The Blurb
Early one gray November morning, retired Lighthouse Cove, NY police chief, Edmund DeCleryk, finds Emily Bradford's body on the beach at the base of the bluff where the local museum and historical society stands. At the same time, a break-in has been reported at the museum, and Emily's coat and purse are found hanging on a peg in the museum's gift shop where she worked. Was her death the result of a burglary gone bad or something more sinister?
When the police chief is called out of town for a family emergency, he hires Ed, now working as a criminal consultant, to assist deputy police chief, Carrie Ramos, with the murder investigation. After several leads don't pan out, the chief, now back in Lighthouse Cove, decides to close the case. Confident that with more time the murder can be solved, Ed is determined to continue investigating on his own, with encouragement from his wife, Annie, the museum's executive director.
One morning while in the basement of the museum, the couple discovers a copy of a map dated 1785, and Ed's instincts tell him it may be connected to Emily's death. On a hunch, he and Annie travel to Toronto, Canada, where he learns of the original map and a manuscript written in 1847 that were unearthed during an archaeological dig. The manuscript contains information about a ship that capsized during a fierce storm on Lake Ontario — in 1785. Now Ed has clues as to why the murder occurred, but he still doesn't know who committed the crime. Or does he?
Murder in the Museum by Karen Shughart
Series: An Edmund DeCleryk Mystery, #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-10: 1946063509
ISBN-13: 978-1946063502
e-Book File Size: 1083 KB
ASIN: B07CF74JHQ
ISBN-10: 1946063509
ISBN-13: 978-1946063502
e-Book File Size: 1083 KB
ASIN: B07CF74JHQ
The Character Guest Post
Living with Ed
By Annie DeCleryk, wife of Ed DeCleryk, Criminal Consultant
So, what’s life like for the wife of a criminal consultant? I get asked that a lot, and I must admit that at times it’s fun. You’d think I’d be worried about Ed’s safety, but after living with him for more than 40 years, I can tell you things that will help you understand why I’m not concerned.
Ed and I met when we were at college at Syracuse University. I majored in social work; Ed in forensic science, and we married right after graduation. He immediately joined the Navy, and after attending officers’ training school became a Navy SEAL. Now that was an adventure! When he left for an assignment, I didn’t always know where he was going or what he would be getting himself into.
My career and raising our two sons kept me busy, and I tried to not dwell on the dangers my dear husband might be encountering. You really can’t, or it would drive you crazy! Some of the assignments he could talk about, some he couldn’t. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal any of those I do know about — very confidential. At least one of them was a mission to disrupt a diabolical plot that would have put our nation in very grave danger. The good news is the plot was foiled, my dear spouse survived, and after twenty years he retired as a Rear Admiral.
We then moved our family to Lighthouse Cove, NY, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, where Ed grew up, after finding a charming ship captain’s home in need of major renovating. It faces the water, and for me a huge selling point was the widow’s walk at the top of the house. What a gorgeous view! Ed enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology and obtained a masters’ degree in criminal justice and then was offered a position running a violent crimes squad in Albany.
The children and I stayed in Lighthouse Cove, and Ed commuted home on weekends. I must admit those years were more stressful than all the years he’d been with the Navy. I was fearful then for his safety, and the commuting put a bit of a strain on our marriage. But, we love each other dearly and weathered that time with our marriage intact. I was relieved, though, when the police chief here in Lighthouse Cove retired and Ed applied for and got the job.
During that time there was the one shooting incident which marred our happiness a bit, when my dear husband and his crew intervened in a hostage situation. Fortunately, Ed only got a flesh wound and his deputies were fine. Count your blessings, I always say. If I could live through that without being terrified every day, I can live through anything.
Now Ed works as a criminal consultant. He’s just not the type of person to retire and do nothing, and he’s awfully smart, so it would be a waste of his talents if he didn’t do something in his field. Mostly, he trains or consults with police and sheriffs’ departments but occasionally he’s called in to investigate a murder, and sometimes I get to help him. The one last year at the museum where I’m the executive director was tough, though; the victim was a friend of mine. But Ed and I got the job done without putting anyone else in harm’s way (except for the murderer, of course). His work is not typically dangerous, it just requires good interviewing skills and powers of deduction.
Even though we are in our autumn years, we enjoy good health, and we sail, hike and beachcomb during summer months and snowshoe, ice boat and ski in the winter. Rochester and Geneva are close by, and we’re not that far from Canada, so there are always cultural opportunities.
So, now you know what living with Ed has been like, at least as much as I can divulge. He’s at home most nights. During cooler months we enjoy our evening glasses of wine in front of the fireplace, with our dear beagle Gretchen by our side, and in warmer weather on our back porch watching the sail boats go by. And, of course, we spend precious time with our children, grandchildren and, because I like to cook, entertaining a close-knit group of friends. All-in-all, it’s grand!
The Author
About Karen Shughart
She is the author of two non-fiction books and has worked as an editor, publicist, photographer, journalist, teacher and non-profit executive. A Murder in the Museum: An Edmund DeCleryk Mystery is her first work of fiction.
Before moving to a small village on the shores of Lake Ontario in upstate New York, she and her husband resided in south central Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, PA.
For more information, visit her on the web at these locations:
The Giveaway
Follow the tour, to read other Guest Posts, plus interviews and reviews!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 10 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW
October 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, RECIPE
October 13 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 16 – Here's How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Varietats – REVIEW
October 18 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 19 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 19 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
October 20 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
October 21 - Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
October 22 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
October 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
You can comment as a guest, or with your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, or Google account. To register for Disqus, or to post as a guest, click in the Name box under "Sign Up With Disqus."
