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

What is your full name?
I’m Wanda Duff, nee Wanda R. Bates.

Only twenty-six girls in the United States received the Polish name ‘Wanda’ in 2024, though the Marvel comics character, Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, is helping the cause.

The “R” is just an initial. My parents didn’t want a middle name, but the nurse doing paperwork insisted. My mother asked what the “R” in “RN” signified, and the reply was “registered.” “That’s what we’re doing. Give her the middle name “Registered.” The disgruntled nurse replied, “Just ‘R’ is fine,” and muttered something like “probably own the Bates Motel.” “Duff” came with Lenny Duff, my freeloading first husband.

How old are you?
I turned fifty-four on the Ides of March.

What is your profession?
I am a clergywoman in the United Church of Christ and pastor of Trinity Church in Stone Ridge, Massachusetts. I graduated from seminary in New York City and still miss city life. Yes, I take care of people, and I preach a sermon every Sunday which means I am always telling stories and squirreling away little facts (see history of my name above!). I could say the sixth commandment, the shalt-not-kill bit makes me want to solve murders, but honestly it is caring about the people who are grieving that motivates me.

If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
If the question is about marriage, I’ve had two, Lenny, who left me in the most predictable fashion possible (affair with much younger secretary), and sweet Brian, who outed himself and left me for a handsome Londoner. I loved officiating at their wedding. I tried online dating sites for a while, and I can tell you that including “clergywoman” in your profile draws interest from creeps, while leaving the job off for a later reveal ended with my paying the check several times.

But significantly, I am in love with Hardy Rye – ex-sheriff of Stone Ridge, widower, brilliant cook, martial arts teacher, well, a jack of all trades, really, and seemingly expert in all – but he has his quirks, and they fit snugly with mine!

Do you have any children?
Do you count years and years of Sunday School kids and youth group members? How about on-call for driving drunk teens home? Truthfully, I was sad that I was not able to conceive children, but my life truly turned a corner when my nephew Lance came to live with me. I was made for parenting a teenager, and he has brought so much joy (and chaos) into my home!

Who is your best friend?
High School Vice Principal Pru Rye is my much younger, non-church-going, co-sucker in solving murders. Also … she’s the daughter of aforementioned ex-Sheriff.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Dogs!!! A geriatric Jack Russell mutt named “Wink,” and a young, high-volume tenor-barker foxeagle named Figaro, whom I rescued after his owner was murdered. You can read about that in “Death in Disguise.”

What town do you live in?
Stone Ridge, Massachusetts (near Pepperell, Townsend, Lunenberg). It is not Manhattan, but I am trying to adjust.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I live in a parsonage (no rent, no mortgage, no equity) … though fortunately not next door to the church, so people don’t knock all hours of the day because they need a key.

Do you have any hobbies?
Does going out for chicken wings and/or ice cream, and saying yes to anyone in need of a prayer count? Is this where I say that I spend evenings in other pastors’ church basements, saying a prayer that starts, “God, grant me the serenity …?” Really staying sober is more than a hobby!

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
“If You Want It Done, Ask The Rev… Just Be Sure She Can Read Your Lips.” I’ve had hearing aids since I was four years old. A hearing disability is not the most important thing about my life and it is not the least important. My nephew Lance thinks I should write that book.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur sleuth all the way! Honestly Accidental Sleuth would be more honest. I lean on the insights of a certain former Sheriff, and my amateur sleuth partner Vice Principal Prudence Rye, who is very good friends with the new Sheriff.

DEATH THROWS A BOUQUET
Series Name: A Rev & Rye Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Everyone believes their wedding day is special, but a reverend’s June calendar is filled with more than a few “special” days. The Rev. Wanda Duff has to juggle her officiant duties alongside caring for her beloved teenage nephew, the impending arrival of her sister with her Scottish fiancé for their wedding (which Wanda soon realizes she is expected to plan), and a new houseguest in the form of her future brother-in-law’s son, who’s happy to show her nephew a little more summer adventure than Wanda’s strictly comfortable with. Oh, and there’s her favorite retired sheriff, who wants her to look into the accidental slip-and-fall death of a high school teacher well-known for ruffling feathers. Because what Wanda needed was to fit in a good sleuthing between rehearsal dinners and family drama?

High school vice principal Prudence Rye also has plenty of good reasons to pass on another small-town mystery, not the least of which is her own family drama in the form of her resurfaced long-lost sister, a student in crisis, and an enormous helping of unrequited feelings for (oh no) both of her best friends. But when the investigation involves students at her high school who live at the apartments where the teacher died, Rye is compelled to partner with the Rev to get to the bottom of an accident that doesn’t seem so accidental.

It turns out that a murder investigation is a lot like planning a wedding. It requires discretion, the ability to pivot, and an instinct for trouble. The Rev and Rye have all three, plus friends and new family willing to help. Will it be enough to catch a killer and pull off the wedding of the season?

About the author
Maren C. Tirabassi is author of twenty-four books, recently The Rev and Rye Cozy Mysteries Series and Christmas Eve at the Epsom Circle McDonald’s. She loves collaborative writing and this series teams up with her daughter Maria Mankin. Maren is a former Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, NH, the 2023 recipient of the New Hampshire Humanities Council Lifetime Achievement Award, and a clergywoman for forty-five years. She loves hiking, swimming, quilting, beagles and attending mystery and science fiction conventions.