This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder: A Novel by Melinda Mullet
Ahoy, mystery lovers! 🕵️♀️⚓️
Here at Salty Inspirations, I love hosting fellow authors who bring fresh stories and fun characters to share. Today, we’re joined by a very dashing guest—the one and only Captain Jack! With fur as fine as a fresh sea breeze and instincts sharper than any sleuth, this four-legged narrator is here to share a peek into life aboard The Writer’s Revenge. From canal-side mischief to mysterious packages, things are anything but smooth sailing for his human Maeve. But Jack’s on the case (naturally, he is the captain). Settle in for a salty tale full of charm, crime, and canine wisdom straight from the pages of Melinda Mullet’s A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder.
Captain Jack’s Cozy Mystery Scoop
Salty Inspirations
The first mate tells me we’re going to be on a blog called Salty Inspirations. As the best nautical duo I know, it makes perfect sense. My name is Captain Jack. Part Australian shepherd, part poodle. I have a lush black and white coat, piercing blue eyes, and a raffish patch over one eye. A dashing figure of a canine even if I do say so myself. I was named for the infamous Caribbean Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, or perhaps the space pirate Captain Jack Harkness. Either way, please note the title––Captain. It’s not just an honorific; it implies control and that means I’m in charge of this floating home of ours not herself. That means I get to tell our story.
The Writer’s Revenge is an amazing craft. A renovated, antique long boat, she’s been our home now for the past year. It’s a bit crowded for the two of us but tight quarters notwithstanding, I’m not about to ask her to leave. Maeve’s had a bit of a rough go of things. I really should be more patient. I mean she finally got rid of that nasty piece of work she was dating. He was a wrong ’un––I knew it from that first sniff. He always smelled of someone else. He was a dog with a wandering eye if I ever saw one. There was no one happier than me when she finally showed Rover boy the door.
That chore done, she settled us happily here on the Revenge. Maeve stayed busy ghostwriting Harlan Oak’s detective novels, while I relished the rewards of a life well lived snoozing in the sun on the deck. The neighbors are nice enough. The herby ladies that live off our aft bow smell a bit odd, but they’re kindhearted. Maeve thinks they have a rather witchy vibe, but she enjoys the largess from their allotment garden and especially the brownies that they make from time to time. They all insist that I’m not allowed chocolate, but I think they’re just being greedy as they always seem very happy after they’ve snarfed down all the goodies. To be fair though I get my share of the salty snacks that usually follow on.
The bloke off our forward bow is quiet and a bit nervy, but Maeve likes him. My instinct says he’s a good sort, and my instinct is usually reliable. He’s the kind of bloke you could count on in a tight sport which is probably a good thing. Our quiet life has suddenly been upended. Maeve blames me, but I don’t see how it’s my fault. It’s his fault. We were doing great without old Rover and then suddenly he pops up again. Disturbing our peaceful life. Dead no less.
I tell you; some humans are more trouble than they’re worth. Rover got himself into some kind of mess I’m sure of that. It all started about a week ago. We’d just come back from a brief sail along the Regent’s Canal. A leisurely jaunt, a bit of wind in the fur. Just the ticket for a lazy Monday morning. We docked and Maeve went to make coffee and snacks. I was
minding my own business having a relaxing chew on one of the tires that hangs from the side of the dock to keep the Revenge’s paint from getting scuffed up. It’s a lovely old tire. Just the right level of squeak and tough enough to really exercise the jaws. A wee slice of heaven. I’ve been working on it for weeks. A chew toy provided by the London waterways council, bless them. In the end, I suppose I’m stronger than I thought. I managed to rip open up the rubber. I thought it would be a chance to reach that soft inner ring. Bit like getting the rind off a watermelon and finding the sweet stuff inside. Anyway, I digress. Herself stopped me and got her hand inside the tire and pulled out a bunch of plastic wrapped bricks. Wouldn’t let me even get a sniff in.
She said the bricks contained money, which in my experience can be right useful. We were all set for a shopping spree––some treats, and toys, and maybe a good steak or two, but the woman put it all back in the tire and insisted she go to the police. I don’t know what she’s thinking sometimes. But it gets worse. Now the police keep taking her off to the station to ask questions. They seem to think she had something to do with the money and Rover’s untimely demise. As if. Maeve’s a tough cookie but she’s way smarter than that. He was gone and that was good enough for both of us.
Now I’m stuck with the Wacky Wiccans eating something that smells suspiciously like Brussel sprouts. Yuck. Why can’t I stay with our friend Paul at the pub? He and I have an understanding. It’s sausage rolls all around when I come to visit. Any road. As you can see, we’re in a bit of a pickle and it’s up to me and our motley crew to try to rescue Maeve. Join us for the adventure.
A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder: A Novel
by Melinda Mullet
About A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder
A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder: A Novel
Traditional Mystery
First in Series
Setting – A houseboat along Regent’s Canal in central London
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : July 29, 2025
Hardcover Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8892421423
Paperback Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8892422512
Digital Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8892421430
Audiobook ASIN : B0DRWC4ZBL
Charming yet wickedly imaginative mystery ghostwriter Maeve Gardner finds herself at the center of a murder investigation with more twists and turns than any story she’s ever written, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman.
Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again, and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she’s writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who’ve run away from dry land to live on London’s waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she loves: a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating facedown in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn.
Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river—India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve’s quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own—Maeve may have a shot at saving herself.
As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won’t hesitate to kill again…
About Melinda Mullet
Melinda Mullet is a dual US/UK national. Formerly a lawyer specializing in communications, media, and entertainment law she is now enjoying a second career as a mystery writer.
Melinda is the author of the Whisky Business Mysteries, a six-part series of traditional mysteries set in and around a boutique single malt whisky distillery in Scotland. And coming in July 2025, the first of a new traditional series, A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder, set on a houseboat along the Regent’s Canal in London.
Melinda is a travel junkie and a life-long advocate for children’s literacy causes both domestic and international. When she is not in the UK, she lives just outside of Washington, DC, with her whisky-collecting husband and two wild Covid canines named Bailey and Captain Jack.
Author Links
- Website: https://www.melindamullet.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mulletmysteries/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melindamullet/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-mullet-b499564b/
- GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16251039.Melinda_Mullet
- July 30 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
- July 30 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
- July 30 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST
- July 31 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
- July 31 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
- August 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
- August 1 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
- August 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
- August 3 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
- August 4 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
- August 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
- August 5 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
- August 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
- August 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
- August 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
- August 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
- August 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today! Want to Book a Tour? Click Here
Thanks so much to Captain Jack (and Melinda Mullet) for sharing this fun and mysterious glimpse into life aboard The Writer’s Revenge. There you have it—an adventurous tale told from a truly unique perspective!
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to explore Salty Inspirations for more cozy mysteries, author interviews, and reading adventures. I also write cozy mysteries myself, so you might find some stories here that are just your style.
Happy reading and see you again soon!
As always, thanks for stopping by for so Salty Inspirations!
