Hello there!

I’m Seneca James. I run an amazing butterfly farm, Majestic Monarchs, in rural Indiana. At the farm, I raise monarch butterflies to sell to schools, museums, and for people to release at weddings and funerals. The butterflies are my life. Always have been. I call them ‘flying flowers’ because of their grace and beauty.

But I don’t run the farm alone. My cat, Winifred, helps me out. She loves to wear butterfly costumes around my farm. It causes lots of laughter when she strolls into my café, wearing them, with her tail held high in the air, as she supervises the café that she seems to assume belongs to her. Winifred takes great delight in following me around, making it plain through her meows and disapproving stares if I’m not doing something that’s up to her feline standards. She’s a little snooty, but she’s my baby and I adore her!

And then there’s Cody, the town sheriff, and my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Ever since we were kids, people assumed he and I were more than friends. It’s never been true, though. I’m afraid if we took that step, I might lose the best friend I’ve ever had. And I’m not willing to risk it. At least not now.

Majestic Monarchs originally belonged to my grandmother, and I’m doing my best to run it the way she’d approve of. However, my neighbor, Hal, who’d always been kind and helpful, has suddenly caused problems for me. He reneged on a contract he and I had for him to sell me some of his land containing milkweed I desperately need to keep my butterflies healthy and growing. Monarch butterflies are on the endangered list. It’s more important than ever to protect them!

An even bigger problem, though, is the body I found one morning in my greenhouse! Let me tell you, that was a shock! The man in question was my attorney, the very guy I was hoping to help me navigate the choppy legal waters when it comes to getting Hal’s land. And the only other lawyer in town is my ex-husband. Believe me, I didn’t want to ever see him again, but my lawyer’s death made it impossible not to ask my ex for help.

I’m determined to figure out who murdered my lawyer and get to the bottom of this mystery. Cody will investigate, too, of course, but I’m sure Winifred will want to check things out as well. You know how cats are – they’re just a little nosy.

Well, better go now. I need to check the butterfly cocoons in my greenhouse. Oh, and Winifred wants some tuna. And she doesn’t like to wait. 😊

Butterfly Betrayal, A Seneca James Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Raising butterflies is peaceful and calm, until someone dies.

Majestic Monarch Butterfly Farm might flitter away forever. That is, unless Seneca James acquires the property next door. She and Winifred, her costume-wearing cat, have a fight on their hands. Their land sits next to a milkweed-covered field, essential for monarchs. If she’s unsuccessful in buying it, her precious, winged friends won’t survive. When people end up dead on her farmland, Seneca is suspected of murder. What is it about the milkweed field that’s worth killing for? And who’s the murderer?

About the author
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. Her husband reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and adores her even though all her books must have at least one cat in them. Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who find trouble without even trying. Follow updates about her mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.