The Contessa’s Brooch, a Cozy Mystery from P.J. MacLayne

Please help us welcome P.J. MacLayne to the blog today. P.J. is here to share The Contessa’s Brooch, a Cozy Mystery with us. The Contessa’s Brooch is the fourth book in The Harmony Duprie Mysteries Series. Welcome, P.J.! We are all excited to hear more about The Contessa’s Brooch.

Q&A with P.J. MacLayne:

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a reformed poet who has taken to writing stories as my creative outlet. By day I’m a computer geek, by night I spend my time in front of a different computer crafting my tales. When I’m not writing, you might find me exploring the back roads of the mountains and plains near my home.

What’s your favorite place to write?
Sitting beside a mountain lake, with a cool wind blowing and birds meadow larks singing in the background. If I’m lucky, a moose or a deer might wander by while I’m scrawlingin a notebook.

Do you listen to music while you write?
Most of the time. My choice of music depends on my mood, but includes classic rock and John Denver. Although lately, I’ve been discovering some new bands that hearken back to the singer/songwriter feel of the 70’s.

For those readers who aren’t familiar with your books, tell us a little about the Harmony Duprie Mysteries and Harmony herself.
When I started writing the first book, now called The Marquesa’s Necklace, I thought I was going to write a paranormal romance. Then I thought I was going to write a romance series set in the little town of Oak Grove. But Harmony quickly let me know I was wrong, and the book turned into a mystery which turned into a mystery series. It may have been the first time, but it wasn’t the last she let me know I wasn’t telling her story the way it needed to be told.

The Contessa’s Brooch is the 4th book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. What was your inspiration for this story?
I wanted to write a mystery without any murders. Oak Grove, the small town where Harmony lives, has its share of crime, but not enough murders to have one in every book! Plus, I wanted to give Harmony a chance to show off her intellectual skills and not have them buried by physical action. I think it was harder to write this book because I had to make sure all the little piece fit in place and I couldn’t solve the mystery with a car chase.

What’s next for Harmony?
I see at least two more books coming. There’s an overall story arc I’d like to resolve. The problem is that the minor character involved (Jake, her ex) isn’t telling his secrets. Yet. I’ll get him to share one way or another.

What do you want readers to get from your book?
How about several hours of enjoyment and an escape from their everyday lives? I don’t expect anyone to learn any major life lessons from the Harmony stories, but I hope when they close the book or shut off their ebook reader there’s a little smile on their face.

About The Contessa’s Brooch:

A firebug is stalking Oak Grove and internet researcher Harmony Duprie is on the case. It starts as a simple data analysis project for Police Chief Sorenson, but things get personal when the house she renovated is targeted.
The arsonist is in it for the glory, posting videos of his exploits on social media. So, Harmony calls for backup from her favorite computer hackers, Eli, Lando, and Scotty. Complications arise when Fiesker, a fire investigator with a chip on his shoulder, is brought in to unmask the culprit and put an end to the fires. Then there’s the mysterious emails being sent to the town’s firefighters. And who is leaving a trail of Celtic brooches behind?
Harmony finally gets a break when Jake, her ex, stuumbles across information that might lead to the guilty party.
Can Eli, Lando and Scotty help Harmony track down the pyromaniac before someone gets hurt? Or, worse yet, killed?

The Contessa’s Brooch Buy Links:

Excerpt from The Contessa’s Brooch:

Freddie showed up in twenty minutes flat. Without Fiesker. He plunked himself into an empty chair and said, “So?”
“Do you recognize them?”
He snorted. “Not from the picture you sent. Who are they?”
“I don’t know. Neither did the person who took the picture.”
“Are you deliberately trying to annoy me, Harmony?”
“No, just trying to not get your hopes up.” I got up and closed the office door. “They may or may not have something to do with the fires. All we have to go on is snippets of an overheard conversation. No names, no nothing. The picture may not be useful without more information.”
“Where were you when you heard them talking?”
“Not me. Jake. And he was working so, he only got bits and pieces. He doesn’t recognize them either.”
Freddie rubbed his forehead. “How does this tie into the fires?”
“What do you remember about the fire on Green Street?”
“What fire on Green Street?”
“Exactly my point.”

P.J. MacLayne’s Bio:

Born and raised among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, P.J. MacLayne still finds inspiration for her books in that landscape. She is a computer geek by day and a writer by night who currently lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. When she’s not in front of a computer screen, she might be found exploring the back roads of the nearby national forests and parks. In addition to the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, she is also the author of the Free Wolves adventures.

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