Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery
by Lida Sideris

I am thrilled to welcome Lida Sideris
to Escape With Dollycas today!

The Role of Sidekicks
By Lida Sideris

In the first book in my Southern California Mysteries, MURDER & OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS, my heroine, Corrie Locke, a young lawyer working for a movie studio, takes on the challenge of solving a mystery on her own. People waited on the sidelines to help, but she wasn’t interested. Toward the end of Book #1 though, things change and Corrie develops a crew of sidekicks.

With each new installment, these sidekicks become more and more ready to help:

Michael: her best friend since junior high, he’s smart, cute, and works as an assistant dean at a tech college in Los Angeles. He handles tech issues, culinary issues, but isn’t great when it comes to using weaponry.

Veera: Corrie’s legal assistant at the movie studio, she’s a former parking lot security guard who’s well connected in the security world, which comes in handy. She’s also a night law school student, when she’s not assisting Corrie at her day or night job.

James: a hunky assistant district attorney, his skills match Corrie’s when it comes to case-cracking. There’s some heat between them, which she tries to fight off, knowing they’re too similar to make a successful go at it. Or can they?

By the time book #5 comes around, GAMBLING WITH MURDER, Corrie has a new sidekick: her mother. Mom was dead set against Corrie’s P.I. work in the beginning of the series. After all, look what happened to Corrie’s dad. But, when Corrie asks her to help in book #5, Mom instantly agrees, which takes Corrie by surprise. The next thing you know, Mom becomes a sidekick, too, displaying surprising skills.

While writing the series, I discovered that Corrie isn’t the only one with sidekicks. We all have them! And they’re every bit as talented as hers. I think neither she nor I regard these important players in our lives as sidekicks. We regard them as friends.

What traits do we need in our sidekicks (real & fictional)?

1. Loyalty

Dogs make excellent sidekicks, by the way. Their support is unwavering.

2. Trust – you can count on them to act in your best interest.
3. Skills that are often helpful (and that we don’t have).
4. Good listeners. Just being able to talk through a situation may help move life along in the right direction.
5. They show up when needed. We don’t always reach out when we should or maybe we’re unable to.

Corrie’s sidekicks often show up and lend a hand to move things along faster. For instance, a sidekick may provide enough of a distraction so that Corrie can get back on her feet and handle matters.

In my real life, I have a sidekick that manages to find me no matter how large a crowd I may be lost in. He has me on his radar, which I deeply appreciate.

Sidekicks aren’t ordinary people/animals in our lives (or in our fictional stories). Their very presence kicks our lives to a whole other level; one that makes our experiences more palatable and exciting. They’ve got our backs.

Thank you, Lida, for visiting today!

Keep reading for information about Lida’s new book, Murderous Means. 

About Murderous Means

Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in the Series
Setting – California
Level Best Books (December 5, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 315 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CKYGV5YH

Corrie Locke may not be the best rookie lawyer in town, but when it comes to catching a killer, let’s just say, she’s got enough skills to bring a band of shifty-eyed suspects to their knees.

When the wealthy matriarch of the dysfunctional Means family dies in her sleep, the family is convinced her death was anything but peaceful. They hire Corrie to prove it, but the only evidence they have to go on is a psychic’s half-baked vision that it was murder. To put the matter to rest, Corrie sets her sights on proving the psychic is a fraud. After all, everyone knows psychics are crack-pots, don’t they?

But what should be a simple investigation morphs into something deadly. The deeper Corrie digs, the more bizarre clues are revealed, and a possible witness is found dead. As tempers rise, it’s up to Corrie to catch a killer… who’s about to strike again.

About Lida Sideris

Lida Sideris is the author of the Southern California Mysteries. After graduating law school, Lida managed to snag a newbie lawyer’s dream job: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke… except without the homicides. Lida is a recipient of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a 2x Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion Award finalist. Lida lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs, and a flock of uppity chickens. To learn more, please visit www.LidaSideris.com

Author Links 
Website Blog Facebook   Book Bub   Goodreads 
Twitter/X: @lidasideris Instagram: @lida_sideris

Purchase Links

Amazon  Bookshop.org   B&N 
The Rest of the Series

TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops. 
December 4 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
December 5 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT
December 5 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
December 7 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
December 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – RECIPE
December 8 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
December 10 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
December 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 13 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
December 13 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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