Mysteries

“Twins, Fried Chicken, and a Lifetime of Mysteries” — by Guest Chick Carmela Dutra (Giveaway!)

Congratulations to Mary Garback and Sally Fortney, winners in this week’s giveaway!

Marla here! Leslie and I ran into the awesome Carmela Dutra at Left Coast Crime this year, and as Chicks, we couldn’t help but notice her adorable chicken-themed swag. So of course we invited her to come visit the blog! Carmela’s Food Truck Mysteries feature twins who run the “Kluckin’ Good” food truck. Read on for the inspiration behind her series and enter to win a copy of A Murder Most Fowl or Hot Wings and Homicide!

Cover for Hot Wings and Homicide

Twins, Fried Chicken, and a Lifetime of Mysteries

I didn’t set out to write about twins. And I definitely didn’t set out to write about murder. But looking back, I probably should’ve seen both coming.

The first adult novel I ever wrote was a truly awful sci-fi. Let’s just leave it at there was a telepathic octopus. I’m still not entirely sure where that idea came from, but I think—on some subconscious level—it was the permission I needed to finally write something. For years, I had convinced myself I could only write picture books. Anything beyond that felt out of reach.

So I wrote the sci-fi and queried it. Then came agent feedback. The general consensus? Maybe…try writing a cozy mystery. That was a lightbulb moment. I loved cozy mysteries! But where to start? I knew I wanted something different, but still kept with the cozy feel of the genre.

Around that same time, I was talking it over with my husband, tossing around ideas, when my grandmother called. She launched into one of those stories about her and her twin sister—equal parts ridiculous and hilarious—and by the time I hung up, I was laughing.

My grandmother Martha and her twin Mary

My husband looked at me and said, “You should write about them.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But then they’d kill each other.”

And just like that… the seed was planted.

Because the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I thought about all the years of their twin antics. Their bond was stronger than anyone I’d ever known. The way they could have the biggest argument one minute and be fiercely loyal to each other the next. They loved to dress in matching outfits, and could finish each other’s thoughts and sentences.

If you’ve read my books, you might notice a tiny resemblance to Beth and Seth.

(Only fewer murders and no matching outfits.)

Martha and Mary on my wedding day. I forgot to tell the photographer that my grandmother was an identical twin and she was so confused for most of the wedding.

Some of my fondest memories with my grandmother and great-aunt weren’t big events, they were the quiet moments. Sitting together with tea or coffee, a plate of snacks between us, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Serious things. Silly things. And, of course, mysteries.

We’d watch episodes of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Murder She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder, trying to unravel the plot as it went along. We’d talk about mystery novels like the characters were people we all knew personally. They loved a good puzzle as much as twist, and a reveal you didn’t see coming.

I think that’s where it really started for me. The love of mysteries wrapped up in conversation, laughter, and connection.

And always, food.

My grandma preparing a family dinner

For my family, food wasn’t just gathering for a meal, it was the gathering. And at the center of it all? Always fried chicken. Crispy, golden, a little messy, and absolutely worth it.

There’s something about food. It brings people together, keeps people at the table longer, and makes room for stories. Even the dramatic ones, while wrapping you up in comfort.

So when I sat down to write my own cozy mystery series, it turned out I wasn’t starting from scratch at all. I was pulling from those moments: twins with big personalities, a love of mysteries, and food that feels like home.

The author with her muses.

And maybe that’s why I keep those elements in my stories. Because at its heart, a cozy mystery isn’t just about solving a crime. It’s about the people you gather with along the way and the food you share. 

If you’re new to the series, this is actually the perfect time to jump in, A Murder Most Fowl (book one) is on a Kindle deal for $1.99 for the month of May, so it’s an easy way to see if Beth, Seth, and their food truck chaos are your kind of story.

Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of book two in my food truck mystery series, Hot Wings and Homicide, I’m giving away signed copies of my books to two plucky winners! Each winner can choose between A Murder Most Fowl or Hot Wings and Homicide.

Readers, do you have a favorite memory of food and family?

(U.S. only. Winners will be chosen from the comments. Enter by midnight Friday, May 29.)

About the Author

Carmela Dutra writes cozy mysteries steeped in food, family, and Bay Area flavor. Her Food Truck Mystery Series debuted with A Murder Most Fowl, praised by Kirkus Reviews, Criminal Element, and New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. She lives in the Bay Area with her family and pets. Find her on Facebook and Instagram: @authorcarmela Or check out her website www.carmeladutra.com   

Hot Wings and Homicide releases May 12, 2026 from Crooked Lane Books

Preorder here

48 thoughts on ““Twins, Fried Chicken, and a Lifetime of Mysteries” — by Guest Chick Carmela Dutra (Giveaway!)”

  1. My grandma didn’t do much baking anymore by the time I came along but one thing she did still do was her homemade Twix bars, which I loved. When she found out how much I liked them she said she’d make them for me anytime I wanted, as long as I came over and opened all the caramels for her (her arthritis made it tricky). And I could snitch caramels but NOT out of the ones that had already been counted.

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    2. Thank you for sharing this with us! I bet your grandmother loved having you come over and unwrap the caramels for her created. Such a special moment between the two of you. Homemade Twix bars?? I need to learn more 😂

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    1. Thank you! When my publisher told me they wanted to do something a little different for book 2 I was mildly concerned, but once I saw the sketch mock up, I fell in love. I think they went in a good direction with it.

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  3. Family reunions in August in southern WV and eating beautiful ripe red tomatoes straight from someone’s garden – everyone had a garden. Just the tomato sprinkled with a little salt.

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    1. They were a hoot and a half! Sadly, they passed away before this book was released, but if they had seen it, their words would have been, “I am tickled pink to see us in a book!” And then we would sit down to play a board of Scrabble followed by a round of Yahtzee.

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  5. Daughter of a twin here, and like Beth and Seth, brother and sister. That said, they could not have been more different in most ways. Still, there were stories! Congrats on the new release. I look forward to reading it.

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  6. So glad we met at Left Coast Crime, and that it led to you coming to visit the Chicks today! I love the twin sister idea–and of course the fried chicken theme And readers, I can tell you that HOT WINGS AND HOMICIDE is terrific!

    Congrats on the new release, Carmela

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    1. I am so glad we met at Left Coast Crime! I was a little nervous going into speed dating, but your energy called to me. I was like, “Leslie is my people we need to meet!” The only thing I would love more for the next LCC is if in Santa Fe, we could partner together for speed dating we would have so much fun!

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      2. Now I wish I hadn’t decided to sleep in and missed Speed Dating at LCC! I have read your first book and enjoyed the relationship between Beth and Seth! Congratulations on your new book.

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  7. Congratulations, Carmela! So glad that you’re here with your beautiful inspiration and delicious fried chicken description. I definitely think that food can feel like home!

    P.S. Honestly, that telepathic octopus could work in a cozy mystery…

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    1. Thank you for having me, Jennifer! You think so? Let’s chat about that because I honestly don’t know how to go about with a telepathic octopus, but I am not opposed. They are my favorite creature of the sea.

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  9. Your grand-twins are adorable! My grandmother used to make these chocolate covered peanut butter balls that were absolutely amazing. I wish I could go back and taste one… like a homemade Reese’s. There may have been cereal in it? Anyway, that’s my food-related trip down memory lane. Thanks for stopping by the blog today and congrats on the new book!

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  10. Pretty much all my family memories include food. We loved food. All my dad’s hobbies were about food, fishing, berry picking, looking for wild foods (that ended when we ate something very bitter), and gardening.

    I’d like your first book if I win. Thanks for the chance.

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    1. So many of my food memories come from both grandmothers. My paternal grandmother always had us over (we lived in the same town) for Thanksgiving dinner with as many of the family that could attend from all over Texas. We discussed everything while dining on that fantastic turkey and her cornbread dressing was the best. I still make it using her recipe. The secret ingredients were slivered toasted almonds diced and white bread with the crust cut off and dried out but then soaked in milk added to the cornbread, spices and turkey broth. My maternal grandmother was Spanish, so the food and conversations were totally different but still good. We had lots of enchiladas, tamales, nopales, caldo de pollo o de res, rice, beans, and roast beef. The conversations were as diverse as the food. My maternal grandfather was an important photographer, a world-famous botanist, entrepreneur, genealogist, and politician, so the conversation followed those lines. It was easier then to discuss politics than it is now. When I asked Grandmother Runyon a recipe, she told me in both English and Spanish, take the roast and put “un pulgado de este” (whatever spice) while holding up her thumb to show me that a pulgado was basically an inch). Needless to say, mine never came out right because my thumb was smaller. I look back now and realize what a great childhood I had and what a great family that came with that. I knew it then but never thought it out like I have now remembering. Life was simpler then, sometimes hard, but worthwhile and mostly we did not come in until the streetlights came on.

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  12. When my uncle arrived from Hong Kong, he made us a delicious dim sum meal. At that time, most of the items he made were not available in our area.

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  13. I could so relate to this post since I am a twin. My twin sister and I were born just one minute apart and are besties. We love good food so you can often see us working together. Me as the chef and she as my assistant. We have always made a great team.

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  14. This is about one of my brothers and his cooking saga. When Jim was in 3rd grade he helped Mom make banana bread. Somehow, he managed to drop and spill the filled bread pan enroute to the oven. He scooped up the batter, put it back in the pan, and baked it (I don’t know where Mom was while he did this). The next day he took a piece to school and gave it to his teacher, Mrs. Joseph. After she’d eaten it, he told he it’s history (a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven should kill germs, right?).

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    1. Okay, I can relate to this because when I was around the same age, I was in charge of making the biscuits for a family dinner. The pop in fresh can scared me and I dropped it in the garbage can when it popped and my mom scooped it out saying, “It’s just my brothers who will eat it, it’s fine.” Only it was just her brother’s, it was everyone! My mom and I were the only two to eat biscuits and gravy with a slice of bread that night.

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  15. Congratulations on your new release! I have yet to read your books, and I have added them to my TBR! Oh, yes! Fried chicken is always a good choice for dinner! I miss my grandmother’s curry chicken dearly, especially the way she cooked it in a clay pot over a charcoal stove. I regretted that I didn’t learn her recipe..

    My email: cwkuen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. Congratulations on your new release! I have yet to read your books, and I have added them to my TBR! Oh, yes! Fried chicken is always a good choice for dinner! I miss my grandmother’s curry chicken dearly, especially the way she cooked it in a clay pot over a charcoal stove. I regretted that I didn’t learn her recipe..

    My email: cwkuen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  17. Congratulations on your new release! I have yet to read your books, and I have added them to my TBR! Oh, yes! Fried chicken is always a good choice for dinner! I miss my grandmother’s curry chicken dearly, especially the way she cooked it in a clay pot over a charcoal stove. I regretted that I didn’t learn her recipe..

    My email: cwkuen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  18. My grandmother was the traditional grandma who could bake anything and it would come out delicious. I grew up in the Bay Area and she lived in Chicago so I didn’t spend a lot of time with her, but I wish I had some of her recipes.

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    1. I’m sorry you didn’t spend as much time as you would have liked. I hope the memories you have are amazing.

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  19. Carmela, we’re so glad you joined us at Chicks today–thank you for this great post, and congrats on the new book, woohoo! My favorite food is fried chicken (preferably with mashed potatoes, hold the gravy), and I’ve spent much of my life obsessed with twins. I very badly wanted to have one. That’s probably why I started my mystery reading/writing journey with the Bobbsey Twins! Fondest family food memory: Quinn Family reunion each August, with butter-soaked fresh corn and Hoffman’s German Franks off the grill (a Syracuse-area classic–they are bright red!).

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    1. Ooh, that sounds so yummy, Perhaps I’ll whip up some mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. Twins run in both my family and my husband’s family; we did not want twins LOL!

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  21. We all gathered round when my Norwegian grandmother baked luscious vanilla cone cookies, then fled when she brought out the lutefisk! Even my dad wouldn’t eat that, and he ate everything… 😉

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