Spawning Suspicion by Maggie Toussaint ~ Character Interview

Posted November 15, 2020 by karenbaron in Blitz, Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Mystery, Series / 2 Comments

Spawning Suspicion

Series: A Seafood Caper Mystery #2

Author: Maggie Toussaint

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 293

Release Date: November 9, 2020, by Muddle House Publishing

Summary:

The death of island playboy Curtis Marlin doesn’t register on busy caterer River Holloway’s radar…that is, until her brother and his girlfriend are arrested for the former athlete’s murder. Certain of the pair’s innocence, the amateur sleuth sets out to investigate. Suspicion on the island spreads like chocolate sauce when River questions the victim’s teammates. The suspects don’t appreciate her stirring up trouble, but she won’t let an election-hungry sheriff make her brother a sacrificial lamb.

But there’s more than murder on River’s to-do list. A missing groom, catered banquets, and River’s own wedding plans keep her hopping like a short order cook. And as the cherry on the sundae, she has a wild kitty to tame. Under mossy oaks and rustling palmettoes, fact and fiction blend in a mouthwatering romp of good eatin’ and yummy recipes. Spawning Suspicion is the second in Toussaint’s Seafood Capers Mystery Series.

Interview with River Holloway

How did you and your author meet?

Author Maggie Toussaint needed a caterer for a short story she was invited to write in the Trouble the cat story world of author Carolyn Haines. Since my business isn’t quite self-supporting yet, I wasn’t sure I would get the part. However, once I heard the location of the story was a horse farm, I did everything I could to get the part. I may have shamelessly brought cookies to the interview. And by the way, my name’s River Holloway.

Why did this writer decide to feature you in a book?

We really clicked. Maggie loved that I was working hard to establish my catering business, and my personal sideline of finding lost items for family and friends intrigued her. She asked how I’d feel about a starring role as the protagonist in a mystery series. All I had to do was be myself. How could I say no?

Do you have any friends or family helping you out?

Yes! My fiancé, Pete Merrick, helps me with catering and sleuthing. My brother usually helps but in Spawning Suspicion, he has plenty of troubles. He’s accused of murder!

Do you have a regular job and investigate on the side, or are you a full-time detective?

I investigate on the side. Catering is my career, but the bookings aren’t as steady as I’d like, so I supplement my income by helping my friend Rosemarie clean houses.

What is the funniest thing that happens to you or another character in this story?

I acquired a feral cat recently. When I leave home to do errands, I usually take my catering van because it’s good advertising. However, since this black cat came into my life, he’s made it clear that he wants a car ride, and he wants it in Mom’s old Buick. At first, I indulged the cat to strengthen our friendship, but the truth is, Major has me trained. When he’s sitting on the car, he gets a car ride!

Have you solved other cases, or is this your first one?

Spawning Suspicion tells about my second murder case. I would’ve been happy to stop at one murder investigation, but how could I say no to this one when my brother could go to prison for life?

Do you have a gift or special talent?

I am good at finding things. For years, I’ve been everyone’s go-to gal for lost keys, lost glasses, lost dogs, and the like. Now I’m having good luck adapting that talent to homicides. The key is to look in all the obvious places first.

Who is the most important individual in your life?

Don’t tell Pete, my fiancé, this because he is very, very important. But Doug is my brother. My only living relative. I’m his older sister and can’t let anything happen to him.

What is your ideal vacation?

I love homecooked meals with family and friends as well as going to the beach. Since I live on an island, that generally means I stay home most of the time, enjoying the beach and cooking with friends and family.

If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?

I wish my mom hadn’t gotten sick and died. My whole world changed when she couldn’t take care of us, and at 17, I stepped into her role of being the parent for my younger brother and Mom’s caretaker. Some days were better than others, and I enjoyed every minute of our time together, whether it was in doctor’s offices, treatment rooms, or at home. I’m facing so many changes in my life now, and I wish I could talk with my mom again. I miss her quiet wisdom and complete faith in me. I know I can count on her memories etched on my heart, and I do my best to make her proud of me. She helped design the logo for my catering van. Sometimes I go outside and touch it and think of her.

Excerpt

My mobile phone buzzed. I’d placed it on the console when we climbed into the van. Georgia law prevented drivers from using cell phones while driving, so I used a button on the steering wheel to answer the call. “Holloway Catering. This is River Holloway. How may I help you?” My brother’s voice blasted through the car. “River, thank goodness you picked up. I’m in jail. The cops think I did something terrible because of Viv.”

Jail? Oh, no. This couldn’t be happening. Doug’s career had traction, and his girlfriend adored him. I’d known Viv Declan since we were in grade school together. “Slow down,” I said. “I don’t understand. Did they arrest you or Viv?”

“Both of us. This can’t be happening. I’ve got jobs scheduled. I can’t rot in jail. Get me out of here.”

My thoughts spun in all directions as I navigated one of Shell Island’s many traffic circles. “Do you have a lawyer?”

“I asked for a public defender, but he hasn’t arrived.”

“Should I call Mark Horton again?” We’d used that lawyer when Doug acted out after Mama died.

“No. I can’t afford him.”

“But if they have you under false pretenses, he’ll set them straight. Might be worth it to have a pro at the helm.”

From the passenger seat, Pete held up a note. I read it. Ask him what the charge is.

I nodded at Pete and stared ahead at the busy two-lane road. “What happened?

“Viv and I were there.”

I didn’t have to feign confusion. “Where?”

“Curtis Marlin’s house.”

Curtis died in his grandmother’s house a few days ago. A former high school basketball star turned playboy, Curtis hardly worked, but he’d always played hard. People orbited him as if they could be cool through association. His bad boy charm never worked on me. Who had time to be a teenage rebel when you had to go to school and be responsible for the household’s cooking and cleaning?

“He died of natural causes,” I said.

“No.” Doug’s breath hitched. “Now it’s murder.”

Icy sensations feathered the nape of my neck. Oh, no. “Since when do you and Curtis hang out?”

“I knew him by name only. We saw him at the marina recently, and he invited us to come out sometime.”

My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “You visited his house the night he died.”

“Yeah. They say we killed him.”

First Book in the Series

About the Author

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes cozy and paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with twenty fiction novels published. A multi-year finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, she’s won Silver Falchions, the Readers’ Choice, and the EPIC Awards. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.