Author Spotlight: Allison Brook

Allison Brook is the author of multiple cozy mystery series, including the Haunted Library Mysteries and the Books on the Beach Mystery Series. She also writes the Golden Age Mystery Book Club Series and the Twin Lakes Mysteries under the name Marilyn Levinson.

Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Allison Brook

What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?

I like writing cozy mysteries because I enjoy writing about characters who live in a small town where everybody knows everyone else. Though murders take place, the tone is warm and friendly. Also, cozies are written in series, which means my sleuth and her friends and family live on in all the new books I write as I introduce new characters.

What are a few of the essential elements that make a cozy stand out to you as a reader?

Reading a cozy mystery puts me in a relaxed mood. I know there won't be any unpleasant surprises in the form of a brutal event, and all murders take place off stage. There's the suspense of trying to figure out who the murderer is amid a story set in a friendly village peopled by characters who all know one another. The murderer is caught in the end, justice is served, and peace is restored.

Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?

Amelia Peabody in Elizabeth Peters' wonderful series is my favorite.

What inspired your first cozy mystery?

I suppose elements of my own life: having been a high school teacher, and the setting is Long Island where I live. In GIVING UP THE GHOST, Gabbie Meyerson comes to a Long Island village in the middle of the school year to teach English at the local high school.

How do you research and create the "cozy" elements in your books, like the settings and community?

That takes a great deal of work. Sometimes I use an actual village or town as the basis of my setting. I look for photos of the actual town online. Of course, I change the name, geographical elements, streets, and buildings to suit my series. When I began writing DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND I created an island in the middle of Long Island Sound. That meant designing an actual island with streets, homes, stores, a beach, a bird sanctuary, and a ferry house, along with creating a new cast of characters.

What is one key step in your writing process that helps you transform an idea into a finished book?

I start out with a good idea of who is going to be the first murder victim and why, and go on from there. My characters' relationships with one another is of utmost importance.

What advice would you give aspiring cozy mystery authors who want to start writing their first novel?

Know your setting and your main characters as well as the circumstances of your first murder before you start writing. Join Sisters in Crime and the Guppies. Form a critique group with caring and knowledgeable fellow writers. Write.

How can readers connect with you online?

• My website, marilynlevinson.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter

• Marilyn Levinson on Facebook

• Marilyn Levinson on Goodreads

• Marilyn Levinson on X

• Marilyn Levinson on BookBub

• Allison Brook on BookBub

• Marilyn Levinson Author on Instagram

• Marilyn Levinson Amazon page

Allison Brook Cozy Mystery Bookshelf

Use the arrows on either side of the images shown below to cycle through cozy mysteries by Allison Brook/Marilyn Levinson. Click on any book to see a description, reviews, and an excerpt on Amazon.