Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race | Author Guest Post

Christy Maurer

2 weeks ago

Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race | Author Guest Post

Thanks for sharing!

Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series)

by Lucinda Race

Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Coastal Town of Drakes Bay
Publisher ‏ : ‎ MC Two Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 6, 2025
Digital
Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages

Enjoy this humorous, small-town, psychic, cozy mystery by best-selling and award-winning Lucinda Race.

A fashion-savvy psychic, one haunted Thanksgiving, and a pleated skirt that’s dressed to kill.

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost—is all in a day’s work for Claudia Grant. Between whipping up her famous mac and cheese and debuting her boutique’s latest fall fashion, Claudia’s ready to impress her visiting mom and stylish grandmother. Her cozy coastal town of Drakes Bay is the perfect backdrop for family, food, and fresh starts—especially when Gram falls in love with a pleated skirt and sweater ensemble from Claudia’s shop.

But when a spilled glass of orange juice leads to a shocking discovery—a guest at the neighboring Whistlers Inn is found dead, and the very same pleated skirt wrapped around her neck—Claudia’s holiday cheer unravels fast.

Now, with her best friend Beth and a ghostly sidekick in tow, Claudia must piece together a tangled mystery before the killer skips town… and before the secrets hidden in the folds come back to haunt them all.

She’d rather be sewing hemlines than following clues—but if Claudia can’t stitch together the truth in time, someone else might be the next to check out… permanently.

Pleats & Poison is the third book in the A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series from award-winning author Lucinda Race. Cozy up, settle in, and prepare to be haunted… in the best possible way!

Author Guest Post: Spotlight on the Sleuth & the Stories Q & A

Q: What drew you to writing cozy mysteries?
I grew up reading Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and of course, Dame Agatha Christie. I’ve always loved puzzles, and I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. In these bucolic towns, there are no secrets. When I was about nine, I had been playing at my friend’s house across the field. During the walk home, I was so hungry; we had played hard, and it was getting close to dinner. I walked by a neighbor’s garden, and the most luscious tomatoes were ripe for the picking. SO I picked one and ate it standing at the edge of the garden. By the time I got home, the neighbor had called my mother, angry that I had eaten a single tomato. It was then that I realized there is always someone watching, even in a small town.

Cozy mysteries let me combine my love for clever whodunits with the charm of community, a dash of humor, and just enough danger to keep things interesting.

Q: Your sleuths aren’t detectives by trade. Why amateur sleuths?
Because that’s where the fun lives! I love writing about strong, intelligent women who never set out to solve crimes, but their curiosity and determination refuse to let a mystery stay buried. Whether it’s a baker, a bookstore owner, or a dress designer, they bring unique skills—and plenty of heart—to the case. The first two cozy mystery series I’ve written have a bookstore owner and a dress designer who love puzzles. However, in the case of my upcoming series, which debuts in 2026, my amateur sleuth is a former FBI analyst turned baker. Even though she doesn’t want to live in “that world” any longer, she has a mind that can puzzle out whodunit like a pro.

Q: What role does food, craft, or setting play in your stories?
For me, the setting is almost like another character. I want readers to feel like they could walk down Main Street, grab a pastry from the local bakery, or stop by the bookstore for a chat with a quirky neighbor, or visit the knitting shop and pick up a skein of yarn or two for their next project. The cozy details—the warm kitchens, the pets, talking or otherwise, and the paranormal elements — entertain, all in the close-knit communities; it’s a balance to the darker side of a murder mystery.

Q: Do you plan the mystery first or the community around it?
The community. It’s like moving to a new town, and I need to get the lay of the land. What does the town look like? The map of the town is always the first item listed after the name, and I hire a talented graphic artist to create the map for me from a very crude hand drawing.

Then I ask myself, “Who lives here? What kind of house do they live in? Where do they work? Then I map out the foundation characters, my sleuth, her sidekick, the police presence, and all the shops and shopkeepers. Even if a shopkeeper later turns out to be hiding their own secrets, they are the basis for how I grow the series. You never know what happens if one of their secrets turns deadly. The mystery grows naturally from there.

Q: What do you hope readers feel when they turn the last page?
Satisfied. Like they’ve solved the puzzle alongside the sleuth, but also comforted, like they’ve spent time with good friends in a charming small town. My goal is always to leave them smiling—even if a bit of murder had to happen along the way and looking forward to the reading next book in the series.

Q: Can you share a hint about what you’re writing now in the cozy mystery genre?
Without giving too much away—let’s say my heroine stumbles on a clue while washing a serving platter that’s hiding in plain sight. And yes, there will be baked goods involved, including brownies.

About Lucinda Race

Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction who fell in love with cozy mysteries and romance novels as a young girl. While her childhood friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, Lucinda was already dreaming of crafting captivating novels filled with heart, hope, and happily ever afters.

Though her writing journey began with nonfiction, her passion for storytelling never wavered. She returned to her true calling—creating the beloved McKenna Family Romance series and the Paranormal Cozy Nook Bookstore Series—writing the kinds of stories she loves to read. Whether she’s weaving a heartwarming romance or a cozy mystery, her fingers practically fly across the keyboard.

Lucinda lives in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts with her little dog— a shih tzu mix rescue—who is always by her side. When she’s not immersed in writing mystery, suspense, or romance, she’s curled up with a book, devouring everything she can get her hands on.

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