Author Spotlight: Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

Award-winning author Ashley M. Bernier writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bush Tea Murder, the first book in her Caribbean Island Mystery Series, features a food journalist sleuth, mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun.

Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?

Cozies are all about communities, and this is what always makes me feel invested in a story! A compelling mystery is important, of course, but I’m always more intrigued by who’s solving it…and the world she lives in while she does. Cozies allow me to live in pages populated by quirky personalities and loveable sidekicks. When cozy communities come together after a tragedy hits, welcome the newcomer and look out for their neighbors (and often, their neighbors’ pets!), it helps me feel hope for real-life communities as well!

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

I know cozies are supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy, but the cozies that stand out for me are the ones that don’t shy away from heavier topics that really do affect people and their communities in real life. Murder is heavy and can have a major impact on a close-knit town. People deal with physical and mental health challenges, prejudice or discrimination, substance abuse, and relationship struggles in real life. When a cozy can address tougher issues realistically AND also bring in the joy and humor the genre is known for, I have a much deeper experience as a reader.

Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?

Several, but two who instantly come to mind are Miriam Quinones from Raquel V. Reyes’s Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, and Lila Macapagal from Mia Manansala’s highly-regarded series (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries). They’re some of the first culinary-themed cozies I read, and loved the blending of culture, cuisine, and crime.

What inspired your first cozy mystery?

My grandmother’s cookbooks! My grandmother was a public school educator, writer, and Virgin Islands culture bearer. She had a room in her house full of books she collected over her 99 years, most of which focused on Virgin Islands history and culture. Growing up, I was always allowed in the room, but the books were off limits for my grubby little hands! After she passed away in 2018, I inherited most of the books in her collection. My favorites of these were cookbooks and edible flora guides…some of which are over 70 years old! Looking through the native recipes and thinking of some of the many ways cooking terms are used eventually inspired Rise, a short story about a stolen johnnycake recipe. Rise was published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, a dream come true—but by then, I’d written several more short stories about my St. Thomian food journalist, Naomi Sinclair. These short stories eventually became the basis for my debut novel-length work, THE BUSH TEA MURDER.

How do you research and create the cozy elements in your books, such as the setting and community?

Being from St. Thomas made writing the setting and community the easiest part of writing this book! Many of the locations in the book are real. Others are “real enough”---they’re based on real places, but the names have been changed. I don’t want to include the name of a real business or location if I’ve created a murder or other terrible event there! People familiar with the island might recognize the spirit of a real location in my fictional ones, though. For example, the fruit store in the heart of town in the middle of the chapter called “Strain” might be called Pereira’s Fruits and Produce in the story, but St. Thomians might picture a long-standing business called Fruit Bowl as they read instead.

As for writing the community, that part felt organic. The personalities and relationships included in THE BUSH TEA MURDER feel very much like those I experienced growing up and living on-island. No research required!

What is one key step in your writing process that helps you transform an idea into a finished book? I start with the ending in mind. I don’t plot out every single event that happens in my stories—I like to surprise myself along the way—but I do like to know where I’m headed, which allows me to create impactful connections along the way. With Naomi’s stories, I like to link the food, the crime, and the subplot, so knowing what these elements are and how they tie together by the end of the story is key. Once I know where I’m ending and the story elements I’m using to get there, I’m ready to GO!

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

Take your time introducing your sleuth and the world they inhabit before throwing a murder at them! Although this goes against the standing advice to drop a body as soon as possible, cozies thrive on connection…so allow your readers to get to know your sleuth, to connect with and care about them first. That way, when the outsized circumstances of The Crime pop up, readers are already invested in your main character, and will want to see how they follow through to solve the mystery.

How can readers connect with you online?

I’m on Facebook as Ashley-Ruth Moolenaar Bernier, on Instagram and Threads as @armbernier, and on Bluesky as armbernier.bsky.social. I’m also pretty responsive to messages through my website, ashleyruthbernier.com . Finally, if we happen to be in any online communities or groups together, feel free to send me a message to say hi!

Thanks, Cozy Crime Reads, for the interview!

-Ashley