Life Becomes Stranger than Fiction when Charlee’s Latest Novel Inspires a Real Murder Mystery author Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo thinks the twisty plots and peculiar murders in her books are only the product of her imagination–until her agent is found dead exactly as described in Charlee’s new, unpublished manuscript. Suspicion now swirls around her and her critique group, making her confidence … confidence drop as severely and unexpectedly as her royalty payments.
The police care more about Charlee’s feeble alibi and financial problems than they do her panicky claims of innocence. To clear her name and revive her career, she must figure out which of her friends is a murderer. Easier said than done, even for an author who’s skilled at creating tidy endings for her mysteries. And as her sleuthing grows dangerous, Charlee’s imagination starts working overtime. Is she being targeted, too?
Praise:
“The charming heroine and the supporting cast shine in Clark’s fun and funny solo mystery debut…which doesn’t take anyone too seriously in the best way possible.”–Kirkus Reviews
“Cozy fans should enjoy this funny and affecting view into a mystery writer’s life.”–Publishers Weekly
“Charlee Russo is my new favorite amateur sleuth! Wickedly witty author Charlee takes us along on her wild ride to prove her innocence in the murder of her literary agent, a murder based on the plot of one of her own books! Giving readers an inside look at the writer’s life, Becky Clark pens a funny, clever page turner of a mystery and I can’t wait for the next one in this terrific new series!”–Jenn McKinlay, bestselling author of the Library Lover’s Mysteries
“Becky Clark wields a witty pen, writing about an author who is plunged into her own mystery.”–Marty Wingate, author of the Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather series
“Becky Clark is a hilarious new talent in mystery fiction. With a mixture of humor and plot, Fiction Can Be Murderpulls back the curtain on the creative writing process and exposes the homicidal thoughts that take place while writing a book.”–Diane Vallere, national bestselling author of the Costume Shop mysteries
“In Fiction Can Be Murder, Becky Clark gives us a fun and funny peek into the writers’ life. Although in the case of her protagonist, the smart, likeable, and feisty Charlee Russo, that life includes the real murder of her agent. This clever mystery, first in a new series, is perfect for book lovers.”–Vicki Delany, national bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries
“Fresh, fast, and furiously fun, Fiction Can Be Murderpacks one surprise after the next. Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority on this particular subject. Charlee Russo is like a lot of authors I know–except most of them only dream of killing their agents.”–Brad Parks, Shamus-, Nero-, and Lefty-award-winning author of Closer Than You Know
“This killer plot will take you on the literary ride of your life. In this new series, Clark has crafted an intriguing mystery that opens the door into the crazy world of literary agents, publishers, royalties, critique groups, and murder.”–Cheryl Hollon, author of the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries
“A promising series debut.”–Booklist
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“Fiction Can Be Murder” by Becky Clark, is a cozy mystery that lets outsiders in on the techniques, practices, and secret ways of writers. Readers become familiar with literary agents, book promotions, and royalty checks. Reviewers have nothing to fear because according to the book writers “should never read their reviews.”
The ins and outs of writers’ critique groups come to the forefront when a somewhat “difficult” literary agent dies in circumstances that suspiciously mirror the plot of a yet unpublished manuscript written by Charlemagne Russo. Charlee feels she is the prime suspect, so she is compelled to solve the murder before she is hauled off to jail. In a first person narrative, she wades through what she knows about the people, places, and things surrounding the murder and applies her plot writing ability to solve problems in this real life situation. Of course, she had researched the murder scenario for her book, but solving a murder in real life was considerably more difficult.
Clark’s descriptions give readers a strong colorful sense of Charlee’s Colorado home.
“The sun began setting over the mountains, tinging my world with otherworldly light in the shades of orange, pink, yellow, and blue. I watched the sky change colors behind the thin clouds as if the artist couldn’t decide on his palette.”
“Fiction Can Be Murder” opens with the murder as it could have been written in Charlee’s novel, and the action continues as she methodically checks the alibis, motives, and opportunities of everyone who has access to her unpublished manuscript. It is as a stress-free book without headache-inducing trauma, but at the same time compelling and captivating. It was quick and easy to read, and I highly recommend it to all cozy readers.
I love a good mystery and I love humor. Becky Clark’s Fiction Can Be Murder nails it on both counts. When novelist, Charlee Russo’s agent is murdered in the same manner as the victim in Charlee’s unpublished manuscript, she becomes the top suspect. She sets about clearing her name by checking up on anyone who has read the manuscript. Unfortunately, that group is largely made up of friends from her critique group, who don’t take kindly to her suspicions.
The mystery is intriguing, fast paced, and laugh-out-loud funny, with quirky cast of characters and a protagonist who is so relatable she feels like a long lost friend! I’m eager for the next book in this series!
Laugh out loud funny, this book will keep you entertained from the beginning until the very end. This book drew me in from the beginning. The author has an entertaining and comical writing style that makes you immediately identify with the protagonist. The book infuses humor, but also deals with some heavier topics in the sub-plot. This combination kept me engrossed in the book all the way through and it was hard for me to put it down once I got started reading.
Complete review can be found here: https://cozyexperience.com/fiction-can-be-murder-book-review/
How can a murder take place exactly as described in an unpublished manuscript? Witty author and protagonist Charlee Russo is delightful company as she takes the reader along on her search for the true killer. This is one of those books I didn’t want to be over, but–Alas!–I had to finish it to find out whodunit. Sigh.
Charlemagne (aka Charlee) Russo is a mystery author in Colorado. Her newest book, filled with twists and turn, is still unpublished. When her agent is found dead and her death exactly matches the one in her book Charlee becomes the prime suspect. Who would want her agent dead? And more importantly, who has read the manuscript? Charlee goes into overdrive to clear her name and realizes that one of her friends may be a murderer and that her life may also be in danger. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are great and the murder mystery is very well written. I can’t wait to read more of this series. I definitely recommend this book!
This story is infused with the author’s warm sense of humor! The main character, Charlee, is grounded, realistic, and engaging with a quirky side of lovableness. Her family and friends are diverse and entertaining. I loved this book and look forward to reading more!
Good book! Mystery writer Charlee Russo’s agent is found murdered exactly like in her unpublished manuscript. Charlee is the most obvious suspect especially since she was having issues regarding her royalties and her agent was not well-liked. Now Charlee must figure out which one of her friends from her writer’s group could be the killer. Everyone seems to be hiding something, thus making this book very intriguing! An interesting read with a fun main character. I look forward to reading more books in this series!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Fiction easily becomes murder when literary agent, Melinda Walter is killed in exactly the same way as the victim in author, Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo’s latest manuscript. Charlee had problems with the woman but never plotted to kill her. So who else had access to the manuscript? Could someone in her critique group have done the deed and used her book to frame her? Stranger than fiction she puts on her sleuthing cap to bring this murder mystery to an end. Hopefully, she’ll survive to tell the tale.
I would call this a cozy-ish mystery. Charlee Russo is a cleverly written imperfect amateur sleuth, very clutzy with a wild imagination, a good thing when you write mysteries for a living, not so much when you are on the trail of a killer. She is protective of her friends but still needs to question and verify everyone’s alibi as much for her peace of mind as to solving the case. Let’s just say her investigating techniques need a little refinement as I was a little frightened by the positions she found herself in at times.
The pacing was mixed. The story starts out briskly but slowed a bit in the middle but then the ending felt a bit rushed. With plenty of twists and a few red herrings, I was completely confused until everything was laid out for me. It was a fun tagging along with Charlee. I always enjoy a challenging mystery. The dialogue is very realistic and I liked the humor interspersed throughout. “I’d tell you to go to hell, but I never want to see you again.”
This series is off to a fine start and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I do love the Mystery Writer’s theme. The author has left plenty of room for the secondary characters and Charlee to grow. She also left an open question in this story that I hope will be wrapped up in the next.
Mystery writer, Charlemagne (Charlee) Russo’s notoriously unpopular agent dies unexpectedly in an unusual and violent manner. Unfortunately for Charlee, the agent’s murder exactly mirrors the death described in Charlee’s latest never-published manuscript. Charlee immediately becomes a suspect. To prove her innocence, Charlee is forced to investigate all the members of her writing group and a few others who may have had access to the manuscript. The book was excellently scripted with plenty of plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The most outstanding feature for me was the cast of eclectic characters with their quirky names such as Queue Quaid and Einstein Eichhorn. Combine this zany crew with the amusing predicaments in which Charlee finds herself while “investigating,” and the result is the perfect recipe for an enjoyable read that will keep you smiling—even if the subject is “murder!”
I was so torn on how to rate this book. I wanted to give it five stars, because for a person to finish a book, that is well edited, and with such a fun premise, makes me happy. Plus I want to support authors.
And I wanted to give it three stars because, for me, there was just too much of Charlee accusing everyone. As a mystery writer, she may see evil lurking inside of people, but take a breath before accusing every person you know of being a killer. And for the first part of the book, Becky Clark, had Charlee spending so much time inside of her apartment, when this could have been the perfect time to have her out and about, developing more of the characters.
So I decided to split the difference and go with four stars. Mainly because I want to read the next book in the series, Foul Play on Words, to read more about Charlee’s critique group, and see if there is more character development.
The one thing that I really, really enjoyed was the random thoughts Clark included, that made me feel as if I were to every meet Clark, this would be her personality. So I felt more connected to the author of the book than the main character.
I definitely think you should give this book a read, maybe skimming a bit when Charlee begins her long inner dialogue as to why another one of her friends is the killer. And I really am looking forward to getting to know the critique group, and some of the other characters more.
Melinda has a reputation for taking pleasure in being mean to people. Even though Charlee Russo is an author this agent represents, she’s seen Melinda’s mean streak before. So it isn’t necessarily a surprise when Melinda winds up murdered. What is a surprise is the method – straight out of Charlee’s just submitted book. Clearly, someone in her life is trying to frame her for murder. But which of her friends could it be?
Early on, I was worried that I was about to be flooded with suspects. While there are a lot, they were presented in a way that it was easy to remember them as the book went along. It also helped that potential series regulars are also suspects and that the characters are distinct. I did feel like the plot focused on one aspect of the mystery over some of the others, but there was still a good twist or two and the ending had me turning pages as quickly as possible.
Fiction Can Be Murder by Becky Clark is the first tale in A Mystery Writer’s Mystery series. Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo is at her writer’s critique group when she hears the news that Melinda Walter, Charlee’s agent, was found dead. She was murdered using the method in Charlee’s unpublished manuscript—Mercury Rising. Since only a handful of people have read the manuscript, Charlee is propelled to the top of the police’s suspect list. Charlee is left with no choice. She must investigate Melinda’s death to clear her name. With the suspect list narrowed down to her critique group, Charlee must discern who killed her agent and is trying to frame her for murder. Charlee’s imagination goes into overdrive especially after she notices a SUV following her. Is she the killer’s next target?
Fiction Can Be Murder had an interesting premise. A mystery writer whose own work was used to murder her agent. I wanted to get a peek into the life of a mystery writer. Unfortunately, Fiction Can Be Murder has a terrible main character in Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo. Charlee comes across as paranoid, annoying, judgmental and unstable. She thinks that anyone on the street can be a killer and they might attack her at any moment (she wonders if the lady with the double stroller is carrying an Uzi). I forgot to mention she is also clumsy. She is known for having coffee spills on her clothing (she needs a sippy cup). Of course, Charlee is also scattered brained. She forgets to charge her phone and is frequently late (let’s face it—she is never on time). I could have done without her using an alley for a restroom. There is a lack of character development, so the characters come across as flat. Now and then the author sticks in a detail or two. The mystery consists of Charlee “questioning” her friends (verifying their alibis) in an accusatory manner (when she is not hiding in her apartment) and endless speculation. Charlee was not subtle in her questioning. I am amazed that any of these people are willing to be her friends after the case is solved. The term “bull in a china shop” is apropos for Charlee. The solution was laughable, and the ending was rushed (considering the 90% of the book was devoted to Charlee questioning people). I did find the method of murder unique and imaginative (I liked it). Fiction Can Be Murder is told in the first person and the story rambles (there is also repetition—Charlee’s Kia is mentioned 20 times). The writing lacked an ease and flow. I found the story to be disjointed. Please be aware that this book does contain a small amount of foul language. Fiction Can Be Murder was not a good fit for me (It felt more like a rough draft than a finished novel). Please get a sample and see if Fiction Can Be Murder is the right book for you. We are all individuals with different reading tastes.
Fiction Can Be Murder: A Myster Writer’s Mystery, Becky Clark’s cozy mystery was released April 8, 2018 by Midnight Ink. Charlee (Charlemagne) Russo is a mid-stable mystery writer who has noticed that her royalty payments are shrinking. Her literary agent seems reluctant to push the publisher for the appropriate documentation. Charlee is funny, intelligent, and a bit ditzy, so she shares that information with her writing critique group. When her agent is murdered with the method Charlee described in her most recent, as-yet-unpublished manuscript, the critique group immediately thinks she killed the agent. Charlee, because each of them read this manuscript, is equally certain one of them killed the agent. The critique group is a group of oddballs, each with something to hide. The cops feel Charlee is the most likely suspect, but she feels they’re not doing an adequate job of investigating, so she tackles the job herself while suffering random fits of paranoia that she is next on the killer’s hit list. Readers get an insight into the writer’s life as well as some truly funny moments. This mystery is fast-paced and humorous, and should be enjoyed by any cozy mystery fan.
The main character, Charlee, is a writer who becomes accused of her agents murder. She is trying to prove her innocence, while the twists and turns seem to be coming straight from the plot of her book. This was a enjoyable read with a likeable characters.