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The Story Comes First
Switched at Death follows a local baker and cat daycare owner who becomes involved in the investigation surrounding the town’s beloved mayor, who collapsed and died at the town’s tree lighting ceremony. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Since Switched at Death is the second book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series, I needed to tap a character from the first book (A Whale of a Murder) as the next victim. Who better to kill off than the beloved long-time mayor of charming Chatham Crossing? His death during the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting creates instant chaos and a falling-out between his wife and Venus Bixby, who are best friends and business partners. Can their relationship and joy in the town be restored by Christmas?
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
Actually … Venus Bixby made her literary debut as a minor character in What’s Not Lost, the last book in my romantic comedy trilogy. I loved her so much, I decided to give her own cozy mystery series. Even though her niece, Lexi Moore, had a major role in that romcom, I didn’t bring her into the cozy series until Switched at Death, which takes place a good ten years earlier than What’s Not Lost. So, I faced a dilemma. How do I roll back the ages of two characters and move them into a totally different storyline? Venus was kind of easy, as she’s a mature sleuth, kind of set in her ways. But in Switched at Death, Lexi is a teenager. As the youngest character in the mystery, Lexi brought not only a fresh perspective to the story, but also contemporary cultural references and dialogue only fit for a teen. I loved the challenge, but having a pre-teen granddaughter certainly helped!
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
Story comes first. If there’s no story, there can be no plot twists. The story needs characters that drive the plot, and a cozy mystery especially needs a world readers will want to settle into and come back to in future books. For me, I might have a major plot twist in mind when I start writing, but I try to keep an open mind for whatever path the characters take me. I tend to ask them “What if …” Their answers almost always surprise me and add more colorful twists than had I plotted them out initially. In fact, half way through writing the manuscript of Switched at Death, I switched the villain. In doing so, I needed to do some minor edits on the earlier pages, but the twist made for a much more delightful crime.
What is the next book that you’re working on and when can your fans expect it out?
The next installment of the Venus Bixby Mystery series is definitely a work-in-progress. If all goes well, it’ll follow in the footsteps of the first two books and publish in the month of April next year.
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Thanksgiving weekend always marks the start of Christmas festivities in Chatham Crossing. But, this year, when the annual tree lighting ends in flames, this charming and usually joyful town finds little to celebrate.
After the town’s long-time, beloved mayor, collapses and dies at the scene of the tree lighting, nearly a week passes before details as to what actually caused his heart attack begin to emerge.
Preoccupied with the recent opening of her kitty daycare service, Venus Bixby thinks twice before getting involved in the investigation. But once her popular cookie bakery is linked to the mayor’s death, she has no choice.
As clues begin to surface, Venus grapples with the possibility that someone she cares about may be responsible for the mayor’s death.
Will Venus’s clever sleuthing be enough to save Christmas for this charming seaside town?
Includes cookie recipes and a playlist!
In the second installment of this cozy mystery with a romantic twist, Valerie Taylor brings back scrappy sleuth Venus Bixby and her mischief-maker twin sister. Switched at Death is as strikingly entertaining as A Whale of a Murder, with a holiday theme to enjoy all year long. Order Switched at Death today!
Switched at Death: A Venus Bixby Mystery
This book is like if Murder, She Wrote had a baby with Gilmore Girls and then let a cat run the town council. It’s a cozy mystery set in this quirky New England town called Chatham Crossing, where everyone knows everyone… or thinks they do. The story kicks off with the sudden death of the mayor—right at the town’s holiday tree lighting, no less—and from there, Venus Bixby gets tangled up in a web of secrets, politics, and small-town pettiness. Oh, and there’s definitely murder afoot.
I’m a sucker for cats and chaos, so when Venus opens her kitty daycare and adoption center (adorably named Cats & Their Cradle), I was in. The whole scene of her prepping for the grand opening while juggling relationships, rivalries, and her very active imagination had me both rooting for her and laughing. And her cats, Sonny and Cher, are icons.
The writing is super fun—Valerie Taylor has this cheeky, breezy style that makes even the gossip feel juicy instead of mean. Venus’s “friendship” with Carole (the mayor’s wife and her cookie shop partner) is messy. Like, Real Housewives messy. Carole throwing that dinner party where she low-key hijacks the night just to boost her own political ambitions was cringe. I wanted to fling a cookie at her. Poor Venus thinks the dinner’s to celebrate her new business, and instead she ends up sidelined while Carole plays power games and drops some seriously shady digs about the Sabinas.
But what really grabbed me were the emotional undercurrents. Venus misses her late husband, she’s trying to figure out what love looks like with Budd (her delightfully flirty and surprisingly deep boyfriend), and she’s constantly trying to prove herself in a town that still clings to its old boys’ club.
Switched at Death totally worked for me. It’s a little sassy, a little sentimental, and full of sneaky surprises. If you love small-town drama, strong female leads, and cats, this one’s for you. Highly recommend for cat moms, cozy mystery fans, and anyone who enjoys watching people stir the pot.
Pages: 293 | ASIN : B0DYVVGFL7
LITERARY TITAN 