Hey there, it’s Marla, welcoming the ever-awesome Carmela Dutra back to the blog! Carmela is the author of the Food Truck Mysteries, and today she’s giving away an audiobook of Hot Wings and Homicide, to one lucky commenter. Take it away, Carmela!
“Real Life is Stranger than Fiction”
Have you ever read a mystery novel and thought, Oh, come on! That would never happen in real life!
As a cozy mystery author, I hear variations of this all the time. Readers expect us writers to make our plots believable. Our characters need to behave realistically, the clues need to make sense, and our twists and turns mustn’t stretch the imagination too far. But I have a little theory: people who think real life is predictable simply aren’t paying attention.
Let me give you a couple of examples.
I live on a small cul-de-sac. From the outside, it looks like one of those sleepy little streets where nothing much happens. You know what I mean. Neighbors come and go, people walk their dogs, and the most exciting event of the day is spotting an unfamiliar car parked near the end of the court in the red zone.
Now, what would you say if I told you that a work bag stolen from my husband’s truck turned into something considerably more sinister?
There are probably two thoughts on your mind. First, why did your husband leave his workbag in the truck? Trust me, I asked him the same question. Second, how is a workbag relevant to this?
We were also surprised that his missing bag led to a police investigation and the discovery of a fugitive who was evading deportation and hiding right there on our little cul-de-sac!
Now, if I put that in one of my cozy mysteries, would you believe it? Or would you accuse me of taking a few too many liberties with the plot?
And that’s not the only extraordinary thing to happen on our seemingly uneventful little street. We had another neighbor whose daily routine was as dependable as a Swiss clock. You could almost set your watch by his comings and goings. So when he suddenly disappeared from his usual routine, we noticed.
At first, perhaps it was nothing. People go away and don’t always tell their neighbors. But as the days passed, his mail piled up, his garbage cans remained out, and his house stayed tightly closed up. The silence became increasingly worrying.
After a week of unanswered questions and calls to the police, three neighbors, myself included, came together in search of answers. We finally convinced the police to take our concerns seriously. Sadly, we discovered our neighbor had died of a heart attack.
And then there was the night I woke my husband around midnight to ask if he had heard gunshots. He hadn’t. In fact, he suggested I might have been dreaming (we watched a thriller film before bed, so his logic was sound) and told me to go back to sleep.
An hour later, just after 1 a.m., the police were banging on our door. They wanted to know if we had heard gunshots or seen any suspicious activity. My husband said no. I, on the other hand, was delighted to report that YES, I HAD HEARD THEM.
Vindication! I hadn’t been dreaming. But I learned that my husband is a very heavy sleeper. If I ever hear gunshots in the middle of the night, I’m going to trust myself and not go back to sleep.
According to our neighbors, their teenager had turned down the advances of a classmate, who then allegedly put a gang hit on her. Thankfully, their aim was terrible, and only hit the downspout several times, missing the front window where she had been sitting.
Three very different stories on the same quiet little cul-de-sac. Creating enough real-life drama to make a mystery writer wonder whether she’s been living in a novel all along.
Which brings me to a question: Do we really know our neighbors? What secrets might be hiding behind those warm smiles and the bags of plums they leave on our doorstep because their tree is producing more than they can eat?
We spend so much time worrying about whether our fictional plots are believable, whether our readers will buy into an unlikely coincidence or whether a twist is just a little too outrageous. Yet real life doesn’t have an editor. It doesn’t have to follow a plot outline, provide clues at convenient intervals, or make sure the ending is what anyone expected.
Sometimes, the most extraordinary things happen in the most ordinary places.
So the next time you read one of my mysteries (or any mystery) and think, That would never
happen in real life, remember my little cul-de-sac.
Because sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction!
A little giveaway!
I’d love to share a little more mystery with one lucky reader! I’m giving away an audio copy of
my latest Food Truck Mystery, Hot Wings and Homicide. To enter, just leave a comment by midnight Friday.
Readers, have you ever had a “real life is stranger than fiction moment”? Any juicy neighborhood drama, or have things been pretty quiet (so far)?
About the Author
Carmela Dutra is a Bay Area–based author who writes cozy mysteries with sharp banter, strong sibling bonds, and the vibrant food culture of Northern California’s most eclectic region. Her Food Truck Mystery Series blends culinary competition, small-town secrets, and humor-forward sleuthing, all rooted in the distinctly diverse rhythms of the Bay Area.
Her debut novel, A Murder Most Fowl, received praise from Kirkus Reviews for its “serious set of crimes leavened by plenty of amusing moments,” and from Criminal Element for the “juicy reasoning behind the sabotage [that] was almost as shocking as the murder itself.” New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams called it “the perfect escapist read, brimming with banter and an extra helping of fun.” Carmela has also been featured in CrimeReads.
The second installment in the series, Hot Wings and Homicide, earned additional praise from Kirkus Reviews, which said, “Winner, winner, murder for dinner.” And Library Journal calling it, “perfect for foodies.”
When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her family at a bookstore, a farmers’ market, or chasing the perfect chicken wing.
