Dodie first appeared in Show Time and the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Dodie.

What is your name?
Dodie O’Dell.

How old are you?
mid-thirties. . .I am a Gemini, my birthday is in June. That means I am open-minded, fun-loving, and a multi-tasker. That last one is me to a “t.”

What is your profession?
I manage the Windjammer restaurant in Etonville, NJ full-time; I am a sleuth part-time. I’ve been managing restaurants for years. I’m good at organization!

Do you have a significant other? What is his name and profession?
You bet! Etonville Police Chief Bill Thompson is my current heartthrob. He’s a hunky former NFL player-turned-cop. I love his magnetic eyes and quirky grin.

Any children?
Not yet! We’ll see. . .

Do you have any sibling(s)?
My younger brother Andy lives in Boston with his wife and young son. He’s a psychologist and claims some citizens of Etonville could use therapy. I don’t completely disagree.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
No dogs or cats at the moment.

What town do you live in?
Etonville, NJ, a stone’s throw from Manhattan, full of lovable characters and good friends.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I live in a duplex, a bungalow on the south side of town. It’s small enough to keep clean – five rooms – but big enough to hold poker parties with my Etonville BFFs.

Own or Rent?
I rent for now.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
My kitchen. I rarely cook at home – maybe because I work in a restaurant all day – but I like to work on my computer at the kitchen table doing research as I investigate the latest murder.

Who is your best friend?
Lola Tripper is my BFF. She’s the current artistic director of the Etonville Little Theatre and its reigning diva. Carol Palmieri, owner of Snippets Salon – Etonville’s rumor central – is my other BFF. We’re a fun threesome!

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Strictly speaking I’m an amateur; but I take my sleuthing seriously.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Since Lola is my BFF, I tend to share my ongoing escapades with her, but my real assistant is eighteen-year-old Pauli Palmieri, son of my friend Carol and a high tech guru. His primary interest is digital forensics and he has supported me with deep Internet searches, email hacking, facial recognition software, among other digital delights. Of course, I have been known to talk over some detective business with Bill. He’s supportive as long as I’m not interfering with official police business. (Who, me?)

Favorite meal?
Anything with seafood: shrimp, scallops, mussels. . .I grew up down the Jersey Shore. I also love whatever Bill whips up, especially his omelets. He’s a whiz in the kitchen.

Favorite dessert?
Georgette’s Bakery supplies the desserts for the Windjammer restaurant so I get to sample a wide variety of pies and cakes. Her coconut cream pie is to die for.

Favorite hobby?
When I am not snooping around, I spend my “free” time next door at the Etonville Little Theatre supporting Lola and whatever production the group is rehearsing. I also arrange theme food ideas for the Windjammer to coordinate with the current show. In the past I’ve supplied seafood for Dames At Sea, an Italian menu for Romeo and Juliet, and 1940s Brooklyn fare for Arsenic and Old Lace.

Favorite vacation spot?
The Jersey Shore! I plan to get down there this summer. I can’t wait to dig my toes in the sand, gobble up seafood, and bask in the sand and surf. Ah, vacation. . .

Favorite color?
I wear a lot of black so I guess that is my favorite color except for the days I feel the need to slip on a red sweater or shirt. Red is my go-to power color when I need some oomph!

Favorite author?
I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie. Right now I’m working my way through Cindy Collins’ mystery series: Murder One and a Half, Murder Came Calling, and Murder Most Cordial. They give me ideas. . .

Favorite sports team?
I’m more a football fan than anything and root for the hometown teams. Bill, being ex-NFL, is also a terrific football fan and partial to the NY Giants so I’m good with cheering for them. We’ve gone to a couple of games where I nearly froze in drizzling rain and sleet. I’m a good sport!

Movies or Broadway?
I’ve always been more of a movie fan but since I’ve moved to Etonville, a stone’s throw from New York, Bill and I have taken in a few Broadway shows. Mostly big musical revivals like King and I and South Pacific. The Etonville Little Theatre is planning on Bye, Bye, Birdie this spring. Can’t wait to see it!

Are you a morning or a night person?
I’m a night person. Before I managed the Windjammer restaurant in Etonville, I ran a restaurant down the Jersey Shore. I’ve been working nights and closing up the store for years. Still, I am known to rise early if I’m working on a murder investigation. . .

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Lately things have settled down at the Windjammer restaurant. Business is up, customers are satisfied, and my boss, chef/owner Henry, has been experimenting with new entrees. So I am feeling relaxed and ready for summer. On a typical day, I run errands in the morning, and then settle into the Windjammer by 10 a.m. or so, in time to open for lunch, plan menus, do food inventories, and create staff schedules. During my late afternoon break, I’ll pop next door to check in with Lola and the Etonville Little Theatre’s latest production. . .and plan theme food to accompany the show. Bill sometimes stops in the Windjammer for lunch or dinner and we make plans for the weekend. If I close up, I’m home by midnight and hunker down with the latest Cindy Collins’ mystery. My day is fairly routine. . .until I get involved in a murder investigation. Then, all bets are off.

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Just In Time. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends September 30, 2018. Good luck everyone! Bonus question: Do you like attending amateur theater productions?

You can read about Dodie in Just in Time, the fourth book in the “Dodie O’Dell” mystery series.

FACE THE MUSIC

Business is humming at Dodie O’Dell’s Windjammer Restaurant, where she offers theme menus connected to the Etonville Little Theatre’s amateur productions. This June, the theatre is collaborating with the neighboring Creston Players to stage Bye Bye Birdie under the stars—their first musical! There’s a contest in the play to pick a fan to receive rock idol Conrad Birdie’s last kiss before he ships off for the Army, so Dodie plans a contest to pick the food for a pre-show picnic.

But before the show opens, Ruby, the rehearsal accompanist, is found dead in her car. Why would anyone murder the crusty old gal who loved to sneak a smoke and a nip between wisecracks? Once again, the resourceful restaurant manager must play the part of amateur sleuth, accompanied by Police Chief Bill Thompson, who also happens to be her beau. Confronted with a chorus of suspects, she’ll need to stay composed to catch the killer—or it’ll be bye bye Dodie. . .

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About the author
Suzanne Trauth’s novels include Show Time, Time Out, Running Out of Time, and Just in Time. Her plays include La Fonda, Françoise, Midwives, Rehearsing Desire, iDream, Katrina: the K Word, and Three Sisters Under the Hood. Her screenplays Solitaire and Boomer Broads have won awards at the Austin Film Festival, among other contests, and she wrote and directed the short film Jigsaw. She is currently a member of Writers Theatre of New Jersey Emerging Women Playwrights program. Ms. Trauth has co-authored Sonia Moore and American Acting Training and co-edited Katrina on Stage: Five Plays. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Connect with Suzanne at suzannetrauth.com.

All comments are welcomed.