M.M. Chouinard's Blog

Hey everyone!

I'm holding a virtual book-chat gathering via Zoom this Saturday, July 1st at noon PT, where you can come ask me questions and chat with me about my books, true crime, or whatever else comes up.

The event is completely FREE (I love free), so grab some wine or caffeine depending on your time zone and/or personal preference and come hang out with me!

Register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regis...

Hope to see you soon!

Michelle (M.M.) Chouinard

Hello friends!

I read all across the spectrum of crime fiction depending on my mood; sometimes I want something funny and comfy, and I’ll turn to my favorite cozy. Sometimes I want something that is really puzzle-heavy, and I’ll turn to a traditional mystery. Sometimes I want something gritty and authentic—and Aftershock, the newest Dr. Jessie Teska mystery from Dr. Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell, takes me right to that place.

Aftershock, by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell

Aftershock is the second book in the Jessie Teska series (the first was First Cut), about a medical examiner who helps solve crimes in San Francisco. In this book, Leopold Haring, an architect, is found dead under a load of pipes at a construction site. The detective on the case believes his death is an industrial accident, but as soon as Jessie takes a look at the body, she realizes the pipes were not the cause of death. Her autopsy reveals the real cause—Haring was stabbed with something akin to an ice pick or screwdriver. So when a bloody screwdriver appears in the back of a construction union steward’s pickup, the detectives and district attorney believe they’ve found their man. However, the closer Jessie looks, the more she believes the wrong person has been arrested—but nobody will listen to her, and a major earthquake sends the city, and the medical examiner’s office, into an overdrive that makes it even harder for her to investigate the case.

If you’re looking for a truly authentic look at a murder investigation through the eyes of a medical examiner, this book (and this series) is for you. This isn’t an accident—one of the authors, Dr. Judy Melinek, is a medical examiner, and her expertise shows. In fact, consider this your warning—if you’re squeamish about autopsies and/or dead and decaying bodies, this series may not be for you. This book in particular pulls no punches—there are detailed scenes about how Teska has to deal with the victims of the earthquake (Melinek’s experience dealing with such situation again shows here—as she details in her non-fiction book Working Stiff, Melinek was one of the MEs who helped deal with the aftermath of 9/11 in Manhattan). But if you’re looking for those sorts of authentic details, particularly in a compelling story that shows how autopsy findings can lead investigators to the right conclusions, this book and series is a unique glimpse into that world.

While the authenticity is a huge draw for me, I also love Dr. Jessie Teska. She’s prickly, she has no filter, she makes mistakes in her personal life, and when you get right down to it, she probably shouldn’t be likeable—but she absolutely is. I relate to her, I sympathize with her, and I root for her. The way this chapter of her personal story wrapped up in the book made me smile and makes me look forward to finding out where that story goes from here.

The San Francisco setting is another draw for me—as a dedicated Bay Area dweller, I’ve had a lifelong love affair with The City, and always enjoy spending fictional time there, too. Jessie is still ambivalent about San Francisco, although she’s coming to love it—and that resonates with me, too, because I think it’s a very San Franciscan trait to both embrace the good and face the bad about San Francisco and the Bay Area as a whole.

So, if spending a little time following a San Francisco medical examiner sounds like fun, I highly recommend picking up Aftershock (or First Cut—but Aftershock stands on its own even if you haven’t read the first book) and getting to know Dr. Jessie Teska.

(I should mention that Hanover Square Press sent an advanced copy of Aftershock for me to review; however, that did not influence my review in any way—I purchased both First Cut and Working Stiff myself and loved them both, too.)

Happy Reading,

M.

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Hello friends!

One of the most common questions I get has to do with the order my Detective Jo Fournier novels are meant to be read, so I thought I’d do a blog post here to clarify that.

I try to write the Fournier books so that you can start anywhere you like and you won’t have any of the previous mysteries spoiled for you. However, Jo’s personal life does evolve over the books, so while the main mysteries are self-contained, you might get some spoilers about those aspects of her life. If you want to avoid that, here is the ideal reading order for the novels:

1) The Dancing Girls (Jo Fournier #1)

The Dancing Girls, M.M. Chouinard

Start here! This is where it all began. I think of this as a sort of prequel because it happens eight years before the rest of the books, and is an origin story of sorts for who Jo is and the personal issues she struggles with. In it, she hunts a serial killer who poses his victims as ballroom dancers…

2) Taken to the Grave. (Jo Fournier #2)

Taken to the Grave, M.M. Chouinard

Now we’re getting into current times, and the team has adjusted to accomodate Jo’s new position—just in time to investigate a series of murders at the local university.

3) Her Daughter’s Cry (Jo Fournier #3)

Her Daughter’s Cry, M.M. Chouinard

Third up…Jo has to help a Jane Doe figure out who she is, before it’s too late.

4) The Other Mothers (Jo Fournier #4)

The Other Mothers, M.M. Chouinard

And, finally, in The Other Mothers, Jo has to figure out who killed an innocent kindergartener, despite all the lies everyone around the case is hiding.

So there you have it, all the Fournier books in order! I hope this is helpful.

Happy reading,

M.

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Hello friends!

I love psychological thrillers, so I’m very excited to talk a bit today with Georgina Cross, a hot new voice in the genre. I read her debut novel, The Stepdaughter, and loved how it kept me guessing until the last page, but everything tied up so perfectly I was annoyed with myself for not seeing the twists! Her second thriller, The Missing Woman, released last week, and I can’t wait to dive in.

The Missing Woman, Georgina Cross

Author’s description:

Erica thought Sabine had it all. The glances Erica makes to the other woman across the pool, envying her life, the looks going unnoticed, until the day Sabine stares back and she holds the stare a little too long. A cold feeling clenches inside Erica’s chest, a fearful warning. And before the sun sets and the pool lights turn on, both women know something is about to go terribly wrong.

A little bit about Georgina Cross:

A graduate of Louisiana State University, Georgina has worked in television news, marketing and communications as well as business development and as a workforce director. She founded Susie’s Wish, a non-profit that sends patients with life-threatening illnesses to the beach—something that resonates deeply with me, because I’ve always found the ocean to be very healing and peaceful. She and her husband David enjoy basketball, scary movies (yeeessss!!), and trying new restaurants with their blended family of four sons.

My conversation with Georgina:

Q: What theme(s) in your books do you hope your readers will connect with, and why?

A: Friendship and loyalty is a huge theme of this book. There are several friendships that are explored in this book, both their good and bad influences, and it was interesting for me to see how far friends will go to protect each other or whether they’ll choose to protect themselves first.

Q: What made you want to write this particular book?

A: I love writing suspense and I kept toying with the idea of a mysterious look between two women kicking off the action in the book. What did the look mean? Is the other woman being paranoid, or was the look a warning and something terrible is about to happen?

Q: Was there any special research you did to make the book feel real?

A: No research as the book is set in an exaggerated version of a neighborhood where I used to live. That neighborhood pool is my old pool so it was a lot of fun to draw details from our former home and neighbors.

Q: What else would you like readers to know about the book?

A: This is a slow burn and I intended for it to be this way after my first book, The Stepdaughter, where most of the book is set in one night, the night the girl disappears, and is super action-packed. This book, The Missing Woman, has more layers and secrets to explore before reaching the twists & turns. There are surprises at the end so look out for earlier clues!

My thoughts:

I personally love a book that rewards careful readers with hidden clues and a big punch at the end, so this sounds amazing to me! And, The Missing Woman is on sale right now for $0.99, so if you’re interested, I say go grab it now. You can find her first thriller, The Stepdaughter, here.

You can also sign up for Georgina’s newsletter by clicking here, and find her on social media here:

Georgina Cross Website

Facebook: GeorginaCrossAuthor

Twitter: @GCrossAuthor

Instagram: @georginacrossauthor

Happy reading,

M.M.

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Hello friends!

For me, an important part of the holidays has always been quiet time to curl up under a cozy blanket with a cup of coffee and a good book. I always try to find one or two new books set at Christmas time to read, but I also have a standby favorite that I always read—at least partially—every year.

Mistletoe Mysteries, Collected by Charlotte MacLeod

And when I say every year, I mean it—I’ve been returning to this book for thirty years, since I first discovered it. The first copy I owned is falling apart, and I was overjoyed when it finally became available for Kindle!

Mistletoe Mysteries is a collection of mystery short stories from some very famous authors (including Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, Peter Lovesey, and of course, Charlotte MacLeod), although they don’t all involve murder. Some are fun, some will touch your heart, and some will teach you about holiday traditions in other cultures while you’re solving the mystery. I love them all, but if you push me to pick favorites, I’ll admit I don’t read them in order…I read one a day and usually start with A Cozy for Christmas, go to The Live Tree, then skip to Silent Night. I make my way through the rest and save A Wee Doch and Doris for New Year’s Eve. You’ll understand why one you read it.

So, if you’re looking for a little literary advent calendar to get you from now to the end of the season, I highly recommend checking this out.

Big holiday hugs,

M.

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Hello!

In an effort to add a little holiday cheer to the universe, I’m having a holiday book giveaway!

 












































 

There will be five prizes, each for one Jo Fournier Novel (Kindle version), either The Dancing Girls, Taken to the Grave, Her Daughter’s Cry, or a preorder of The Other Mothers.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over. Check out the Rafflecopter widget below for full details, including full terms and conditions.

Big holiday hugs,

Michelle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello!

You all know I'm a fan of all things crime friction and true crime. An evening spent watching Forensics Files followed by reading a thriller late into the night? Sign me up. But what you might not know about me is that I also love retro 50's and 40's inspired fashion. So you can imagine my pure, unadulterated joy when I discovered that these two things actually overlap in the real world...

I recently went to a 'curiosities' faire, which is like an arts & wine festival put on by creatures of the night. I was excited to go see what inspirations popped up for future stories, and just because I love that kind of stuff. There was quite a line to get in, but that was okay--because the line itself was an awakening. A large number of people were wearing 'dark' outfits--either literally or thematically. And a reasonable percentage of the ladies were wearing retro styles--but rather than the typical cherries, polka dots and gingham you'd find on those fashions, they were covered in skulls, spider webs, and implements of death.

I was like a child who'd never heard of princesses or fairytales walking into Disneyland for the first time.

The ultimate for me was a halter dress made from Edgar Allen Poe fabric based on The Raven. I instantly jumped on my phone and tried to hunt down the dress. I couldn't find it.

But I found the fabric.

 












































 

Seriously, how cool is this?!

Growing up, I learned the basics of sewing. And only the basics--the last thing I wanted to do as a teenager was sacrifice any of my precious Agatha-Christie reading time to sew a garment I could buy for far cheaper at the mall. As an adult I've pulled out the sewing machine a few times, mostly to make Halloween costumes or alter a few ready-to-wear items. But I've never really been motivated to sew my own clothes.

Until I saw that fabric.

As I poked around the site, my eyes grew bigger and bigger. Skulls. Skeletons. Atmospheric brocades. Bloody handprints. Everything a crime-fiction obsessed author could ever want--and stuff I definitely can't get at the mall.

I bought the fabric and I found a close-enough pattern for a dress. But I'm not crazy enough to think I'd just bust out a perfectly fitted dress on the first try. So I bought a couple of other fabrics and patterns and set about refreshing my sewing memory with a large dose of help from the internet. The first couple of items I made were a regular, easy pencil skirt and top. But finally I took my first step into what I've come to think of as "crime-fiction couture"--a cute, fifties-inspired top covered in (subtle?) skulls:

 












































 

Cute and Creepy!

I'm particularly proud of the buttons:

 












































 

If you care about these sorts of things, the pattern I used is Simplicity S8882, and these are the buttons I used. The fabric is currently out of stock in red, but is available in slate and black. I cut one size too large, and had to fiddle with the fit, so the neckline isn't as cute as the pattern shape--but I'm thinking about making another one in the black, so maybe I'll get it right the next time.

I realize I'm one of only a handful of people on the planet who'd wear this shirt--and that's when I think sewing is very cool, when you're creating something you just can't find anywhere else. And I have to admit, I really love the idea of crime-fiction couture...What about you? Do you think it's fun, or just silly? If you could make your own themed wardrobe, what theme what you pick?

Stay tuned for the 'Nevermore' dress...I'm not sure how long it'll take or how it'll come out, but I'm gonna make it happen!

Hugs,

M.

Hello!

 I recently started listening to the popular podcast My Favorite Murder. Several times in the first few episodes, the hosts joke about people possibly finding the concept of a 'favorite murder' strange, or a general obsession interest in true crime a bit odd (or downright disturbing). This topic is something I've thought a lot about: What does an interest in true crime and/or crime fiction say about a person? And what does it say when that interest is paired with comedy?

My interest in true crime started in grammar school when I first heard about Jack the Ripper. My mother didn't think true crime was an appropriate interest for a young lady, and periodically throughout my life, I've see that expression on people's faces when the topic comes up. I've also had people make comments when I read certain of my flash pieces at open mics, and tell me I 'should read less horror.' I've even seen my fellow crime writers accused of being 'sick' because of the contents of their books--including a review that claimed the author of a novel that included a child-molester villain "should be put on a registry."

It's macabre subject matter, to be sure. But does it signal something unhealthy? Something sick and twisted?

I'd argue it signals the exact opposite. I can't speak for everyone, of course. But I know in my case, as a psychologist with a fascination for human behavior, my interest in true crime and crime fiction comes from two places: one, a desire to understand what goes wrong in the human psyche that creates people who commit such atrocities, and two, a deep-seated need to see such people brought to justice.

In fact, there's nothing that irks my soul more than unsolved murders. I completely understand the obsession that caused Michelle McNamara to work late into the night for years trying to catch the Golden State Killer, and I've spent far too many hours of my life poring over such cases coming up with theories someone might have missed. Part of why I write crime fiction is I get huge satisfaction from bringing killers to justice in my books, something that fails to happen all too often in real life. In essence, I think those of us who have these interests are trying to gain some measure of control, or at least understanding, of the uncontrollable and the horrific.

Maybe you're thinking: But surely it's odd to have a 'favorite' murder? And surely laughing during such subject matter--about people who've been viciously murdered--is wrong? Doesn't a podcast that combines humor with such things cross a line?

I can see how some people might consider laughing at such things distasteful, or even disrespectful. But while the notion of 'gallows humor' isn't new, its psychology is widely misunderstood. Laughter is a part of the human condition that helps us cope with things we otherwise couldn't--laughing at horrific acts gives us a measure of power over how those acts impact us. In the words of this article (an excellent read, by the way), humor is a weapon, a shield, and a psychological salve. The article quotes Antonin Obrdlik as saying 'Gallows humor is an index of strength or morale on the part of oppressed people.' I don't think it's a coincidence that my two favorite true-crime-slash-comedy podcasts (Wine & Crime and My Favorite Murder) are hosted by women: the victims of such crimes are overwhelmingly women and self-protection is a constant part of every woman's day. But I also think it's fair to say that everyone is oppressed to some degree by the specter of violent crime that hangs over society.

Of course, I'm probably preaching to the choir here--if you're reading this, you're most likely a fan of true crime or crime fiction. But, if so, I'm also sure you've had people give you that look and say "how can you read stuff like that?" or "I can't watch those things, they'd give me nightmares." There's nothing wrong with that approach: avoidance is a perfectly healthy psychological mechanism for dealing with dark realities, and one that works very well for many, many people. But the way true-crime and crime-fiction fans deal with those dark realities is perfectly healthy, too.

And in some cases, our way of coping even helps bring criminals to justice.

Thanks for reading,

 Michelle

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Hello!


I hope you're doing well and staying healthy during these crazy times! Because so many of us find ourselves sheltering in place right now, I thought I'd try to step up my recommendations a little to spread the word about some murder-&-mayhem-related awesomeness that I'm enjoying lately.


Today I'm gonna talk about First Cut, by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell:




What made me want to read this: A while back, I recommended Working Stiff by these same authors; Working Stiff is a non-fiction memoir about Dr. Melinek's work as a medical examiner, and covers, among other things, her work in NYC in the days after 9/11. I found that book to be a fascinating, approachable read that I couldn't put down, so when I found out the authors were trying their hand at fiction, I had to read it. Because, in a nutshell, First Cut is a novel about a fictional medical examiner who helps solve crimes, written by a real-life medical examiner who helps solve crimes, writing together with her husband.


Plot basics: Jessie Teska, a medical examiner, moves to San Francisco to escape a painful past. She's barely into her new digs when a very odd case crosses her path: a man shot to death because he snatch-and-grabbed a laptop in a cafe. As she look into the case, a woman she caught crying in the rain turns up on her table, dead of a drug overdose. As she investigates, she begins to suspect the cases are related; when she tries to pursue her line of inquiry, she smashes up against bureaucratic resistance that undercuts her ability to do her job and puts her in danger.


Why I love this: Because one of the two authors is a medical examiner, this book is as authentic as it gets, but is an easy, compelling read. The insight into what medical examiners do and how vital it can be is fascinating, but in the wrong hands could become dense and dry--but the writing here is fresh, inviting and down-to-earth. I also love Jessie Teska as a character; she's tenacious, she's empathetic, she's a little bit grumpy, and she's a lot real. She's the sort of person I'd love to hang out with (at least, after she washes the smell of decomposing corpses off of her). And, because I'm a Bay Area resident, I love that the book is set in San Francisco and manages to celebrate the city I love even if Jessie's not yet sure it's her cup of tea. She lives in a converted cable car, a detail taken from real San Francisco history--how cool is that?


You can find First Cut in bookstores now, and of course you can find it on Amazon if you prefer to order that way.


I purchased First Cut myself, and this review reflects my honest opinion of the book.


Happy reading!

M.M.



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Check out The Dancing Girls, my debut novel, here!
And the 2nd Det. Jo Fournier book, Taken to the Grave, here!
And the 3rd Det. Jo Fournier book, Her Daughter's Cry, here!

Her Last Goodnight is the third book in the Finn Beck series, but it can easily be read as a standalone, so don't let that stop you if you haven't read the first two. Beck is a flawed character, but a very likable one--I find myself rooting for him to not just solve the case, but to make progress on his own personal journey. While his struggles are extreme, they're still easy to relate to, and that's not an easy feat to accomplish.

In this installment, a neighborhood man is found beaten to death. As Beck investigates, he finds there are more nefarious goings-on than he'd suspected, and has to dig deep into both the present and the past to catch the killer.

This is a classic mystery in the sense that there is good, old-fashioned police work investigating one lead after another in a way that builds--my very favorite type, so I found the story deeply satisfying, the sort of book I linger over and don't want to end. And I'm very invested in seeing where Beck goes from here.

I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review; my opinions are not biased by this, and I have purchased a pre-order copy so I'll have my very own on the release date.