Winter 2025 edition of "Mystery Bound"

Hello Mystery Lovers!

It was quite a year! I hope you had a healthy and rewarding 2025. I’m grateful to all of you who discovered my Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series, along with those who’ve been fans over the past five years. It is so exciting whenever I get an email, post, or review telling me how I’ve kept you or your friends up all night as you race through my mysteries.

What books did you receive over the holidays? I'd love to hear.

My two-year-old granddaughter has been carrying around a copyof my latest,

Villain in the Vineyard. Her father quickly snapped this photo. She's obviously too young for mysteries, but she tells me it's a real page-turner!

It’s amazing how many people spot my books in stores or on friends’ coffee tables and send me photos. Others snap photos as my mysteries travel around the worldunder their arms. While I’m at my laptop tapping away, you keep me inspired!

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Book Clubs

Here on the Upper Chesapeake, a very generous book club, Girls Under Cover, worked with me to launch my fourth book, Villain in the Vineyard, to a sold-out crowd at the incredible Blue Elk Vineyard in Maryland. It was the perfect setting to discuss secrets, a cold case, and all our favorite characters that bring us such wit, humor, clues, and even a touch of romance to the Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series.

All the net proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, enabling children to receive free books in their mailboxes every month. It’s one of my favorite charities.

Thank you to those who post enthusiastic five-star reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and others. Please keep inmind that Amazon allows readers who purchase my bookselsewhere to post reviews on their site. Even a short review hassuch a huge impact on my success. You make my day when I hearhow much you enjoy them.

If you would like to receive award seals for any of my books, don’t hesitate to email me with your home address. I’ll pop them in the mail to you with a personally autographed bookplate.

Wishing you a great start to the New Year. Travel safely and staywarm,

Fall edition of “Mystery Bound”!

Hello, I'm Mystery Author

Judy L. Murray

Welcome, Friends, to my fall edition of “Mystery Bound”!

As November moves in those of us living on the east coast are still enjoying summer-like temperatures. Remarkable. The narrow road described in MURDER IN THE MASTER winds through Elk Neck State Park on the Turkey Point peninsula and leads to my favorite lighthouse and my neighborhood. 

Everywhere, we’re flanked by hills and woods coated with leaves in gorgeous orange, brown, and yellow. The view from our deck across the bay is changing shape as the sun slides toward the south and our local Blue Herons, Osprey, and Bald Eagles are making plans for winter. Even our sailboat knows it’s time to bundle up. Sadly, we’ll be pulling Persuasion out of the water for a winter nap within the next few days.

A Traveling Author

I love meeting with readers. With my latest book, I’m on the road again, crisscrossing state lines from favorite spots in Maryland, North to New Jersey and upstate New York, and across Pennsylvania and Delaware. I’ve had almost daily meetings with book clubs, area library programs, bookstore signings, and even a few virtual chats.

Where am I heading next? Pop over to my website, www.judylmurraymysteries.com, and open the Events Tab for a list of upcoming events. I’d absolutely love to meet you in person. If I’ve missed you and you would like your books autographed, email me. I’d be happy to mail you bookplates for your copies. If your book club would enjoy meeting me, don’t hesitate to let me know.

A Recent Author Interview

Click on the link below for a recent interview on The Bookish Moment, where I chat about writing different scenes and characters: Helen, Joe, Tammi, Lizzie, and Shawn, and my infamous Detection Club. We’re delighted you find them special.

Watch the full interview on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkkUXJ3U_gk

A Mysterious Murder Awaits!

If you’ve been hoping for audio versions of MURDER IN THE MASTER and KILLER IN THE KITCHEN, they’re now available. I admit I held my breath during my first listen. As the author, I definitely had my own thoughts about Helen Morrisey’s ‘voice’. Some of you have asked if I narrated the books myself, but I issued a loud ‘no’. I’m sure I would have done a terrible job.

Reviews for Peril in the Pool House are starting to come out. Maybe this one will temp you?

“The grand opening of Captain’s Watch Bed and Breakfast in one of Chesapeake Bay’s historic mansions, is ruined when the body of Kerry Lightner, a high-powered political campaign manager, is found in the pool house with fishing shears in her back. Is the killer a rival politician, an ex-lover, a jealous co-worker, or the ghost of missing harbor pilot Isaac Hollowell? 

When state senate candidate and B&B owner Eliot Davies becomes the prime suspect, his friend real estate agent turned-amateur-investigator Helen Morrisey and her Detection Club of fictional women sleuths vow to solve the case—even if it means the end of Helen’s romance with Detective Joe McAlister. PERIL IN THE POOL HOUSE, the third in Judy L. Murray’s award-winner Chesapeake Bay Mystery series is smart, fast-paced, beautifully written, and utterly charming. Five stars!” Connie Berry, USA best-selling author of The Kate Hamilton Mysteries

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Bigger than book-birthing? The biggest news, bigger than book-birthing by far - welcoming our second grandchild, Emily Anne, on November 2nd. Of course, we think she’s the most beautiful baby ever! Right now she’s far more interested in eating, sleeping, and looking around. Nana and PopPop can wait. Our two cats, Agatha and Dr. Watson, are not that interested. They’re busy searching for spots in the sunshine, which is a good lesson for all of us.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Remember – books make great gifts!
All the best,
Judy