Tomorrow marks the release day of my sixth Sally Solari mystery, A Sense for Murder. Just wow. When I set fingers to keyboard to begin composing what would end up being the first in the series, Dying for a Taste, I had no idea I’d be lucky enough to publish six books about the intrepid, stubborn, snarky, bourbon- and Giants baseball-loving, restaurateur Sally. But here … Continue reading A New Sally Solari Adventure–and a Recipe!
One of the first songs I remember listening to as a child is “Put Another Nickel In…Music, Music, Music” (aka “The Nickelodeon Song”), released by Teresa Brewer in 1950. From there, I moved on to “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” (whose lyrics now seem embarrassingly creepy, I must say). Then, once the Beatles arrived in America and performed … Continue reading A Musical Journey Through Life
Welcome to “Behind the Book,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share the real stories behind our stories. Inspiration, motivation, frustration, jubilation–you’ll find them all right here… You may notice that the cover of my most recent Sally Solari mystery, The Fragrance of Death, depicts artichokes. No, it’s not the murder weapon (though that’s there, too), but the noble … Continue reading Behind the Book: “The Fragrance of Death”
In addition to many wonderful memories and a stack of terrific books, the other thing that I brought home with me from the mystery writers’ convention Malice Domestic this year was a case of COVID. Not a bad case–it felt pretty much like a garden variety head cold. But I had to quarantine myself, nevertheless, and therefore spent a lot of time hanging out at … Continue reading What’s In a Name?
This week marks the 35th Malice Domestic, the convention celebrating the traditional mystery. If you’re attending, please say hello–we’d love to see you! Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico “Cozy Or Traditional – What’s The Difference?” panel (Friday at 2 pm) “Simply the Best: Our Agatha Best Contemporary Novel Nominees” panel (Friday at 4 pm) Book Signing (Saturday at 10 am) Kensington Multi-Author Book Signing Event (Saturday … Continue reading Gone to Malice Domestic 2023
Most of you likely know by now that I had the good fortune to host an intimate dinner party for the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an event now chronicled in my new memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. Well, you readers of the Chicks on the Case blog are in for a treat today, as I’m about … Continue reading An Inside Peek Into My Dinner With Ruth
Leslie here, and yes, the day has finally arrived—today marks the official release of Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG! In this true-life Julie and Julia meets Notorious RBG mash-up, former attorney Leslie Karst recounts how finagling her way into hosting an intimate dinner party for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sends her on a journey of … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday to JUSTICE IS SERVED!
One of the notes I got from my editor after turning in the manuscript for my very first Sally Solari mystery, Dying for a Taste, was this (paraphrased): “I want to know what Sally feels about the conflicts she’s facing. You need to show us more of the emotions she’s experiencing, especially with regard to her father and her ex-boyfriend, Eric.” Right. More emotions; bring … Continue reading Conflicted About Conflict
* With apologies to Carly Simon. We’re all guilty of it. You’ve decided that now is the time to sit down and finally do whatever it is you’ve been putting off: those year-end taxes; that letter to your niece thanking her for a lovely birthday present; or perhaps organizing all those thousands of photos on your computer. But I’m thinking writers have to be the … Continue reading Procrastination… Is Makin’ Me Late*
I know many of the readers of this blog would point to something such as the Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown series as their early loves, but the first book I remember truly adoring as a child is Boats Finds a House, by Mary Chalmers. It’s a picture book about a cat who’s retired from working as a mouser and ratter on a sailing ship, … Continue reading From Boats Finds a House to Miss Marple Finds a Body
Most of us have likely imagined what it would be like to be marooned on a desert isle, be it along with the quirky characters from Gilligan’s Island, all alone with a magnificent black stallion (that was my fervent wish, as a youngster), or perhaps with only the company of a soccer ball named Wilson. It’s a classic game to play: What would I do … Continue reading Cast-Aways for a Castaway
No, I have not, alas, been offered a contract or even an option for a movie or TV show based on my Sally Solari mystery series. But I thought it would be fun, nevertheless, to fantasize about who I would cast as the characters, were that ever were to occur. Let’s start with Sally: She’s a fourth-generation Italian, part of the community of fishermen who … Continue reading Casting Sally Solari, the Movie
Chicks on the Case 