Founding Member
After graduating from college with a typing speed of 12 wpm (on a good day), Lisa headed to NYC to work in publishing. Somehow, many typewriter ribbons and cassettes and bottles of correction fluid later, she became a Nancy Drew book editor.
To pay the rent, Lisa moonlighted as a writer of other kids’ book series, such as Mary-Kate and Ashley and The Lizzie McGuire Mysteries, and eventually held editorial positions with several publishers, including Executive Editor and Creative Director at Random House (now PRH).
But Lisa had always dreamed of writing mysteries for grown-ups. Her first series, the Ladies Smythe & Westin, follows the crime-solving adventures of an oddball sleuth team: a pragmatic, 70-something widow and an impulsive, 20-something party girl who are unlikely neighbors in a glitzy retirement community in SW Florida. Lisa’s latest cozy series, the Irish Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, is set in the fictional, Irish-themed town of Shamrock, MA, featuring a multi-generational, Irish-American cop family with 2 sets of sisters. The series debuted in August 2024 with THE JIG IS UP (order here!) Book #2, BURIED IN SHAMROCKS, is available now for pre-order.
Lisa’s short story “Fly Me to the Morgue,” published in the Malice Domestic anthology Mystery Most Diabolical, was nominated for an Agatha Award. She is represented by Stephany Evans of Ayesha Pande Literary.
Mom to three grown children, Lisa lives in New England with her husband, a lucky black cat, and a crazy golden retriever named Farley. She is happy to report that her typing speed is much improved. To learn more about Lisa and her work, please drop by her website at lisaqmathews.com.
The Irish Bed & Breakfast Mysteries
The Jig Is Up (Book 1)
Crooked Lane
Irish step dance takes a deadly turn in this Celtic cozy series debut, perfect for fans of Carlene O’Connor and Paige Shelton.
Single-mom and police chief’s daughter Kate Buckley is all about family. After she receives an urgent text from her younger sister Colleen, she puts her life on hold and rushes to her Irish-themed hometown of Shamrock, Massachusetts, where her family owns and operates a bed and breakfast. With her two daughters in tow, she’s ready to fight if it means she can help her charming but hapless sibling.
When they arrive, Colleen claims it was all a misunderstanding. But everything changes in an Irish minute when Colleen’s best friend, Deirdre, a dance show star, is found dead in the parish hall. With the discovery of a possible witness, a chilling motive, and a wee bit of incriminating evidence, Colleen quickly becomes a person of interest in Deirdre’s murder. Convinced her sister isn’t a killer, Kate is determined to clear Colleen’s name.
As Kate investigates, Colleen takes charge of Shamrock’s popular Irish dance show in honor of her late friend—with disastrous results. With the St. Patrick’s Week festivities in full swing, Kate must catch the killer before the celebrations are ruined and her sister’s Irish luck runs out.
Buried in Shamrocks (Book 2)
Crooked Lane ~ available now for pre-order!
Kate Buckley returns to her Irish-themed hometown for the summer, but when her ex becomes the prime suspect in his fiancée’s murder, she must clear his name for the sake of their daughters, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano and Carlene O’Connor.
Kate and her daughters Maeve and Bliz are back in Shamrock, Massachusetts, and Kate faces a big decision: Should they move back to their hometown for good? As she contemplates the idea, all the businesses in town, including her family’s B&B, the Buckley House, are busy preparing for the annual Great Shamrock Fair in hopes of luring back tourists after a murder during St. Patrick’s Week.
But when Kate’s ex, Ian, arrives in town from Ireland to perform with his band in the festival, and his new fiancée, Fallon, is found dead at the fairgrounds, any chance of a fun and peaceful family summer goes up in green smoke.
Much as she wants nothing to do with her ex, Kate knows Ian is innocent. Amid the swirl of activity in town, and her sister Colleen’s determination to keep the annual Miss Shamrock contests alive, Kate enlists her devastated eldest daughter, and her father, the former Shamrock police chief, to help her unwind the trail of evidence.
With clues—and danger—piling up, can Kate find Fallon’s true killer and save her ex, before the Great Shamrock Fair and the town’s chances for a summer full of green go bust?
Cardiac Arrest (Book 1)
Carina Press/Harlequin
When a man falls at your feet, you’d better hope he’s not dead...
Longtime resident Dorothy Westin prefers to mind her own business. But when the young blonde already causing ripples throughout Hibiscus Pointe becomes a person of interest in Dr. A’s murder, Dorothy springs into action. Not only because the real killer is still on the loose, but because there’s simply no way her clueless-but-kind new friend could have poisoned someone.
Dorothy and Summer soon discover that despite his chosen specialty, Dr. A had quite a reputation for breaking hearts. And if the Ladies Smythe & Westin don’t identify the guilty party fast, Summer will end up in handcuffs…and Dorothy in a body bag.
Permanently Booked (Book 2)
Carina Press/Harlequin
The first rule of the Hibiscus Pointe Book Club is don’t talk about the murder…
Semi-reformed party girl Summer Smythe is finally feeling at home at the Hibiscus Pointe Senior Living Community. All that’s left to do is replace her late grandma’s massive book collection with a giant-screen TV. Donating them to the community library is the perfect solution—until she finds the librarian buried in books. Literally.
Summer and her sleuthing partner, longtime resident Dorothy Westin, can’t imagine who would want to kill poor, dedicated Lorella. Soon, they’re on the case…and the Hibiscus Pointe Book Club is the perfect cover for their investigation.
A murdered librarian is headline news in South Florida, and even outsiders, including an oddball professor and a pair of dueling authors, are eager to join the once-dull group. But one menacing member has Dorothy and Summer bookmarked for the morgue. If the Ladies don’t nab the killer fast, the Hibiscus Pointe Book Club may be reading their obituaries next.
Fashionably Late (Book 3)
Carina Press/Harlequin
It’s murder, she wore…
Sporting a chic Florida outfit and designer baubles, seasoned model Angelica Downs belonged on the runway…not in the morgue. Summer Smythe and Dorothy Westin are determined to retrace her final moments–right up to her desperate plea for help.
The Ladies pin their suspects down to just a few questionable characters. But why would anyone target such a seemingly sweet, lovely woman? To lure the murderer–and perhaps some accessories of the criminal kind–the Ladies hit Milano Fashion Week, even organizing their own charity event at Hibiscus Pointe.
Killer fashion may be this season’s drop-dead look, but Summer and Dorothy will be wearing little black funeral dresses if they don’t flatiron the culprit soon.
“…Sweet, sassy, and smart. Senior sleuth Dorothy Westin and impetuous young Summer Smythe make an endearing team…Lisa Q. Mathews is a terrific new voice in cozy mysteries.” – Cleo Coyle, New York Timesbestselling author of The Coffeehouse Mysteries
“The Ladies Smythe & Westin is an absolutely delightful series that readers will be thrilled to discover…a thoroughly entertaining series that should not be missed.” – Kings River Life
“If you’re a fan of a fun cozy this is a must-read.” – Night Owl Reviews
“With dynamic and entertaining characters like Summer and Dorothy, I can’t wait to see where the author takes them next!” – A Cozy Experience
“You can’t help but laugh and be amused.” – Dru’s Book Musings
Available in bookstores and online:
Chicks on the Case 