Mindy Quigley

Category: deep dish murders

  • Cold Cases, Hot Cocoa: Five Great Cozy Mysteries with Historical Crimes

    This post is reprinted with permission from Chicks on the Case, October 29, 2025

    At Death’s Dough, the fifth installment in my Deep Dish Mystery series, was inspired by the long, cold winters of my Chicago childhood—and by one of the biggest unsolved heists in U.S. history.

    My sister put me on to the story of the Rondout Train Robbery after seeing an article commemorating it in her local paper. We were both struck that the largest train robbery in U.S. history happened not in the Wild West—but just north of Chicago in the 1920s. Millions in loot vanished, mob ties helped the robbers evade justice, and the truth remains a mystery. What better set-up for my clever, pizza-slinging sleuth and her detective boyfriend—who happens to be the great-grandson of Al Capone?

    If you’re like me and love a mystery where the past refuses to stay buried, here are five more fabulous cozies (and cozy-adjacent mysteries) that mix history, humor, and heart.

    1. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin
    Wealthy widow Frances Adams has spent sixty years preparing for her own murder—and when she’s finally found dead, her great-niece Annie has to solve it. Set in an English village full of eccentric characters and long-dormant secrets, this witty debut is a perfect pick for readers who like their tea hot and their corpses cold.

    2. Mischief Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein
    Halloween hijinks and historical secrets collide when gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister’s B&B becomes the center of a deadly prank gone wrong. Add in a paranormal researcher, a pet psychic, a century-old diary with Prohibition ties, and Klein’s signature laugh-out-loud wit and you’ve got the ultimate cozy comfort read—assuming you can read while snort-laughing.

    3. More Than Sorrow by Vicki Delany
    This beautifully atmospheric mystery from Canadian mystery-writing powerhouse Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates) intertwines the story of a modern war correspondent recovering from trauma with the stories of 18th-century Loyalist settlers. It’s a timely reminder that the past is never really past.

    4. Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins
    A genealogist with a love of tacos and a nose for trouble discovers a murder from the 19th century—and accidentally ignites a modern political scandal. Perkins’s genealogical  series is clever, funny, and full of Texas twang. It’s proof that some families have actual skeletons in the closet.

    5. The Study of Secrets by Cynthia Kuhn
    English professor Lila Maclean’s sabbatical turns sinister when a Victorian mansion, a missing manuscript, and a small-town legend converge to spell murder. Smart and funny, this book showcases the talents of its Agatha Award-winning creator.

    Whether you’re chasing gangsters across a frozen lake or uncovering secrets in a dusty archive, these mysteries will keep you turning pages long after your cocoa goes cold. Hope you’ll check out these great reads and pick up At Death’s Dough—out now anywhere books are sold!

  • Cozy Companions: Six Furry Sidekicks Who Kick Butt

    Excerpted from Criminal Element, Sept. 19, 2025

    No cozy mystery would be complete without a trusty companion or two. Sometimes these come in the form of a team of quirky relatives, like the Calendar Crew of meddling aunties in Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries or even a supernatural frenemy, as in Olivia Blacke’s Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries.

    In my Deep Dish series, though, the key role of sounding board/emotional supporter/cuddler-in-chief belongs to Butterball, an orange tabby with the heart of a lion and the stomach of a chonk-monster. While Butterball isn’t exactly Sherlock Holmes (he is, after all, just a cat), he has a way of revealing clues that my human sleuth, Delilah O’Leary, might otherwise overlook.

    In my latest book, At Death’s Dough, the roles are reversed—this time it’s Butterball who lands in hot water, and it’s Delilah’s turn to rescue him. Writing the story got me thinking about just how much pets bring to a cozy mystery.

    Furry (and scaly and feathered) companions have become fixtures in cozy mysteries not just because they’re cute, but because they serve important narrative and dramatic functions. They provide a wholesome counterbalance to the violence at the heart of these stories. They can also ground the sleuth in everyday life, showing a softer, more vulnerable side of a character like Delilah, whose personality can be prickly. Their instincts, antics, and sheer existence can move the plot forward in organic ways. At the same time, they reinforce one of the central pillars of the cozy mystery genre: even in the dark shadow of crime, comfort is close at hand.

    Butterball isn’t the only four-legged sidekick kicking butt in the world of cozies. From loyal hounds to opinionated cats, these companions prove that crime-solving can be more fun with a furry gumshoe (gum-paw?) on the case.

    Here are six of my favorite books with animal sidekicks…

    READ MY LIST IN CRIMINAL ELEMENT MAGAZINE

  • Most Likely to Succeed… in Murder

    With the launch of my latest Deep Dish Mystery, Sleep in Heavenly Pizza, I’ve been getting ready to trot out Ye Olde Dog and Pony Show once again. I’ve observed previously that being a professional writer is essentially running a small business. Things like creating social media content, preparing for events, doing my taxes, and tending to relationships with booksellers, editors, bloggers, and readers—are necessary parts of the job. A lot of writers especially hate the task of pimping a new release, figuring out ways to get it on readers’ radar screens without looking like a shameless huckster.

    I get it. For some writers, doing publicity smacks of lacking writerly integrity. Surely, James Joyce would never do an Instagram reel where he pretended to be several different varieties of cheese??? For many others, promoting your work feels too much like promoting yourself, which can be a terrifying prospect. Writers are often sensitive, introspective, and introverted, qualities that are at odds with the demands of publicity.

    Can I tell you something?

    <<looks from side to side>>

    <<lowers voice>>

    I actually like doing publicity.

    Yes, sometimes promotion feels like time stolen from the actual writing. But mostly, I regard it as a welcome break, a chance to build my creative muscles in a different way. Plus, as my sisters will surely aver, I’ve always been an attention-hogging ham (aka middle child) and almost nothing embarrasses me. Thus, I will gladly enlist every resource at my disposal in the service of getting the word out. Puppies, adorable children–it’s all fair game.

    All this is to say that I was delighted to appear recently on the Midwest Writers Room podcast for an episode of Chapter Break and do funny character voices. I hope you enjoy it!

    I also had the pleasure of being featured on Fresh Fiction’s “Character Most Likely To…” segment.

    Here’s a little taste of that. You can click the link above to read more.

    Most likely to be an agent of chaos?

    Butterball the cat! This chonky orange mischief-maker is a staple in every book. Whether he’s knocking over crucial evidence in SIX FEET DEEP DISH or unexpectedly leading the way to a clue in ASHES TO ASHES, CRUST TO CRUST, Butterball’s accidental heroism is legendary. Just don’t be fooled—his real priorities are snacks and snuggles, solving murders is just a side gig.

    Thanks for reading. Now it’s time for me to harness the dogs and ponies (and adorable children), because we’ve got more shillin’ to do!

  • Hooray! It’s time for my semi-annual existential crisis!

    Hooray! It’s time for my semi-annual existential crisis!

    If you write for a traditional publisher, you get paid twice a year. That payment covers a period that’s up to twelve months prior to the date of the check. The sales are lumped together in various line items, some illuminating (e.g. Canadian e-book sales), some… less so (I’m looking at you “Additional Earnings” line item).

    So yeah, you may be wondering what LSD-dosing psychopath invented such an arcane business model. And you may find yourself asking why any self-respecting literary artiste such as moi would put herself through it all. Maybe for the fame and fortune?

    BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! <<wipes tears>> BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Yeah, no.

    Overall, there’s almost no way to track whether a specific promotion/appearance/snippet of media coverage had a measurable effect on sales.*

    *Unless you obsessively track your Amazon rankings and Nielsen Bookscan numbers and try to extrapolate your weekly sales numbers from there. Which I for sure don’t do on a regular basis. ‘Cuz that would be batshit crazy. <<deletes browser history>> 😬

    I, like most of my writerly brethren, have zero job security and little understanding of how to make this modestly-profitable hobby/poorly-remunerated career work for me. I end up saying “yes” to almost every marketing opportunity, constantly afraid that I’m not doing enough, that my next project will implode like a billionaires’ submarine. Thus, over the past few years, I’ve found myself running on a relentless hamster wheel of social media posts, guest blogs, newsletter articles, giveaways, and appearances, trying to find success. I live in fear that the Spigot of Modest Recognition could, without warning, stop dribbling out the little droplets of validation that sustain me.

    And that’s because I’m lucky enough to be afforded those opportunities. I have a series of mass market paperbacks with a Big Five publisher. They sell, if not like hotcakes, at least like very warm cakes. I’m well aware that not every writer is so fortunate. So I also get to feel guilty for being ungrateful! Yay! The shame cherry on my fear sundae!

    For several years, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, trying to justify this career choice. And, inevitably, I have a mini-existential crisis whenever a new book comes out or a major deadline looms or my royalty check comes in lower than I expected it to. I’ve been living in a constant state of low-grade existential panic.

    A few things have happened over the past couple months that caused me to start to recalibrate. My beloved grandmother, the bedrock of our family, died. My entire nuclear family got sick, some of us more than once. My aunt was struck by a car and nearly killed on the front steps of the post office. (Yes, you read that right. A car went out of control and up a flight of stairs.) I’m realizing that all the career-related, mini existential crises were just a prelude to the real deal.

    It got me asking myself why I do this writing thing. Here’s what I came up with:

    A “pizza” the gift box my friend Desiree sent to me.

    This little pizza friend was part of a cheer-up gift box my friend Desiree Di Fabio sent to me recently. Desiree and I, along with fellow mystery writer Korina Moss, bonded over cheese fondue during last year’s Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Fete. I’d never met Desiree before that event, but we had an instant connection. That happens a lot in the mystery writing world. You’ve spent your whole life searching and suddenly HERE ARE YOUR PEOPLE.

    Maybe in school, you were the only weird kid reading a book during outdoor recess. Maybe, while your high school classmates were out doing whatever normal high schoolers do (drugs, probably? IDK), you were that nerdy teenager the public librarians all knew by name. Maybe you were that oddball who spent decades wondering if other people thought about death as much as you do. Welcome, my friend. The world of crime fiction is your happy place.

    My life is infinitely richer because I have written and published my books and stories. The community of readers and writers I am a part of is wonderful. Telling stories is a joy and a privilege. Through this work, I learn so much about myself and what it means to be human. Also, I FREAKING LOVE WORDS. They are so powerful.

    I’m still in the midst of a pretty rough season of life. But when I look at this fuzzy little pizza, I’m reminded of the joys of my life as a writer. Joys that cannot be quantified on any bestseller list or with a six-figure check. Pleasures that defy external metrics. When it comes to a full creative life and sustaining personal relationships, I am very rich indeed.

  • AND THEY ALL DIED HAPPILY EVER AFTER: COZIES, GRIMDARKS, AND MODERN MORALITY

    Those familiar with Game of Thrones will recognize the hallmarks of “grimdark” storytelling. In a grimdark world, morals are flexible. Dark aesthetics and gritty details dominate. Today’s hero could be tomorrow’s villain, if external circumstances change. Given the headlines of the past few years, the moral uncertainty of such stories has a “ripped from the headlines” feel that seems appropriate for our chaotic era.

    On their face, grimdarks are everything cozy mysteries are not. Grimdarks are gritty and explicit where cozies are saccharine and romanticized. Cozies are fluffy and escapist. Grimdarks are meaty, heavy, real.

    But the more time I spend reading and writing cozies, the more I think of them as tools for confronting, and reckoning with, the same (un)ethical landscapes as grimdarks. Even as I type this, I can hear the distant sizzle of frying synapses as readers try to suss out what a cozy mystery stalwart like bakery owner Hannah Swensen has in common with #teamgrimdark soldier of fortune Jamie Lannister, other than perhaps Nordic good looks and an intense love for their sisters.

    Hear me out.

    READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CRIMEREADS…

  • SOPHOMORE SLAYS: SEVEN KILLER MYSTERY SERIES WHERE BOOK TWO IS EVEN BETTER

    SOPHOMORE SLAYS: SEVEN KILLER MYSTERY SERIES WHERE BOOK TWO IS EVEN BETTER

    You’ve written a great first novel. There’s buzz! There’s praise! The book is flying off bookstore shelves. Even the notoriously finicky and hot-blooded reviewers on Goodreads adore it. They’re throwing stars at you like henchmen in a ninja movie. Your publisher loves the book so much in fact, that they want you to write another one.

    Pronto.

    Welcome to the Land of the Sophomore Slump.

    Many writers spend years crafting their first book in a headspace that’s blissfully free from deadlines, contracts, and fan expectations. Then, when their debut novel is (miracle of miracles!) successful, they’re expected to crank out the next book in the series in record time–often less than a year if they’re writing a mystery series. The pressure to live up to expectations has gotten the better of many an author. Even Harper Lee, who penned what is routinely ranked among the greatest American novels of all time, struggled to repeat To Kill a Mockingbird’s success.

    My second book, Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, came out earlier this year, but I had a fortunate turn of fate that kept me from facing the usual pressures that portend the Sophomore Slump. The pandemic delayed my contract and thus pushed back the release of my Deep Dish Mystery Series, which meant that I was able to finish books two and three before the first book even came out. Now that I’m working on book four in the series, though, I’m doing my best to guard against Senioritis!

    My own experience leaves me even more impressed when a fellow author manages to pull off a series that improves with each new outing. Forget mere whodunnits, these next-in-the-series reads are truly next-level.

    Pop on over to Crime Reads to check out my list of Seven Sophomore Slays that’ll keep you glued to your Kindle…

    https://crimereads.com/sophomore-slays-seven-killer-mystery-series-where-book-two-is-even-better/

  • Made you LOL!

    Made you LOL!

    My favorite kind of reader feedback is when someone tells me they laughed out loud at something I wrote and scared their dog/spit their soda/made fellow passengers on the subway doubt their sanity.

    LOLs are my love language.

    So I was especially heartened when Holly Adams, the awesomely talented narrator of my Mount Moriah Mysteries and my Deep Dish Mysteries, sent me this outtake of her recording a scene from Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust.

    For reference, the dialogue in question involves sous chef Sonya talking to her uncle Avi, an attorney who has come to Geneva Bay to help a friend caught in a sticky situation with the local police. The scene is supposed to read as written below.

    “Why did you let her talk?” Sonya said. “You named your dog Miranda, for God’s sake. The only dog in existence named after a constitutional procedure. You always told me not to answer questions if I ever got arrested.”

    Avi threw up his hands. “So I’m supposed to tackle your lady friend and stuff a gag in her mouth? I told her to shut her yapper. She didn’t listen to me. Just like your Aunt Ruthie, or little Miranda for that matter. She ate a full tube of your aunt’s red lipstick, did your mom tell you? Now I gotta buy new carpet for the rumpus room.”

    Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust

    I admit that I, too, sometimes get a giggle out of my characters. The reaction is weirdly detached. I don’t feel like I’m chuckling at my own cleverness or patting myself on the back. I’m laughing at this hilarious group of people who happen to be fictional and live inside my head.

    My husband walked by my office one day and caught me in the act–alone, laughing at my computer screen. “You won’t believe what Butterball did!” I said, pointing to the Word document. When I set out to write that scene, I had a vague idea of where it was going, but I had no inkling that Butterball the cat, out of nowhere, would decide to pull off some guffaw-worthy acrobatic antics. That scene is near the end of book three in the series, Public Anchovy Number One, which hits bookstore shelves on December 26th. Hope you’ll find it as LOL-able reading as I did writing.

  • Thanks for nothin’, J.R.R. Tolkien – More of my interview with audiobook narrator Holly Adams

    When I’m thinking up a new character for one of books, I tend to give a lot of thought to how the person talks. In the Deep Dish Mysteries, for example, you know that if someone says, “For Pete’s sake…” that’s Wisconsin farmgirl Melody Schacht. And if a character busts out a witty play on words that makes you laugh and groan at the same time, that’ll be straight from the mouth of sous chef/BFF Sonya. I’m also fascinated by accents, especially unusual ones like the dialect of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, which features heavily in A Death in Duck, from my Mount Moriah Mysteries Series.

    As I’m inventing this panoply of distinctive voices, I should probably spare a thought for my longtime collaborator, audiobook narrator Holly Adams. Over the years, Holly has gamely voiced whatever characters I’ve thrown her way. From a gravelly old man on his deathbed to a toddler squeaking out her first complete sentences. A lesser narrator might balk, but not Holly. Bulgarian accent? Sure. Mobster with a pro wrestler physique and a hockey mom inflection? Bring it on. I’m lucky to have her talent at my disposal. Holly has previously shared some of her secrets for giving each character a unique voice. But coming up with accents and voices isn’t the only challenge audiobook narrators face.

    In addition to cozy mysteries like mine, Holly records a lot of non-fiction and a LOT of fantasy books. It never occurred to me how challenging it is for a narrator to cope with page after page of made-up names and places. Can you imagine being handed a book from the Game of Thrones series and having to say Daenerys Targaryen five times fast? Harder still, in her non-fiction work, she has to cope with real people’s names in languages that she doesn’t natively speak. In those instances, she has to be even more diligent about getting things right, because there are actual people (besides the author) who’ll know if she gets it wrong.

  • Tongue Gymnastics with Holly Adams

    A few weeks ago, I sat down on Zoom with the extraordinary actor and performer Holly Adams. Holly has narrated almost 200 audiobooks, including both the Mount Moriah Mysteries and the Deep Dish Mysteries. Holly and I covered a lot of ground during our chat, from the challenges of pronouncing made-up place and character names in epic fantasy novels to ways to subliminally make your audience hold their breath.

    I “met” Holly in 2014, when I heard her audition tape for the Audible recording of A Murder in Mount Moriah. You can hear an excerpt of her performance here. Her vibrant personality just zinged out of my computer speakers. There was no question of hiring anyone else once I heard that audition. Everything about that audition tape was great, but one thing that absolutely blew me away was Holly’s ability to give each character an instantly-recognizable way of speaking.

    I’ll be posting more soon, but here’s a sneak preview of Holly showing how she moves sound around her mouth to create distinct character voices without changing her accent.

  • Where in the world is Mindy Quigliego?

    Where in the world is Mindy Quigliego?

    First off, if you don’t understand the title of this post, ask a millennial.

    I sat down today to do some forward planning for the coming semester and realized with horror and excitement what a crazy hectic travel and event schedule lies ahead of me. Horror because somehow, I still have a day job to do. 😬 And, like, kids and a husband and a dog that I’d like to see occasionally. Excitement because Yay! It feels like I’m a real author doing real author things!

    Here’s a preview of the first half of 2023:

    I’d love for you to keep me company IRL or virtually at these events. Or you could stand on the side of the road and hand me an Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine Pouch as I zoom past. 😉

    Now…. Let’s do it, Rockapella!