Recently, I moved to St James Island in coastal Georgia for a fresh start. I love my new life, but I’m at the point where I need to mix my old life with my new one.
My niece Angie and her daughter Gussie joined me on the island. Angie is helping at the Island Art Gallery, and Gussie attends elementary school here. It was a win-win situation for both of us since I needed help, and Angie needed a place to stay and a job.
We live over the shop and sell art to tourists like it is going out of style.
First thing each day, I dress in my dog-walking clothes. My cairn terrier and I make a beeline to the beach.
Fresh sea breeze off the Atlantic Ocean fills my lungs. The sand crunching between my toes is life-affirming. I feel alive here, and it shows in my thoughts, words, and deeds.
After coffee, feeding Luke, and a shower, I go downstairs to open the shop. Today Luke opts to stay in his bed instead of being a shop dog. That’s okay. I have “off” days as well.
We painted the shop walls hunter green in the front gallery and only use white frames for both the brightly-colored art and the moody pieces. I feature hand-selected local artists. My late wife, Sophie, taught me that art needs to connect with emotions, and I mastered selling in my former investment business. Modestly, I admit we are doing well with the shop.
Our back gallery contains prints and two originals of my beloved Sophie’s oils. Some days I need to stand in there and breathe her in, other days my heart hurts too much to go in there. But not today. This is a good day, one where I feel fully myself.
We sold ten pieces of framed art right away. Angie took first lunch, and then it was my turn. My meal was a delicious shrimp po’ boy.
That afternoon, I reflect on the discovery that I have a caretaker personality. Once my kids were grown and then my wife passed, I lost my anchor and my main function. I didn’t know how to be me without people to take care of. Now I have Angie and young Gussie to help. And Gussie seems to have inherited the Calloway intuition of perceiving energy currents, same as me. I’m no longer alone, and I have purpose.
At sunset Luke and I wander to the pier and enjoy the bright orange sky. My, how my life has changed. From CEO to amateur sleuth. That’s right. No matter what, I’ll find my wife’s killer.
MANCINI BLUE
Series: An Art Studio Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Release: October 2026
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Kobo
After his wife, famous artist Sophie Mancini, allegedly commits suicide in Savannah, wealthy financial advisor Robert Calloway makes a fresh start on St James Island. To honor Sophie, Bob creates the Island Art Gallery. He lives above the shop with his niece, her ten-year-old daughter, and Sophie’s cairn terrier.
He is certain the cops got his wife’s means of death wrong. When he left her in the studio that fateful evening to paint overnight, her door locked behind him. She wouldn’t unlock her door for a stranger. To get justice for Sophie, Bob delves into her murder using his hidden ability to help find solid evidence.
When he unsuccessfully searches his old Savannah haunts for leads, he returns to St. James to discover a bizarre murder occurred near his shop. Despite his alibi, he is questioned by the local cops. He’s stunned when many aspects of this new case are identical to Sophie’s death. Thus, solving his wife’s murder will most likely shed light on the recent case.
Bob’s suspect list includes family members, neighbors, friends, and Sophie’s art associates. He discovers people are rarely what they seem and believes this deadly foe kills to protect secrets. Can he identify his wife’s murderer before the killer strikes again?
About the author
Award-winning author Maggie Toussaint (maggietoussaint.com) writes cozy paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with thirty-one novels published. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.