Red Hot Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Love-Based Publishing (April 25, 2023)
Digital – 200-250 pages

Synopsis

Charlie Kingsley’s tea customers have two things in common:

They rave about her teas.

AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.

There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.

One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.

But one thing she DOES remember is drinking a cup of Charlie’s tea.

Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.

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Guest Post

Meet Charlie Kingsley: Star of the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries

When Charlie Kingsley first introduced herself to me, she didn’t even have a name—she was simply the dead aunt who left Becca her house in her will in the beginning of It Began With a Lie (Book 1 of the Secrets of Redemption series).

Eventually, I gave her a name—Lottie—which wasn’t right (she gave me quite the earful about it, too). And even though I don’t write paranormal books, she still ended up becoming a force to be reckoned with, appearing in Becca’s dreams to guide her and give her advice over the course of the first three books as Charlie.

As I wrote them, Charlie then informed me I needed to write her story, about how she first came to Redemption, Wisconsin. So, that became Books 4-5.

Once I published those, I assumed I was done with Charlie.

That was not the case.

A few months later, I got the idea for a Christmas murder mystery starring Charlie. The Murder Before Christmas was published on November 9, 2021, and it launched a whole new cozy mystery series called the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries. (Of course!).

More books followed, including:

Ice Cold Murder

Murder Next Door

Murder Among Friends

The Murder of Sleepy Hollow

And now, Red Hot Murder.

So, if you’d like to get to know this powerhouse character, keep reading for a little heart-to-heart.

MPW: Thanks for doing this with me.

CK: Of course. You and I are in this together, after all.

MPW: That is true. So, when did you first realize I was … ‘underutilizing’ you? I guess that would be the best way to describe it …

CK: (Chuckles.) So, first off, I think ALL characters feel underutilized. But what it comes down to is the lengths the characters are willing to go to get noticed. For me, it was about persistence. You kept wanting to stray, and I had to keep reigning you back in. Remember that fairy tale retelling project that went nowhere for ten months?

MPW: Um …

CK: You spent ten months writing the first book, and you barely got halfway through the first draft!

MPW: That isn’t one of my prouder ‘moments.’

CK: That’s an understatement. And you were just so stubborn. It took you getting an eye infection during the pandemic before you would slow down long enough to realize the project you needed to be working on was my story in the Secrets of Redemption series.

MPW: Okay, but give me some credit. I pivoted last summer to start on The Murder Before Christmas pretty quickly.

CK: Yes, you’re improving. Not perfect yet, but definitely getting better.

MPW: Speaking of The Murder Before Christmas, when did you realize the spin-off series was going to be a cozy?

CK: I always knew it was going to be a cozy. I’m not sure why it took you so long to get on board.

MPW: Well, for one, the original series was a psychological suspense.

CK: Yeah, but there are cozy elements in it. Especially in Book 2, This Happened to Jessica. But they’re all mystery-driven—they take place in a small town with a repeating cast of characters, and they’re clean.

MPW: That’s true.

CK: So, with the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries, it just made sense to step fully into the cozy world.

MPW: When you put it that way, it does make sense. So, there are now six books in the series …

CK: Don’t forget about the prequel short story, A Grave Error, or the two novellas, Loch Ness Murder and A Wedding to Murder For.

MPW: I definitely haven’t. Do you have a favorite?

CK: Hmmm. I like them all, but for different reasons. I was excited we were finally writing a Christmas mystery … I know we both wanted to do that for a long time.

MPW: That’s also true.

CK: But Ice Cold Murder was a lot of fun, as well. After all, what’s more intriguing than being trapped in a supposedly haunted house with a dead lawyer and a dysfunctional family in the middle of a snowstorm? At least when it comes to solving a mystery …

MPW: I can’t think of anything better.

CK: Of course, if you ask Claire, she might have a different answer.

MPW: Yeah, that’s why we’re not asking her.

CK: Murder Next Door was great because it takes place in the spring, and I very much prefer Wisconsin once it warms up.

MPW: I think you’re in very good company.

CK: Unfortunately, Red Hot Murder takes place in February, and February is a dreadful month to be in Wisconsin. On the flip side, I did like the Valentine’s Day theme. That’s one thing I do love about the cozy genre—all the theme books.

MPW: I like the themes, too. So, what else did you like about Red Hot Murder?

CK: The “waking up near a dead body with no memory of what happened” storyline. Although I’m sorry Cherry had to be the one to wake up to her dead fiancé. I’d always liked her, even though she wasn’t all that fair to me.

MPW: Yeah, she did make some unfortunate decisions, which led to things getting ugly for you. Which brings me to my last question—do you ever get upset with me for all the bad things that happen to you?

CK: That question assumes you’re the one coming up with the bad things.

MPW: Wait … what?

CK: I mean, has it occurred to you that our stories are our stories, and you’re just the one writing them down? Honestly, you’re kind of like a glorified secretary.

MPW: Um …

CK: Now, that isn’t to say I don’t get upset with you. But it’s mostly when you get stubborn and start working on other projects and listening to other characters when you should be paying attention to me.

MPW: Okay then. Good to know.

About the Author

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

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