Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Dug to Death: A Vivien Brandt Mystery by Gianetta Murray. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Dug to Death: A Vivien Brandt Mystery
by Gianetta Murray
Dug to Death: A Vivien Brandt Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in the Series
Setting – South Yorkshire, England
Publisher : Catmom Press
Publication Date : October 28, 2025
Print length : 294 pages
Paperback
“Wicked stepmother” wasn’t something Vivien wanted on her resume (or CV!).
But six months after moving from California to join her British husband in a quiet Yorkshire village, Vivien and her cat Sydney are confronted with a volatile 24-year-old stepdaughter and the sparks begin to fly.
It certainly doesn’t help when they join a local protest and a body turns up.
In this sequel to Moved to Murder, Vivien must once again work with her enterprising neighbors to solve a murder and clear her family’s name. Which isn’t easy when you’re dealing with people who “Ear all, see all, and say nowt”!
Interview with Author Gianetta Murray
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
How long have you been writing?
All my life! I wrote stories in kindergarten and got a lot of praise for them from teachers and family, so I was convinced of my genius at a young age. 😉
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
Well, mostly I did. There were short periods where I fell prey to the desire to be a ballerina (too tall) or a lawyer (until I worked at a law firm), but I’ve made my living as a writer, editor, knowledge manager, and librarian, so obviously I’ve always been drawn to books and literature. At college, I had so much fun doing my Library Science Masters degree that I earned more course points than I needed to graduate before realizing I was done!
I grew up a huge fan of golden age writers, especially Josephine Tey and Ngaio Marsh (of course Christie features as well). So when it came time to write my own book, that was naturally the genre I most wanted to try, although I’m able to indulge my desire for a bit of romance, history, paranormal, or humor in the various short story anthologies I’m part of. But even then, sometimes people end up dead.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I’ve always got a cozy nearby, including more modern favorites like Kate Carlisle, Vicki Delaney, and J.D. Robb. But sometimes I’ve had enough death and gravitate toward books about relationships, such as Anne Tyler’s. I just finished Mary Lawson’s A Town Called Solace, which I loved, and I’m in the throes of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ll also occasionally go back to my days of reading sci-fi/fantasy and revisit Roger Zelazny or Douglas Adams. Two of my all-time favorite books are The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip and Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre. Just stunning tales.
But yes, cozies are my comfort food.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
We have an office in the house, but that’s claimed by my husband, who is currently funding my author career until I become rich and famous. He has a lot more conference calls. (He also provides useful suggestions such as “You should write as Richard Bosman, then people will buy your book my mistake.”)
I am, therefore, relegated to the dining room table, which is fine as we rarely use it for dining. It’s next to our conservatory and looks out onto our English garden, so there’s plenty of inspiration there, especially when the neighborhood cats decide to have a brawl in it or a falcon lands to munch on its latest catch. It’s very “Nature red in tooth and claw” as well as containing pretty flowers.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
I keep a copy of each of my books there, in part so I can reference what I’ve already published about the characters in my mystery series, but also to remind myself I really am a writer. There’s also a white stone statue of a running cat, a poster of Ralph Fiennes as Hamlet, and a sign that says “We serve only the finest wines. Did you bring any?”.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
Oh gosh, it was undoubtedly one of the Dick and Jane school textbooks. I do remember learning how to read those. By the fifth grade I was enthralled by C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare made a big impression on me. I still read that at least once a year.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I tend to do a lot of my reading before I go to sleep, which means it’s pretty much physical books for me. But I do have several e-books in my Kobo reader and it’s great to be able to dip into those when I’m traveling.
I am a terrible listener, so I’ve never seen the allure of audio books, although I know they’re very popular. (I plan to publish the first three Vivien Brandt mysteries in audio after I finish the third one, it’s just more economical that way.)
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
Hmmm, it would probably be a tie between Edinburgh and Hawaii. Edinburgh is so full of history and mystery, it’s no wonder so many books are set there. But I miss Hawaii very much since I moved away from California and would love to set a mystery amidst the bright colors and warmth of those lovely islands. Plus, I could deduct some of the travel costs as “research”.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
As so many writers do, I go back to Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird whenever I need inspiration from another writer. It’s just a beautiful, heartwarming book. And Joss Whedon has a brain for the ages (though it seems he’s had to work to be a better human being). I collaborated with him on a political campaign a while back and he said he really liked my writing. I could have died happy that day.
If I could be any fictional writer, though, I’d be Richard Castle, from the series Castle. That’s my dream life. You know, except for the getting shot at, and stuff.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I do, and they are definitely a force that keeps me going. I meet up with the Doncaster Writers Group twice a month and they give me invaluable criticism on my work in progress. The other mystery author in that group, Angela Wren, has been my companion at many a book fair. And my fellow authors in anthologies are always there for encouragement, be they in the UK, America, or Canada. I also belong to Sisters in Crime, the Crime Writers Association, and Promoting Yorkshire Authors and I’ve come to know many wonderful writers through those groups. No one understands the challenges of being a writer like another writer! It can be a bit of a lonely occupation.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I’ve just had a short story published in Bouquet of Secrets, an anthology from the Sisters in Crime Europe chapter, and another in Earth, from the Seasonal Collective that I work with, which has authors from the UK and Canada. I also submitted a story for an anthology from the Crime Writers Association, which we hope will be out in the new year. Those were all written in October, so I was very busy! Now I’m working on book 3 of the Vivien Brandt Mysteries, which is set on a cruise to Alaska where Vivien meets someone from her past. It’s proving to be a blast to write, and you can read the first chapter at the end of book 2, Dug to Death!
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
It was my pleasure! 😊
About Gianetta Murray
Gianetta Murray grew up in California in the heady days of Silicon Valley, but for the last twenty years has lived a slightly more peaceful existence in England with her husband and a minimum of two cats. She enjoys rewatching Hollywood musicals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, plays guitar and ukulele, and stresses about using all the pears provided by the tree in her back garden. She dreams about one day being spit on by Jonathan Groff.
Author Links
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/p/Gianetta-Murray-Author-100095221600878/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gianettamurray/
GoodReads Gianetta Murray
Substack Gianetta Murray | Substack
Blue Sky Gianetta Murray – Author (@gianettamurray.bsky.social)
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – More Stores
Enter the Giveaway: A signed paperback of Dug to Death, one winner for the UK, one for North America
Dug to Death TOUR PARTICIPANTS
December 8 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
December 10 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 10 – Baroness Book Trove– SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author -SPOTLIGHT
December 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
December 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 15 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
December 16 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
December 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH MUSIC PLAYLIST
December 18 – Sarandipity’s -AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 18 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
December 19 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
December 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 21 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
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View Comments (2)
Thanks so much for featuring my book! I had such fun writing it, I hope it brings equal pleasure to readers.
You're welcome! Thanks for being here!