Homebody

Toni Credella Mysteries #1

by Louise Titchener

After setting up residence in an apartment where a young woman was once brutally murdered, interior designer Toni Credella finds herself caught in the mystery of the woman's life and death. Original.

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

Louise was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She began to write short stories in high school and continued to write in college. She married a philosophy student, and they moved to Ohio, where she obtained a Masters degree and taught freshman English. Her husband became a Philosophy Professor at the University of Maryland. She and her husband had two children. While staying at home with her son and daughter she began to write in earnest. Those first efforts remain unsold.

The family moved to Maryland, where she joined a literary critique group. There she wrote a collaborative effort with three other women, Ruth Glick, Carolyn Males and Eileen Buckholtz. The result was a romance novel, "Love is Elected", was published by Silhouette Books under the pseudonym Alyssa Howard. The foursome also wrote another novel, Southern Persuasion. The collaborators decided to split into groups of two. Louise wrote in collaboration with Ruth Glick under the pseudonyms Alexis Hill, Alexis Hill Jordan and Tess Marlowe, and in collaboration with Carolyn Males as Clare Richards and Clare Richmond. She also wrote alone under the pseudonyms of Anne Silverlock and Jane Silverwood. She published fantasy and mystery novels under her real name: Louise Titchener. She said: "I'm a story-teller; I'm not a romance writer, mystery writer, or suspense writer per se. I tell all different kinds of stories. I certainly would not recommend writing in so many genres to other writers -- it's not the way to build an audience or a career in today's market."

With their children grown, Louise and her husband decided to move from the Maryland suburbs to Baltimore's inner city so they could enjoy the harbor. Many of Louise's mysteries are set in Baltimore, including her historical series featuring Oliver Redcastle. Louise and her husband have recently migrated to Sarasota, Florida. When Louise isn't writing fiction, she paints, sails, bicycles and kayaks around her new home in Sarasota, Florida.

Reviews

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homebody is a solid Mystery/Thriller The characters are well developed and human. Toni is a fighter. She fights through her severe dyslexia, finally fights back against her abusive husband and in the end fights for the ghost of the woman that was slain previously in Toni’s cheap new apartment.

Toni’s friends and family are also human, a bit dysfunctional, some of them crappy human beings but believable.

The story is good and complex. I did have the killer pegged about halfway through but the unfolding was done really well.

I recommend it!

[Angela Lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni Credella is a great and complex heroine. Marrying too young for the wrong reasons, she finds herself in an abusive relationship. Fearing for her life she shoots her policeman husband. The book starts here as Toni tries to resume her life after being acquitted of murder.
What I like is Toni’s vulnerability and courage. She is determined not to be a victim again and that gives her a newfound drive and strength. She is not a gun-toting tough cookie, but a delicate woman that had to fight against prejudice (she is both of Italian and Korean heritage), Violence and naked hatred (her husband’s cop buddies and even her own family) She emerges bruised and still full of self-doubt, but getting stronger by the day.
This is a great little thriller that throws up a few surprises, but most of all it’s the depth of character of Toni that spoke to me the most and kept me reading. I would love to read the next instalment in this series. Very promising start.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong and imperfect female lead, interesting characters, such a great page turner! I loved it!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni is a good lady that fell in love with a cop that was abused. She was on trail for murdering her husband the jury acquaint her. Being dyselix she had no way of getting a job. Randall her lawyer had got her apartment in his buliding but rents keep going up and she no money. Toni looking for a new place to live. Fine a apartment was dirt cheap and went to look at she get the place small white new paints so landlord asked want she told give few minute to decide. Walk to a little store found out there was a murder in apartment the man was trying to rent. A good girl name Rebecca keyto.
Good characters are in stories one that very likable well put together mystery had me reading fast and enjoy the whole story. With a little romance I would like to see balloon into her series. I would like to read more of Toni mystery series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting start to a series in Baltimore

Toni Credella is an interesting main character. She is dyslexic and has been a victim of domestic abuse. The book does show 90s Baltimore well also.

I will continue the series on Kindle Unlimited

[Donna Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book I’ve read in a long time

I read this book in one day. Although Toni wasn’t very bright chasing killers she was very entertaining. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, start to finish