Interview with cozy mystery author Pat Duggan

Mystery author Pat Duggan is here with me today as she wraps up a her tour to chat about her new cozy novel, Murder at Serengeti Plains.

During her virtual book tour, Pat will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Originally from Manchester, England, Pat Duggan moved to the U.S. in 1985. After a career in finance, which included running her own book-keeping and tax business, in the Cincinnati area, Pat and her partner retired and moved to Oregon. Years later, they embarked on a five-year journey, traveling across the country in a motorhome.

Writing was a whole new direction for Pat, which began with two non-fiction books – The Power Within and Finding God in an RV. Then she branched into writing fiction as she turned to her love for solving murder mysteries and the challenge to figure out ‘whodunit!’

Sadly, their traveling days are over, but settling down has brought its own reward as it inspired this latest novel.

Welcome, Pat. Please tell us about your newest release.
Murder at Serengeti Plains is the third mystery novel in the series, featuring amateur sleuths Hazel Davies and Anna Kohl. The earlier novels are Murder at Eagles Nest and Could They Be Twins?

The book is set in a new residential subdivision, Serengeti Plains, built by the renowned local builder, Zebra Homes. It is located in the peaceful, historic town of Centerville, Ohio. However, peace is shattered when the new residents are awakened one morning by the sound of police sirens. The procession of police cars, come to rest in their own neighborhood. A body has been discovered! Was it an accident or was it murder?

Hazel Davies and Anna Kohl have recently moved into this new subdivision. They have previously helped the police to solve murders in both Florida and Ohio, but they did not expect to find one on their own doorstep. When the police begin to look at their friend as the perpetrator, they find themselves drawn into yet another murder investigation.

What inspired you to write this book?
My partner and I recently moved into a new subdivision, and took a daily walk around the neighborhood. As I was considering a new writing project, we came across a newly poured basement and it seemed like the perfect location for a body!

Excerpt from Murder at Serengeti Plains:
After Noah left, Hazel and Anna sat down to review what they had learned.

It seemed that Detective Grant’s case was solely based on a perceived argument between Gary and Noah. Everything else was assumption and speculation. Noah had no reason to kill Gary, even if he had found him onsite without authority. He could simply have called the police. Both Hazel and Anna knew there had to be more to the story.

However, one question had emerged from Noah’s story – what was Gary doing on the building site? The likelihood of his body being brought to the site and dumped seemed highly unlikely as the hammer, now identified as the murder weapon had apparently been found in the undergrowth nearby. So, the inevitable conclusion was that Gary got there under his own steam, but why?

Hazel and Anna decided to make a list of the possible explanations. After half an hour of considering the options, they concluded that there were only two possibilities. Either he was there to meet someone, or he was there to steal something. They decided it was time to ask around and see what they could find out.

It was time to take their daily walk. Since moving into Serengeti Plains, Hazel and Anna had made a habit of walking around the subdivision for exercise. They found the established part of the area a little boring as the homes had long since been completed and during the day there was very little activity, apart from the occasional dog walker. As a result, they usually made their way to the streets where construction was still active. There were numerous homes under construction and if nobody was working on a particular house, they would slip inside to view the progress. They had watched many of the homes progress step by step from the footings to the roof and then observed each step inside towards completion.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am currently considering going back to the time when we lived in Newport, Oregon. Each year the harbor entrance at Newport has to be dredged to clear the winter accumulation of sand in order to keep the harbor accessible for the commercial fishing boats. I had an opportunity to tour the Corps of Engineers ship, the Yaquina Dredge. As I am always looking for places to find a body, this seems like a good possibility.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Several years ago, I wrote Finding God in an RV about the miracles we experienced on our journey from Oregon to Ohio and on to Florida in our RV. Completing and publishing this non-fiction book was, for me, the beginning of my new adventure as a writer.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am retired and do not write full time. I have been fortunate to spend time traveling and experiencing some of the wonders of this huge country, which I call my home. Now when I find myself settled at home without a gardening or decorating project, my thoughts turn to ‘murder’ and it is time to write again.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
In view of my financial background, I often bring some aspect of illegal financial activity into my murder mysteries.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I grew up in England the realistic options were limited to factory or office work. Unless I wanted to spend years in college to become a teacher. I knew that I did not want to be a teacher or work in a factory, so my course was pretty clear. Once in an office, I gravitated towards the financial side of office work.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I initially mentioned that Murder at Serengeti Plains is the third in the Hazel Davies and Anna Kohl series. If you enjoy this story, I hope you will check out Murder at Eagle’s Nest and Could They Be Twins.

I would also like to thank the readers for their interest and hope they enjoy my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Links:
Facebook | Amazon author page | Goodreads | Amazon

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