"Florida Man," one look at a headline beginning with those words sets up the expectation for a story that is ... well, a story that could only happen in Florida. From Florida crackers to Ybor City mobsters, touristy amusement parks to prehistoric native sites, the 20 talented authors of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime present a collection of crime fiction stories worthy of Floridians.
Paradise is Deadly takes readers on a romp along Florida's Gulf Coast past and present.
"The stories range from creepy to terrifying to old-school whodunit to just plain fun. Their plots revolve around archaeological digs, murder for hire, and the accurate pricing of second-hand designer purses. All use the details that make this state stand out from the other forty-nine: the weather, alligators, Florida Man, and of course, a skunk ape."
- Lisa Black, New York Times Best-Selling Author
Dingwall, Wendy: - Wendy Dingwall writes the award-winning Yvonne Suarez Travel Mysteries. She is the founder of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America. Sold in 2020, Wendy is the former owner/publisher of Canterbury House Publishing and currently enjoys retired life by pursuing her writing and other varied interests.In an earlier career as the owner of a travel agency, Wendy was inspired to write a mystery featuring an unusual travel agent protagonist. Enter Yvonne, raised in Miami, Florida. The daughter of a cool, collected British mother and a hot-blooded Cuban father, she is the blending of cultural differences emanating in her unique personality.Reviewers have said about her mysteries, "They allow readers to experience the legends, lore, sights, and culture of the locations woven into each mystery, as if they are right there on the journey with her characters, watching the mystery unfold."
Reed, Martha: - Martha Reed is a multi-award-winning crime fiction author. Her short story, "The Honor Thief," was included in the Bouchercon 2022 Anthony Award-winning anthology, This Time For Sure, edited by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Martha's Crescent City NOLA Mystery, "Love Power" won a 2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and features Gigi Pascoe, a transgender sleuth. The Nature of the Grave, the second book in her John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series, won an Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Award for Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction. Martha is the Immediate Past President of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime and fully supports SinC's mission statement: "to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers." Visit her website www.reedmenow.com for more.
Ryan, Barbara: - Barbara Ryan, Ph.D., is a sociologist who has published books and journal articles on Feminism, The Women's Movement, and Identity Politics. She co-founded and directed a Gender and Women's Studies program, was a book review editor for Gender & Society, and was a Fulbright Scholar to India. She presented papers on feminism, family, sex and gender, and social activism at national and international meetings throughout Europe. She is a Mystery Writers of America, National Sisters in Crime, and Sarasota Fiction Writers member. Currently, she is the President of Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime. Recently, her short story, "Do You Believe in Monsters?" was included in Paradise is Deadly: Gripping Tales from FLGC SinC, an anthology she co-edited. Her murder mystery series, featuring Megan Mahony, PI, is in process, with the first book, Selective Killings, set in Philadelphia, and the second, Escape to Murder, in Sarasota, Florida.
