Dumpster Dying
Series: Hazardous Hoarder Mystery #1
Author: Michelle Bennington
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 270
Release Date: September 7, 2022
Summary:
Birdie Harper is a widowed hoarder who lives with her husband’s ghost. The only thing she enjoys more than a good yard sale is a good dumpster dive. When she finds her latest treasure—a ceramic angel— she knows just who to bring it to.
Jenna Lawson is a cashier at the Blue Market convenience store where Birdie often shops. The two women have formed a strong bond to assuage the losses in their lives, and Birdie thinks of Jenna like the daughter she lost long ago. So, when Jenna goes missing, Birdie is determined to find out what happened to her.
As she works to unravel the mystery, a man at church, Neville Miller, shows interest in Birdie, leading her to wonder if the lonely days are finally coming to an end. But her ghostly husband, Walter, sure isn’t going to like it.
Birdie is on a hunt that may claim the ultimate price—her own life.
Interview with Birdie Harper
How did you and your author meet?
I just showed up one day. You never know where I’m going to be. I was out scouting for my treasures and I heard she wanted to meet me and there I was. She said I reminded her of someone she knows and that I would be perfect for the story she wanted to write.
Why did this writer decide to feature you in a book?
She’d been watching the show Hoarders (I don’t know how she ever gets any writing done with all the shows she binges). But she had the idea that it would be fun to feature a hoarder as a central character in a cozy. She said I’d be perfect for the role because I enjoy dumpster diving for my treasures and going to yard sales and because I have such a mess in my house. She sounds just like my sister Oda Dean. I try to tell them I’m a collector. Apparently they don’t know the difference. You’d think a writer would have a better grasp on the difference between a hoarder and a collector.
Do you have any friends or family helping you out?
My sister Oda Dean helps me a lot. She and I are shopping buddies. We go to yard sales every Saturday. I will admit she doesn’t tend to buy as many things as I do, but it’s one of our Saturday morning traditions. We’ve done it for years. We get up early, grab a fast food breakfast, and hit the streets. Walter, my dead husband, helps me sometimes, too. Though most of the time he pesters me silly. He’s a ghost, you see. So some things he thinks are funny (like flicking my lights on and off or making my house super cold) aren’t so funny to me. However, he can help me find things when I need them, which can be really helpful.
Do you have a regular job and investigate on the side or are you a full time detective?
I’m retired. I never was a detective. I used to work in the cafeteria at Miltonville Elementary School. Then when Walter died, I took an early retirement. I couldn’t bring myself to go back to work. For the longest time I didn’t want to leave my house. When I started collecting my Wizard of Oz memorabilia, that helped me a lot with my grief.
What is the funniest thing that happens to you or another character in this story?
I’m not sure. I’ve heard that people find my relationship with my sister pretty funny. They like that we bicker a lot. I guess we do bicker like most siblings. But we love each other and would walk through fire for each other–even if we gripe about it the whole way.
Have you solved other cases or is this your first one?
This is my first one. But I like it. Keeps my mind busy. Oda Dean says I should do more so I’ll spend more time solving mysteries and less time collecting junk. Walter agrees with her only because he wants me to quit spending his money. I don’t know what he’s complaining about though. He’s a ghost. Ghosts don’t need money. Do they?
Do you have a gift or special talent?
I can spot a bargain a mile away. Other than that, not really. I’m just a regular, ordinary person.
Who is the most important individual in your life?
I’d say my sister, Oda Dean. She and I have been through everything together. Since she’s only a couple years older than me, we spent a lot of time together through school, got married around the same time, worked at the same school, and she was there for me when Walter passed. She and I may bicker a lot, but we’re the best of friends.
What is your ideal vacation?
I’m pretty simple. I don’t need some big fancy vacation. I just like a cozy cabin in the woods, a nice fire, and plenty of hot cocoa or coffee. That’s how Walter and I used to vacation. Every year we’d rent a cabin in the Smokies. I’d spend my mornings on the porch, sipping coffee and watching the birds and squirrels play. We’d take a hike or go fishing or canoeing later in the day and at night we’d sit around a fire. I haven’t done that since Walter died though. I can’t bring myself to go. Oda Dean has been talking to me about maybe taking a girls’ trip to Myrtle Beach with some ladies from church. That might be fun. But I’m anxious to get on an airplane.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I’d like to have a bigger house for my collections. And I’d like to have Walter back. Even though his spirit keeps me company, it would be nice to sit with him on the couch again, our sock feet propped on the coffee table while we watch Jeopardy together. Though he was much better at the game than I was. Also, I wouldn’t have settled for a job at the cafeteria. Don’t get me wrong; it was a decent job, honest work and nothing wrong with it at all. I think I would’ve been a good teacher. I’m pretty good with the kids in Sunday School. Sometimes, I think about how my life might’ve been different if I’d gone into teaching. And a dog. Sometimes, I think about getting a dog. But Oda Dean says the critter would get lost in my junk and that I shouldn’t even think about getting a dog until I clean up my house.
About the Author
Born and raised in the beautiful Bluegrass state of Kentucky, Michelle Bennington developed a passion for books early on that has progressed into a mild hoarding situation and an ever-growing to-read pile.
When she’s not creating contemporary or historical fictional worlds full of mysteries, she obsesses over all things British and historical. In rare moments of spare time, she can be found engaging in a wide array of arts and crafts, dance, and attending ghost tours.
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