Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery by M.L. Ortega.Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery
by M.L. Ortega
In Mint Condition: A Me Too Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting: Orange County California
Independently Published (June 3, 2023)
Paperback : 146 pages
Single mom Maggie Chessman finds what might be a valuable Chinese porcelain bowl. When she takes it to be appraised at the local antique store, In Mint Condition, she finds a dead vendor. To her cop boyfriend’s dismay, this isn’t the first body she’s discovered, including a naked corpse in a model home and her dead sister-in-law at a local salon. But, unknown to him, this one is the corpse of a man who abused her as a child.
If the truth comes out, she might be the prime suspect in his murder. Her best friend and her therapist rally around her, discussing other suspects – the victim had a hand in a variety of crimes and sins.
As Maggie discovers, no adult is in mint condition, life takes its toll on everyone.
Guest Post from M.L. Ortega
I’ve wanted to write a cozy mystery for a long time. And I did. . . sort of. All the cozy elements are there in In Mint Condition.
According to author Danielle Arceneaux on the website, CrimeReads: We all know the “rules” of the cozy: it must never be too gory; the violence should happen off the page whenever possible; and the romance should be “sweet,” not “steamy.” The setting in a cozy mystery is also a bonus, allowing the readers to sink into a world filled with colorful characters in a tightly knit community—all leaving the reader feeling as if the world is familiar and safe, except for that one pesky killer on the loose.”
So no gore, no sex and the romance is sweet. Check, check, and check.
My Condition series with the latest book, In Mint Condition, has an amateur sleuth as a strong lead character – check. Maggie Chessman is a single mom of four teenage boys. She tends to be a little on the sarcastic side.
A firm sidekick and good friend is often a feature in cozies. Jane Beauclaire is an excellent foil for Maggie, loyal and supportive and they actually have fun together and share a great sense of humor. So – check.
The love interest would be Fortunado Rocha. He’s a Hispanic cop with a penchant for quoting Spanish proverbs. Once again, a cop who doesn’t want his girlfriend/wife involving herself in murder investigations – check.
The setting isn’t a small village but Orange County California. However, there are colorful characters and tightly-knit common-interest groups. So, once again, imo – check.
However, Danielle goes on to say in her blog post: The cozy has become so saccharine that it’s hard to believe that anything would darken these twee worlds. In this day and age, that dependable safe haven can be a retreat, but risks making the cozy mystery genre less relevant and out of touch.”
I don’t agree that cozies are saccharine but in writing my series my books did turn into . . . well, I like to think that the books in my series, including In Mint Condition, are cozies with social issues.
This is how that happened. One day my then college-age son came home with the information about an issue that affects four out of ten women. That translated to four out of ten of my friends. I began to wonder how one of my friends would handle that challenge and thus Maggie Chessman was born.
An early Publisher Weekly reviewer said: “A wide range of zany secondary characters circle around Maggie and the plot, each adding something whacky to the mix. The repartee between Maggie and Jane is genuinely funny and the entire production is only slightly marred by a dark secret from Maggie’s past that never really belongs in an otherwise appealing mystery comedy.”
Not everyone agreed with the reviewer. And the year after his review, current events made the issue more relevant. I’d love to hear from other readers about their reaction to the ‘dark secret from Maggie’s past’.
About M.L. Ortega
M.L. Ortega, a member of Sisters In Crime, is the author of The Conditions Series. Publisher Weekly said of the first book in the series, Turn Key Condition, “the entire production is . . an appealing mystery comedy.”
She lives in Southern California and enjoys gardening and spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and two cats.
Author Links
Blogsite: mlortega | A fine WordPress.com site
FaceBook: M.L. Ortega
Twitter: @OrtMarlin
Instagram: mlowriter
Bookbub: M.L. Ortega
Purchase Link – Amazon
In Mint Condition TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 13 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
November 13 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 14 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
November 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 15 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
November 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 19 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
November 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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