Elizabeth J Duncan launches her latest Penny Branigan Mystery with On Deadly Tides.
Visit all the stops along her Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.
Author Interview +Author & Book Info + Rafflecopter Giveaway!
Love your mysteries cozy? Check out this YA Cozy by Richie Narvaez, click the link here.
On Deadly Tides by Elizabeth J Duncan
On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (November 10, 2020)
237 pages
ISBN-10: 1643854682
ISBN-13: 978-1643854687
Kindle ASIN: B084V85BT8
To buy the book, click any of the following links: Amazon B&N Kobo
With a picturesque black and white lighthouse, pebble beaches and stunning views of sea and mountains, the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales is the perfect place for an idyllic mid-summer painting holiday.
And watercolour artist, businesswoman, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is enjoying the retreat enormously – until she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach just as the tide is going out, threatening to take the body with it.
The post mortem reveals the victim died from injuries “consistent with a fall from a great height,” and the death is ruled accidental. But Penny thinks there’s more to the story. Curious how the victim came to such an untimely end at this most inhospitable spot, she uncovers a link to a mysterious disappearance several years earlier.
And as her holiday romance with a wildlife photographer turns to love, she learns some truths about herself, too, that surprise her.
As the winds of change blow through Penny’s own life, she sets sail on a friendly tide for a future she never dreamed possible, in a beautiful place she never imagined.
Elizabeth J Duncan: Author Interview
Tell us about the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales where you set On Deadly Tides.
Anglesey is so picturesque! With stunning views across the Menai Strait to the Snowdonia mountain range, a charming black and white lighthouse with a bell that tolls every minute, the medieval town of Beaumaris featuring the remains of a thirteenth-century moated castle, quaint fishing villages, beautiful beaches, and wildlife galore, it’s the perfect place for a painting holiday. But as amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan discovers in On Deadly Tides, even in such an idyllic setting, (fictional) danger is never far away.
This is the eleventh book in your Penny Brannigan Mystery Series. What’s your secret for such longevity!
The North Wales setting always inspires me. Once I’ve found the perfect location for the story I’m about to tell, the rest follows quite easily.
Over the course of the series I’ve learned that the best way to keep the stories fresh is to keep the characters fresh—introduce new ones, and give the recurring characters new challenges and obstacles to overcome. And to keep the story interesting for me to write, I like to learn new things.
Previous books in the series have touched on the history of slate mining in North Wales, various fancy breeds of chickens, how Gwrych Castle fell into ruin, the illegal antiquities trade, and how to organize a really posh dinner party.
On Deadly Tides includes some romance to spice up the mystery. Is that new for you? Or do you like to include a little romance with your murders?
Actually, it isn’t up to me; my protagonist has made it clear she’s in charge of her own life.
In previous books I tried matching Penny Brannigan up with someone I thought she’d like, but she wasn’t having it and the romance didn’t work out. But in On Deadly Tides, she meets someone and everything falls into place. I was really happy for her, and I think readers will be, too.
You spend time in both North Wales and Toronto, Canada. How did you come to live in both countries?
I lived in the UK for five years at one point in my life, and I love it. I rediscovered Wales about 12 years ago, chose it as the setting for the Penny Brannigan mystery series, and until the pandemic came along, divided my time almost equally between the two countries. I’m looking forward to the day when the worst of Covid is behind us and we can travel again.
You also write the Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery Series. Tell us about your other series.
This series features Charlotte Fairfax, an Englishwoman who started her career in the costume department of the Royal Shakespeare Company and now finds herself with a small theatre company in upstate New York.
She has a corgi called Rupert, who is probably the star of the series. Each book centres around the production and performance of one play and with a theatre company at the heart of the story, there’s so much potential for rich characters, engaging details, and (dare I say it?) drama!
What are you working on now?
I’m on a break from the novels, and have just written a short story, which I hope will be chosen for inclusion in an anthology. A short story is a great way to test drive new characters.
Words of wisdom for aspiring writers:
Get in with the people who are doing what you aspire to do. So if you want to be a writer, go where the writers are. When an author gives a presentation at your local library—go! If you can, attend a convention and go to the panel discussions. I guarantee you’ll come away having picked up at least one great tip, but probably more.
Here’s an example of how that works. I once attended a talk at the Toronto Reference Library given by author Gail Bowen. Her suggestion was write for 15 minutes a day. This will keep you connected to your work, get the creative juices flowing, and 15 minutes will most likely turn into something longer. Now that’s great advice!
It is great advice! Thank you for sharing. Great to chat with you. Best of luck with the new novel!
Elizabeth J Duncan
Elizabeth J Duncan is the two-time winner of the Bloody Words (Bony Blithe) Award for Canada’s best light mystery. She is the author of two series: the Penny Brannigan mysteries set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax.
A former journalist, public relations practitioner, and college professor, Elizabeth is a faculty member of the Humber School for Writers.
She divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.
To learn more about Elizabeth, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Facebook and Twitter
Visit all the stops along the tour!
November 27 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 28 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 28 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 29 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
November 30 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
November 30 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
December 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
December 1 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
December 2 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
December 3 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 3 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
December 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
December 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 5 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
Elena Taylor is the author of All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio book format at all your favorite on-line retailers. And don’t forget many independent bookstores can order books for you and have them shipped to your home or for curbside pickup.
All We Buried eBook is on sale for $1.99 through the end of November!
For more information on All We Buried, click on the link here to visit the home page.
