I started reading your Happy Camper series with the second book. I loved the book and I like your amateur sleuth, Zo Jones. I think for a cozy mystery author, it must be difficult creating protagonists who finds themselves involved in murder investigations and inquisitive, without making them obnoxiously so. And I say that as somebody who adores cozy mysteries and the variety of amateur sleuths. Is it difficult to keep finding reasons for Zo to be involved in murder investigations?
Thank you for reading! I’m so glad you enjoyed MIDNIGHT SPELLS MURDER. I, too, often read out of order, and honestly, I don’t mind because I think a series usually gets better with time.
It is hard to find viable reasons for Zo to be involved in murder. It’s the burden of an amateur sleuth, I suppose. But Zo has many interests, including her Happy Camper shop, her stargazing club, and her newspaper column. Plus she’s incredibly curious. I don’t have to look too far to find a reason for her to get involved in a crime.
Another thing I like about this series are the friends and supporting characters. Do you have that support system for the main character mapped out at the start of a series, or just see how things develop with each book?
I had Zo’s support system sketched out from the beginning of the series. For instance, I knew I wanted her to have an inquisitive neighbor, who is garrulous professor Russell Cunningham. But some characters have become more important with each book. Hattie, the town librarian, and Jules, the owner of Spirits & Spirits, are Zo’s good friends who live in Spirit Canyon. I especially enjoy how their friendships evolve in the series. And then there’s Max, who grows on me (and Zo!) with each book. I love his do-good attitude.
There’s a lot of talk in MINING FOR MURDER about hidden gold and the history of Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. You live in South Dakota. How much research did you do for this story? And how much echo legends from the area you currently live?
I include a real South Dakota gold legend in MINING FOR MURDER, so I did quite a bit of research on it. I’d heard about the Thoen Stone years ago, but when I decided to use it in the book, I read several articles and a book-length work. Then I took a dedicated research trip to the Black Hills, which is about five hours from where I live. Even though I’ve been to the area many times, I went in search of details about the story.
According to the legend, seven men came to the area looking for gold 40 years before General George Custer. They found it but were killed before being able to celebrate their good fortune. However, one of the men, Ezra Kind, left their names and story behind on a stone - the Thoen Stone (named after the Thoen brothers, who found it). According to story, the gold is still buried somewhere in the Hills. Zo is looking for the gold, as well as the murderer, in MINING FOR MURDER.
In addition to any local historical research, how much research is involved with planning your murders, and getting police procedure accurate? I admit to being a Murder She Wrote fan and, as long as the story is entertaining, I’m not a stickler for things like police procedural accuracy.
Cozy mysteries are not always known for their procedural accuracy! That being said, I do try to get the facts straight. With the Happy Camper series, I’ve talked to the Forest Service many times and learned that they do so much more than I ever thought regarding law enforcement. It really is a collaboration between rangers and the local police department—no matter what Chief Merrigan says!
If you could recommend only one of your books to a reader unfamiliar with your work, which would you pick? And why?
Oh my gosh, that’s a hard question! I would love to recommend MINING FOR MURDER because it includes history and mystery, two of my loves. Setting is also important to me, and it affects my characters and the choices they make in all my books. I enjoy writing strong, independent sleuths. They are smart and brave. I would enjoy having them as friends.
A few authors I’ve interviewed in the past have told me that the kind of book they enjoy writing is not the same kind of book they enjoy reading. What do you like to read? Favorite books? Authors?
I read a lot of cozy mysteries, but I also read darker mysteries as well as romances and biographies. I’m doing a lot of re-reading right now, including Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody series, Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series, and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. I also read historical romance. Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite authors in that genre. I usually read three or four books at a time.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on the second book in my new Lady Agony historical mystery series. Book #1, MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT, comes out from Berkley next year. My protagonist is a widowed countess and moonlights as an agony aunt for a Victorian penny paper. I love immersing myself in the time period, especially with the turmoil in our world today. It’s a dream come true to write this series.
Happy Camper #3
Zo Jones is enjoying the sunny season at her Happy Camper gift shop in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota—when a murder reminds her all that glitters isn’t gold . . .
The South Dakota Gold Rush might be long over, but Zo Jones feels like she’s hit the mother lode when she and her friends browse an estate sale, where a rare old book about the history of Spirit Canyon is causing quite a commotion. In addition to local stories and secrets, the book may even contain the location of a famous stash of gold—a treasure worth killing for.
Zo’s friend Maynard Cline wins the bid on the book, to the chagrin of many interested parties, including the historical society and college history department. But when Zo and Hattie head to Maynard’s mansion to borrow the book for a library event, the only thing they find is Maynard—at the bottom of the mountain. The valuable book is gone. Zo knows this must be murder because there’s no way a germophobe like Maynard would have voluntarily dived into a pile of dirt. Now she’ll have to dig into a new case, and go prospecting for a perpetrator . . .
Mystery Cozy [Lyrical Press, On Sale: April 5, 2022, e-Book, ISBN: 9781516110711 / eISBN: 9781516110711]
Mary Angela is the author of the Professor Prather academic mystery series, the Happy Camper cozy mystery series, and several short stories. When Mary isn't penning heartwarming whodunits, she's teaching, reading, traveling, or spending time with her family. She lives in South Dakota with her husband, daughters, and spoiled pets.
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