One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Verona Montero.

What is your full name?
Verona Montero. I do have a middle name but I don’t like to talk about that. My mom sort of named me and my sister with certain expectations, none of which I have lived up to. Look up the song Ave Generosa and you’ll see why.

How old are you?
The last time I was asked that was some dude hoping I wasn’t jail bait. No chance of that happening now that I’m in my thirties, right? Usually now I have the opposite problem. I am not old enough to be a cougar yet, dammit!

What is your profession?
Private Dick.

If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
Much to my mother’s dismay, I am not married, nor have I produced any of the twenty grand babies she was hoping for. Look, I make my living spying on cheaters, it can be hard to maintain trust in a relationship when you see that kind of thing all day long. It can also be hard when you always put work first. Oops.

Do you have any children?
Nothing against those of you who enjoy being moms, but I’m not really sure what you see in those poop and barf monsters you keep attached to your fun bags, okay?

Who is your best friend?
Runi Soon, social media scrubber extraordinaire, and perfect in practically every way. Except when she forgets to take down her nude artwork when her mom visits from Korea and then claims I’m the one who painted it. Or that time she sent me on a “Vacation” that included a 15km hike in the desert where I had to solve a murder before everyone else died with the help of a really annoying mystery novelist. Otherwise, you know, perfect.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
I had a fern in my office for about a week before I killed it from neglect. I imagine animals would suffer a similar fate. See previous notes on putting career before personal life.

What town do you live in?
Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Yes there are other cities in Canada besides Toronto. We had a whole Olympics here and everything. We call the “wool knit caps” toques (rhymes with fluke), and we do NOT say “aboot” or call each other “Hosers.” Honestly, you’d think people could understand what satire is by now. Thanks Bob and Doug McKenzie. We do, however, say “sorry” a whole heck of a lot. Sorry about that.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent an apartment near my office. It’s nothing special, but I can walk to work, even when there’s 2 feet of snow, and I can see the mountains from my balcony, so I’ll take it.

Do you have any hobbies?
Hahahahaha! Hobbies? ! I work, I thought that was obvious? Besides the last two times I tried to go on vacation, someone died, so, probably better I stay home. Although people keep dying here too. I may be cursed.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Verona Montero: Biggest Dick in Town

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Well this distinction is interesting, because I technically need a professional license to work as a private dick, but I know what you mean. You want to know if I’m with the police or any of those cool spy guys. Nope. They have to follow way too many rules and report to a chief and stuff. I’m my own boss, I sleep in until 11 on a Tuesday if I want to, and I only take the cases I want. Except for this last one where my bestie had me investigating a case the police deemed an accident but she thought for sure was murder. I’d do anything for her, especially when she told me her mother was calling her daily for updates. Can you imagine the torture of talking to your mom everyday? Well, maybe your mom is nice, and good for you, but if I had to talk to Bianca Montero every day… let’s just say Cirque Du Soleil would find an extra, very untalented member of their crew when they rolled out of Calgary. Normally I work alone, but I do my best to get Quentin, a divorce lawyer who throws cases my way, involved when I can. Because he is hotter than the forge that made Thor’s hammer. Hotter than Thor too (the Chris Hemsworth version). You understand, right ladies? Usually it’s me pulling him along, but this latest case… he’s tagging along a lot on his own and I don’t know what that means. Last I heard he had a super rich, sexy girlfriend but maybe… ah hell, best to focus on the work as usual. Who has time for that mess?

BURN AFTER CHEATING
Series: A Verona Montero Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Humorous Mystery
Release: November 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

A locked room.
An obvious suspect.
Absolutely nothing adds up.
It’s Verona Montero’s favorite kind of sh*tshow.

Harry Kim died in a locked apartment. No signs of forced entry, windows too small to fit a well-fed Chihuahua. Clean scene. The cops call it an accident. But Verona’s best friend Runi isn’t buying it—and once Verona starts snooping around, neither is she.

Choir boys like Harry always have the dirtiest secrets. And when the tune of his squeaky-clean life turns out to be less Hallelujah and more Highway to Hell, this “accident” starts looking a lot like murder.

Plus, Harry’s stalker ex-girlfriend Ashlyn had been leaving dead animals on doorsteps and threatening anyone Harry dated. Verona wouldn’t be surprised to find a “Honk If You Love Sociopaths” sticker on her serial-killer-looking van.

The impossible murder? Solvable. Hot divorce lawyer Quentin shadowing her stakeouts instead of going home to his girlfriend? Deliciously problematic.

Still, Verona’s got a killer to catch. Too bad for this killer—she’s the kind of private dick who doesn’t take “accidental” for an answer.

About the author
Kayleigh Suggett writes bawdy whodunnits featuring private dick Verona Montero, bridging the gap between polite mysteries and hardboiled fiction. She draws on years of customer service work witnessing the oddities of human behaviour to craft stand out characters and laugh out loud situations. She is a Calgary-based member of the Crime Writers of Canada.

All comments are welcomed.