I’m staring out the window of my small apartment at the darkened parking lot beyond, filled with indecision. To be clear, indecision is not unusual for me—after all, I’ve just been dumped by my girlfriend of several years due to what she would probably describe as an abundance of indecision about our relationship—but the feeling is particularly acute this morning. And all due to that mysterious email I received yesterday.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY, read the subject line. APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY.

The offices of Ghaust-Lee and Teebin are presently seeking a full-time summer intern. If interested, please join us for an interview, tomorrow, 8:00 a.m.
303 Carlisle Street, New Barrington, NY

Applied Criminology. That’s the piece stuck in my mind, especially because I’ve been unable to find even the tiniest scrap of information online about who Ghaust-Lee and Teebin are, or what they get up to at 303 Carlisle Street.

I suppose I should be grateful, not look a gift horse in the mouth, and all that. I’m nearly four years into the criminology Ph.D. program at New Barrington College, and I’ve been searching rather desperately for summer funding ever since the research appointment I had planned for this summer fell through. Honestly, having a criminology-related internship appear in my inbox on such short notice was kind of miraculous.

But applied criminology? Applied to what? Criminologists, for the most part, study crime and criminal-legal institutions in a sort of general sense. We’re social scientists, and most comfortable with theorizing, statistical modeling, and debating the merits of various academic papers. That sort of thing. But a two-person operation describing itself as “applied criminology” makes me think … private detectives?

And therein lies the root of my indecision.

On the one hand, working for a couple of private detectives this summer would be something of a dream come true for me. I’ve been a crime fiction fanatic for as long as I can remember. Especially the classics. After years spent imagining the adventures of Holmes, Campion, Poirot, Marple, Dupin, and Wimsey … well, the possibility of interning for a pair of real-life sleuths was enough to get me out of bed at half-past six this morning, even though I still haven’t decided whether to go to the interview.

The drawback, of course, is that I don’t know the first thing about investigating crimes. And, as a quiet little voice in the back of my head keeps asking, couldn’t this sort of work be dangerous?

I’m probably just overthinking this, but it feels like I’m teetering on the edge of something … one step forward, and I might find myself in a situation that it’s difficult to climb back out of.

But, as my grandmother always used to tell me whenever my anxiety was playing up: Try things, Theo. Take risks. Live your life.

Alright. Here goes. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go to the interview. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?

THE CHOCOLATIER’S CURSE – A “Notes on a Murder” Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

If you laughed with The Thursday Murder Club, you’ll instantly love the folks at Clumindell’s chocolate factory …

Criminologists, on the whole, do not solve crimes. So Ph.D. student Theo Chan is out of his comfort zone when a pair of enigmatic private investigators hire him for what sounds like a sweet summer gig. Soon, he’s thrust into the puzzle-box world of a classic small-town whodunnit, with few sleuthing skills to rely on.

“A clown climbs up the skeleton tree; A curse on you, a plague on me.” The cryptic prophesy was discovered in Antonia Pruskain’s pocket after her mysterious death at the Clumindell Chocolate and Confectionary headquarters four years ago. Ever since, a ghostly clown has haunted the grounds, always accompanied by inexplicable deaths and disasters. Now one of Clumindell’s founders is murdered inside a locked building, and the clown is the prime suspect.

To survive his first case, Theo must reckon with an unusual murder weapon, endangered tree frogs, paranormal YouTubers, and the shadowy motives of his own employers—who may be the biggest mystery of all.

Meet the author
Chris earned his Ph.D. in criminology from Penn State and is presently an assistant professor at Purdue University. When not writing about fictional or non-fictional crimes, he enjoys reading, origami, and performing sleight of hand-based magic tricks. Chris lives in Indiana with his wife, daughter, three cats, and one lizard.