Over a cup of coffee… and chickens?
Sit with me, and relax over a cup of coffee.
Let’s talk about chickens.
Yes, chickens.
How About Chickens?
When I was struggling to come up with the story for my second Liza and Mrs. Wilkens mystery, I asked my family what I should write about. I said I wanted to set it in a rural farming town, very different from Liza’s city residence. Of course, there had to be a death, and there had to be drama. My son-in-law suggested, “What about organic chickens that aren’t organic?” It sent me on a quest to find out how you raise an organic chicken, which sent me down another path about who does the work to raise and process organic chickens. This became the birth of Santos Brothers Farms in the fictional town of Ravens Valley.
I discovered in my quest for an organic chicken that stories often take on a life of their own. In this case, the chicken ended up secondary to another theme—book banning. It sent me to further research on what books are typically banned and why. Liza, as a teacher, wants to learn how to talk with parents about their fears when it comes to their children reading certain books. Her journey takes her to Ravens Valley, a town in the middle of a book-banning campaign, when the librarian becomes the victim of a hit-and-run on a lonely rural road. She finds a town cloaked in fear and secrecy.
The Secret of Ravens Valley is now available in paperback and e-book format.
Coming in September
The next Sheriff Red Only the River Knows will be out on September 22, 2026.
A murder in the wings. A cold case resurrected. And a killer ready for an encore.
The curtain rises on Lykkins Lake’s community theater production of The Music Man—but the show turns deadly before the first line is spoken.
Now available for preorder on Amazon.
Book Signings
For my Minnesota friends and fans, I will be signing books at Lake Country Booksellers, 4766 Washington Ave, White Bear Lake, MN, on Friday, July 17th at 10:00 am. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there.
Here I am at a recent signing and reading at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Washington. Wonderful audience with great questions.
Bouchercon Anthology
Bouchercon is one of the biggest mystery writers and readers conferences in North America. I am excited to announce that my short story “When Pop Crossed the Border” will be included in the 2026 Bouchercon mystery anthology The Lines We Cross. More information is available on the Bouchercon 2026 website.
Reviews
A shout out to Mary Ann Grossman of the St. Paul Pioneer Press for her review of What the Fields Saw on May 24th. She notes:
“Linda Norlander, former Minnesotan who lives in Seattle, Washington, can be counted on to deliver an involving mystery with small town vibes. She does it again with “What the Fields Saw,” third in her series featuring Minnesota county Sheriff Red Hammergren.”
Reviews and word of mouth are ways of getting books out into the world. If you like a book, tell a friend! If you like a book, give it a rating! Many thanks to all of you for your support.
Have a Wonderful and Relaxing Summer
All the best,
Linda