Look Out Denver! Here Comes Rose!
The Case of the Peculiar Inheritance introduces Miss Rose McKenzie, a most uncommon late Victorian lady with a penchant for solving crimes. She's both sharp-witted and a sharp shooter, and Denver's miscreants will find her a formidable force with which to contend. Creating her story was a satisfying experience for me. Even more enjoyable was bringing her character to life. Writing during the pandemic quarantine months gave me a thoroughly engaging world in which to lose myself and learn about Rose, Mrs. Pennyworth, and a truly liberated man, Dr. Whitman.
Those who have watched Masterpiece Theater's January airing of Miss Scarlet and the Duke may notice familiar characteristics shared by Rose McKenzie and Eliza Scarlet. I'm delighted to read that one reviewer noted those similarities. Even though I had not seen the series prior to writing Rose's story, I am not surprised. At the same time as Miss Eliza Scarlet was following in her father's footsteps as a detective in Victorian London, so too, was Rose McKenzie establishing herself as Denver's first female investigator. They are, after all, fighting a similar battle to earn the respect of a society unwilling to believe a woman's mind capable of analytical thinking equal to a man's. How audacious for her to presume she can perform investigations, being an emotional female! They both prove the skeptics and naysayers wrong.
While these intrepid ladies share cultural challenges, the worlds in which they operate are dissimilar. Miss Scarlet tracks down criminals in the squalid industrial streets of London; Rose McKenzie investigates cases within Denver, a boom town founded on the gold and silver mines that made millionaires out of common men.
Not only is the setting of Denver literally brighter than London's dingy streets, but Rose's story is lighter in tone partly due to her pernicious curiosity regarding the evolving field of forensic studies. This fondness for experimentation habitually results in injury to either her person or her personal property in humorous ways. These mishaps often require the attendance of Dr. Whitman, a close friend fully aware that Miss McKenzie is capable of solving most any crime Denver's citizens can devise. He's also keenly aware of his attraction to her, if only he can catch her attention for more than a few minutes at a time to prove it.
Mix one part cozy mystery, one part historical western, one part romantic comedy, and you'll discover one completely delightful adventure in The Case of the Peculiar Inheritance.
Both The Case of the Peculiar Inheritance and The Case of the Copper King are available for pre-order now. Written as stand-alone novels, they can be read in any sequence. Join the adventure with two sisters who always get their man.
"This intrepid heroine kept me guessing till the end and made me laugh out loud! Rose is the epitome of the perfect heroine that I love to follow. She’s colorful, amusing, ingenious, and brilliant. I loved the setting Colorado 1899 and the atmosphere with a delightful blend of humor and adventure. The story grabbed me right from the first page and kept me guessing! It’s one of the best western mysteries I have read lately! It’s well written, suspenseful, and fast-paced!" —Nicole L. for Books & Benches, Top Pick
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