One of the best things about writing a series, is that you can have characters pop in and out from different books. In the case of HITTING THE BOOKS, it was a real treat to bring back the Swedish twin brothers, Steig and Stefan Norrgard, who were last seen in the third book in the series BOOK, LINE, AND SINKER. In a small community on the Connecticut shoreline, it makes sense that some characters will come and go and come back again and in HITTING THE BOOKS, when I knew two bodyguards were needed, the Swedish twins were the first characters that came to mind to fill the role.
When my amateur sleuth library director Lindsey Norris greets them in the book, I felt as if I was welcoming old friends as well. Of course, the characters that have joined the series since book three are meeting the tall, blonde, good looking twins for the first time and that was great fun to write as well. Here is British actor, Robbie Vine, who is Lindsey’s investigative sidekick, reacting to the arrival of the twins:
“Steig, is that you?” Lindsey nudged Robbie aside and squinted at the big Swede.
The man’s face cracked into a wide grin and he said, “Ms. Norris!” Then he swooped down and hugged her close lifting her off her feet.
“Oh, now, just a moment,” Robbie protested. “That’s awfully familiar of you.”
Lindsey hugged him in return and laughed when he put her back on her feet.
“It was a fifty-fifty shot,” she said. “I’m glad I got it right.”
“Actually, you didn’t,” he said. Behind him, his twin brother popped up and said, “He’s Stefan. I’m Steig.”
Lindsey glanced between the Norrgard brothers. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that with their long blonde hair, handsome masculine features, and bright blue eyes, she didn’t really care what their names were and neither did any other woman with a pulse. Instead, she opened her arms and reached out to hug the real Steig.
“Well, it’s good to see you both,” she said.
“Oy, that’s enough with the hugging,” Robbie said. “I take you know these lads, Lindsey?”
She stepped back from Steig and glanced at Robbie. “Yes, they’re the Norrgard brothers. Don’t you remember? They worked with the salvage company to find Captain Kidd’s treasure on Pirate Island.”
Robbie blinked. “I think that was before my time.”
“Oh, well, let me introduce you, Robbie Vine, these are the Norrgard brothers, Steig and Stefan,” she said. She made sure she put the right twin with the right name.
Robbie shook their hands and looked expectantly at the young men. Neither of them recognized Robbie as the famous actor that he was. Lindsey had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling at the look of chagrin on his face.
“D.I. Gordon?” Robbie said.
“I thought she said your name was Robbie,” Steig said. He scratched his chin, clearly confused.
“It is,” Robbie said. “I was referencing a role I played on television. You’ve heard of it. The light up box in your living room with the people in it who talk to you?”
“He’s snarky,” Stefan said. “I like him.”
The brothers exchanged a grin.
And that’s just the beginning of the shenanigans to be found in HITTING THE BOOKS. There’s also a hit and run, a dramatic car chase, and a proposal! Don’t miss out!
It’s murder by the book in the latest hit Library Lover’s mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Death in the Stacks.
When a stack of library materials is found at the scene of a hit and run, library director Lindsey Norris finds herself dragged into the investigation as the police try to link the driver of the stolen car to the person who borrowed the books. Before Lindsey can delve into the library’s records, the victim of the hit and run, Theresa Houston, suffers another “accident” and the investigation shifts from driver negligence to attempted homicide.
A clue surfaces in the confiscated library materials that could crack open the case and it is up to Lindsey to piece it all together. But things are not as they seem in the sleepy town of Briar Creek and when the driver of the stolen car turns up dead, Lindsey, her staff and her library friends have to hit the books before the murderer gets the last word…
Between canning pickles and baking pies and keeping house in rural Northern California, my grandmother was a big reader. I couldn’t understand why she’d spend so much time with a book when she could be down at the creek skipping stones or picking blackberries like my siblings and I did.
Marigolds for Malice is the third book in the Enchanted Garden Mystery series. Elliana Allbright is still running her perfume and aromatherapy shop, Scents and Nonsense, in Poppyville, California. The scent-related empathy that allows her to create custom essential oil blends to benefit her clients is developing more and more, and business is booming. She loves her work, her tiny house, her friends, and her small town. In late March, the Enchanted Garden behind the shop is burgeoning, filled with spring blooming plants and the tender green shoots of new growth between the tiny fairy tableaus and gnome doors. Better yet, Ritter Nelson is returning from his research project in the Alaskan tundra, so her love life is about to pick up in a big way.
