Guest Post, Mysteries

Guest Chick: Mindy Quigley

How excited are we Chicks to host amazing author and friend Mindy Quigley today? Mindy’s fifth title in the delicious Deep Dish Mystery series, AT DEATH’S DOUGH, has just been published, and we’re ready to dig in. Mindy is also generously offering a giveaway to one lucky reader. Take it away, Mindy! ***GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. WINNER ANNOUNCED IN GIVEAWAY DETAIL SECTION AND COMMENTS!***

Cold Cases, Hot Cocoa: Five Great Cozy Mysteries with Historical Crimes

At Death’s Dough, the fifth installment in my Deep Dish Mystery series, was inspired by the long, cold winters of my Chicago childhood—and by one of the biggest unsolved heists in U.S. history.

My sister put me on to the story of the Rondout Train Robbery after seeing an article commemorating it in her local paper. We were both struck that the largest train robbery in U.S. history happened not in the Wild West—but just north of Chicago in the 1920s. Millions in loot vanished, mob ties helped the robbers evade justice, and the truth remains a mystery. What better set-up for my clever, pizza-slinging sleuth and her detective boyfriend—who happens to be the great-grandson of Al Capone?

If you’re like me and love a mystery where the past refuses to stay buried, here are five more fabulous cozies (and cozy-adjacent mysteries) that mix history, humor, and heart.

1. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin
Wealthy widow Frances Adams has spent sixty years preparing for her own murder—and when she’s finally found dead, her great-niece Annie has to solve it. Set in an English village full of eccentric characters and long-dormant secrets, this witty debut is a perfect pick for readers who like their tea hot and their corpses cold.

2. Mischief Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein
Halloween hijinks and historical secrets collide when gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister’s B&B becomes the center of a deadly prank gone wrong. Add in a paranormal researcher, a pet psychic, a century-old diary with Prohibition ties, and Klein’s signature laugh-out-loud wit and you’ve got the ultimate cozy comfort read—assuming you can read while snort-laughing.

3. More Than Sorrow by Vicki Delany
This beautifully atmospheric mystery from Canadian mystery-writing powerhouse Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates) intertwines the story of a modern war correspondent recovering from trauma with the stories of 18th-century Loyalist settlers. It’s a timely reminder that the past is never really past.

4. Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins
A genealogist with a love of tacos and a nose for trouble discovers a murder from the 19th century—and accidentally ignites a modern political scandal. Perkins’s genealogical  series is clever, funny, and full of Texas twang. It’s proof that some families have actual skeletons in the closet.

5. The Study of Secrets by Cynthia Kuhn
English professor Lila Maclean’s sabbatical turns sinister when a Victorian mansion, a missing manuscript, and a small-town legend converge to spell murder. Smart and funny, this book showcases the talents of its Agatha Award-winning creator.

Whether you’re chasing gangsters across a frozen lake or uncovering secrets in a dusty archive, these mysteries will keep you turning pages long after your cocoa goes cold. Hope you’ll check out these great reads and pick up At Death’s Dough—out now anywhere books are sold!

**GIVEAWAY DETAILS: To celebrate the book launch, I’m giving away a copy of AT DEATH’S DOUGH. To enter, comment below and answer the question—If you could live in a time period other than the present, what would it be? 

U.S. winners only. Contest closes on November 3rd at 11:59pm EST. A winner will be randomly chosen and announced here on this post and on our Chicks Facebook page. ***GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. LUCKY WINNER OF MINDY QUIGLEY’S GIVEAWAY OF AT DEATH’S DOUGH IS KIRSTEN PETERSON! CONGRATS, KIRSTEN, AND THANK YOU, MINDY!***

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The next book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

It’s February in the ritzy lakeside resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and love is in the air. Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is gearing up to celebrate her first Valentine’s Day with hunky police detective Calvin Capone, great-grandson of the infamous Chicago mobster. But their romance is put on ice when a shocking discovery plunges them into a century-old crime with ties to Capone’s notorious forefather.

As old secrets surface, Delilah realizes that nearly everyone in town—from Capone’s cagey cousin to her own quirky customers—has something to hide. With the pressure mounting and the past closing in, Delilah must help Capone follow a trail of clues that could lead them to a priceless treasure… or into a deadly trap. Can Delilah serve up justice before history repeats itself? Or will she and Capone end up sleeping with the anchovies?

PURCHASE LINK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mindy Quigley is the author of two lighthearted mystery series. Her latest, the Deep Dish Mysteries, was a Woman’s World book club pick and has been featured in Parade and The Seattle Times. Mindy’s non-writing career took her from the US to the UK, where she worked as the personal assistant to the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep and as project manager for a research clinic founded by the author J.K. Rowling. She lives in Virginia with her Civil War history professor husband and their children.

If you’d like to stay in touch, you can find Mindy at: http://www.mindyquigley.com/

Or follow her on:
+ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mintyfreshbooks
+ BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mindy-quigley
+ Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7281258
+ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/minty_fresh_books

56 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Mindy Quigley”

  2. The simple side of me says the 1950s because life seemed simpler then, but then I think about the way women and non-white men were treated and no, can’t do that, so…I would prefer to create a near-future time when we may not all agree but at least we are able to disagree in a civil manner and we all want a better life for everyone. I know it’s likely a pipe dream, but a girl can hope! P.S. the 60s had the best music, so there’s that!

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  5. Yay, Mindy!! Congrats on your latest Deep Dish Mystery–and love that heart-shaped pizza on the cover of At Death’s Dough!

    (Not sure what time period I’d pick, maybe Regency, but only as an invisible observer of the attire and manners.)

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      1. I remember trying to fit into one of my mom’s girdles as a kid playing dress-up. Even as a kid, I couldn’t squeeze into it. Yowza, the suffering. And those garter clips? Not a snap to wear. Ouch.

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  6. Mindy, we’re so happy to have you visit Chicks today–and huge congrats on AT DEATH’S DOUGH. Another fab addition to the series! So…I pick Victorian New York, especially at Christmastime, with the (real) gaslights and all the trimmings. I’d like to live in a charming brownstone, please. I’ll probably just stay inside and drink tea and read and write long letters to friends. I’d emerge only for grand parties. Cuz I know, the good ol’ days, they were awful…

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      1. With (modern) dental! And washing machines/dryers, or at least someone to take care of such pesky tasks like laundry. I could sew by candlelight in my lovely drawing room with music and a fire. Maybe.

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  8. Mindy, congrats on your book release. Hope you have a banner first day.

    I too love historical mysteries. I write Sherlock Holmes pastiches in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle – I try to include little known aspects of Victorian society, ggod and bad, in each one. So if I had to live in another time, Victorian England would get the nod. I’d be a gentleman, of course.

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  10. As long as I could live as “upper class”, I’d love to be in Victorian England.

    Question for you, what is your favorite Chicago stuffed/deep dish pizza?

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    2. My fav is Lou Malnati’s classic Lou pizza! I used to prefer sausage, but now I usually get an all-veggie one, minus green peppers.

      I love books set in Victorian England! I’d probably want to be a man if I lived back then — more rights and cool top hats.

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  11. Mindy, the book sounds great! I’ve thought about what time period I’d like to visit a lot for some reason. It varies, but inevitably I end up on New York City in the 1920s. But I’d want to be IN my 20s so I could party and Charleston. And glomming on to Kirsten’s comment, I’d want to be “upper class” so I’d have plenty of the moolah I need to enjoy myself. (Which I’d want for any time period I’d go back to!)

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  12. I’ve always said I was born in the perfect time-period: post WWII, in a time when civil rights for women and non-white people were becoming the law of the land, and getting to grow up before computers and social media, when kids played baseball and tag and rode their bikes around the neighborhood. No way would I change to a time before running water and electricity–even if I was upper class!

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Mindy, and I so love the title of your new book–ha!

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    1. True! I feel sorry for my kids, not having had the joy and freedom of a device-free childhood.

      The thought exercise of traveling back in time definitely requires turning a blind eye to realities like squatting over a chamber pot.

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  13. Thanks for visiting us on Chicks today, Mindy! Sorry I’m late to the party but I was traveling today! 😄 I love a good “history mystery” and yours sounds great. As for era, I’ll be joining Ellen and the others in the 1920s! 

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  14. i would choose post WWII because the country was thriving, everyone had a chance at the American dream of a real home and marriage was forever. Family was the top priority and the economy was booming. Neighbors were kind. Employment was at its peak economically. Building of ideal neighborhoods was thriving. My parents were at UC Berkeley, both top students and met fell in love. Life was described to me by Mom as idyllic and so special. The core family life , dinner together at the table nightly , even the music, the clothes , the post war life is what we are missing today.

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  17. Love your books, Mindy!

    Hmmmm, I’d pick the early days of flight and the height of vaudeville (early 1900s, into WWI). I think of feel at home in either of those circumstances.

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  19. Congratulations on your new release, Mindy! Love cold cases, hot coffee and yummy pizzas! Love the inspiration behind At Death’s Dough!

    if I could, I would love to go back to 1970s when my parents were still around, and our family of six lived in a studio-like flats yet cozy and filled with love and laughter! – Emily

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  21. Hi Mindy: I adore this series–talk about heart and humor! Congratulations on your newest addition. Can’t wait to read it.

    Also, I’m incredibly honored to be included in your list with such amazing authors. Thank you very much. ❤

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  22. GIVEAWAY UPDATE! Mindy Quigley’s lucky winner of the copy of AT DEATH’S DOUGH is: Kirsten Peterson! Congrats Kirsten, and thank you, Mindy!

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