Primary Source: A Cassandra Sato Short Mystery

by Kelly Brakenhoff

Rare letters, shady dealings, and a chili cook-off that's heating up fast.
While Cassandra Sato is away at a conference, Marcus Fischer covers a library fundraiser in her place. Just show up and shake a few hands. Smile at donors. Only nothing is ever that simple at Morton College.

When the fundraiser's marquee letter turns into the evening's biggest scandal, Fischer gets handed a job nobody prove the archive's rare collection isn't built on a lie. He's got a facilities budget, a bad knee, and no training in literary forgery. His colleague and friend Shannon Bryant wants to help, but his contribution mostly amounts to Deaf Studies expertise and a fierce need to win the college's chili cook-off trophy, which makes him just as unqualified.Primary Source hands the narration to Marcus Fischer for a fast, funny, forgery-hunting week. Same found family, same shenanigans, authentic Deaf Community representation, and a team you'll root for, especially when they're this far outside their job descriptions.

Primary Source is a standalone story set in the world of the Cassandra Sato Mystery Series. No prior books required, though you'll probably want them by the end.


A version of Primary Source was previously published in "A Bookworm of a Suspect (A Cozy Mystery Tribe Anthology)" ©2023 by Aconite Cafe. This edition has been revised and expanded to provide a deeper exploration of the characters and themes.

61 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 18 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children's literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.

And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the series, you'll enjoy it. If you're new to the series, don't start here. The books focus on Cassandra, and this one takes place with other cast members while she's away at a conference. You won't get a solid feel for the overall culture and drama in the books. But fun getting to know the library staff and a bit more about Cassandra's sort-of-love-interest.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was fun. Even though it's listed as a Cassandra Sato short story. She is an even in it and the main star is her colleague and boyfriend Marcus Fisher who gets involved in a mystery of his own. Also there is a side plot with Shannon Bryant and Meg O’Brien entering a chill cook off.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a stand alone novella in the Cassandra Sato mystery series. Cassandra was out of town at a conference, so the POV was of her boyfriend Marcus Fischer. The story was about a forged letter supposedly from Hemingway being auctioned off to help pay for a scholarship at Morton College. Marcus, Andy, & Shannon figured out how it happened and saved the day!

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short mystery. It would seem the world of collecting artifacts, letters, and other things, isn't quite on the up and up. For Cassandra, this could mean trouble, especially regarding a rare Hemingway letter. The author puts a lot of story in a small space, but makes it intriguing.