Birds, Puppies, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Arizona
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 23, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages

Synopsis

Lost puppies, endangered birds…
The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl.

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire.

When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone?

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. The stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will they expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them?

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Guest Post

Hello. I’m Joyce Proell and happy to be visiting with you today.

Birds, Puppies and Murder, the fourth book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters, features sisters Nic and Emma. Each woman has a distinctive style and personality, yet their interests overlap in one key way—their love of mysteries. Over time, their curiosity and experiences have honed their detective skills. When a friend of Nic’s is found dead in an isolated park, they can’t resist the urge to find out what happened.

I often wonder if my lifelong interest in mystery would make me a capable crime solver.

My love of whodunits took flight in third grade when I spotted an eerie cover in the children’s section of the public library. I couldn’t wait to get home and devour The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy. Suspenseful, I’ll admit, yet after many years, I can’t recall a thing about the raggedy mummy or the plucky kids who solved the crime. However, the book encouraged me to read similar books.

As I got older, I drifted to Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. For a time, I focused on British mystery authors like P.D. James, Anne Perry, Elly Griffiths, Anne Cleves and Martha Grimes. Then I switched to American authors. Even Nordic Noir received its share of attention, as did the historical capers of M.C. Beaton and Elizabeth Peters. If you’ve not read her amusing Amelia Peabody series, you’re missing out. Currently, I read any crime novel that’s favorably reviewed and catches my attention. A practical person might wonder where I find the time.

The fact is—I love mystery—dark or light, historical or contemporary, serious or funny. The sub-genre doesn’t really matter. Finding the killer does. Once the crime puzzle is set, I race to the end. And if by chance, I figure out who did it before the principal character does, I feel a great sense of satisfaction.

It wasn’t a big jump when my dear friend and fellow writer, Brenda Whiteside, approached me with a series proposal about two sister sleuths. Too exciting to refuse. The premise is fashioned after Brenda and her sister’s tradition of birthday dinners complete with a Chocolate Martini. Hence, the series title –The Chocolate Martini Sisters. In the stories, the bond between Emma and Nic is as important as the murder. They are as diverse as they are similar. Nic is creative, intuitive and impulsive. Emma is analytical, fact-driven and careful. They are each other’s best friend and equally enjoy solving a caper. Best of all, they’re all about solving a mystery.

I hope you find Birds, Puppies and Murder an enjoyable read. I certainly had a blast writing the story.

About the Authors

Joyce Proell is the award-winning author of Amaryllis, Eliza and the Cady Delafield mysteries: A Deadly Truth, A Burning Truth and A Wicked Truth. Along with her husband and little dog, Nellie, she lives in Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie. She loves to hear from readers.

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Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

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