Fancy meeting you here. What’s that? You want to know more about me? There’s really not much to tell, you know. You say that’s not true? That I couldn’t possibly have coasted through seven decades of life and not accumulated stories. Hmmm…coasted is not quite the word. But even so…me put on paper my drifting through the whims of fate? You like how I said that, huh? Whims of fate…I tell you, I surprise myself sometimes.
Okay, okay. Enough of the funnies. Seriously, bad enough that Meg is acting as if she’s Dr. Watson chronicling the investigations of Sherlock Holmes. It’s just us five retired, over-the-hill teachers having a bit of fun. Prudence dictates—not that I’m known for my sagacity, mind you—that I keep my mouth zipped. Say that again? You’ll keep what I say strictly between us? What? You think you can sell me the Brooklyn Bridge?
You have no idea what I’m talking about? You must be Gen Z. Say that again? That’s why I should tell you what a day in my life would be? How in Hades would I know that? My life is not a cookie cutter. Anyone who’s been in my class will tell you I’m an Original. Stefan Papadopoulos is bespoke, in the truest sense of the word. Oh, you had me as your band teacher? Nineteen years ago? My dear, why didn’t you say so? I can’t keep track of everybody. Alright then.
Be warned, I can’t really tell you what a normal day for me looks like. In fact, I wouldn’t know it if it smacked me in the face. What I can tell you instead are the rules I live by every single marvelous day.
One, you think you’re forever twenty, your body says you’re grandly delusional. No leaping out of bed. No sprinting for the door. Sedate is the by-word of the day. You don’t want to find yourself face planting on the floor or—heaven forbid—the sidewalk! What’s that about the reel on social media showing the elderly how to get up from the floor? You think I was born yesterday? Let me tell you, hanging my ass up in the air while my hands make their way from the floor and up my legs and thighs is not for the faint of heart.
Two, while we’re talking about our hearts. Never ever forget your meds. You don’t want your blood pounding in your ears or your heart skipping a beat. Trips to the ER are best kept to a minimum. Never mind that speaking to Dora brightens anyone’s day. Just visit Meg if you want to see Dora, no need for a trip to the ER.
Three, speaking of Meg, whoever said friends are the salt of the earth is missing the point. Yes, salt is indispensable to life. But for me, friends are the sweets of the earth. Because what good is life if there is no sweet in it? Remember that if you forget everything else.
And that, my former student, is the framework of my days. Anything else is just plain fluff and fun.
DEATH HITS THE HIGH NOTES
Series: A Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2026
Format: Print, Digital
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Trouble is brewing at Whitman’s Port Choral Society as choir members drop dead and Detective Jonathan Storm raises more questions than answers in his investigation. When Stefan, the choir’s soloist, gets weaker by the day, Meg and her friends take matters into their own hands. And if a murder investigation was not enough to elevate anyone’s blood pressure, Meg finds herself in danger tied to her past that she’s struggling to understand.
Will Meg and her friends stop the killer before Stefan becomes the next victim—and before Meg’s past catches up with her?
Join these golden-age sleuths as they follow the clues, protect their own, and prove that friendship is the strongest weapon against a killer.
About 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.