Greetings from North Dakota! My name is Thea Olson and I live in a tiny town called Why in the western part of the Peace Garden State with my grandparents, Thor and Rose Olson, and my brother, Leif.

It’s true. My hometown really is called Why. Why is it called Why? Well, that’s a story for another day. Today, I want to ask you a question. You ready? Okay, here it is—what’s the strangest hobby you can think of? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Personally, I don’t think anyone is going to come up with anything more unusual than how my grandfather whiles away his time. He ties twine together.

Yep, you heard that right. He takes pieces of twine and ties them together. He’s been doing this for so long that he has a giant ball of twine in his barn. And I mean giant, believe me. It’s humongous, almost a monstrosity. If Godzilla was a ball of twine, he’s be this ball of twine. In fact, it’s so big that there are some folks coming out to measure it so that they can certify it as the “World’s Biggest Ball of Twine.”

We’re all excited that, by this time next week, Grandpa might be in the Book of World Records. But I have to admit to also being a little nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if, when they measure the ball of twine, it comes up short and isn’t the world’s largest? What if someone tries to sabotage it by cutting off some of the twine? What if someone ends up murdered next to the ball of twine?

Whoa . . . did I just say what I think I said? I’m worried someone is going to be killed? A couple of years ago, nothing like that would have ever crossed my mind. But now, after being drawn into a few investigations, along with my grandmother and the library director, Hudson Carter, I’ve got murder on the brain.

But nothing like that is going to happen this time, right? Everything is going to go smoothly. Grandpa will get his world record, then we’ll celebrate with some tater tot casserole and rhubarb cookies. It’s going to be great.

Anyway, if you’re going to be in North Dakota anytime soon, drop by the farm, say hi, and come check out my grandfather’s giant ball of twine. The coffee is always on.

A Death For The Records – A North Dakota Library Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: August 2025
Format: Digital, Print
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Thea Olson is thrilled that her grandfather’s ball of twine might set a record as the largest in the country. But not everyone is as excited as she is. In fact, some people might go to great lengths to ensure that Grandpa Olson’s labor of love never makes it into the record books . . . even murder! When a dead body is found in the Olson’s barn, Thea is determined to find the culprit and clear her grandfather’s name.

Can Thea nab the killer before someone else ends up dead?

About the author
Ellen Jacobson is a chocolate obsessed cat lover who writes cozy mysteries and romantic comedies. After working in Scotland and New Zealand for several years, she returned to the States, lived aboard a sailboat, traveled around in a tiny camper, and is now settled in a small town in northern Oregon with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon. Find out more at ellenjacobsonbooks.com.