Our next guest needs no introduction: A big feathery welcome to Tammy Barker, good friend of the Chicks and newly minted debut author of CALL-IN FOR MURDER, the first book in the Neon Desert Mysteries. Wait, what? Hold the phones! Someone else is barging–er, calling–in. You’re on the air with Miss LARE!
Well, hello there! I’m Ashley Compton, but you may know me as Miss LARE. I’m stepping in for today’s Guest Chick, Tammy Barker, because who knows me better than me?
I made my call-in-radio-host/amateur sleuth series debut in Tammy’s novel Call in for Murder last October. Has it been 4 months already? Wow, how time flies. Anyway, more about me. I give relationship advice on the radio in Las Vegas where people call in with problems so small you’d need a magnifying glass to see them. You know, the kind of issues no sane person would pay $100-$150 an hour for in an office with beige walls.
Lucky for them the advertisers foot the bill. Free therapy! I talk to my callers like I’m their BFF and we’re gossiping over Starbucks drinks. I’m blunt and honest, with none of that “what do you think” mumbo-jumbo.
Look at me, rambling again. We’re supposed to be talking about mystery, mayhem and murder, right? Oh, and Tammy.
First, let me offer one valuable piece of advice:
Don’t get involved in a murder investigation. It’s dangerous and messy. Trust me—I’ve been there. There’s nothing glamorous about running in heels or trying to appear innocent when you’ve got police tape stuck to your blouse.
Q: What if I want to get involved anyway?
A: Okay, Nancy Drew, slow down. Hunting down whoever stole your favorite pen is one thing. Murder? You’d better have a dang good reason. Like, someone you love is a suspect. Or, heaven forbid, the victim.
Q: What I can I actually do?
A: Ask lots of questions. Keep track of who said what—preferably not on a napkin you later use to blot that deep red lipstick. Be casual. People love to talk, especially if they think it’s all about them. Use open-ended questions, not “yes/no” stuff. You’re sleuthing, not meeting the future in-laws.
Q: What about snooping around crime scenes, or people’s houses?
A: Not smart. At all. But if you absolutely insist, follow these rules: move fast, don’t get caught, have a backup excuse ready (“I’m lost” works well), and always check the medicine cabinet. Always. Humans are nosy, but murderers are nosier.
Q: What about surveillance?
A: No. Absolutely not. That’s for the professionals—or at least people who know the difference between “discreet observation” and “staring through blinds like a peeping Tom.”
Q: Do I need a sidekick?
A: Someone’s having way too much fun. A wingman can help, but that puts both of you in danger. If you must continue the mission, keep your cell handy, and tell a friend where you’re going. Preferably a friend who won’t just “like” your message and roll over to go back to sleep.
Murder Board
Q: Should I make a murder board like they do on television?
A: Not necessary, but entertaining. Keep it hidden. You don’t want your friends—or the cops—walking in and seeing your serial-killer wall decor. Someone will catch on.
Q: Speaking of cops…
A: Stop right there. Avoid them unless absolutely necessary. You don’t want a lecture on obstruction of justice. Or worse—matching silver bracelets.
Q: What if I find something important? Are you saying don’t call the cops?
A: No way am I saying that. Call the detective. ASAP. You can say you “overheard” something if you want to fake innocence, but they’ll see right through it. Detectives have a sixth sense for BS.
Q: What if I figure out who the killer is? Do I try to get them to confess?
A: Only if you have a death wish! Never confront a killer unless you absolutely, positively, have no other choice. I almost lost my BFF doing that. Never again.
Whew. I think I covered it all. Remember, a murder mystery is not some party game, it’s real life. I advise that you stick to reading and discussing mysteries in book club. Hey, all the suggestions I just gave above may help you solve the murder on the page before the amateur sleuth does!
This is Miss LARE, signing off. And don’t forget to check out my monthly advice at www.tammybarkerwriter.com. I got some real gems there. (Oh. You can find out more about Tammy and CALL-IN FOR MURDER there, too. And below.
Readers, any advice for wanabe amateur sleuths? Share in the comments!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Call-in radio host Ashley Compton is Las Vegas’s best friend when it comes to giving relationship tips to strangers. But when a repeat caller is found murdered after exposing her woes on the air and accepting the challenge to put up or shut up, Ashley questions if her homespun advice was the catalyst for the murder.
Afraid of losing her job and destroying her reputation, Ashley heads to the seedy side of Las Vegas to snoop around. There she encounters shady dealings: lies, gambling, adultery, and potential criminal activities. When her two-timing and felonious suspects spout glib excuses to justify their behaviors she digs deeper and is threatened, injured, and gets what she dishes out: advice she doesn’t always like.
Can Ashley’s sleuthing skills catch the killer, or will she end up just another crime statistic? Can she save her career, or will she be put on the Do-Not-Call list?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tammy Barker is a government bean counter by day, and a veracious reader, people and television watcher, and writer of mysteries at night. She is a jack-of-all-trades renaissance woman who likes to try things just see if she can do it. She loves all things nostalgic. Tammy is an empty nester who lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. Her first book, Call in for Murder, was published in October of 2025, she’s currently working on the sequel, Advice for a Killer Image, as well as a stand-alone currently titled Framed for Murder.
Chicks on the Case 