Writing Murder on Pleasant Avenue was a joy on several levels. It is the 23rd book in the Gaslight Mystery Series, so every book in that series is kind of a miracle because I never expected the series to last beyond six books! So that’s exciting.

The second reason I enjoyed writing this book is because it features my favorite ethnic group, the Italians. My paternal grandparents emigrated from Italy as teenagers over 100 years ago, but my grandmother died young, so I never knew her, and I didn’t know my grandfather well. Most of what I know about them is second hand, but even that is fascinating. From the census records, we know that my teen-aged grandfather lived in a boarding house and my grandmother’s father lived in a boarding house next door. My great-grandfather had four daughters, and he brought them over one at a time and then finally brought his wife to America. Two of his daughters married the sons of the family he was boarding with and my grandmother married the boy who lived next door. Arranged marriages? Most likely! But I know my grandfather dearly loved his wife from the touching inscription on her headstone.

The third reason I loved writing this book is because it features Maeve and Gino, who are usually secondary characters in the series. A few years ago, they actually got their own book, Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, and it was fun to give them a slightly larger role in this story, too. In this book, Gino is falsely accused of murder, and his friends must find the real killer to save him. Fans have been nagging me for a while now to get the Maeve and Gino together, so this was a great opportunity for them to grow a bit closer as a couple. Will they or won’t they? Since I started my career writing romance, you can rest assured that they will eventually get a happy ending. I just won’t promise how soon that will happen!

The final reason I enjoyed writing this book is because I got to dispel some myths about the mafia in it. Murder on Pleasant Avenue features The Black Hand, an early criminal group that preceded the mafia but was not actually connected to it. The Black Hand terrorized people by kidnapping women and children and selling protection. The mafia, who came along later, started out by counterfeiting, loan sharking and running a lottery (i.e. the numbers racket). The Black Hand eventually faded into history while the mafia grew more powerful. What most people don’t realize is that both groups got their start by preying mostly on other Italian immigrants.

In Murder on Pleasant Avenue, I got to show some Italian family life and enjoy vicariously what I missed because I never knew my grandmother. Did you have any relatives who are immigrants to America? Do you have some happy family memories you’d like to share?