All-time Favorite Mystery Authors Sort by Last Name Sort by First Name Sort by Most Recent Andrea Camilleri Author of The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries Read More Attica Lock Author of Black Water Rising Read More Barbara Cleverly Author of The Detective Joe Sandilands Mystery Series Read More Barbara Louise Mertz AKA Elizabeth Peters Read More C.S. Harris Author of The Sebastian St. Syr Mystery Series Read More Catherine Louisa Pirkis Author of Disappeared From Her Home Read More Charles Finch Author of The Charles Lynch Mysteries Read More Christopher Fowler Author of The Bryant and May Mysteries Read More Deanna Raybourne Author of The Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and Lady Gray Mysteries Read More Elizabeth George Author of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Read More Elsa Hart Author of The Li Du Mysteries Read More Frank Tallis Author of The Max Liebermann Mysteries Read More Georgette Heyer Author of various mystery novels Read More Jacqueline Winspear Author of The Maisie Dobbs Mysteries Read More Jennifer Ashley Author of The Kat Holloway Mysteries Read More Load More

< Back Edamame – Avocado Dip November 19, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 3 Minutes Serves: About 2 Cups of Dip Tags: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dips and Sauces, Vegan About the Recipe p.220 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene felt stunned that Kacey was back in rehab and ashamed that she’d been so impatient with Frank, who said, “There’s a crazy person on the loose and I think all of you need to be cautious right now. Can you make sure your staff is on the alert for anything unusual and try not to be alone? Also, could you do me a personal favor and check your phone more often? You do have me on speed dial, right?” She nodded as Frank and Jack left. He didn’t have to speak to her as if she were a child, she thought glumly. She turned away, instead of admiring Frank’s muscular back and confident stride. She sat down and added him to her speed dial after her father, Ruthie, Lydia, and Brianne. Grabbing an apple from the counter, she headed to her office. It was the end of the month and she had to finish ordering and to work on payroll. She holed up in her office for a few hours, drank more decaf espresso with almond milk, and ate a raw kale Alene pulled out her old blender and made an edamame/avocado dip followed by a kale and parsley dip for the next morning. She grumbled to herself because the dips weren’t as smooth and fluffy as those made with the blender whose base was in police custody. Ingredients 12 oz frozen bag raw edamame (Trader Joe has them) 1 avocado ½ cup lemon juice About 2 tsp mixed herbs (basil, parsley, oregano – whatever you have) ½ tsp dry garlic or a fresh garlic clove ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation Cook edamame and garlic in the microwave about 1 -2 minutes Let it sit and cool for a few minutes Toss everything into a food processor or professional blender Taste for seasonings and add more salt, pepper or lemon as needed Previous Next

< Back Peanut or Almond-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies July 2, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes Serves: 24 Servings Tags: Gluten Free, Vegan, Cookies and Brownies About the Recipe p.156 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery “Everyone approached the gigantic tray and chose a cookie or two. After much study, the children took two or three each and scattered to the back bedrooms. Everyone munched while LaTonya continued taking pictures. Tinley was first to comment. “I love this chocolate-chocolate chip cookie,” she said. “Mine is coffee-flavored,” said Bill, making a face. “I hate coffee.” Tinley smacked him on his shoulder. “Does everyone need to know what you don’t like?” Alene wanted to hug her. Lydia said she loved her cinnamon cookie and wondered if it was gluten-free but nobody responded. She nibbled a few bites before passing it to Theo, who said, “Crunchiest cookie I’ve ever tasted.” Cal and Mitzi wanted to taste more flavors, so they shared plates. Neal blurted across the table, “This one is kind of buttery almond. Did you use real butter, Ruthie? I thought you were vegetarian.” Ruthie smiled while Alene imagined an imaginary bubble above her head that said, “Of course there’s no butter, you dingbat. Vegans don’t use animal products.” What Ruthie actually said, in the same voice she used to speak to her eight-year-old son was, “I’m vegan, and we don’t use animal products in anything, Neal. Which cookie did you like best?” Neal muttered, “They’re both good, I guess.” Ingredients 1 cup Almond or Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky) ½ to 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (optional, really) 1 egg (or a flax egg, or whip up half the liquid from a can of chickpeas) 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 package semisweet vegan chocolate chips Preparation Line two baking pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper Preheat oven to 350 degrees Stir first six ingredients together with a spoon Stir in chocolate chips Place unformed globs of batter about 2″ apart on greased baking pan Bake about 12 minutes until they are slightly browned and puffy Cool on pan and then transfer to a rack They store well and are great cold from the fridge Previous Next

< Back Apple Crisp May 25, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes Serves: 9 Servings Tags: Baking, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe p.214 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery “You were the one who told me about Hector-Schaf Electronics in the first place,” said Frank, chewing the crisp slowly and smiling the same way she did when she was eating something extraordinary, “but you neglected to say anything about Joan being blackmailed.” “I’m sorry,” said Alene. “It was a long time ago.” “Do you know if anyone else received a demand for money?” Frank asked. “Like your ex-mother-in-law?” “Mitzi never mentioned it,” said Alene. “She is an honest person and she wouldn’t have tolerated illegally obtained money. I told Gary that she’d probably have tossed Patrick out of her bed and her life if she knew he’d done something illegal such as helping Joan embezzle money.” Alene’s jaw had nearly dropped to the floor when Gary had asked if she thought Mitzi had tossed Patrick overboard on their cruise. Gary had also been on board when it happened. “She’d have called the police no matter what the blackmailer threatened her with,” Alene told Frank. “I once heard her rail against Neal when he couldn’t tell her what charities he supports.” “What about Neal’s father?” Alene said, “Well, you know that he died after falling off a cruise ship, right?” “That was very unusual and suspicious,” said Frank. “Yeah, it was weird, but the entire cruise industry changed their rules because of it,” said Alene Ingredients 7-8 tart apples (like Gala, Granny Smith or Fuji) - peeled and sliced thin) Juice of about half a lemon 1 tsp lemon zest 1 TBSP pure maple syrup ¼ cup fruity or berry liqueur or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped toasted almonds or pecans (or mix them together) 2 cups quick oats ¼ cup whole wheat flour, almond flour, or gluten-free flour ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp cinnamon Pinch of salt ¼ cup canola or coconut oil Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Mix dry ingredients with oil in a bowl or a zip locked bag In a large bowl, whisk syrup, lemon, zest, cinnamon, vanilla or liquor. Add apple slices and stir gently with a large spoon to evenly coat apples Spray square or pie glass pan and pour in apple mixture Press nut mixture gently over the apples to cover the entire top Bake covered with foil for about 40 minutes Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes until browned on top Previous Next

< Back Ginger-Molasses Cookies G.F. V. May 8, 2020 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 24 Cookies Tags: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Baking, Cookies and Brownies, Vegan About the Recipe Keep these chewy cookies in the freezer and eat at least one each day. Sometimes I make a sandwich with a piece of banana in the middle, but mostly I just grab one from the freezer for a little burst of gingery deliciousness. Ingredients 2 ½ cup steel-cut oats (gives extra crunch) or other GF oats 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp fine-grained sea salt 1 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ½ cup coconut or brown sugar ¼ cup canola or coconut oil ¼ cup unsulphured molasses 1 TBSP unfiltered apple cider vinegar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and spray or line 2 cookie sheets In a processor or high-speed blender, blend oats into a fine flour, 60-90 seconds Pulse in baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar In a large bowl, combine oil, molasses, vinegar, and vanilla Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir together If the dough feels too dry, add a few TBSPs of water Use a small scooper or wet hands to form about 26 1 inch balls, 13 on each sheet Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown (if you overbake, they’ll be crispier) Remove from the oven and let them cool before eating Can be frozen and eaten directly from the freezer (or zapped in the microwave) Optional: To add protein, use a cup of unsalted almonds in place of one cup of the oats. Previous Next

< Back Almond Berry Breakfast Cake (gluten-free/vegan) March 24, 2020 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Serves: 12 Slices of Cake Tags: Breakfast, Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe p. 28 Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery #2 Now Alene began measuring ingredients for Ruthie’s strawberry breakfast cake. Neal had probably let the children eat fatty, salty burgers and fries at dinner the night before. She hoped he’d bring them to his mother’s place for lunch today. Mitzi always showered them with love, brought them to the playground, let them people-watch from her balcony, and sent them home well-fed and happy. If Mitzi had to work and couldn’t take the kids, Neal would do some activity that required little effort and get them fast food, the kind Alene rarely allowed. He’d probably introduce them to another one of his girlfriends, so that they’d be confused and upset. They’d all be crying by the time they got home. At least her father was being cared for. Blanca, Alene’s cleaning lady who had morphed into caregiver for her dad, would come at eight and stay until Cal fell asleep after lunch. Alene would probably get home before he woke up. Even though he liked being alone in the apartment and accused Alene of fussing, she tried to make sure someone was always close by. She worried that he’d fall, since his disease, finally diagnosed the previous year, caused weakening in his muscles. Or maybe he’d drop a glass that would shatter, and she’d come home to find him bleeding on the kitchen floor. Cal assured Alene that he was doing his exercises, building up his strength, and would soon be back to walking the bike path two miles to the North Avenue bridge and back. Ingredients 1 cup non-dairy milk ¼ cup oil 1 small seeded apple 1 small seeded tangerine or orange ½ cup maple syrup or agave 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ½ tsp almond extract 2 cups almond flour 1 cup oats 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt 1 cup of washed berries (strawberries should be halved or chopped) 2 TBSP almond or other gluten-free flour Preparation In blender or processor, blend all liquid ingredients In a large bowl, stir dry ingredients Pour wet into dry ingredients and stir a few times until blended Pour into a prepared 8” round or loaf pan Toss berries with flour and press lightly into the batter Bake at preheated 350 oven for about 50 minutes until nicely browned Cool in pan before plating or serving I like refrigerating this cake but it can be left out on the counter for a couple of days Previous Next

< Back Spinach-Lentil Soup October 27, 2020 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 6 Servings Tags: Soup, Vegetarian, Vegan, Entrees About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 2 TBSP olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cups frozen spinach 1 cup lentils 1 large potato, peeled and cut into ½” pieces 5 cups water 1 cup coconut milk 2 TBSP lemon juice (squeeze the juice from 1 small or ½ large lemon) 1 tsp sea salt (more to taste) 1 tsp paprika Preparation In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped onion in the oil for about 10 minutes until soft. Add spinach, lentils and potato – stir for a minute. Add water, coconut milk, lemon juice, salt and paprika. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes until lentils are soft. Add salt to taste. Previous Next

< Back Down a Dark River Karen Odden January 11, 2022 In Karen Odden’s latest mystery (Down a Dark River , Crooked Lane Books 2021) it’s 1878 in London, and Scotland Yard inspector Michael Corravan, a former thief and bare-knuckles boxer, is battling demons, including his urge to drown his troubles in drink. In the wake of a police corruption scandal that threatens to shut down Scotland Yard, Corravan is assigned the case of a young, wealthy woman whose corpse has been set adrift in a small boat on the Thames River. At first, the murder seems to be linked to a stolen heirloom necklace, but then a second dead woman appears and then a third. As the press riles up London and blames Scotland Yard, Corravan’s search for clues takes him from insane asylums to jewelry stores and from brothels to wealthy Mayfair homes. Then his lady friend is threatened, and Inspector Corravan must confront the darkness in his own past to understand the killer and prevent yet another murder from taking place. KAREN ODDEN received her Ph.D. in English literature from New York University, writing her dissertation on Victorian railway disasters and the origins of PTSD. She has taught at UW-Milwaukee, written essays for numerous books and journals, and edited for the journal Victorian Literature and Culture (Cambridge UP). She freely admits she might be more at home in Victorian London than today, especially when she tries to do anything complicated on her iPhone. All of her mysteries are set in 1870s London. Her first novel, A LADY IN THE SMOKE, about a young woman in a 1874 railway crash, was a USA Today bestseller. In A DANGEROUS DUET, Nell Hallam, an ambitious young pianist stumbles on a notorious crime ring while playing in a Soho music hall. In A TRACE OF DECEIT, Annabel Rowe, a young painter at the Slade School of Art, must delve below the glitter of the art and auction world to uncover the truth about her brother's murder. DOWN A DARK RIVER is Karen's fourth novel and the first in the Inspector Corravan series; the sequel, UNDER A VEILED MOON, will be released in November 2022. An avid desert hiker, Karen lives in Arizona with her family and her rescue beagle muse, Rosy. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

< Back Instructions for the Working Day Joanna Campbell September 6, 2022 In Instructions for the Working Day by Joanna Campbell (Fairlight Books, 2022), Neil Fischer has inherited his father's former hometown of Marschwald in East Germany. He drives there from England, remembering stories about his father’s brutal behavior, the split from his mother and sister, and the loneliness he experienced throughout his childhood. He picks up a chatty hitchhiker who helps him get through part of the journey. An inability to understand people, especially his father, has always plagued Neil, but now he faces the task of deciphering his demanding father's last wish and restoring the derelict village to its former glory. He plans to renovate and revive Marschwald, but is met with hostility, mistrust and underlying menace by nearly all the old people in the town. His only friend in Marschwald is Silke, who is coming to terms with her traumatic experiences during the Cold War and has recently uncovered a shocking truth, concealed from her for years by her controlling brother. As tensions rise, a series of surreal encounters force Neil to contend with his own troubled past – but right now, all signs point to danger. Joanna Campbell lives in Gloucestershire, England. She studied German at university and as a student spent a year living in West Germany. Joanna has worked as a teacher of both German and English, and now writes full-time. She is very interested in the Cold War − particularly the communist state of East Germany − partly as a result of studying the era for her university course and also from living with West Germans devastated by the division of their country and separated from their loved ones. She loves to write about the themes of separation and isolation as a result of this interest. She is learning to paint and most of her efforts involve abstract cityscapes reminiscent of battle-scarred Berlin. Her debut novel Tying Down the Lion was published in 2015, and her short story collection When Planets Slip Their Tracks (2016) was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Her novella Sybilla won the 2021 National Flash Fiction Day Novella-in-Flash Award. Her short fiction has been published in many anthologies and literary magazines and has won several awards including the London Short Story Prize. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

< Back Song of the Storyteller C.P. Lesley January 31, 2023 It’s 1546, and Ivan the Terrible is about to be coronated and married off. Government nobles are given 6 weeks to choose the most beautiful, highborn, fertile, and politically expedient brides from around the country. Before Tsar Ivan makes his choice, 16-year-old Lyuba is forced to go through a series of examinations as a potential bride, but she’s in love with someone else and planning to do everything she can to make herself as unappealing as possible. But anything too obvious could backfire, and her family would pay the price if she was anything but delighted to be a candidate. C. P. Lesley was born in England and lived in the states from the age of eleven. She earned a PhD in Russian History from Stanford and has always loved telling stories. Author of The Not Exactly Scarlet Pimpernel , The Golden Lynx , The Winged Horse , The Swan Princess, The Vermilion Bird , and The Shattered Drum (Five Directions Press), she is currently working on the sixth book in her Songs of Steppe & Forest series, Song of the Steadfast . The series includes Song of the Siren (2019), Song of the Shaman (2020) Song of the Sisters ( 2021), Song of the Sinner ( 2022), and now Song of the Storyteller (2023). Lesley also hosts New Books in Historical Fiction , a podcast channel on the New Books Network. When not thinking up new ways to torture her characters, she edits other people’s manuscripts, reads voraciously, maintains her website, and practices classical ballet. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

< Back The Kudzu Queen Mimi Herman January 24, 2023 Kudzu salesman James T. Cullowee arrives in Cooper County, North Carolina in the spring of 1941 to spread the gospel of kudzu. It can apparently feed cattle, improve soil, grow with no effort, be turned into jam, and cure headaches. Mattie Lee Watson is struck from the moment she sees Mr. Cullowee, and dreams of both becoming Cooper County Kudzu Queen and strolling on the Kudzu King’s arm. But Mattie’s best friend is faced with calamity, Mr. Cullowee seems to be as sneaky and destructive as kudzu, and Mattie realizes that she’s the only one who can fix the mess. Mimi Herman's The Kudzu Queen (Regal House, 2023) is a gripping coming-of-age story about family, trust, race relations, and friendship in the face of divisiveness, alcoholism, mean girls, prejudice, and evil. Mimi Herman is a Kennedy Center teaching artist and director of the United Arts Council Arts Integration Institute . She has taught in the Master of Education programs at Lesley University, served as the 2017 North Carolina Piedmont Laureate, and been an associate editor for Teaching Artist Journal. Since 1990, she has engaged over 25,000 students and teachers with her warm and intuitive teaching style. Mimi holds a BA from the University of North Carolina and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson. She is the author of A Field Guide to Human Emotions, Logophilia and The Art of Learning . Her writing has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review , The Carolina Quarterly , Shenandoah , Crab Orchard Review , The Hollins Critic , Main Street Rag , Prime Number Magazine and other journals. Mimi has performed her fiction and poetry at many venues including Why There Are Words in Sausalito, Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh and Symphony Space in New York City. When she's not writing, Mimi codirects Writeaways writing workshops at a chateau in France, a villa in Italy, an adobe in New Mexico and a manor house in Ireland--and does her own plumbing and carpentry work on her almost hundred-year-old house. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

< Back Chocolate Zucchini-Pear Cake GF November 12, 2019 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Serves: 6-8 Slices of Cake Tags: Vegetarian, Baking, Breakfast, Muffins and Breads, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe I’ve been experimenting with different combinations of fruits and vegetables in cakes. Most zucchini cake recipes include a full cup of oil, but pear sauce works as a substitute for half of the oil. The pear also adds enough sugar to be able to cut down the usual cup of sugar to 1/2 cup. Of course, the addition of chocolate chips more than makes up for that missing half cup of sugar. I served this cake at my mother-in-law-s 96th birthday, and everyone thought it was moist and delicious, except for a 4-year-old great niece who didn’t like the glaze (added to make it look more festive, but a little too sophisticated with its mocha flavor). SMOTHERED: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Ingredients 1 juicy pear (seeded, with skin) 1/3 cup water ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (optional but delicious) ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup canola or olive oil 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preparation Blend zucchini, pear and water in a processor until smooth Add everything else except chocolate chips, blend Add chocolate chips and pulse a few times Pour into a greased and sugared loaf or 9” baking pan Bake about 35 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven Cool before turning onto a serving plate Sprinkle w/confectioners sugar or serve as is – healthy enough for breakfast! Previous Next