Maureen's Musings: Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Murder at the Pontchartrain by Kathleen Kaska

Murder at the Pontchartrain
by Kathleen Kaska

About Murder at the Pontchartrain

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941237940
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941237946

“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.

My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.

I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not.

So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”

About Kathleen Kaska

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6^th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

Murder at the Pontchartrain

By Kathleen Kaska

Synopsis

Private detective Sydney Lockhart and her boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, are headed for New Orleans to tie the knot—again. Having been stalled on their first attempt by some unfinished business dealing with their last case, Sydney and Dixon are now in the Pontchartrain Hotel in the Big Easy. While their marriage license rests at the courthouse for its 24-hour waiting period, they stroll to the French Quarter to visit Rip Thigbee, Sydney’s friend from her previous investigation. Rip owns Finder of Lost Souls, a detective agency dealing with the spirits of murder victims whose cases remain unsolved.

When Sydney and Dixon are at Rip’s office, they learn he went missing after investigating the disturbance of local businessman Frank Threadgill’s crypt. Voodoo Queen Frida Mae, whose shop is located next to Thigbee’s, fears that bad juju led to Threadgill’s death and has now infiltrated Rip’s business. Upon returning to their hotel room, to plan their next step, they find Threadgill’s wife, Mildred, waiting for them. Unfortunately, Mildred has been murdered. The police haul the couple down to the station. Their alibi checks out, but they are told to stick around for a few days. Soon a hotel housemaid is murdered, and this time Dixon is arrested, and Sydney is on her own to find the killer.

Hearing of their predicament, Sydney’s bubble-headed cousin, Ruth, and Sydney’s young charge, twelve-year-old Lydia LeBeau, show up to lend an unwelcome hand. Ruth goes undercover as a chef at the hotel. Lydia, who can talk the Pope into letting her assist in saying Mass, talks her way into the famous Pat O’Brien’s bar, where the locals are eager to share what they know.

After interviewing Mildred Threadgill’s family, Sydney begins her investigation by delving into Frank Threadgill’s mysterious past and discovers that he isn’t who he claims to be. The business he once owned was a cover involving an organization of WWII war criminals and the local Ku Klux Klan. As Sydney gets closer to the truth, she is attacked and left for dead in a nearby swamp. With the help of a few jaunty Cajuns, Sydney makes it back to the city with enough evidence to get Dixon released. Ruth thinks she knows who the killer is. Lydia has her own theory and is convinced Ruth is wrong. Sydney doesn’t know who to trust, convinced that every witness she’s interviewed has lied. But her most shocking realization is that the biggest liar is her own future husband.

Excerpt from Murder at the Pontchartrain

Eager to get back to the hotel so I could bring Dixon some clean clothes and figure out my next move, I told the driver to step on it. On the way over I thought about what I needed to bring him—Did he bring an extra pair of shoes? Of course he did. Socks, underwear, tie—that too. I was two steps into the lobby when I heard, “There she is.”

I looked up to see Palmer, Ruth, and Lydia coming toward me. Was Dixon trying to help me or send me to an early tomb? “The plane is a two-seater. How did you manage to get Lydia here?” I asked.
“They strapped me to the wing,” Lydia said.

Palmer giggled. He was Ruth’s new pilot boyfriend who owned his own plane and was teaching Ruth to fly. I have to remember to ask him if Ruth ever confessed to borrowing his plane without him knowing when we were on the San Antonio case. My crazy cousin actually flew us to New Orleans and back. It was her solo flight. The only reason I agreed to it was because I had amnesia and wasn’t sure who she really was. Unfortunately, I regained some of my memory once we were in the air. I will keep the plane theft under my hat until it is absolutely necessary, although bribes didn’t work on Ruth.

“I wish,” Ruth said. “I can’t believe she blackmailed me into taking her along.”

“I had my concerns over getting us all in the cockpit,” Palmer said. “But we worked it out. Ruth flew the plane and Lydia sat in my lap.”

“Which was my idea,” Lydia said. “It was either that or I sit in Ruth’s lap, which would not happen in a million years. Easy decision. I’d rather crash than be that close to your weird cousin.” “Do I have to listen to this disrespectful brat?” Ruth said.

Ruth and Lydia did not get along—not ever.
The pounding in my head started at the base of my neck, rushed up the back of my skull, over the top, and slammed into my forehead. I was glad Palmer was here. He’d lend some peace and common sense to this insane situation.

“Call me when you’re ready for me to come get you, Ruth” Palmer said.

“You mean you’re not staying?” I asked.
“I have a client I have to fly to Abilene tonight.” He kissed Ruth on the cheek. He was thwarted by a low rumble coming from Lydia when he tried to pat her on the head. He gave me a hug. I hung on and whispered in his ear. “Please, don’t leave me here with these two.” He giggled, pried my fingers from his lapels, and was gone.

“Where do we start?” Lydia said. “I didn’t get the whole story. Something about a murder.”

Author Information

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia, including The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars.

Kathleen is the owner of Metaphor Writing Coach. She coaches new and emerging writers and helps them discover their unique voices, and guides them as they learn the craft of writing and the art of storytelling. Kathleen also edits manuscripts and advises writers on how to look for the right publisher.

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