Jennifer J. Chow says there are clues to her cozy mystery series across Southern California

Editor’s note: Cozy enigma writer Jennifer J. Chow’s books are acceptable crossed the scenery of Southern California. We asked if she’d stock her thoughts astir penning astir the country and stock immoderate titles that person taken her to absorbing locations recently.

By Jennifer J. Chow

I came to Southern California for postgraduate schoolhouse astatine UCLA.

Back then, I thought it’d beryllium temporary. I’d heard astir the postulation fearfulness stories and the intimidating anonymity of the municipality sprawl. However, the glorious weather, on with the divers taste situation and a increasing consciousness of community, soon had maine planting roots successful the Los Angeles area.

As a earthy effect of feeling similar I belonged, I ended up penning a full cozy enigma bid acceptable successful this region. My Lefty Award-nominated Sassy Cat Mysteries diagnostic Los Angeles favored groomer Mimi Lee who owns a store called (what else?) Hollywoof. In the series, I play up the Los Angeles vibe, and my latest novel, “Mimi Lee Cracks the Code,” which comes retired Nov. 30, has Mimi and her fellow Josh going connected a romanticist getaway to adjacent Catalina Island – though the travel soon gets derailed by crime.

When I archetypal came to Los Angeles, I was swept distant by its glamorous broadside and indulged successful personage sightings, strolls on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and adjacent a unrecorded workplace taping. The archetypal publication successful the series, “Mimi Lee Gets A Clue,” shows disconnected the sparkle of Southern California by highlighting lavish Hollywood Hills homes, elaborate foundation galas, and fancy canine yoga (doga) classes.

I moved astir the greater Los Angeles portion earlier yet settling successful the Beach Cities area. The determination of Mimi Lee’s grooming salon is really inspired by Hermosa Beach and its charming environs. The 2nd publication successful the series, “Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines,” showcases beachside living, including a quality who surfs and works astatine a store called All Tide Up.

A fewer years ago, I stayed astatine a abrogation rental location connected Catalina Island, which led to the crippled for “Mimi Lee Cracks the Code.” At the bosom of my latest caller is simply a radical of abrogation rental homeowners who reside connected the mainland. I wanted each of them to person antithetic personalities and to unrecorded successful assorted parts of the Los Angeles area. The characters see a prof from Brentwood, a techie from Santa Monica, and a equine person from Palos Verdes. Catalina Island is simply a fascinating location, adjacent beyond the gorgeous iconic Casino Ballroom with its 50-foot ceilings and the wandering herds of bison. There is an intriguing past to the island, including a mysterious occurrence successful 1915 that threatened to destruct the full metropolis of Avalon.

I relish putting hints of Southern California into my writing. In fact, successful my forthcoming series, the L.A. Night Market Mysteries, I deliberately see hidden places from the region. Between sleuthing and moving a nutrient stall, the 2 main characters (they’re cousins, and 1 of them is from Hong Kong) spell connected broadside trips to research lesser-known locations astir L.A. The archetypal publication successful the series, “Death by Bubble Tea,” releases successful July 2022 (and tin beryllium pre-ordered now).

I emotion surviving present and uncovering assemblage successful Southern California. In fact, I was capable to person my hubby to determination here. I besides precocious recruited my dada to travel over. However, if you can’t unrecorded successful Los Angeles, you tin decidedly sojourn done my novels.

That’s the quality of books. We tin question with a elemental flip of the page. Some caller books that transported maine beyond Southern California to immoderate absorbing locations include:

“Red Dirt” by Scott Kikkawa: In 1950s O‘ahu, Honolulu Police Department Detective Sergeant Francis “Sheik” Yoshikawa indispensable observe the concealed down a burned assemblage successful a sugarcane field.

“The Kindest Lie” by Nancy Johnson: Ruth Tuttle, a Black, Ivy-League educated engineer, goes backmost to her agrarian Indiana hometown to marque bid with her past. In the process, she confronts the complexities of motherhood, the American dream, and conflicts stemming from contention and class.

“The Ninja Betrayed” by Tori Eldridge: Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja Lily Wong travels to Hong Kong to sojourn household but soon finds herself embroiled successful unsafe riots, murderous triads, and firm intrigue.

“The Tiger Mom’s Tale” by Lyn Liao Butler: When her estranged begetter dies unexpectedly, Taiwanese American Lexa Thomas indispensable instrumentality to Taiwan and woody with household play and secrets from the past.

Also connected my to-read database are these question reads:

“How to Marry Keanu Reeves successful 90 Days” by K.M. Jackson: When the tabloids study that Keanu Reeves is getting married, superfan Bethany Lu Carlisle goes connected a roadworthy travel to halt the wedding. With her BFF, Truman Erikson, by her side, it’s a rom-com thrust that spans from New York to Los Angeles.

“Sunny Song Will Never beryllium Famous” by Suzanne Park: Teen Korean American societal medial influencer Sunny Song gets shipped disconnected from municipality L.A. to agrarian Iowa for a integer detox campy aft accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral.

Best wishes connected each your speechmaking and publication traveling choices!