On Sunday, July 26, 2009, find out what Lemon Lace, a Judas quilt, strolling on the veranda, a diamond shoe clip, and an unregistered bed and breakfast guest have in common. Luisa Buehler, author of the acclaimed Grace Marsden murder mystery series, hosts “Tea on the Verandah” at Under the Ginkgo Tree bed-and-breakfast, 300 N. Kenilworth Ave. in Oak Park. Afternoon tea begins at 1:00pm and will be served until 3:00pm. Guests are invited to bring their favorite teacup.Local author will host afternoon tea, sign copies of her six published murder mystery novels, discuss the two final novels in the series, and talk about Illinois' Civil War underground railroad.
Under the Ginkgo Tree provides an appropriate setting for a talk and review of Buehler's sixth and latest Grace Marsden mystery.
The Innkeeper:An Unregistered Death begins with a runaway slave and a society girl laying entombed in the cellar of an old boardinghouse. Renovations turn gruesome when skeletal remains are uncovered. Forensic report adds a twist—the remains were entombed 80 years apart! Grace becomes involved when her friend, the owner of the house falls under suspicion. Grace tries to stay apart from the investigation and succeeds until she sees the spirit of the freedom seeker haunting the house and he turns to her for justice. Can she deny him in death what he sought so tragically in life?
The Innkeeper: An Unregistered Death is slated for release late this August by Echelon Press ($13.99 ISBN 978-1-59080-627-2).
Grace Marsden's seventh and final cold case will be The Re-Enactor: A Staged Death, scheduled for publication in early 2011. The author who first brought to life the thirty-something, OCD-plagued, often idiosyncratic sleuth in 2002 says Grace is weary of experiencing pain and tragedy through the restless souls who seem to find her. She intends to avoid sleuthing and concentrate on her life with her family.
Oftentimes, especially in the case of a novel or story series, their authors come to regard their characters as friends, accomplices, partners, even family. Does Buehler feel that she's saying goodbye to someone she "knows" so well and in whose life she's been so intimately involved for more than a decade?
“Not so much goodbye,” says the author, “more that our life paths are moving in different directions from where we are now in our relationship. We won't have as much contact but we'll always have Pine Marsh! {home to Harry and Grace Marsden}.... I hope readers will be satisfied and pleased and find the conclusion of the series totally believable in The Re-Enactor.”
Grace is a conglomeration of several women Buehler has known with “a smattering of my OCD tendencies – mine are mild compared to Grace!” She adds that fictional characters such as Nancy Drew (her original inspiration for becoming a mystery writer) and Nora Charles also influenced her.
The tie-in to Under the Ginkgo Tree begins back in book four, The Scoutmaster: A Prepared Death and re-introduced in The Innkeeper. The renowned Oak Park B&B is mentioned by name and is the setting for a scene early in the book.Part history, largely mystery, Buehler says she will focus her remarks at “Tea on the Verandah” on her research about stations on the underground railroad in Illinois and the symbols used on quilts to guide the freedom seekers to safety or to warn them of danger. Buehler uses an interesting twist concerning a quilt found in the boarding house.
All who attend “Tea on the Verandah” will be entered in a drawing, to be held at 3:00pm, for prizes including a certificate for a one night stay at Under the Ginkgo Tree B&B, a vintage tea cup and tea basket, and a vintage jewelry piece.
Luisa Buehler lives in west suburban Lisle with her husband, their son, and family cat, Martin Marmalade. Between managing a business and family and documenting Grace Marsden’s sleuthing, she also finds time to tend her garden.
Under the Ginkgo Tree is located at 300 N. Kenilworth Ave. in Oak Park, near the corner of Erie. Call (708) 524-2327 for more information about “Tea on the Verandah.”
For more information about Grace Marsden Murder Mysteries, and/or the author Luisa Buehler, email [email protected] or visit www.Luisabuehler.com.
Any or all of the Grace Marsden Murder Mystery novels can also be purchased at the publisher's website, www.echelonpress.com or at your local booksellers or online retailers. Local residents of Chicago can purchase them at Centuries & Sleuths in Forest Park or your local Barnes & Noble stores.
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