After Rich died, my days lost all color. I wake up; make myself a latte; walk Cannoli; take a drive to town and have lunch with my friends; come home and cook dinner for my grandson; clean up and go to sleep. Except for Tuesdays and Saturdays, when I’d wake up earlier and get in sparring lessons to get my blood flowing. Rinse and repeat.

Then Brie, a former kindergarten student, got herself killed, forcing us, her teachers, to find her killer. We didn’t trust Detective Storm not to muck it up as he did when he investigated the deaths of my Rich and Jim.

Finding killers makes one’s day go wonky at the best of times. And if I wanted to catch the killers of my husband and son, then I needed to get my head in tip-top shape.

So, how do my days look now?

Psychedelic.

There are days when fear catches me in my throat. The plain, heart-pounding fear that takes my breath away, not knowing if the killer will get us before we get them. I found it’s best to have someone’s hand within reach when the fear takes over, to squeeze that hand and say a prayer or two.

Then, there are the days when I’m on a high, thinking nothing can go wrong. Note to self: plenty can go wrong, and there’s always a price to pay for hubris. Again, it’s best to have someone’s hand within reach when this mania takes over, to cling hard to that hand, and say a prayer or two.

But then there are the days of despair when nothing seems to go right, when I’ve stood on top of the mountain certain everything was going my way, only to plunge down into the abyss. Despair is the earth-shaking loss of confidence in myself and the world. I hold hard to that hand I trust because I know I’m not making it past that bridge of despair without someone to guide me.

Finally, there are the days when things fall into place and not only is the killer caught, we do it with limbs intact and internal organs remaining where they should be. That is when I raise that hand I’d been holding high over my head and smile, saying a prayer or two in thanks.

It turns out what’s important about my days is not the deeds done, or the actions not taken. What’s important are the people around me, my friends who share my days with me, whether we’re out catching killers or having a latte and a bite of pastry.

My days are defined by my friends. And my friends define my days. Isn’t that neat?

HOOK, LINE, AND MURDER
Series Name: A Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: February 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Who says hunting killers won’t heal a broken heart? Not when each murder Meg solves brings her closer to why her husband and son had to die…

What does Meg, a retired kindergarten teacher, do when the killer of her husband and only child still walks free a year after dirt had covered their graves? Go rogue, of course!

When the detective responsible for Meg’s nightmares takes over the murder investigation of her former student, Meg hunts the killer down with help from her friends. Their cozy lunches at Sweet Buns Café turn into tactical meetings while these retired grade school teachers get themselves in trouble better suited to those in their twenties. And to put the icing on their cream scones, someone is after Meg. Is it the killer? Or has Meg uncovered secrets better left buried with her loved ones?

Meet the author
GG Calpo is a retired lawyer and accountant who traded contracts and numbers for the far more enjoyable chaos of fictional crime. Now she writes cozy whodunits featuring warm-hearted golden-aged sleuths who’ve seen it all, heard it all and will investigate a murder with zero hesitation. She loves stories where the stakes are personal, family and friendships are paramount, with characters who refuse to follow the outline and endings that pull the rug out. When not plotting twisty crimes—on paper only, of course—she spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She lives in Central New Jersey with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget. Visit her at www.ggcalpo.com.