Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Sore Like an Eagle: A Redwoods Country Mystery by Marc Jedel. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Sore Like an Eagle: A Redwoods Country Mystery by Marc Jedel
Sore Like an Eagle: A Redwoods Country Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – California’s Redwoods Country
BGM Press (April 20, 2026)
Number of Pages: 241
The coroner is claiming natural causes. The mayor is crying murder. Can this feisty retiree spot the truth before the clues drown in the chaos?
Andy Shirley won’t admit he likes it here. But in the year since his wife’s passing, the copy-editor-turned-reluctant-hotelier has begun to appreciate small-town life amongst the towering redwoods. And his quick eye for detail has him suspecting foul play when the local busybody is found belly-up in the community pool.
With his sleuthing skills unaffected by a recent hiking injury, Andy ignores the police chief’s cautions and dives into an off-the-books investigation. But though his snarky sidekick and pocket-sized poodle help chase down leads, all his Poirot-inspired maneuvers aren’t getting him any closer to closing the case.
Can he pull off an impossible solve, or will the lack of evidence drive Andy off the deep end?
Sore Like an Eagle is the splashy third book in the Redwoods Country cozy mystery series. If you like reluctant heroes, unexpected team-ups, and puzzles that keep you guessing, then you’ll love this hilarious yarn.
Try Sore Like an Eagle to swim laps around crime today!
My Review of Sore Like an Eagle
Andy Shirley is back in Sore Like an Eagle, the third book in the Redwoods Country Mystery series by Marc Jedel. You can read this as a standalone, but if you like seeing how the characters develop throughout the series, I’d suggest starting at book one. All of the books in this series are great!
This one takes place the week of Thanksgiving and starts on Monday morning when Andy’s visiting a fitness center…no, not to exercise but to “market” his archery classes. While he’s there, the aqua aerobics class is in session. Just as he’s ready to leave, he hears a scream and sees a dead woman floating in the pool. And obviously, Andy just knows that it’s murder, and he obviously needs to investigate. After all, since he moved to this small town he’s “solved” two other murders. (I mean he technically did, but you’ve got to read the books to get the hilarity of how he solves them.)
I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. Marc Jedel has a talent for crafting such great, quirky characters. I can see how they’re changing throughout the series. Andy’s not as cranky, and he’s starting to fit into the new town where he runs an inn. I love Charlie who is Andy’s handywoman. Her mom is the police chief and always tells Charlie and Andy to NOT investigate. They never listen! There may be a bit of romance happening between Charlie’s mom and Andy, but we’ll see how it goes. Andy is still very loyal to his late wife and feels like he’d be betraying her if he moved on. I love Andy’s quirky housekeeper! Her personality is described in more detail in the first two books, but she’s still an extremely fun character to follow. The suspects all have their own wacky personalities… There must be something in the water…
If you like funny cozy mystery books, you’ll really enjoy Sore Like an Eagle! I highly recommend it for its well-plotted mystery with lots of suspects, the quirky characters, and the way in which the murder is solved.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Character Guest Post: Charlie Blaylock from Sore Like an Eagle by Marc Jedel
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Marc Jedel keeps asking me to write a character post for his blog tours. At least he’s entered the current century, which is more than I can claim Andy Shirley has done. He’s more at home, well, at home, than dealing with any kind of social media.
The man went viral on social media, but he still probably thinks that’s got something to do with getting sick. Someone posted Andy’s Quilt House Inn guest rules of conduct and they drew thousands of views, hundreds of comments, and made everyone laugh at what they believed was an obvious exaggerated joke. Except for those of us who have to listen to Andy complain whenever one of his guests don’t follow all the rules that he wrote down quite seriously.
I mean did he really need to put in a rule that guests can’t murder anyone in his inn? It seems like California law pretty much covered that situation without Andy needing to add yet another line to his voluminous list. That’s Andy for you. He’s a lovable guy once you get past the gruff, and sometimes grumpy, exterior. But he never should have signed up for a job that required customer service, let alone buying a bed and breakfast that meant he needed to interact with guests daily.
Getting back to this blog, I wanted to record a video, but Marc said that wasn’t allowed. Writing doesn’t come naturally to me—give me a wrench or a soldering iron and I’m fine, but a keyboard? That’s torture. Still, I owe him for writing me into existence—and also because Andy dared me. He said, “You couldn’t possibly write anything coherent without emojis.” Challenge accepted, old man.
Let’s start with the most interesting part of the books—me. I’m Charlie Blaylock—plumber, electrician, and occasional wrangler of chaos here in Monte Rio, California. I like fixing things that are broken, mostly because things don’t talk back to you. Some folks are surprised to see a woman show up to unclog their toilet, but that’s their problem. I easily win them over by fixing whatever disaster they caused. And if not, I at least enjoy the look on their face when they realize I know what I’m doing. I should add a surcharge on those jobs.
People say I’m blunt. That’s fine. Life’s too short for long explanations and fake smiles. My mother—Chief Joann Blaylock—calls it “attitude.” I call it “genetic inheritance.” She runs the Monte Rio Police Department with the same subtlety as a bullhorn. We’ve got a complicated relationship, which is just a polite way of saying we drive each other crazy but would also take a bullet for one another.
I try not to get dragged into Andy’s nonsense, unless it looks more interesting than fixing another toilet. Honestly, though, it’s kind of addictive. There’s something satisfying about watching Andy bumble around accusing everyone and their chickens until he finally manages to put the pieces together and nails the guilty person.
It is shocking that Andy has such an adorable dog. Clearly his late wife picked her out. Fifi makes hanging out with Andy worth it. That dog has more personality than most of the men I’ve dated. She gives everyone the side-eye like she’s judging their life choices, which, to be fair, she probably is.
If you’re wondering what I do for fun, it’s not writing blog posts, that’s for sure. Monte Rio is small, but it has its charms. I like going to local concerts with my friends, taking hikes through the redwoods, and rafting down the Russian River. Sleeping is also high on my list.
Marc Jedel, the guy behind all this, thinks he knows me pretty well. He doesn’t. He gets close sometimes—like when he gives me a good sarcastic line, but then he ruins it by putting dumb words in my mouth. I wish he wouldn’t write about murders in our tiny town. I keep telling him dead bodies are gross. But apparently, a “cozy mystery” still requires the mystery part.
If I could change one thing about my life, it’d be fewer corpses and higher fees for my work. But let’s be honest—without the chaos, Monte Rio wouldn’t feel like home. Besides, someone’s got to eat Nadia’s latest creations, keep Andy out of too much trouble, cause my mother’s blood pressure to rise, and prevent Fifi from declaring war on the vacuum cleaner.
So, there you have it. I’ve written another blog post. I’d say “never again,” but Marc keeps bribing me with promises of new scenes and threatens possible romance subplots (which—nope). Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, Andy just texted that he “found something suspicious.” That could be anything from a poorly worded comment in the town newspaper to a dead body, so I’ll go help the old guy out of whatever mess he’s found himself in this time. If I don’t survive (or get thrown in prison by my mom), give the snacks in my toolbox to Fifi.
Sore Like an Eagle, is on sale for only $2.99 during this tour. It’s available at: https://mybook.to/SoreLikeanEagle. You can find all Marc’s cozy mysteries at: https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Jedel/e/B07H7MVKJL. They’re available in e-book, paperback, and audiobook formats. His novels are free to read by Kindle Unlimited members.
About Marc Jedel
Marc Jedel writes funny, feel-good murder mysteries filled with quirky characters, twisty plots, and the kind of humor that goes down easy with a cup of tea—or glass of wine. After years of writing marketing copy in Silicon Valley, Marc finally started crafting fiction people actually wanted to read. He’s the author of multiple cozy mystery series, including the Silicon Valley Mystery, Ozarks Lake Mystery, and Redwoods Country Mystery series. His books have earned thousands of glowing reviews.
Like Andy from the Redwoods Country Mysteries, Marc keeps getting older and sincerely hopes his retirement doesn’t involve running a B&B. Like Marty from the Silicon Valley series, he lives in tech-heavy California, has worked in high-tech, and proudly wields bad puns. Like Jonas and Elizabeth from the Ozarks Lake series, Marc grew up in the South and spent many a summer in and around Arkansas.
He lives with his endlessly patient wife and a sweet, neurotic dog who remains deeply unimpressed by Marc’s jokes. When not writing, Marc can be found hiking, plotting murders (on the page, officer, really!), or avoiding whatever home improvement project he’s been putting off.
Visit marcjedel.com for free content, updates, and more!
Author Links
- Website and mailing list: www.marcjedel.com
- Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Jedel/e/B07H7MVKJL
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarcJedel.Author
- BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/marc-jedel?follow=true
- Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403497.Marc_Jedel
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjedel/
Purchase Links – AMAZON
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Sore Like an Eagle TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
May 12 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 13 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 13 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
May 14 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
May 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 15 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 16 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 17 – Twirling Book Princess – SPOTLIGHT
May 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 19 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 20 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
May 22 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
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