Liz first appeared in Death of a Toy Soldier and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Liz.
What is your name?
Elizabeth McCall. But you can call me Liz. Dad actually named me after the Betsy McCall paper dolls, but I hate the name Betsy.
How old are you?
Let’s just say 30-something. Old enough that a couple of old biddies in town are throwing around the term “old maid.”
What is your profession?
I manage the vintage toyshop my father started when he retired as chief of police.
Do you have a significant other?
Working on that…I’m not without prospects.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
I have a brother named Parker. Dad named him, of course. Get it? Parker. . .Brothers? Feel free to groan. Most people do when Dad starts with his puns.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
Dad and I share our shop and the apartment above it with a tuxedo cat named Othello—named after the board game. We also inherited a naughty black cat who’s resisting our best attempts to name her.
What town do you live in?
East Aurora, NY, a small town in Western New York State.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
To save costs until the business got off the ground, Dad and I moved into the apartment above the toyshop.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I might be fondest of our cozy kitchen. The good folks at HGTV might be appalled at the outdated cabinets and appliances, and our cats have put a few scratches in the tabletop, but we’ve shared gallons of hot coffee and my special hot chocolate—and laughs and hugs and groans at Dad’s puns–while sitting at our modest kitchen table.
Who is your best friend?
Ugh. I have a three-way tie. Parker and I have been close friends as well as siblings. Growing up in a home with an absent father and an alcoholic mother, we learned early on to have each other’s backs. But then he married Cathy, and she and I have also grown incredibly close, even if she is a little flighty at times. And then my dad, especially since his retirement. Can your father be your best friend?
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Oh, definitely amateur.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Well, I got into it trying to pull my Dad back out of things, when he seemed determined to “forget” he was retired. Now we argue who is the detective and who is the sidekick.
Favorite meal?
Chicken finger sub from Wallace’s. (Others might call it “Buffalo” Chicken, but since we’re so close to Buffalo, that part is assumed. The spicier the better!)
Favorite dessert?
Yes. I’m especially fond of raiding the nostalgic candy collection at the shop.
Favorite hobby?
I love playing board games. I host regular board game nights at the shop.
Favorite vacation spot?
It’s been so long since I’ve been able to afford one. I do have fond memories of our one trip to Disney World when I was a kid, but it must be twenty years ago. I do like driving to Lake Erie or Ontario on hot days in the summer. I’m not a beach bunny though. Give me a quiet, shady spot under a tree where I can catch the breeze, listen to the surf, and read a book. That’s heaven.
Favorite color?
Just about any shade of blue.
Favorite author?
JK Rowling. Or maybe a good Doctor Who novelization. I tell myself it’s to keep current with the action figures in the shop.
Favorite sports team?
Gotta root for the Bills and the Sabres. (Yes, it’s a sad life!)
Movies or Broadway?
Movies. Old movies.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Well, maybe late morning/early afternoon.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
On a normal day—when Dad is behaving—we’ll share a quiet cup of coffee (or two, or five), and I’ll groan over a few of his bad puns before opening up the shop. We get our share of serious buyers looking to complete their collections and also casual tourists, wandering over from the famous five-and-dime or the quaint tea shop. We make a lot of nostalgia sales, people buying that toy they played with as children so that they can share with their children and grandchildren.
. . .Unless there’s a crime happening. Then Dad sneaks out, and I go out to bring him back. Next thing you know, we’re both up to our necks in mayhem. Cathy insists I’m into it as much as Dad is. I denied it of course, but my protests don’t ring quite as true as they used to. . .
Giveaway: One reader may win their choice of one book from the Vintage Toyshop Series: Death of a Toy Soldier, Murder on the Toy Town Express, or Death of a Russian Doll. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends October 15, 2018. Good luck everyone! Bonus question: what was your favorite toy store?
You can read about Liz in Death of a Russian Doll, the third book in the “Vintage Toy Shop” mystery series.
Just in time for the holidays, fans of Leslie Meier and Vicki Delany are going to want to pick up the charming third installment in Barbara Early’s Vintage Toy Shop mysteries.
It’s all fun and games with toyshop owner Liz McCall until deadly secrets are unwrapped upon the eve of the holidays.
Who knew? Liz McCall is not thrilled when her boyfriend Police Chief Ken Young introduces her to his estranged wife Marya. The model-quality Russian immigrant, back in East Aurora to rekindle their romance, will be working as a hairstylist at the barber shop next door to Well Played, the toyshop Liz manages for her dad. When Marya offers to help with the shop’s doll rehab project, Liz can’t help but offer up only a weak smile, but her secret hesitations are for naught when Marya’s body is discovered in the barber shop with a hair dryer cord wrapped around her neck.
Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives… Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?
All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early.
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About the author
Barbara Early earned an engineering degree, but after four years of doing nothing but math, developed a sudden allergy to the subject and decided to choose another occupation. Before she settled on murdering fictional people, she was a secretary, a school teacher, a pastor’s wife, and an amateur puppeteer. After several years living elsewhere, she and her husband moved back to her native Western New York State, where she enjoys cooking, crafts, classic movies and campy seventies television, board games, and posting pictures of her four cats on Facebook. She writes the Vintage Toyshop series and the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (as Beverly Allen).
All comments are welcomed.
I have not yet read this series but would love too. If I win I would like Death of a Russian Doll. There was no Toys R Us stores when I was growing up. A large selection of toys could be found at what were called “dime stores” back then. These were stores such as Hesteads and Woolworths. At Christmas, stores such as Bomgaars, which is a farm supply store always had a large selection of toys.
I don’t remember ever going to a designated toy store as a child, but we always gravitated to the toys in whatever store we were in 🙂 Catalogs were a big thing too.
Growing up we’d go to a Grants store or a local store, Vidlers, which still exists today.
My favorite toy store was ToysRUs….
Thank you for the giveaway…
Growing up there was not an actual toy store in our town, sad to say. As an adult and living in West Berlin, I found the most adorable German toy shop! My girls and I spent many hours there. The first sign that Spring was coming happened at the toy shop. They would put the cutest little bear outside and he blew bubbles! I really miss that shop and wish my youngest could have seen it.p
To own a toy shop and then live above it would be an amazing adventure!
Thank you for the chance to win a book!
debprice60@gmail.com
I love to start a new series. I want the 1st book.
I grew up in a very small town so my favorite toy store was the Sears catalog. Sounds like a good series.
Thank you for the chance to win, Dru.
This sounds like a cute series. Growing up we did not have a toy store in town. My toys were hand made or hand-me-downs. Here there has been a toy store for my children.
I absolutely love this series. The first two books were amazing. I would love to win this one. Thank you for the chance.
What a great “Get to Know!” Wonderful series. Don’t enter me in the contest, I’m just stopping by to say hi and congrats, Barb!
I’d love to win Death of a Russian Doll! Toys R Us was my favorite toy store to shop for “Santa Claus” for our children.
The Sears Christmas Catalog was my favorite toy store!
Proper toys stores are few and far between these days.
I’ve heard so many good things about this series, but haven’t yet read any of the books yet. Toys R Us was my favorite toy store. Thank you for this chance.
I agree with some of the commenters, the Sears and JC Penney catalogs were our toy stores. I loved all the dolls and doll accessories.
Really enjoyed the post. Our toy story was the catalogs from Sears, Wards & JC Penneys’ Thanks for the giveaway.
I love this series and love the fact it circles around a toy shop. My favorite thing was around the Christmas catalogs that came from Sears and my children’s were the J.C. Penny and Toys ‘R Us catalogs. Oh to be a child again. Thanks for the giveaway chance too.
Great series. We used to have dime stores like Woolworth’s that used to have a great selection of toys. We also had the Sear’s toy catalog to check out the latest toys.
I didn’t have a favorite toy store. My parents tried to avoid taking us to toy stores, since we spent the entire time begging for all they toys. I used to circle all the toys I wanted in the catalogues.
I love this series and can’t wait for a Christmas installment.
I have loved each of these books and this one was a great mystery!! I would love to go to this store!!! When I was a kid I grew up 40 miles west of Chicago in a different Aurora. There was a bookstore in our downtown that had toys as well as stationary and stuffed animals for kids inside the bookstore in a cozy room. I would go there and pick out something I wanted for my birthday or Christmas. Many times my dreams came true. It also had a candy counter with imported penny candy. I remember little frosting like baby candies in blue and pink. I am sure they were for decorating cakes, but we got them and ate them like candy. They also had a blue bumpy bubble gum ball called Spudnik gum that was 2 cents and my absolute favorite!
Loved the first two in this series. Thanks for the chance to win! Great interview
I love this series and especially Liz’s father’s bad puns. I didn’t have a favorite toy store growing up – I was more interested in books. Thanks for the chance to win!
New series to me, I would love to win the first book in the series. The department store Meier and Frank in Portland had a wonderful toy department for the Christmas Season.
My favorite toy store was a locally owned independent toy store.
I need to start this series! Toys R Us is the best toy store in my area!
My favourite toy store as a kid was just looking through the sears Christmas Catalog! It was all I needed for dreaming!
In the small town where I grew up we didn’t have one so we just had Hills for Toys
Thanks for the chance 😍🍯🐝😍
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I haven’t read any of this series so it would probably be best to start at the beginning were I to win. I haven’t been in a toy story in ages but I remember when Toys R Us came to town. Overwhelming!
I love this series. I loved the interview and the mention of one of my favorite TV series. I never had a favorite toy store. Just what was available at Sears or Penney’s when I was growing up.
Sounds like a great series! My small town didn’t have a toy store in it when I was young, but we had a Ben Franklin’s that had toys that I loved seeing. One Christmas I won a drawing for a Barbie house, which was nothing like the Barbie houses of today! LOL!
**** WINNER ****
Death of a Toy Soldier is Kaye L Killgore
Congratulations!