An Interview with Stacy Verdick Case

Today it's the release day of An Intimate Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

To celebrate the release Stacy dropped by for an interview as part of the An Intimate Murder Blog Tour :-D
Keep an eye on her site for other blog tour posts as well.

And if you haven't read it yet, be sure to read my review of An Intimate Murder which I posted earlier today.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Stacy.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?
I live in the State of Minnesota in the USA with my husband and my five-year-old daughter. I've been writing for as long as I can remember.

That's all there really is to know about me aside from my massive addiction to Starbucks Caramel macchiatos.

What can you tell us about your books?
All three book follow the central character of Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise. They are St. Paul Minnesota homicide detectives with more than a few quirks between the two. The books are fast paced reads with humor and mayhem woven in to each one.

Do you have to do a lot of research for your books?
Yes, I'm one of those people who would spend more time researching than writing so at some point I have to stop myself and just write. I've gone through the citizen's police academy and made some great contacts who help with details.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books? Or even
let them be murder victims?
Oh yes! If you spend any time with me you are character fodder. The first book was written to kill of a boss I wasn't too fond of. Writing is cathartic that way.

What's next for Catherine?
I never know until I write it. I never plot things out. I will tell you I'm halfway through book four and Gavin's (Catherine's husband) mother plays a big roll in the next book, so you can imagine it will be heaps of fun.


Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?
Spending time with my daughter. I feel like time is whizzing by so fast and I don't want to miss any part of her growing up. Her and I spend a lot time reading together and going to our local library. She's also a great little cook's helper.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?
I celebrate each book the same way. I buy a bottle of champagne and my hubby and I toast the new book. I think people would be surprised that the first time you have a book come out it's almost anti-climactic. Over the years you build up such high expectations of what that day will be like that it could never live up to your dream.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with
writing to read?
I'm never too busy to read. Whenever I hear writers say they don't have time to read I think that's just wrong. Every writer I've
ever read has influenced me in some way but in particular Harper Lee, Cheryl Ann Porter (for all her wonderful workshops before she passed
away), Stephanie Bond, and Stephen King's earlier work.

As for what I'm reading right now: Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry.

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?
Oh, I love zombies! Have since I was twelve and my Mom checked out the real to real movie version of Night of Living Dead from
our local library. But I don't think they'll make it into my books unless St. Paul really does get attacked by zombies but then I think I'll be too buys to write. A pig though . . . that could happen. We'll have too see.

Thanks for dropping by!
I'm already looking forward to book four.

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About Stacy Verdick Case

Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Stacy Verdick CaseCampbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy has written stories for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first book in second grade entitle No Snow on Christmas and hasn’t stopped writing since. “Other kids had a security blanket or favorite doll; I carried a red tattered notebook and pen.“

While still in High School Stacy’s writing earned her a McDonald’s High School Writers Award. her first novel A Grand Murder took third place in the Daphne Du Maurier awards for Excellence in Mainstream Mystery and Suspense (unpublished).

Stacy currently lives on five rolling acres of land north of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O’Brien mysteries, A Grand Murder and A Luring Murder, are available from Before the Fall Books. The third book An Intimate Murder is coming soon!

Stacy is hard at work on her fourth book in the series.

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Find buy links to An Intimate Murder here

An Intimate Murder - Book Review

An Intimate Murder (Catherine O'Brien Mystery #3)
by Stacy Verdick Case

What is it about:
When Jonathan and Susan Luther are murder in their home, St. Paul homicide detective Catherine O’Brien and her partner Louise discover this isn’t the first time the Luther family has been visited by tragedy. Is it a case of bad family luck or is there something more?

What did I think of it:
First: I received an ARC of this book, which didn't have the final cover art, so I included a small picture of the actual cover in the above picture.

Now that's out of the way, on to my actual review.

I really enjoyed the first two book in this series, so I was very happy to get an ARC of An Intimate Murder.

And this book is another really cool read.

Catherine and Louise have to solve a double murder, and manage a nosy reporter while doing so.

I have told you before I really like Catherine, with her dry humor and a tendency to say what other people only think. In this book that last character trait gets her into trouble with the press, and she and Louise have to handle a reporter who's sticking to them like glue. This leads to some very funny and interesting situations. I really liked how Catherine and Louise worked together and supported each other with their problems.

The murder case is also very intriguing. There are lots of clues, and I had my suspicions, but then something would happen that would shatter my theories. It was a very suspenseful investigation, with lots of stuff happening, drawing me in and only letting me go when I finished the book.

I like how Stacy succeeds in mixing suspense with humor, giving her readers both a mystery to solve, and lots of entertaining situations. It makes this series very rereadable, because even when you know the conclusion to the mystery, there's so much more to the story to enjoy.

All in all I very much enjoyed this book, and you can be sure I will keep an eye out for the next book in this series, because I need to know what Catherine is up to next.

Why should you read it:
It's a suspenseful and fun Murder Mystery


Find buy links here

A Luring Murder - Book Review

A Luring Murder
by Stacy Verdick Case

What is it about:
St. Paul, Minnesota Homicide Detective Catherine O’Brien and her loving husband Gavin are vacationing on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. When a local is murdered Catherine is tapped to help the small town Sheriff until the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrives to take over the investigation.

Catherine is surprised when her partner Louise and Diggs the forensic pathologist, whose crush on Louise is only dwarfed by his own genius, shows up to assist instead of the BCA.

Before long Catherine and Louise discover this sleepy little town has a dark side hidden beneath its placid lake charms. Somewhere in the tangle of cheating and deception is a motive for murder.

What did I think of it:
I loved A Grand Murder, the first book in this series. At the end of that book our heroine Catherine is going on a (well deserved) vacation.

Verdick Case hadn't planned on writing a story that takes place during that vacation, but when it turned out many fans of A Grand Murder wanted to know what happens on that vacation, she decided to give them what they wanted and A Luring Murder was born.

And I can tell you I'm glad Verdick Case wrote this book because it is so much fun!

I love Catherine. she's grumpy, tough and says things most people only think. Still Verdick Case manages to make her a very likeable character who you want to root for. I also loved the banter between Catherine and her partner Louise and the interaction between Catherine and her husband.

The murder mystery is very cool as well. There's a good build up in the investigation, with clues being found, suspicions being raised and more death to add to the mystery.

The setting of a little lake side town really works well in this story and adds to the atmosphere. I could picture the town and its inhabitants with ease.

So I can advice this book to anyone who loves a fun and suspenseful murder mystery. I will certainly keep an eye out for the next Catherine O’Brien book, be it planned or written because Catherine's fans demand a certain story to be told.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun Murder Mystery


Buy the ebook here*
*Free for all of November 2012!

A Grand Murder - Book Review

A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

What is it about:
When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Saint Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress's husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim's letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.

What did I think of it:
A very satisfying read.
The writing is decent and the plot engaging. It's got all the elements I like to see in a good murder mystery: a weird murder, lots of suspects with suspicious behaviour, red herrings, clues that are open to interpretation, and to top it all off, a quirky investigator who has to make sense of it all to catch the killer.
Catherine is a tough, but very likeable, lead character and her dry sense of humor makes this book not just a suspenseful read, but a funny one as well. Although the focus is mainly on solving the murder, Verdick Case manages to put in a small storyline that's about Catherine's personal life and that makes you root for her even more. All in all I really enjoyed this book and I'll certainly read more books in this series once released and if I can get my trotters on them.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and suspenseful murder mystery.


Buy it here