Welcome to my life of crime
I am the author of three and a half mystery series and two dozen short stories. The seven books in the Camilla MacPhee mysteries feature feisty Ottawa sleuth and victims' advocate, Camilla MacPhee, her unique office assistant, Alvin Ferguson, her eccentric friends and her interfering family of Cape Bretoners as well as the new man in her life, Sgt. Ray Deveau. Our sympathies, Ray. You Light Up My Death, the seventh in the series and hot off the press, takes you on a wild trip on the scenic Cabot Trail as Camilla and Ray try to elope, not counting on hurricanes and an enraged murderer to cramp their style and maybe end their lives.
Forty-five minutes north of Ottawa, in the fictionalized village of St. Aubaine, Quebec you might run into my second character, Fiona Silk, a failed romance writer with no sex life, most recently attempting to write an erotic cookbook (as if). Too Hot to Handle, followed Lament for a Lounge Lizard, and is still going strong, maybe because there are recipes included, maybe because of the cover. I love the cover image which was based on a painting by Victoria Maffini.
The Charlotte Adams adventures take place in New York State, about two hours north of NYC, and feature a thirtyish professional organizer, reconnecting with her friends and getting her life and business together in a community in the Hudson Valley. Of course, she is slightly distracted as the bodies pile up, but she's equal to the task. The fifth Charlotte Adams Mystery The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder was a Top Pick in the RT Book Reviews with 4 1/2 stars and later won the 2012 RT Award for Best Amateur Sleuth mystery. No extra charge for the organizing tips, which you are free to use or ignore. The sixth Charlotte Adams book, Death Plans a Perfect Trip takes you to Paris, Lisbon and northern Italy, all more dangerous than you might expect.
My daughter Victoria Maffini and I are very happy with the reaction to our book collector mysteries, which we wrote as Victoria Abbott. The Christie Curse was followed by The Sayers Swindle, The Wolfe Widow, The Marsh Madness and The Hammett Hex. The Marsh Madness won the Bony Blithe award for mysteries that make us smile.
