Presto! Characters from four stories in Magic Is Murder have come together to give you a peek into the book and their worlds. This tenth anthology in the multiple-award-winning Chesapeake Crimes series was published on August 30th by Wildside Press.

Sarafina Jessee appears in “Whiskers McGruff and the Case of the Missing Clue” by Eleanor Cawood Jones

My name is Sarafina Jessee, thirty-something proprietor of Sarafina’s Books & Charms in lovely little downtown Venice, Florida. At least, that’s what I am now.

When my great-aunt Millie died a year ago and unexpectedly left me this cluttered—yet profitable—little retail establishment, I was working rather disinterestedly as a paralegal in the Big Apple, and I thought about it for all of two seconds before I packed up a U-Haul and headed for the Sunshine State and my new career.

No matter that I had no experience in owning a business or in retail. Aunt Millie, in her own cryptic fashion, left me all of her secrets to success in her will, although I didn’t know it at the time. In fact, the store—where I sell all sorts of books and magic tricks—almost seems to run itself.

Of course, there were a few things I had not counted on when I got here, such as a very unusual white ball of fluff named Whiskers McGruff, who has taken up permanent residency in the store, a certain persnickety customer with a penchant for grisly true-crime books, a mysterious upstairs tenant, and, more recently, the sad and unfortunate murder victim found in my back alley who I knew well—or at least I thought I did.

I worry that the attractive detective who is coming around asking questions about the dead body may actually think I did it, especially since the murder weapon is directly tied to the store. And I don’t like all the questions he’s asking about my cat, who has some special talents I’d just as soon not discuss. I hope we can hurry up and solve this mystery so I can get back to my normal routine in this sleepy little beach city that already feels so much like home.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, Whiskers McGruff is loudly letting me know it’s dinner time, and I’d best go feed us both.

Merlin appears in “Courting Disaster” by Cathy Wiley

My name is Merlin, wizard extraordinaire. You’ve no doubt heard of me from those Arthurian legends featuring Camelot, swords stored in odd locations, and a preference for circular furniture. I, of course, know all about you, dear reader.

See, many people are not aware of this, but I live my life backward, aging progressively younger. Yes, yes, time travel makes your head hurt. Trust me, I understand. This means the future for others is the past for me. Hence, I had prior knowledge of everything that befell those naughty knights and ladies in “Courting Disaster.” I had long known of Sir Lancelot’s betrayal of his king. It was most disturbing. At King Arthur’s behest, I applied my amazing magical talents to devise a punishment for his false friend. Although I can hardly blame Lancelot; the Lady Guinevere is quite alluring. I struggle to resist her myself.

Also, tonight’s winning lottery numbers are—oh, sorry, I was just told I have used up my allotment of words.

Unnamed Narrator appears in “Something Dark and Dangerous” by Donna Andrews

Having a bad week. A few days ago I dropped by my favorite diner and found it roped off with crime-scene tape and swarming with cops. Someone murdered Alyssa, the owner’s daughter. Now the cops want to talk to me.

Not good.

I don’t have an alibi. The night Alyssa was killed, I was in my basement casting a spell. Yes, a spell—I’m a sorceress, and a pretty good one. Not something the cops would buy. Worse, if word got back to the Dark Council, self-appointed rulers of all things magical, they’d come after me. They don’t like anyone practicing magic without their permission. If they caught me, I’d end up dead—or, worse, alive, but working for them.

Maybe the cops just want more information. I already told them what I know—but not what I could learn. Events leave traces that a magic-user can read. If I went to the crime scene, I could probably tell them what happened. Who did it.

But that would mean using magic. Right out in the open, where the Dark Council couldn’t help but notice. So do I help the cops solve the murder? Or keep quiet and stay alive?

The Amazing Martini appears in “Abracadaver” by Alan Orloff

My parents named me Martin Jay Weisbaum, but I’d prefer if you called me The Amazing Martini. After all, I am a magician, clown, juggler, stand-up comedian, sword-swallower, mime, fortune teller, hypnotist, children’s entertainer, and, lastly but not leastly, a magician slash stripper. When you’re a world-class entertainer like I am, you really don’t want to limit yourself.

According to my third ex-wife, I have something of an anger-management issue, and, I have to admit, it does get me into trouble now and then. Usually, I can extricate myself from those dicey situations, but recently, I found myself in a bit of trouble with an organized crime underboss. Which led to finding myself in trouble with the law. Imagine, me being arrested for a serious crime!

Even a master magician like me felt the pressure. I mean, they say you can fool most of the people most of the time—and I’ve certainly found that to be true—but when it came to fooling Detective Frank Roberts, well, I knew had my work cut out for me.

Abracadaver, indeed!

Chesapeake Crimes: Magic is Murder edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley
Genre: Short story crime anthology
Release: August 2022
Purchase Link

Mystery and magic collide in this thrilling, all-new collection of short stories by some of the top talents in the crime-writing field. Tales of fantasy worlds and stage illusion, of magic-users and magic-abusers, fill these pages with a heady, deadly mix! Here you will find—

What’s A Little Murder Between Mammals by Rosalie Spielman
Courting Disaster by Cathy Wiley
The Thirteenth House by Jaquelyn Lyman-Thomas
The Midnight Show by Stacy Woodson
The Wig by Tara Laskowski
A Touch Of Magic by Shari Randall
The Snow Globe by Greg Herren
Something Dark And Dangerous by Donna Andrews
A Charming Solution by Smita Harish Jain
What Goes Around by Robin Templeton
Everyday Magic by Pam Clark
Pyewackett by KM Rockwood
Behind The Magic 8-Ball by Marcia Talley
Whiskers McGruff And The Case Of The Missing Clue by Eleanor Cawood Jones
Abracadaver by Alan Orloff
Mr. Filbert’s Classroom by Adam Meyer

Includes an introduction by Daniel Stashower

About the featured authors
Eleanor Cawood Jones writes mystery short stories and strives for a good plot twist. She won a Derringer Award for “The Great Bedbug Incident and the Invitation of Doom,” and her story “Gone With the Tide” will appear in the Murder At Sea anthology in May 2023. girlsgonechillin.com

Cathy Wiley has written two mystery novels set in Baltimore, Maryland, and has had several short stories included in anthologies, one of which was a Derringer Award finalist. Her next short story will appear in the anthology Murder At Sea, coming in May 2023. cathywileyauthor.com

Donna Andrews is the award-winning author of thirty-six mystery books. Her Round Up The Usual Peacocks, book thirty-one in the Meg Langslow series from Macmillan, came out August 2, 2022, to be followed by Dashing Through The Snowbirds on October 11, 2022. donnaandrews.com

Alan Orloff has won two ITW Thriller Awards, an Agatha Award, and a Derringer Award, and he’s also been a finalist for the Anthony and Shamus Awards. His latest novel is the YA thriller I Play One On TV from Down & Out Books. alanorloff.com

All comments are welcomed.