My Musing ~ Matrimony in Miniature by Margaret Grace

Matrimony in Miniature by Margaret Grace is the ninth book in the “Miniature” mystery series. Publisher: Perseverance Press, August 2016

When murder happens in the small town of Lincoln Point CA, there aren’t many degrees of separation between the victim and retired teacher Gerry Porter. How can she stay away from the investigation when the crime scene is the venue for her marriage to Henry Baker? But this time, nephew Detective Skip Gowen tries to discourage Gerry’s and granddaughter Maddie’s efforts to solve “The Case.” He couldn’t live with himself if the murderer learns of their efforts and comes after them. . .

I always enjoy my time with Gerry Porter and her granddaughter Maddie. In their latest caper, they’re preparing for Gerry’s upcoming wedding when a dead body is discovered at the place of her wedding. What else is Gerry to do but pick away the clues to find a killer hiding in plain sight. With dogged determination and assistance by ever helpful Maddie, the clues are piling up and when things hit a little bit too close to home, the tempo in this tale reaches a crescendo where the need to identify the killer guides the rest of this whodunit. The author did an excellent job in presenting this story where the mystery and the mini-plots kept my interest throughout and the narrative put me in the middle of all the action. With a great cast of characters and engaging dialogue, this was a terrific read and I can’t wait to see what Gerry, Maddie and the gang are up to next.

Maddie’s Day in the Life with Grandma Gerry Porter by Margaret Grace

I’m Maddie Porter. I’m 11 and 3/4, and my grandma is Gerry Porter.

People are asking Grandma to talk about a day in her life. But she’s very shy when it comes to talking about herself. She taught high school for years and years, but she claims that’s different. She knows a lot about English—that means all kinds of reading and writing, like, even old stuff, Shakespeare, and all—and she loves to pass it on, she says. But if it’s about her personal life, she keeps it quiet.

So it’s up to me to do it for her. Talk about her day, I mean.

When I was a kid, I didn’t spend as much time with Grandma and Grandpa because I lived far away in Los Angeles. But now I live in Palo Alto, California, which is very close to Lincoln Point and I have my own bedroom in Grandma’s house. Grandpa was sick for a long time and then he died but I still remember a little bit about him. He was an architect and that’s what I might want to be. Either that, or I’ll get a job building dollhouses because that’s my favorite thing to do with Grandma. She has lots of friends and they come over and work on projects that they give away. Like to kids in shelters. I guess that means that they can’t afford real homes. The kids, I mean.

I’m very lucky that I have 2 homes, almost. My best friend in Lincoln Point is Taylor. Taylor’s grandpa, Henry, and my grandma are going to get married soon.

Or else, I might be a cop, like my first-cousin-once-removed Skip, but I can tell nobody wants me to do that, because . . .

Uh-oh, I think I’m doing that unfocused thing my teachers are always ragging on me about. I’m supposed to be talking about a day in Grandma’s life. But I only know about the days I’m with her, so what can I do?

Maybe I’ll just tell you about last Saturday, even though it was the worst day of my life. I did something really stupid and Grandma got mad at me. And she never gets mad, even when my ‘rents are really mad at me, so you know it must have been bad.

I’ll try to explain why it happened. I was at soccer practice with Taylor and when Henry took us back to Grandma’s house she was all upset. The place where their wedding was going to be, I forget her name, called and said someone died in their pool! Then it turned out the dead person was Grandma’s friend Mr. Templeton’s wife! He’s part of Grandma’s group that comes and builds dollhouses with us.

The second best thing I like to do, well maybe it’s the first, is help my cousin Skip solve cases like this. I know a lot about computers and I might be a computer specialist when I get to college. It’s hard to decide.

So, everyone’s trying to figure out why Mrs. Templeton, the dead lady, was even at the place where Grandma and Henry were going to get married, plus who pushed her into the pool? It’s like a hotel but they call it Bee and Bee, I think. I don’t know why.

Why Grandma was mad at me: I had an idea for how to find out something about one of the suspects. I was only trying to help, but it turned out to be not a good idea because I could have gotten hurt and some other people might have gotten hurt, too.

I don’t have time to explain it all, but I just wanted to tell you about that one day in Grandma’s life when I thought she didn’t love me anymore. Everything’s okay now, though. The end.

[Note from Gerry: Maddie wants me to correct her essay before she submits it, but I’m leaving it as is. I’m not even going to read it. I hope she didn’t reveal too many family secrets!]

[Note from Margaret Grace: For the full story of Maddie’s misbehavior, read Matrimony in Miniature, recently released on September 9, 2016!]

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Matrimony in Miniature is the 9th book in the Miniature mystery series, published by Perseverance Press, September 2016.

When murder happens in the small town of Lincoln Point CA, there aren’t many degrees of separation between the victim and retired teacher Gerry Porter. How can she stay away from the investigation when the crime scene is the venue for her marriage to Henry Baker? But this time, nephew Detective Skip Gowen tries to discourage Gerry’s and granddaughter Maddie’s efforts to solve “The Case.” He couldn’t live with himself if the murderer learns of their efforts and comes after them. . .

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About the author
Margaret Grace is the pen name of Camille Minichino, the author of short stories, articles, and more than twenty mystery novels. They include the Miniature series, the Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries (as Ada Madison), and the new Postmistress series (as Jean Flowers). She’s past president of Northern California MWA, Northern California Sisters in Crime, and the Mt. Diablo California Writers Club. She teaches science at Golden Gate University, and writing at Bay Area schools. Connect with Camille at www.minichino.com.

All comments are welcomed.

A Prequel: Brooklin and the Seals by Lea Wait

“Where are they? I want to see one!” The little girl, her pony-tail bouncing, pulled her mother along the lobsterman’s wharf.

“Maybe they’re fishing,” her mother answered. “Under the water. We won’t see them until after they’ve had their breakfasts.” She sat down heavily on a wooden bench beside the bait box and put her large canvas bag next to her feet. “We’ll have to wait.”

“Like we have to wait for my brother?” Brooklin scrambled up and sat next to her mother.

“Exactly.”

She put her hand on her mother’s bulging stomach. “Is he playing now?”

Her mom tugged lightly on her pony-tail. “He plays almost all the time now. I think we’ll meet him pretty soon.”

“I want to show him the seals,” said Brooklin, looking out at the harbor expectantly. “He’ll like the seals.”

“I’m sure he will,” said her mother.

The wind picked up and blew a dark threatening cloud in front of the sun for a few minutes. Brooklin shivered. “I want them to come out of the water NOW,” said Brooklin, impatiently. “I want them to see US.”

“Patience. We must be patient,” said her mother, changing the conversation. “When your brother comes, I’ll be very tired, and busy with him.”

“I know that. You told me. He’s going to be a baby,” said Brooklin, rhythmically swinging her feet under the bench and hitting the seat with the heels of her sandals.

“We may not be able to come to see the seals every day.”

Brooklin stopped. “Why not?”

“Because babies need to sleep and eat often. And we can’t leave him alone in the house.”

“They poop a lot, too,” said Brooklin. “They wear diapers, not big girl pants.”

“That’s right. So I got you a friend. To keep you company when we can’t come down to the wharf.”

“A friend?”

Mother reached down and pulled a tissue-paper wrapped package out of her large bag. “This is for you.”

Brooklin tore the wrapping off quickly. “A seal,” she said, smiling at her mother. “You got me a baby seal!”

Mother reached down and hugged her, as Brooklin kissed the gray stuffed animal.

“I love it!”

“And I love you,” said Mother. “For ever and always, as deep as the ocean.”

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Shadows on a Morning in Maine is the 8th book in the Antique Print mystery series, published by Perseverance Press, September 2016.

Maggie Summer is making big changes in her life. The antique print dealer has taken a sabbatical and moved to Maine to run an antiques mall with Will Brewer, her significant other. And she will finally adopt the daughter she’s been longing for. However, the troubled girl doesn’t want any part of the plan, showing affection only for the harbor seals, which remind her of her “real mother.” But someone starts shooting the seals―and a young fisherman is murdered. Then Will confesses a secret from his past, and Maggie begins to wonder if this is the biggest mistake of her life.

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About the author
Maine author Lea Wait writes two Maine-based mystery series: the Agatha-finalist Shadows Antique Print series, the most recent of which is Shadows on a Morning in Maine, and the USA Today best-selling Mainely Needlepoint series, the most recent of which is Thread and Gone. She also writes historical novels set in nineteenth century Maine for ages eight and up. For more information about Lea and her books see www.leawait.com. She invites everyone to friend her on Facebook and Goodreads.

All comments are welcomed.

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Shadows on a Morning in Maine. US entries only, please. The giveaway will end September 11, 2016 at 12 AM (midnight) EST. Good luck everyone!