Tag: Michele Pariza Wacek

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive (The Redemption Detective Agency)
by Michele Pariza Wacek

I am delighted to welcome Michele Pariza Wacek to Escape With Dollycas today!

The Mysterious Origin of The Redemption Detective Agency
by Michele Pariza Wacek

Well, okay, it’s not THAT mysterious (even though the titles of the books are all “The Mysterious Case of …”).

The Redemption Detective Agency is a spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries (cozy mysteries) which is a spin-off from the Secrets of Redemption series (psychological thrillers).

I know that sounds a little confusing, so let me start at the beginning.

I wrote the Secrets of Redemption series first. At the time, Book 1 wasn’t supposed to be the first book of a 9-book series, but a standalone.

The book, however, had other ideas.

That series takes place in contemporary times. Becca, the main character, inherits her aunt’s house in Redemption, Wisconsin–a peculiar town with a haunted past. (To be clear, it’s a fictional town.) When she first inherited, it seemed like divine providence. Her marriage is crumbling and she’s hoping a fresh start will help her rekindle her relationship and save her marriage and family.

Alas, it doesn’t work out like that.

The Secrets of Redemption series is a psychological thriller with romance and a touch of the supernatural. We meet Aunt Charlie, the aunt who left Becca her house, in Becca’s dreams and memories.

At the time when I was writing that book, I didn’t intend on Aunt Charlie to want to tell her own stories. But Charlie has her own ideas about things. Along with writing her origin story (how she arrived in Redemption) I also found myself writing a spin-off cozy mystery series starring Charlie Kingsley.

The Charlie Kingsley Mystery series takes place in the 1990s, as Charlie is dead in contemporary times. Currently, there are 7 full-length cozies and 4 novellas in that series. More books are planned for that series.

The Redemption Detective Agency also takes place in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. Two characters we meet in the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries decide to start a detective agency and focus on cold cases. Mildred Schmidt, a retired teacher, who we meet in Murder Next Door and Three French Hens and a Murder, and Tilde Tillerson, a retired nurse, who we meet in Red Hot Murder and A Cornucopia of Murder.

We also meet Emily Hildebrandt, Tilde’s niece, who ends up in Redemption because her life imploded and she has nowhere else to go. She helps Tilde, Mildred and a few other quirky characters get the Redemption Detective Agency up and running.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive is book 1 of this brand-new series full of humor and fun, with dogs, cats, romance, and a twisty mystery.

Thank you, Michele, for visiting today!

Keep reading for more information about Michele and her new book.

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love-Based Publishing (October 15, 2024)
Number of Pages ~200 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CL7YVSJN

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or maybe a gin and tonic.

Emily Hildebrandt has run into a bit of a rough patch. She’s lost her job, her fiance and her apartment. Still, she never expected to be desperate enough to accept an invitation to live with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption, Wisconsin.

But, beggars can’t be choosers. Even if part of the deal is she has to pretend to work at her aunt’s latest hair-brained scheme, The Redemption Detective Agency.

Seriously, the woman is a retired nurse. Why does she think she’s remotely qualified to run a detective agency, especially in a creepy little town like Redemption?

But, when a strange phone call suddenly thrusts them into an actual case, Emily finds herself hoping her aunt really does know what she’s doing … or an innocent person may be the one to suffer the consequences.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Emily Hildebrandt can’t believe she is in Redemption, Wisconsin but she is broke, lost her fiance, her job, and her home. Without a lot of options she accepts the offer to live with her quirky Aunt Tilde who has the outlandish idea to open The Redemption Detective Agency. She wants Emily to be her office manager.  Unsure what a former nurse knows about running a detective agency, Emily is even more confused to learn Tilde’s friends Mildred and Nora are also part of the agency. Nora owns the local bookstore and Mildred is a retired teacher whose main mission seems to be to find Emily a new man. What’s even more surprising is a strange phone call that leads to an actual case. Someone is really counting on them to investigate a matter that could save an innocent person and if they fail the outcome could be dire.

Does Aunt Tilde know what she is doing? Can Emily talk them out of taking the case? Is what they are trying to do even legal?

First, if you haven’t read any of Ms. Wacek’s books you need to know that Redemption, Wisconsin has a unique history and reputation. Strange and unexplained events happen on a regular basis harkening back to an occurrence in 1888. This story is set in the 1990s and while some things have changed, odd happenings still take place.

This series is a spin-off from the author’s Charlie Kingsley series. Tilde and Mildred were introduced there and now they are getting a series to highlight their hijinks. At the onset I was right there with Emily, not sure how this group was going to handle the case but I was happy to see Tilde knew they were going to need help and that help was just a phone call away. Aunt Tilde is eccentric, and funny, and her heart is in the right place. She truly wants to help people. She sure has helped Emily by giving her a place to land while she sorts out her life. Emily is also good for Tilde. She knows how to run a business and tries to keep the others from going off half-cocked plus Tilde is thrilled to have her nearby. I love that she spends time weeding Tilde’s huge garden as she tries to put things in perspective.  Mildred is a hoot with no filter, what she is thinking usually comes right out of her mouth. Nora thinks being a detective sounds fun and more exciting than working in a bookstore. I found it endearing how much they love their pets and that they were very welcome in the office.

The mystery was very compelling and maddening. Had a man gone to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? The senior sleuths did a great job investigating and getting answers from key players. Emily along with Nick Stewart, a local lawyer, follow clues too. After some excellent twists, the case is resolved. I am so glad The Redemption Detective Agency took on the case.

While that case is wrapped up and the “detectives” are looking forward to the next one there are still some interesting options open to Emily as she strives to put her old life behind her and emerge stronger and on firmer ground. She may also have a new romance in her future.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive was such an enjoyable read. The characters entertained me while tickling my funny bone. I am looking forward to returning to Redemption for more exciting adventures with these uncommon detectives. The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker will be released on August 26, 2025, followed by The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost on September 23.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

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About Michele Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes, and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”