“To be, or not to be?” It’s the question on everyone’s mind since a body was found in Shakespeare’s Garden, the pose inspired by a scene in Hamlet. It’s hard to say what the future holds for the Shakespeare Festival. I’m Emmeline Prather, and although I’m part of the English faculty, I had little to do with planning the conference surrounding Shakespeare’s First Folio. But I’ll definitely be involved in the murder investigation.

As an English professor, I’ve always been good at analyzing clues, and Lenny, my colleague, is more than willing to help me. He teaches American literature and avoids any books with the words thee, thou, or thine. Needless to say, he won’t be presenting at the conference. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be helping me solve the case. Since we started dating four months ago, we’re closer than ever. Despite my dismal dating history, our future looks promising.

My elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gunderson, does everything she can to encourage the relationship. She takes credit for our kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas, a magical moment she claims was inspired by her bake sale. She thinks that without her help I will die a spinster. Maybe she’s right. I almost bought a pink flamingo yesterday, and I already own a cat. I keep telling Mrs. Gunderson thirty isn’t old, but she doesn’t believe me. She was married a decade by the time she was my age, and nothing can refute those numbers.

To tell the truth, I’ve been too busy teaching and reading to fret about spinsterhood. My favorite afternoons are the ones I spend on the front porch of my yellow bungalow on Oxford Street with Dickinson, my cat. We’ve enjoyed many books on the porch, sans significant others. Now that my own book has been accepted for publication, I’ve been busy reading, teaching, and editing. I have to admit, I’m a little baffled by the entire process. I just saw the mock-up cover, and if it’s any indication of the process, I’m going to be tangled in problems for the unforeseeable future. It’s covered in blooms, and while I’m just as fond of roses as anybody else, I’d rather keep them in the garden. Thank you very much.

Like the garden on our small midwestern campus, where a newly placed bust of Shakespeare watches over the cowslips and primroses and violets. After a harsh winter, the colors are as welcome as the answer to this mystery. If I don’t solve it soon, I might wilt like pansies in a west-facing window. But if Copper Bluff has taught me anything, it’s pioneer perseverance. With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, the case will be solved by summer break. You can bet your petunias on it.

You can read more about Em in Coming Up Murder, the fourth book in the “Professor Prather” cozy mystery series, released November 12, 2019.

Everything’s coming up roses for Professor Emmeline Prather. Her scholarly book is finished, spring term is coming to a close, and her love life is blossoming. Then the festival surrounding the exhibit of Shakespeare’s First Folio opens, bringing with it a tempest more dramatic than the bard’s.

In his panel presentation, actor and grad student Tanner Sparks contends Shakespeare isn’t Shakespeare, boasting that he can prove the long-debated theory that an aristocrat actually penned the sonnets and plays. His bombshell sets off an acrid debate among scholars. But were they upset enough to kill him? That’s what Em wonders when Tanner is found dead in Shakespeare’s Garden, his macabre pose inspired by a scene from Hamlet.

At her department head’s urging, Em sets out to find the killer. Suspects abound, and Em finds herself targeted by Shakespeare-themed threats. Undaunted, she persists, determined to solve the case before the end of the semester.

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About the author
Mary Angela is the author of the Professor Prather and Happy Camper (Kensington 2020) cozy mystery series. When Mary isn’t penning heartwarming whodunits, she’s teaching, reading, traveling, or spending time with her family. She lives in South Dakota with her husband, daughters, and spoiled pets. You can find out more about her loves, including her writing, at maryangelabooks.com.

All comments are welcomed.