Today's Mystery Author Guest: Duffy Brown

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author Duffy Brown is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

The photo above is the cover for her October 2nd release, Iced Chiffon, which begins her new series, the Consignment Shop series. To pay for rehabbing the dilapidated Victorian house in Savannah, Georgia that she loves, Reagan Summerside opens the Prissy Fox consignment shop on the first floor, filling it with the remnants of her rich-wife wardrobe after her divorce. Reagan gets involved in the lives of her Savannah customers and neighbors and her vivacious Auntie KiKi who helps run the shop.

 After a gruesome discovery, murder and mayhem ensue at the consignment shop for Reagan's ex, his young blond cupcake and the badass attorney who screwed Reagan over in the divorce. The local gossip—and the sales—pick up, but the gossip fiends flooding Reagan’s shop will give her a lot more than just their unwanted clothes—they have information more precious than a vintage Louis Vuitton…

This sounds like a really fun series! Below is Duffy's guest article about Sleuthing and the BFF. Please feel free to tell us about your BFF or to ask Duffy a question in the comments. By doing so, you'll be entering Duffy's contest (details below)!

Sleuthing and the BFF…

 By Duffy Brown

It’s winter, a dark and stormy night, your car just broke down in the middle of nowhere and you forgot to recharge your cell phone. In the moonlight you see an old dilapidated farmhouse in the distance.

The question is… Who’s walking to that farmhouse with you?

Sherlock has Watson with him, Perot has Captain Hastings, Nancy Drew has boyfriend Ned, Stephanie Plum has Lula. Some sleuths even have a cat or dog. Sometimes they even talk. I wish my cats talked. Actually I wished they did the laundry and vacuumed but I digress.

Every sleuth has a BFF (Best Friend Forever) to chat with, get into trouble with, drink with.

On TV, Beckett has Rick Castle. The CSI people have each other kicking around and Lisbon has tea-drinking Patrick Jane in The Mentalist.

It’s not just solving the crime together that makes them BFFs but sharing their personal lives. In my opinion, it’s this personal touch that’s the most interesting part of the show or book. Don’t you love when Sherlock does something nice for Watson or Perot and Hastings take on the chase together?

That LuLa is a once-upon-a-time hooker makes for a great character, that Patrick Jane is hunting for Red John keeps us riveted, that Rick Castle is raising his teenage daughter and has his mother living with him gives a human touch to finding killers?

In my book, Iced Chiffon, protagonist Reagan Summerside has BFF Auntie KiKi. KiKi was once a roadie for Cher and spouts Cher-isms when giving sage advice.

When KiKi was born, the angels chanted cha-cha-cha over her crib and turned her into Savannah’s resident dancing teacher. There’s also the other Bruce Willis, a stray dog who takes up residence under Reagan’s porch.

Back to our dark and stormy night. We know the BFF our sleuths have at their sides when running for the creepy old house. Who would you have? When life goes right to hell in a handbasket, who do want at your side?


Thanks, Duffy, especially for that reference to To Hell in a Handbasket, my upcoming release! Remember, everyone, that Duffy Brown is running a contest for those who comment on her post here for an Iced Chiffon tote and T-shirt. Also, she will send a packet of Iced Chiffon goodies (pen, notepad, bookmark, magnet etc)  to anyone who asks for it. Fire away!