My name is Colleen Caruso and since the day I went jogging in the woods near my house and tripped over the body of my daughter’s missing Algebra teacher, my life has been anything but ordinary. First off – I gave up jogging.
It’s not like we have a whole lot crime here in my sleepy little Jersey Shore town of Tranquil Harbor, so the dead teacher is a pretty big deal – at least for the police and our local newspaper, The Town Crier, where I work as a stringer.
My hunky boss, Ken Rhodes, has recently given me my own crime column. This came as a huge surprise since he has always considered my writing to be nothing more than fluff filler. He thinks because I found the body I might offer our readers an interesting, first-hand perspective of the murder investigation.
The fact that I had a major argument with the dead teacher recently and might be a suspect myself should give my columns quite a dramatic flair. And as a not-quite-divorced mother of two, I can always use the extra cash the columns will bring in to help pay the bills, not to mention buying my stingy, cheating ex a pair of cement boots if I ever decide to give into temptation and toss him into the ocean.
My son and daughter are my greatest accomplishments – even if my sullen teenager acts like she doesn’t know me most of the time and my son, six years younger than his sister, thinks a mother’s main purpose is to wash his baseball uniform and keep a steady supply of Twinkies in the cupboard.
I have an annoyingly gorgeous best friend who looks like a living, breathing Barbie doll, a flaky kid sister, a domineering mother and a dependable, docile father. They all live nearby and I have come to rely on them for moral support, babysitting, and comfort food.
They know I’m not a killer, and collectively we should be able to figure out who wanted the teacher dead and why.
The phone is ringing and I know it’s my editor calling to remind me to go to Harbor Regional High School to cover the memorial service for the dead teacher. I’ll bet there will be plenty of suspects in that bordello-red auditorium to throw suspicion away from me.
Wish me the best, though with my luck the next time you hear from me it will be from Rahway State Prison. Do inmates really wear orange jumpsuits? Does anyone know? God, I hope not. I look awful in orange!
You can read more about Colleen Caruso in New Math Is Murder, the first book in the “Jersey Girl” cozy mystery series, published by Cup of Tea books, an imprint of PageSpring Publishing. The second book in the series, Hide Nor Hair, is due to be released by the Spring of 2015.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on January 9 for the chance to win a copy of NEW MATH IS MURDER. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
About the author
Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa lives in New Jersey and draws on her experience as a freelance correspondent to create oddball characters and unusual scenarios. In addition to hundreds of published articles, her short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies.
Her love of mystery comes from her first influence in the genre – Alfred Hitchcock movies. Shadow of a Doubt is her favorite Hitchcock film. She primarily reads mysteries and horror, though during the course of writing a novel, she prefers to read non-fiction.
Jo-Ann is an avid hockey fan and a New Jersey Devils disciple. She is also a non-gifted amateur photographer who is desperately trying to learn how not to cut off the heads of her photography subjects.
Visit Jo-Ann at www.joannlamonreccoppa.com.
I’d love to read about someone who’s luck is worse than mine! Also, Algebra teachers probably get so many death threats that there’ll be loads of suspects.
Thanks ktbee!
There are loads of suspects. But I didn’t kill my Algebra teacher in real life. Does wanting to count?
I thought with a last name like Caruso she’d be a music teacher, lol.
No Enrico Caruso here, Kicha! And Colleen can’t even carry a tune.
Sounds like a great start to a new series, and being from Jersey, the location is interesting to me!
I love New Jersey! I think Jersey appeals to everyone, despite the snarky jokes. I’ve never found anyplace better.
Nice beginning to a new series. – on my list.
Thanks Gram.
looks like a fun series to read, thank you for the chance 🙂
You’ll love it!
Sounds good. Thanks for the chance to win.
Aren’t giveaways the best?
LOL, I never did learn the new math! So I am glad that my son figured it out. Sounds like a great series start. I like teacher series.
I liked the old math so much better, carolee.
I used to teach “new math” in 4th grade many years ago. It is murder!
God bless you for your patience teaching new math! Teachers are the best!
Sounds like a great start to a new series. Would love to start the year off with a new author and a new series. Thanks for the chance!
Good luck, Yifat. I’d love to start of the year with a new fan.
Sorry, I meant off — my brain works so much faster than my fingers.
I would love to read this book—thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
Good luck, Sheila.
Sounds like fun!
Everything’s fun in New Jersey, Lisa. Especially murder.
This sounds great. I grew up on the Jersey shore ,so its a plus and I SUCK at math lol so might have had some “bad” thoughts of my teachers lol
And the shore is making its comeback finally. Broken hearted with the Heights and Seaside Park devastation. As they say, we’re Jersey and we always bounce back.
Sounds like a great book and can’t wait to read it.
Thanks Becky.
Love book set in New Jersey
We love New Jersey – period!
I’m a Jersey girl! Hope I win this – I love reading cozies set in New Jersey because of the familiarity with the area (I only know of one other set in Jersey). Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
kuzlin, there are a few set in New Jersey. I met fellow Jersey cozy mystery writers at the Deadly Ink conference in New Brunswick back in August and a few of my fellow panelists had a Jersey series going. They’re great.
This sounds like a great book! Thank you so much for the contest!
Good luck Betty
Thanks for the introduction to this book. I’d love to win a copy of it to add to my to be read list.
Love for you to win it Robin!
Sounds like the beginning of a great series.
Thanks Rita. The second book is due out in March.
This sounds like it is going to be a fun series! I am anxious to read the first book! I appreciate learning about new authors (new to me) and the opportunity to win a copy o f the book! Thanks a lot!
It is fun, Barbara. Thanks for the kind words.
Sounds like an interesting cast of characters. I would like to read this. Thanks for the giveaway.
Strange characters Sally. It’s what makes New Jersey so much fun.
The book sound great! This is definitely book I want to read. Let’s all hope it becomes a successful series!
Thanks Loretta. I hope so too.
This looks like a great series that I would like to get started reading.
The next in the series is coming soon, Nancy. I think it’s just as nutty as New Math. It’s nice to know readers are looking forward to the reading about Colleen and her odd little life.
Sounds like a good read. I look forward to it.
So glad to hear it, Libby!
My most hated teacher of my parochial school life was Mrs. Schmidt. She taught Algebra and when my name was called on to give an answer, I shook with fear. In her scary cold eyes, I glimpsed the gates of hell. l would have been happy to trip over her body.
Congratulations on your book and the new one coming up!!!
Are you sure her name wasn’t Sister Gregory, Laurie? Are your knuckles scarred from ruler strikes? Thanks so much for your good wishes!
My most hated teacher was my high school Algebra teacher, Mrs. Schmidt. I liked Algebra, but I swear I saw the gates of hell whenever I had the misfortune of locking eyes with Mrs. Schmidt. I would not have felt bad tripping over her dead body .
Congratulations on your book and the new one coming out!!!!
I agree that the “New Math” is murder. When our daughter was in high school in the early 1990’s she came home with this new math being taught. Thank goodness my husband is a real MATH person, as I was no help at all. Give me words not numbers!!!!! This sounds like a series that I will enjoy. Will be glad to be put into the mix to have a chance at winning.
Cynthia
Good luck, Cynthia! Doing the “new” math gave me chills, and it was worse when my kids had it.
Jo-Ann, so happy to have you in this world of cozy mysteries! Your debut book in your Jersey Girl series sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. Thanks Dru for the intro!
Love those cozies, Sandy and Dru Love is the absolute best, isn’t she?
With a book set in New Jersey—maybe I’ll learn about that famous Jersey attitude. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
They say attitude is everything, suekey! Best of luck with the contest.
fun setting
Loads of fun, bn100! Hope you entered the giveaway.
Sounds good
Like Sue mentioned above about attitude — it’s New Jersey! It’s all good, Anita. Thanks for commenting.
It sounds like a fun book, and I’d enjoy reading it. Thanks for having the giveaway.
My fingers are crossed for you Anita.
I hated math, but this book sounds like a good first of series book.
I’ll bet you didn’t kill the math teacher, Kaye! Well, maybe . . .
Thanks for the kind words.
OMG! I live in Jersey and I know where the Rahway Prison is! I use to work in Linden at the GM plant! This story sounds wonderful, Joann, and I really have to read it. I agree ” New Math Is Murder. ” I certainly can’t figure it out!!!!! Thank you, Dru and Joann, for giviving me the chance to win it.
If I take a wrong turn toward Woodbridge and end up going past the prison, I like to drive really, really fast, Ruth! Just one of the many perks living in Central Jersey. Good luck with the giveaway.
Math was not my favorite subject but no Math teachers were harmed while I was in school. Look like a fun new series.
Thanks bookwoman. Good luck with the giveaway.
Aced geometry (even tutored classmate) but Algebra didn’t make sense to me. Finding a new mystery author does make sense to me! Thanks for the introduction to Ms. Reccoppa’s debut one! And, thanks for the giveaway!
Never made much sense to me either, Linda! But Geometry? All those angles? You must be brilliant!
I really really want to read this book!!
Thank you for the giveaway!!
Good luck to you, cyn209
Would love to read this. I think we all have that Barbie doll friend. 😛
I could never figure out how these friends always look so perfect! Their mascara never runs! They clothes fall gracefully on their bodies. They never get frizzies! You love them, and love to hate them. Ugh! Good luck with the giveaway.
Being a older college student and having to take 4 math classes just to get to the one I need to finish my degree, I can definitely relate to this book’s title. Thanks for giving the book away and introducing me to new author.
If you could balance your own checkbook, they should automatically give you the degree, Emme. It’s probably all the math you’re ever likely to need!
I love to find new authors and new series. I admit I’m not great at math so this title fits me very well. Sometimes I think math is out to get me.
It’s out to get us all, Margaret. 3 plus 4 still equals 8 — right?
This sounds like a fun book!
Good luck with the giveaway, Dawn.
Hate new math. Glad to see it causes murder
I like to kill off problem people when I write, Connie. Maybe the next one should be Senor Reeve, my old Spanish teacher!
Sounds like a fun read! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of New Math is Murder.
My fingers are crossed for you Linda.
Thanks for solving the mystery of why people write mysteries…you all have evil people in your lives.
And killing them off this way is perfectly legal, Barbara!
Sounds like a book right up my alley
Good luck with the giveaway, Margo.
Well how can you not like falling over a dead body for a Cozy…thank you for the giveaway…
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
Best of luck with the giveaway, Marilyn!
I look forward to reading this series. It sounds like fun. Thanks for the chance to win.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you Mary!
I appreciate the opportunity to win this. It fits my quirky sense of humor.
We’re all quirky! It’s the best part of life, Carolyn! Good luck with the giveaway.
Thank you. I enjoy quirky. 🙂
Thank you for this giveaway. This book sounds awesome. I’m a Jersey girl and I love the Devils hockey!
Go Devs! Good luck with the giveaway
Thank you for the chance to win
My fingers are crossed for you Anita.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter.
Best of luck Connie.
Yes, some inmates wear orange : ) Would like to read more, so please include me in the draw.
Colleen had better stay out of trouble in that case jagjhd!
finding a dead body would be a good reason to give up jogging.
sounds like a fun read. thanks.
any reason is a good reason to give up jogging Marylou!
Not familiar with this author. Book sounds like a winner to me.
Thanks Carol. Good luck with the giveaway.
Thank you Jo-Ann for commenting and interacting with my readers.
Thank you, Dru, for giving me the opportunity to interact with all your wonderful readers. What a terrific group!
contest is closed.