Cozy Wednesday with Jeanne Quigley – Author of Cast for Murder (Veronica Walsh Mystery) #GuestPost / #Review / #Giveaway

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am so happy to welcome back Jeanne Quigley to Escapes With Dollycas!

Thank you, Lori, for inviting me to introduce the new Veronica Walsh mystery to your readers. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

One of the joys of writing is the opportunity it gives me to weave my interests into a story. Years of watching soap operas inspired the creation of Veronica Walsh, the star of my cozy mystery series, and my childhood vacations in the Adirondacks led me to set the series in a fictional town in that beautiful region of New York.

The theater, particularly the work behind-the-scenes, is another longtime fascination of mine. I marvel at how a group of talented people, from the playwright, director, and choreographer to the set designers, musicians, and actors, can transform a bare stage into whatever world the playwright imagined and transport an audience to a 1905 Paris opera house, a bachelor pad in 1960s New York, or the eighteenth century for a fresh take on the life of a Founding Father.

Since I’m not “in” the theater, I incorporated its appeal into the plot of my new mystery, Cast for Murder. In the third cozy starring Veronica Walsh, I staged a production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit at the Barton Community Theater, the amateur playhouse in Veronica’s hometown. I assembled a diverse cast of actors, appointed a production manager and stage manager, and handed the directorial reins to the theater’s founder, Gigi Swanson. I even built the actual theater and it took just one paragraph to do it.

Veronica, a retired soap opera actress, slides easily into the part of Coward’s wacky medium, Madame Arcati. Veronica doesn’t care that she’s performing alongside amateurs and won’t be paid (not even scale) for her part, or that she has to venture into the frigid winter nights of Barton to attend rehearsals. She’s out of retirement and acting again!

It’s all fabulous until the backstage drama begins after Veronica finds Gigi shot dead behind the theater. It doesn’t take long for Veronica to assume a second role she’s not as excited to play: amateur sleuth. She’s developed a skill for solving murders and has earned a fame for it she’d rather not have.

Gigi’s murder introduces Veronica to a whole new cast of characters, a lineup of murder suspects who don’t follow a script. Whitney, Gigi’s business partner, assumes the role of diva and plays it to the hilt. There’s Kenny, a former volunteer at the theater who would fit well in the cast of Twelve Angry Men. Julia is the perfect ingénue, all wide eyes, and batting eyelashes. But is it all an act, a guise put on to cover a little case of guilt? Finally, Gigi’s husband, Zach Townsend, is the perfect leading man: tall, dark, and handsome. Is he also a murderer?

Plus there’s a cameo by a real-life Madame Arcati. Does she have the psychic ability to help Veronica solve the murder, or is she only a good reference for Veronica to method act her way through her starring role?

The stage is set for a comic play turned into a murder mystery. Grab a front row seat and enjoy the show!

~Jeanne

Thank you, Jeanne, for stopping by today! 

Now here is my review of Cast for Murder. 

Former soap opera actress Veronica Walsh is recovering from her first holiday season in the retail world when she is pulled from retirement to star in a community production of Blithe Spirit. Delighted to play the part of a medium, Veronica must soon also assume the role of amateur sleuth when she finds the play’s director shot dead behind the theater.

Teaming with stage manager Sophie Morrissey, Veronica’s hunt for clues to the murder of Gigi Swanson leads her to a cast of colorful behind-the-scenes characters and a stunning Act Three finale. Will it be a triumph for Veronica, or will the curtain close on more than her career?

About the Author

Jeanne Quigley grew up reading mysteries, watching soap operas, and vacationing in the Adirondacks, never imagining these pleasures would be the inspiration for her Veronica Walsh cozy mysteries (All Things Murder; Murder, by George; Cast for Murder). Unlike the fictional Veronica, Jeanne has never been a soap opera star, but she has worked in the music industry and for an education publisher. She lives in Rockland County, New York and is a member of the Sisters in Crime. Readers can visit Jeanne at jeannequigley.wordpress.com.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”