Edith here, delighted to be releasing a new book tomorrow on the same day as Wickeds Barb and Liz (mine is written as Maddie Day and Liz’s as Cate Conte). You’ll be hearing about our books here and elsewhere all week. Please check out all the blogs I’ll be visiting or have visited in this release season, many of which offer a chance to win a book. Link is on this page. And I’ll give away a copy to one commenter here, too.
I knew I wanted to set one of my Country Store Mysteries in August. I lived in southern Indiana a few decades ago. This southern California girl was used to super hot weather, but it always came with low humidity. I’d never before lived in a place where the air became a swamp for part of the summer.
I lived in the southern Midwest a long time ago, though, so I thought I’d better check my memory. Nashville, Indiana is the county seat for where I’ve plunked down my fictional town of South Lick.
Yep, pretty hot at the start of August.
And even more humid.
Unless you live in air conditioning – which, as a doctoral student, I did not – you have to get used to your brain not working well. You take lots of showers. Sleep under a ceiling fan wearing little to nothing. Do lots of laundry. Drink cool drinks and eat cool foods. And move slowly. I found the weather sensual but highly unproductive for mind work (which is why I was there).
Tempers can get a bit steamy in that climate, too, and that’s what happens in Strangled Eggs and Ham.
Factions of locals are pitted against each other. A visiting lawyer is killed. Robbie Jordan’s Aunt Adele gets in hot water. The oppressive heat and humidity form the backdrop to all of it. As the end of the cover copy reads, “But if slashed tires are any indication, she’ll need to crack this case before her own aunt gets served something deadly next . . . “
Readers: I hope you love the book, and Liz’s and Barb’s, too! Where have you lived or visited that had perfect weather you didn’t have to escape from? I’ll send one of you a signed copy of the new book!