Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Jewel of a Crime: A Venus Bixby Mystery by Valerie Taylor. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Jewel of a Crime: A Venus Bixby Mystery by Valerie Taylor
A Jewel of a Crime: A Venus Bixby Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Set in Chatham Crossing, a fictional whaling town between Providence and Cape Cod
Publisher : Aspetuck Publishing
Publication date : June 2, 2026
Print length : 322 pages
Paperback
With green streaks in her hair and “Rock the Shamrock” polish on her nails, Venus Bixby is ready to trade dance recitals for airplane tickets.
After selling her dance studio, she has a brand-new plan: travel the world and recover stolen art. But life deals Venus an unexpected card. When she pulls back a curtain in the studio and finds the new owner dead on the couch, her next adventure becomes a very public nightmare.
With Chatham Crossing’s whisper mill in overdrive, Venus is now a prime suspect (because of course she is). In the process of clearing her name, she discovers her late husband secretly bought an emerald ring—and now it’s missing.
As burglaries ripple through this charming town, Venus wonders if the studio owner’s death and the missing emerald are part of the same glittering crime spree.
Between gossiping neighbors, buried secrets, and one very inconvenient corpse, Venus will need sharp instincts—and maybe a touch of Irish luck—to solve the case before her passport dreams are grounded for good.
A Jewel of a Crime is book three in the Venus Bixby Mystery series. Expect cozy clues, small-town charm, amateur sleuthing, cats, and a mystery that keeps sparkling with surprises.
Includes cookie recipes and an oldies playlist!
My interview with Valerie Taylor
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I spent most of my career as a marketing communications professional focused on financial services, and more recently I’ve become an author. I’m an early riser and pretty disciplined — my mornings usually start with meditation and writing. Most afternoons I’m with my granddaughter. In the evenings I crash watching sports and reading.
I’ve lived much of my life in Connecticut, spent time in Boston and Seattle, and now I’m back in Connecticut near family. I love oldies music, cats, sports, and storytelling. At this stage of my life, I feel very grounded, creative, and grateful for the experiences I bring to new opportunities.
How long have you been writing?
Decades, one way or another. In fifth grade I penned my first meaningful “award-winning” story about a trip to Mars. This would’ve been in the very early 1960s, so we hadn’t even gone to the moon yet. I guess I was ahead of the times. Later, I was the editor for the high school newspaper.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
My dream was to go to journalism school and be a newspaper reporter. Even though that didn’t happen, I always imagined I had a book in me. In fact, I believe everyone has a book inside. The challenge is letting it emerge. My first trilogy, beginning with What’s Not Said, is a romantic comedy. I was surprised when readers encouraged me to write a cozy mystery. They were convinced my storytelling and relatable dialogue matched cozies perfectly. Now that I’ve written three of the Venus Bixby Mysteries, I hope they still agree!
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
Not sure I have a favorite genre to read. I’m kind of all over the place. Each year I read one Stephen King, one Ernest Hemingway, and one classic. Right now I’m reading Painting Over Cracks, a women’s contemporary fiction, by award-winning author Lee Bukowski.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
Yes! I do have a writer’s room. Well, it’s a sunroom I turned into a writer’s room. I have my favorite desk, a chair, electric fireplace, printer. It’s extremely peaceful, unless the landscapers are mowing like they were this morning. It overlooks the woods. I can watch the birds and squirrels flitting around. Just after dawn, the deer stroll by. I’ve even seen a bear, much to my hysterics!
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
I love my desk. It’s French provincial. Under it, I have a small footstool, because I’m short and tend to cross my feet at my ankles when I write. On the desk is the usual laptop and monitor. Three small signs dangle from a lamp. They read: Nevertheless, She Persisted; Live with intention; and Joy. I’m a fanatic with Post-It Notes. At times I can’t remember what they refer to! Sometimes it’s a password, but I have no idea what site it belongs to. I have a Boston Red Sox coaster for my tea that I need to re-heat multiple times each morning. And I have one of those pastel-colored fidget toys shaped like an ice cream cone that energizes my muse. And I have a couple rolls of Smarties … just because.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
Honestly, I don’t remember reading when I was very young. I was a foster child, and we didn’t have many books. I do remember my mother giving my older sister Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I think by the time I got to junior high I discovered Nancy Drew mysteries and grew into Agatha Christie. From there, I graduated to Stephen King.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I love all of these! I read physical books at night, audiobooks either at the gym or in the car, and e-books when travelling.
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?
Venice. Definitely Venice. In fact, there’s a scene in my first book, What’s Not Said, that takes place in Venice. Fortunately, I made a return trip there before it was published so I was able to walk through the scene, assuring its accuracy.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
Overall, readers influence me most. I’d intended What’s Not Said to be my one and only novel. Soon after its publication, readers consistently began asking what was happening next to the characters. I had no choice but to extend it into a trilogy. Similarly, as I mentioned in a question above, I have readers to thank for switching from romantic comedies to cozy mysteries.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
As an indie author, I have a large group of author friends worldwide. We support each other daily, whether with our writing or on a personal level. I belong to Sisters in Crime, nationally and in CT. It’s a close-knit support group especially for us mystery writers.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
In A Jewel of a Crime, I introduced a group of witchy shopkeepers called the Moonstone Guild. While I did it on a lark, just for fun, these ladies grew on me. Right now, I’m toying with the idea of creating a storyline with the Moonstone Guild front and center. Where is that fidget popper?
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
About Valerie Taylor
Valerie Taylor considers herself an “average Jane.” She might remind you of a reclusive neighbor who’s secretly writing her next novel. Unlike many of the writers she admires, she doesn’t hold a degree in literature. Instead, she credits her love of storytelling to a steady diet of classic comedy and suspense.
She’s the award-winning author of the romantic comedy trilogy What’s Not Said, What’s Not True, and What’s Not Lost, as well as of the first two books in the Venus Bixby cozy mystery series, A Whale of a Murder and Switched at Death. Her affinity for humor and whodunits was shaped early on by watching Carol Burnett, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, and The Twilight Zone.
When she’s not writing, Valerie enjoys oldies music, a passion sparked by hours growing up spent listening and dancing to Elvis Presley and The Beatles—and by proudly belonging to the Bobby Darin fan club.
Valerie lives close to her family in Connecticut.
Author Links
Website: https://www.ValerieTaylorAuthor.com
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/valerietaylorauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ValerieETaylor
Substack: valtaylor.substack.com
Purchase Links
Amazon Print Book
Amazon eBook
Enter the Giveaway
A Jewel of a Crime TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 19 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – REVIEW
June 19 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Baseball, Books, and Banter podcast – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 24 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 25 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 26 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 27 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
June 29 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 1 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
July 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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