I am thrilled to have Victoria drop by today for a visit. The Marsh Madness (A Book Collector Mystery) will not be released until September 1
but The Christie Curse, The Sayers Swindle,
and The Wolfe Widow
are all available right now.
The Love Affair Continues
This particular love affair is between Victoria Abbott (that’s us!), author of the book collector mysteries and the wonderful books, writers and sleuths from what is fondly known as The Golden Age of Detection. So far we’ve covered Agatha Christie
, Dorothy L. Sayers
and Nero Wolfe
(Rex Stout) and in the course of writing them three, and soon to be four, books we revisited the works of these great and enduring writers. Our new book The Marsh Madness
(September 1, 2015) weaves the writings of Ngaio Marsh
and her elegant Superintendent Roderick Alleyn into a modern mystery. We were thrilled to reread many of the Marsh books and discover others for the first time. Our wonderful friend Nancy Reid surprised us last year by making a gift of twenty-nine of Marsh’s mysteries, in pristine mass market copies. We had a lot of bad weather for months, but we may not have noticed as we were so often curled up with Inspector Alleyn, I mean, with one of the books.
The book collector mysteries focus on contemporary sleuth Jordan Bingham, the twenty-seven year old research assistant to curmudgeonly collector, Miss Vera Van Alst, the most hated woman in Harrison Falls, New York. Jordan loves her job and her digs, an attic apartment in historic and slightly crumbling Van Alst House. Her life lets her play in the world of fine first editions while indulging her love of vintage clothing, antiques and wonderful food, courtesy of Signora Panetone, Vera’s eccentric cook. Naturally, she can’t get enough of Walter the Pug, who coincidentally looks a lot like our own Peachy.
As Jordan is the first person in her large, larcenous family to stay on the right side of the law, she also has a bag of tricks to help her in the darkest hours. Say, for instance, if she needed to get into someplace in the wee small hours, that set of lockpicks she got for her Sweet Sixteen might be just the ticket. But only in the service of the greater good! Trust us.
We loved everything about writing The Marsh Madness, and not just reading twenty-nine Marsh books! We enjoyed the ambiance, the grand homes, the elegant protagonist and the seething rage of the villains. In fact the longer we explore the world of book collecting, the more respect we have for the giants of the genre: Christie
, Sayers
and Marsh
. Now we’re checking out the dangers of San Francisco with Dashell Hammett
for The Hammett Hex (2016).
We do love contemporary mysteries and revel in the cozy world, but we have to admit that those who created characters that still resonate nearly a hundred years later left a wonderful legacy for mystery aficionados. Hats off to the greats of the age. And by the way, they were all wearing great hats too.
We’re asking you readers which other writers you’d like to see us explore for Vera’s collection and, of course, to test Jordan’s skill at detection and tricks for staying alive. Let us know in a comment.
Thanks so much, Lori, for inviting us to join you in the reading corner on Cozy Wednesday. We can’t think of anywhere we’d rather be.
~Victoria
That shadowy figure known as Victoria Abbott is actually us, the mother-daughter writing team of Mary Jane Maffini and Victoria Maffini. So far, with the fourth book coming out in September 2015 and the fifth, The Hammett Hex, we still haven’t killed each other and, in fact, we’re still smiling.
www.victoria-abbott.com
Since The March Madness has not been released this giveaway is a little unusual.
I am giving away 2 copies thanks to the author and the people at Penguin
but the books can’t be sent right away.
They will be mailed to the winners as soon as they are
available which will be mid-to late August.
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.
Following the new Google+ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Fan Page
will earn you 3 Bonus Entries.
Leave a comment for Victoria for 5 Bonus Entries.
We’re asking you readers which other writers you’d like to see us explore for Vera’s collection and, of course, to test Jordan’s skill at detection and tricks for staying alive. Let us know in a comment.
Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.
If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End July 1, 2015 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
Click Here For Entry Form

I am lacking knowledge of classical mystery books. The only one I can think of is Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series.
I enjoy this series and it’s homage to the greats. Thanks for the chance to win.
How about Josephine Tey or Patricia Wentworth?
A must read book, thank you for the chance 🙂
I’d love to see a Gladys Mitchell book.
How could you not want to read a book about book collecting? I am very eager to see what Victoria Abbot supplies for her readers to enjoy. robeader53@yahoo.com
I love mysteries and have been collecting them in one form or another for over 50 years. I totally love reading about Jordan, her crazy old lady boss, and her extremely interesting family. My mystery library runs from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to British mysteries, and up to the really gritty Prey series by John Sandford.
Love this book!! No need to enter me in the drawing, just stopped by to say hi and congrats to the fabulous writing team of Victoria Abbott.
Love the sound of the book.
Fun series…looking forward to catching up with this one. How about traditional British mystery authors like Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers.
They’ve already done Christie and Sayers.
This sounds like a fun book, thanks!
Two of my favorite writers–2 in 1!
How about GK Chesterton and Margery Allingham
I think I want to be surprised. I haven’t read any Ngaio Marsh so that is my prep/homework for the new release. Pep says Hi Walter/Peachy!
I enjoy this series. Thank you for the giveaway!
I admit that I have not read this series yet, it is on my tbr list and I have heard so many good things about it. I think that I need to bump it up and get started on it. This book sounds great and thanks for the chance to win.
I read Phyllis Whitney when I was young and I loved her books. Thanks for the intro to a new to me author.
I’ve commented on this in other blogs. My vote is for Phoebe Atwood Taylor. She wrote 2 dozen books about Asey Mayo from 1931 to 1951. Set on Cape Cod, Asey was known as the “Codfish Sherlock”. A few other authors…Earl Derr Biggers wrote Charlie Chan and S.S. Van Dine wrote Philo Vance.
So wrapped up in what I had to say I forgot to add the ways I follow… via email, Facebook friend, Goodreads friend, and Google.
So cool when a child follows in a parents footsteps, or vice versa.
Love this series! I think it would be interesting to see some like the Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, or even the Bobbsey Twins books featured as part of Vera’s collection. Like maybe that’s how she fell in love with the mystery genre? Or if you wanted to stick with authors geared more towards adults, there’s always Raymond Chandler.
I love this series!! And would love to win the next book by Victoria Abbott and Mary Jane Maffini! Perhaps for Vera’s collection, some of the early Earle Stanley Gardner mysteries? She probably already has The Maltese Falcon…but I agree with others about including Nancy Drew, or harder to find, Trixie Beldon.
Sherlock and Watson would be fun.
I have the first book in this series but some how I didn’t quite realize that the series itself focused on classic mysteries. Now I’m really excited! I’ve enjoyed Ngaio Marsh though it’s been awhile since I’ve read her. My favorite is False Scent.
I’m in a fantasy FB group that loves purple. Your book/cover is something I’ll be sharing.
If it does not have to be a mystery author I would like to see one featuring Louisa May Alcott and her books
Stephen King and Daniel Silva!
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR UPCOMING BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
The cover is enticing enough to make me add it to my want to read list. Thanks for the review. robeader53@yahoo.com
can’t wait to read it
i love the cover ,it has a pug on it.i have a pug named Meka.the last mysteries i read were nancy drew and the hardy boys.the last 30 years i’ve been reading romance books.now i’ve discovered cozy mysteries