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Why does someone die at every festival?

Today’s guest post is one of those that made me laugh out loud… and then nod a little too hard in agreement. 😂

I’m happy to welcome Rebecca McKinnon, author of In Skein Sight from the Clear Creek Mysteries, who’s stopping by as part of her virtual book tour. As cozy mystery readers (and writers), we spend a lot of time happily following our favorite amateur sleuths as they stumble into bodies, ignore police advice, and somehow always have just the right hunch. But what about everyone else in town? You know, the shop owners, festival planners, and perfectly innocent bystanders who just wanted a quiet craft fair and ended up dodging another crime scene?

Today’s visiting author flips the cozy mystery lens and gives us a hilarious peek at what life might look like for the non-sleuths of these charming little towns.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does someone die at every festival?” or “Maybe the cat shouldn’t be leading the investigation,” you’re going to love this one. 😼

Settle in and enjoy this clever, tongue-in-cheek letter from the increasingly concerned citizens of cozy mystery towns everywhere…

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Thank you so much for letting me stop by today! Writing cozy mysteries, it can be easy to get caught up in the lives of the people I’m writing about while kind of ignoring everyone in town who doesn’t have a part to play in the story. Today I wanted to explore something different: what happens when the average residents of cozy mystery towns have had enough. Not the sleuth or sidekick, but the people on the edges who just want it to stop. Here’s a letter I imagine would be published anonymously in the local newspaper or on the community bulletin board.

Dear Local Business Owner,

We need to talk.

Look, we love your shop. We really do. Your yarn selection is fantastic, your bakery smells like a hug, and your bookstore cat? Adorable.

But you need to stop investigating murders.

I know you have “a feeling” about the suspicious newcomer. Your cat knocked over a vase in a meaningful way. You overheard something while organizing the sock yarn. (Why is it always sock yarn?)

But here’s the thing: you’ve found a lot of bodies.

Our town is tiny. There shouldn’t be so many bodies. And every single time one shows up, you get involved. People tell you to stay out of it. You ignore them. You nearly get killed. Your friends say “this is a bad idea” and then help you break into someone’s house anyway.

Your cat is not a licensed investigator. Your “feeling” is not evidence. Someone being rude in the parking lot does not make them a murderer.

Also? The detective has asked you out four times now. This isn’t romance. This is surveillance. He’s hoping that if he takes you to dinner you won’t be breaking into the old warehouse looking for clues.

Please. Just run your business. Sell yarn. Bake scones. Run a book club. Live a normal life where you’re not confronting killers in dark alleys.

We can’t take it anymore. Every town festival, someone dies. Last month, the pie competition. Before that, the craft fair. We’re afraid to plan events. The Spring Carnival committee might cancel because we literally cannot afford another incident.

So here’s what we’re proposing: Just once, when you discover a body call the police and go home. Let the professionals handle it. Tie a quilt. Paint a landscape. Do literally anything except investigate.

We know you won’t listen. You never do.

But we had to try.

Sincerely, The Increasingly Concerned Citizens of Every Small Town in Every Cozy Mystery Ever

P.S. — Your cat is judging all of us. We can feel it.

In Skein Sight (Clear Creek Mysteries) Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Setting – Rocky Mountains – Independently Published Publication date : January 23, 2026 Digital ASIN : B0FTGHX7LG

Spring has sprung in the Rocky Mountains, and Clear Creek is celebrating the arrival of the new season and increased tourism with a host of events — including a special cooking class taught by Jemma’s good friend, Chef Leandro.

When a knit-wit chef barges into Leandro’s kitchen insisting it’s now his, sparks fly between the two. It seems that everyone wants the new chef gone, but no one expects Jemma to find the man stabbed through the heart.

Leandro’s knife skills — and his argument with the dead man — make him the obvious suspect. But Jemma’s ready to cross needles with the Sheriff and anyone else who tries to place the blame on her friend.

With the killer’s eyes on Jemma from the start, she needs to weave in the ends before things unravel!

About Rebecca McKinnon

Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Author Links:

• Website: https://rebeccamckinnon.com/
• Newsletter Sign-Up: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/47h2c6u3z6
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamckinnon_author/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-McKinnon/956145304405426?ref=hl
• GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4993788.Rebecca_McKinnon
• Purchase Link: Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

• January 13 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
• January 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• January 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
• January 15 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• January 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
• January 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
• January 18 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
• January 18 – Sarandipity’s – SPOTLIGHT
• January 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
• January 20 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
• January 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
• January 22 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• January 23 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

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

If this letter made you laugh or side-eye every fictional town festival you’ve ever attended, you’re definitely among friends here. 😄 Huge thanks to Rebecca McKinnon, author of In Skein Sight from the Clear Creek Mysteries, for stopping by and giving us a delightfully different peek into cozy mystery life.

Before you dash off (hopefully not to investigate anything suspicious), take a moment to poke around the blog for more cozy fun—guest posts, book tours, author spotlights, and plenty of mystery-loving goodness await.

As always, thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations!