It Started with a Question by Guest Blogger, J.C. Kenney

 

It Started with a Question

Hi, friends! Thanks for stopping by. I hope your 2021 carries with it the promise of good things to come. I hope the release of A Deadly Discovery, and its message of unending hope and eternal love, will provide readers with not only a good story, but a message that keeping hope alive is an idea that never goes out of style.

As I celebrate the publication of my latest cozy mystery, I’m trying to enjoy every moment. Making sure I don’t get caught up in what can be an overwhelming news cycle, but to appreciate the things that make me smile, like a sunny day or a warm kitty napping on my lap. 

While I do that, I’d like to share a bit about the journey that brought me her, chatting with you all in celebration of the release of my latest mystery. You see, I’ve often been asked how I got my start as a cozy author. Did I always want to write mysteries? Where did this ride start?

To answer that question, we need to go back to the days of my youth. Over forty years. Holy cow, that’s been a while. Both of my parents were voracious readers. I remember Mom regularly returning home after a visit to the library with dozens of books for her and Dad to read.

While I was jealous of the massive haul (I was only allowed to check out seven at a time), I also noticed something that made me curious. My dear mother, who went to church twice a week and taught Sunday school, liked crime fiction. The books she read were by authors like Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Lilian Jackson Braun.

Agatha Christie

My young mind couldn’t understand how my mom, who was a model Catholic, liked murder mysteries. I mean, murder was the worst criminal act possible, right?

One day, I asked her why she read those awful books were someone was always murdered.

Her answer left me stunned. She told me it wasn’t about the murder. It was about the puzzle. At first, I didn’t understand. Then, when she explained, the clouds parted. What appealed to her wasn’t the crime, it was the act of putting together the clues, the pieces of the puzzle, to solve the mystery in the pursuit of justice.

It was all about catching the bad guy.

As the years passed, that exchange stuck. I became a fan of mysteries. The first cozy I read was And Then There Were None. I was fifteen years old and I loved it. Here’s the cover of the edition I read.

From there, I followed the adventures of Holmes and Watson, went along for the ride on the Oriental Express with Poirot, and fell love with Koko and Yum-Yum as they helped Qwilleran ensure justice prevails.

A few years ago, I was challenged write a mystery. I thought, okay, I can give it a shot. Moments after accepting the challenge, I panicked. There was simply no way I could write a whodunit. I wasn’t smart enough. I wasn’t creative enough. Then, Mom’s words came back to me.

It’s not about the crime. It’s about the puzzle.

With that in mind, I got to work. Clues, along with suspects and red herrings, became my puzzle pieces. Before long, I had a full-fledged story worked out that featured a feisty young woman named Allie Cobb and her beloved cat Ursula. And now, A Deadly Discovery marks her fourth adventure.

So, while its accurate to say I got my start writing mysteries only a few years ago. It’s also fair to say I those cozy mystery seeds were planted over forty years ago. When it all started with a question.

How about you, dear reader? Are you a fan of whodunnits? Do you have a favorite mystery author? I’d love to hear about it and thanks again for visiting!

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J.C. Kenney is the Amazon and Kobo bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries. His debut, A Literal Mess, was a finalist for a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association in mystery fiction. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two children, and a cat. You can find him at any one of these places:

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A Deadly Discovery 

Certain she's seen more than enough death for one lifetime, literary agent Allie Cobb is ready to close the book on her amateur sleuthing, even when she learns that an unidentified body has been unearthed in a local state park. But when a worn and haunted-looking woman shows up on her doorstep with a grim story about her young daughter's disappearance twenty years ago—and the police confirm that the recently discovered body is hers—Allie can't bear to turn the poor woman away.  

Determined to uncover the truth about the young woman's murder, Allie begins delving into the circumstances of her life and those she knew so many years before. And when she meets powerful resistance from those she questions—many of whom are now trusted leaders in her small, tight-knit community—she's sure she's on the right track. But as she narrows down the list of suspects, Allie realizes too late that a cold-blooded killer is dead set on keeping the secrets of the past buried, and it will take all her wit and cunning to avoid becoming the second young woman to meet an untimely end . . .

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