In the Event of Murder (Starlit Bookshop Mystery #2)

In the Event of Murder is out now from Crooked Lane Books! 

It’s the star-studded event of the season in Silvercrest, Colorado—but some of the guests might not make it to the last dance alive in the second charming installment of the Starlit Bookshop mysteries from Agatha Award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn.

Nestled on the banks of a breathtaking Rocky Mountain river and dotted with delightful boutiques and galleries, Silvercrest, Colorado, is a book lover’s paradise. Bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is looking forward to attending the annual Silvercrest Library Gala, a glamorous evening with celebrities including the legendary Whitney Willton, currently on the hit crime show Chasers, and her niece, party-planner-to-the-stars Lyra Willton. Gala Week is full of exciting activities honoring both page and screen, and library board president Tabitha Baxter is basking in the glow of her successful launch—until Lyra is found dead.

With the gala only days away, the board asks Emma for help, despite Tabitha—her longstanding nemesis—bristling over the choice. Emma agrees, even though she is already in charge of a classic mystery panel at her family’s bookstore, Starlit Books, which turns out to have its own challenges. Meanwhile, Whitney, who is aware of Emma’s sleuthing skills, begs her to find the killer. The case grows more complex with the disappearance of several priceless objects, an attack on one of the attending celebrities, and other predicaments. Emma searches for clues while handling every unexpected twist and turn leading up to the extravagant affair. But when the guests step onto the red carpet, a killer still lurks in the shadows—and murder just might become the main event.


About the Starlit Bookshop Series

“Humor, suspense, and surprising twists make every party in Kuhn’s delightful series an event you won’t want to miss!” — Ellen Byron, Agatha Award-winning author

“Beautifully written and so full of love for books and their authors and readers” — Vicki Delany, national bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries

“A fast-paced delightful read” ~ Debra Goldstein, author of the Sarah Blair Mystery series

“With her trademark humor, engaging characters, twisty plotting, and literary references sure to charm mystery fans, she has created the bookstore we all want to browse in” –Laura DiSilverio, national best-selling and award-winning author of The Readaholics Book Club mysteries

“A gifted storyteller, Kuhn has created a delightful cast of quirky characters and a bookstore full of charm as a backdrop to an intriguing murder mystery.” — Kathy Aarons, national bestselling author of the Chocolate Covered Mysteries

“With its intelligent sleuth, bookish setting, and twisty plot, How to Book a Murder is a booklover’s dream come true!” — Mary Angela, author of the Happy Camper cozy mystery series and the Professor Prather academic mystery series 

“An unbeatable combination of Golden Age styling and modern-day intrigue, woven through with wit and keen observation” — Angela M. Sanders, author of the Witch Way Librarian and Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing mysteries

“Smart, suspenseful, and brimming with intrigue, Kuhn crafts the perfect page-turner in a town and bookshop so thoroughly crafted and real.” — Maggie Barbieri, author of the Murder 101 series

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.


EVENTS

8/7/24 Cozy Mystery Party Online Takeover with Lisa Q. Mathews and Ellen Byron

8/24/24 A Cozy Chat: Books, Bikes, and Wine with Ann Claire and Kate Lansing at Tattered Cover Bookstore ~ Colfax

10/16/24 Sisters in Crime-Colorado Online Book Club: In the Event of Murder

11/20/24 Virtual Murder, She Read: Cozy Mystery Online Book Discussion: How to Book a Murder ~ St. Joseph Public Library


12/8/24 The Holiday Takeover at Cozy Mystery Party


GUEST POSTS, INTERVIEWS, AND MORE

8/23/24 Dru’s Book Musings: A Day in the Life ~ Emma Starrs

8/26/24 Fresh Fiction: The Cozy Corner Interview

Great Escapes Blog Tour: In the Event of Murder (August 20-September 2, 2024)

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 20 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

August 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

August 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 21 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 26 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW

August 26 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 27 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

August 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 29 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

August 31 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 2 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

(many thanks to all of the hosts and participants)

Left Coast Crime

April 5, 2022

 

Left Coast Crime is happening this week–if you’re attending, please say hello!

I’ll be on the following panels:

  • Lefty Humorous Nominees Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico, Jennifer Chow, Cynthia Kuhn, Raquel V. Reyes, Wendall Thomas, Lucinda Surber  
  • The Contradiction of Humor and Crime Kris Bock, Becky Clark, Cynthia Kuhn, Rob Osler, Susan C. Shea  

Can’t wait to see everyone! 🖤

How to Book a Murder (Starlit Bookshop Mystery #1)

How to Book a Murder is out now from Crooked Lane Books! 

Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Kate Carlisle, in award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn’s series debut, small-town bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is out to close the book on a killer intent on crashing the party.

To help save her family’s floundering Colorado bookstore, Starlit Bookshop, newly minted Ph.D. Emma Starrs agrees to plan a mystery-themed dinner party for her wealthy, well-connected high school classmate Tabitha Baxter. It’s a delightful evening of cocktails and conjecture until Tabitha’s husband, Tip—hosting the affair in the guise of Edgar Allan Poe’s detective C. Auguste Dupin—winds up murdered.

In a heartbeat, Emma and her aunt Nora, a famous mystery writer, become suspects. Emma is sure the party’s over for Starlit events, until celebrated author Calliope Nightfall, whose gothic sensibilities are intrigued by the circumstances, implores the bookseller to create a Poe-themed launch event for her latest tome. Throwing a bash to die for while searching for additional clues is already enough to drive Emma stark raven mad, but another shocking crime soon reveals that Silvercrest has not yet reached the final chapter of the puzzling case.

Someone in this charming artistic community has murder on the mind, and if Emma cannot outwit the killer, she and her beloved aunt will land behind bars, to walk free nevermore.

“An unbeatable combination of Golden Age styling and modern-day intrigue, woven through with wit and keen observation” — Angela M. Sanders, author of the Witch Way Librarian and Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing mysteries

“Beautifully written and so full of love for books and their authors and readers” — Vicki Delany, national bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries

“A fast-paced delightful read” ~ Debra Goldstein, author of the Sarah Blair Mystery series

“With her trademark humor, engaging characters, twisty plotting, and literary references sure to charm mystery fans, she has created the bookstore we all want to browse in” –Laura DiSilverio, national best-selling and award-winning author of The Readaholics Book Club mysteries

“A gifted storyteller, Kuhn has created a delightful cast of quirky characters and a bookstore full of charm as a backdrop to an intriguing murder mystery.” — Kathy Aarons, national bestselling author of the Chocolate Covered Mysteries

“With its intelligent sleuth, bookish setting, and twisty plot, How to Book a Murder is a booklover’s dream come true!” — Mary Angela, author of the Happy Camper cozy mystery series and the Professor Prather academic mystery series 

“Smart, suspenseful, and brimming with intrigue, Kuhn crafts the perfect page-turner in a town and bookshop so thoroughly crafted and real.” — Maggie Barbieri, author of the Murder 101 series

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio!


Launch Events

ONLINE

Twelve Days of Cozies (December 1-12, 2021)

Great Escapes Blog Tour (December 6-19, 2021)

Creating Conversations (December 7, 2021) Holiday Celebration Panel with Ellen Byron, Jennifer J. Chow, and Becky Clark

Murder by the Book (December 9, 2021) Conversation with Laura Bradford

Sisters in Crime-Colorado Book Club Discussion (December 15, 2021)

IN PERSON

Books Are Awesome Signing (December 11, 2021)

Tattered Cover Bookstore (January 19, 2022) Crime Writers in Conversation Panel with Becky Clark, Kate Lansing, and Barbara Nickless


Many thanks to all of the event hosts and the participants in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour!

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 6 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

December 7 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 8 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

December 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

December 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 12 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 14 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

December 15 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

December 16 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

December 16 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW  

December 17 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 17 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST

December 18 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW

December 19 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

Bouchercon

October 17, 2020

The Bouchercon World Mystery Convention is online this year. Looking forward to this panel–hope you can join us!

Madcap Mayhem: The Age of Screwball Comedy

Screwball comedies in the 1930s and 40s took a light poke at mores during the Depression. How do today’s authors build on this tradition with improbable set-ups, quirky characters, and wacky plots?

Heather Haven (M), Kellye Garrett, Cynthia Kuhn, Heather Weidner, Elizabeth Little

For more information, please visit the full schedule of events.

 

 

Academic Mystery Giveaway

Happy to be collaborating with four wonderful authors to bring you a giveaway opportunity: five winners will win one ebook each and one grand prize winner will win all five!

And if you like academic mysteries, among the five of us, there are more than twenty books in our series:

You’ll have over thirty entry options between Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Newsletter Sign-Ups and More. The giveaway opens on September 15th and will close at 11:59 PM EST on September 20th. We will randomly choose the winners shortly afterward and announce the winners on our websites and social media; you can also see the winners from the giveaway link once we select them. Good Luck to Everyone!!!

Click here to enter: Rafflecopter Academic Mystery Giveaway

 

 

Facebook Launch Party

You are invited to the Facebook launch party for The Study of Secrets (Lila Maclean Academic Mystery #5) and Nora Page’s Read or Alive (Bookmobile Mysteries #3) on May 27, 2020 at 5 pm Pacific / 6 pm Mountain / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern. Hosted by Marie at A Cozy Experience, who kindly provided this graphic:

How to attend: Visit the event page, click “going,” and invite your friends! The more, the merrier. Once the party begins, all you have to do is click on the discussions tab to participate. We would love for you to join us!