging it, make it so D-Day is almost upon us, the center can’t hold, there’s a breach in the castle walls, we’ve got to take action. My ratings are going up almost immediately, call-ins are encouraging me like mad. My prospects are unlimited.

Next thing I know, I’m getting threatening phone calls. Back in my sublet in Hoboken, I receive a non-discloser form in my mailbox to sign or else. Shots are fired through my front window. To make the old long story short, I wind up grabbing my cat Duffy and hightailing it. Pretty soon, after being tailed to Pennsylvania, I try to shake them and head west and then due south.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. But I’ve got a cousin Miranda, an old playmate back in the day in Indiana who, as it happens, has received some notoriety lately as an amateur detective.  And also happens to live in a little secluded mountain town. Maybe she can help, offer me a little advice, offer me her services.

Oh, didn’t I say? The phantom posse just made off with my ginger tabby Duffy.

About the Author

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor and, all told, has written over twenty-five plays in addition to his articles and novels.

A frequent contributor of articles on all facets of creative writing and acting, Shelly appears in numerous periodicals including Southern Writers Magazine where he is the film columnist. He is also a contributor to writers’ blogs and websites in the U.S. and the U.K.

His fiction includes Twilight of the Drifter, The Twinning Murders, and Lilac Moon. His Hollywood crime caper Tinseltown Riff was released in March 2013. His latest crime novel Murder Run was just released in August.

Among his works of non-fiction are the acclaimed The Actors Studio and texts on The Art and Craft of Screenwriting and writing for the stage. Shelly lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

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