I grew up on a Century Farm in Illinois, which means I was raised to believe in three things: hard work, straight answers, and showing up for the people you love.
Simple rules.
Life with Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler is not simple.
By breakfast, I might be warning my wife to drive carefully through fog thick as pea soup. By lunch, I could be knee-deep in a homicide investigation. By supper, my house might be full of children, dogs in Mardi Gras costumes, craft supplies, reporters, one harlequin Great Dane, and enough purple tulle to smother a grown man.
And somehow, this is exactly the life I wanted.
Before I married Kiki, I told her I wanted a big family. I meant it. I wanted noise. I wanted kids thundering down the stairs. I wanted a dog underfoot, meals at a crowded table, and a woman beside me who made a house feel like home.
What I did not specifically request was murder in the alley behind her craft store.
But when you love Kiki, you learn that trouble has a way of finding her. Sometimes it comes wearing designer shoes. Sometimes it hides behind good intentions. Sometimes it leaves a body where no body ought to be.
I’m a homicide detective. I deal in facts. Evidence. Timelines. Motives.
Kiki deals in color, yarn, family, friendship, and the stubborn belief that most problems can be solved with enough determination and a decent snack tray.
Between the two of us, we usually manage.
Usually.
But this case is different. The victim was tangled up with Kiki’s store, her customers, a charity project, and accusations that spread faster than gossip at a church potluck. And when the investigation lands too close to home, I have to be more than a husband.
I have to be careful.
Even when careful looks cold.
Even when the woman I love thinks I’m pulling away.
Even when all I want is to protect my family, solve the case, and get back to the beautiful, ridiculous chaos we built together.
Because here’s the truth: I am old-fashioned. I believe a man should stand by his family. I believe promises matter. I believe home is worth defending.
And in Purple, Blame, Game, home is under siege.
Mardi Gras is coming. The bunnies are multiplying. The dogs are dressed for a parade.
And someone has murder on their mind.
Welcome to my day.
—Chad Detweiler (Homicide Detective, St. Louis County Missouri)
PURPLE, BLAME, GAME
Series: A Kiki Lowenstein Mystery, Book 21
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: June 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
No good deed goes unpunished…
Kiki Lowenstein is used to juggling crafts, customers, and chaos—but she never expected her latest charity project to lead to murder.
When Kiki offers free crochet classes to make stuffed animals for hospitalized children, the project seems like the perfect way to give back. But tensions quickly rise among her students, and a heated confrontation sparks rumors, accusations, and a social media frenzy that threatens to destroy lives.
Then everything takes a deadly turn.
On a foggy Mardi Gras morning, Kiki discovers the body of Celeste Harrow behind her store.
Suddenly, Kiki is caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and motives. The victim had made enemies. Plenty of them. And now, Kiki must figure out who turned a good deed into a deadly game—before suspicion lands squarely on her.
With her business at risk, her family in the spotlight, and a determined detective asking hard questions, Kiki must rely on her instincts (and a little help from her friends) to uncover the truth.
Because in this cozy mystery, nothing is as harmless as it seems…
About the author
Joanna Campbell Slan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author known for her engaging women’s fiction and mystery novels. With more than 80 books to her credit, including contributions to the original Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Joanna specializes in stories featuring strong female protagonists and the power of women’s friendships. Her goal as an author, teacher, and creator is “turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.” For more information, go to linktr.ee/jcslan.