Author Spotlight: Lisa Q. Mathews

Author of the Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series

Lisa Q Mathews, author of the Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series (Image credit: Lisa Q. Mathews)

Lisa Q Mathews is the author of the Irish Bed and Breakfast Mystery Series and The Ladies Smythe and Westin Mystery Series.

The Irish Bed and Breakfast mystery books in order are:

The Jig Is Up (Book 1)
Buried in Shamrocks (Book 2)

The Ladies Smythe and Westin mystery books in order are:

Cardiac Arrest (Book 1)
Permanently Booked (Book 2)
Fashionably Late (Book 3)

Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Lisa Q Mathews

What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?

I should probably first mention that one of my first jobs out of college was: Nancy Drew book editor! I spent a lot of time with Nancy and her friends (shout out to Bess!), as well as the Bobbsey Twins, another childhood series favorite. I shared an office with the Hardy Boys editor. At my next job, I worked for a publisher that offered boxes and boxes of free books in their bookroom, so I worked my way through Agatha Christie on my long train commutes. I’ve also always been a fan of cozy-crime TV shows.

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

Aside from the clever titles, colorful characters, clear chapter cliffhangers, and lovable pets, to me the beating heart of every cozy story is the dogged pursuit of justice for a victim by a gutsy community member who is not a professional crimesolver.

Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?

This may not be the most original answer, but I have always been very fond of Jessica Fletcher. We’re both hardy New Englanders living the ever-romantic author’s life and not necessarily minding our beeswax. Unlike me, Jessica is unflappable, brave, and regularly hits the bestseller lists. Years ago, I wrote a blog post called The Romance of Jessica Fletcher: https://chicksonthecase.com/2019/09/23/the-romance-of-jessica-fletcher-2/

The Ladies Smythe and Westin Mystery Series

The Ladies Smythe and Westin Books 1-3

What inspired your first cozy mystery?

My first adult cozy was CARDIAC ARREST, Book 1 in the Ladies Smythe & Westin Mysteries. It features an oddball sleuth team of a 70-something retired widow from Ohio and a 20-something former party girl from LA. They’re unlikely neighbors in a glitzy retirement community in SW Florida (Summer camps in her late grandma’s condo). My parents briefly lived in a community much like “Hibiscus Pointe,” where I possibly observed and eavesdropped on the unwitting residents. THE JIG IS UP was inspired by my own extended Irish family and the Irish neighborhood where my kids grew up in Brooklyn.

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

I observe real people in their daily lives and avidly follow crazy news stories. The truth-is-more-unbelievable-than-fiction idea is so true! Grocery shopping, standing in line at the post office, writing in coffee shops…(I can’t say enough about the post office). I also blend and occasionally exaggerate real people’s personalities and experiences. My non-Harriet-the-Spy research usually centers on the “extra” element in a particular book. For THE JIG IS UP, for example, in addition to drawing on my kids’ experiences, I watched a lot of Irish dance tutorials (much harder than it looks, trust me!), followed dance schools and stars on social media, and attended the World Championships in Boston. (Backstage and the vendor rooms provided endless fonts of material!) The town of Shamrock, while set in a small New England community, is based on my old Brooklyn neighborhood, which included a lot of multi-generational Irish/Irish-American cop and firefighter families.

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

I keep packs of fresh index cards around the house and jot down ideas I might want to include. Then I arrange and re-arrange the index cards into chapters on the floor of my office. (I learned this trick from my high school history teacher as an aid in organizing long research papers.)

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

Start writing right now! Don’t put it off for “someday.” And be prepared for the long haul of writers’ ups-and-downs. The writing journey is a real roller coaster, and not for the faint of heart, ha. Oh, and learn to love coffee.

How can readers connect with you online?

I love to connect with readers! I’m a founding member of a long-running, multi-mystery-author blog (we lean lighthearted and cozy) called Chicks on the Case. You can also sign up for my very occasional newsletter at my website. I have a Facebook author page, and I’m on Instagram, Threads and Goodreads. Here are the links—hope to see you soon!:

Website/ Newsletter Signup: https://www.lisaqmathews.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LisaQMathewsAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaqmathews/

Blog: https://chicksonthecase.com/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lisaqmathews

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14418623.Lisa_Q_Mathews