Fish Out of Water Character Interview, Review and Giveaway

Fish Out of Water Character Interview, Review and Giveaway

Character Interview

Interview with Fish Out of Water’s Deputy Sheriff Trent Walker

  1. How long have you been a Deputy Sheriff?
    I became a sheriff right after I graduated from Arkansas State University. So I reckon it’s been nearly six years now. Time sure flies, don’t it?
  2. What do you think of the new Sheriff?
    I’d say he’s a hard—. Wait, is this for publication or off the record? In any case, probably best to just say that he’s a tough cookie. Pretty much a stickler for discipline. I’m inclined to say I like him, especially considering he’s promoted me to deputy-in-charge of Jenkins. I know it’s just within city limits and it’s a small town, but it’s my first big opportunity.
  3. Do you think the Sheriff was too quick to arrest Elizabeth for Duncan’s murder?
    Now ma’am, I don’t hardly think it’s fair to criticize the Sheriff like that. She certainly had motive, opportunity, and means. That’s what they taught me in my criminal justice classes. Not to mention the hard evidence we found hidden in her mother’s yard with all that blood. I never thought Lizzy—sorry, Elizabeth, or I had best call her Mrs. Trout. Anyway I never wanted to believe she was a killer, but you have to go where the evidence leads you.
  4. How did you feel when you first saw Elizabeth back in town? Did you know she was married?
    I was surprised, to say the least. I mean I heard she was back in town and the sheriff sent me out to arrest her, but I sure wasn’t expecting to see her standing there outside the grocery with her hair all shining in the sunlight and her looking just like an … Ahem. I, uh, mean seeing her took me by surprise, is all. I’d heard Lizzy was married but it never really sunk in, if you know what I mean.
  5. High school sweethearts are so romantic. Were you Elizabeth’s first love? Was she your first love? Or was yours Susie Q, Elizabeth’s frenemy?
    Me and Lizzy romantic? Well, Ma’am, if you say so. It was a long time ago and I’m totally over it now. Yes, definitely, I’m over it. What was the rest of your question? Oh, first love. No, mine was definitely not Susie Q, even though I was seeing her before Lizzy and I started going together. Frankly, I’m not sure Susie Q has ever loved anyone besides herself. Now, Lizzy, I thought she was my first love but, I guess it seems I was wrong.
  6. How serious was your high school relationship with Elizabeth?
    Well ma’am, my mama wouldn’t like me to talk about a young lady without her present. I can say we did see a lot of each other.­ I mean—we um—we saw each other a lot. Often, that’s what I mean. We often saw each other during high school. Sorry I’m sounding stupid here. Let me just confirm that we dated often in high school. I thought, you know, maybe, well, we’d get married one day and all. Doesn’t look like that will happen now. I suspect the sheriff would frown upon one of his deputies marrying someone who’s been in trouble with the law. Well, and of course, Lizzy is already married.
  7. How did your high school relationship with Elizabeth end?
    It was quite the fiery ending. Actually, the memories still bother me so I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind. I’m sure you can hear all about it from one of the gossips in town if you’re so inclined.
  8. If Elizabeth gets out of this jam, would you be willing to let her help you with future cases in Jenkins?Sheriff Tucker was pretty clear that we can’t share confidential information about cases with civilians. I’ve seen some of those books where the amateur sleuth hears key clues from the police and then claims to have solved the case on their own. Well here in Jenkins, we deputies may have been born at night, but that doesn’t mean last night. No sheriff’s deputy in the area is going to risk the wrath of Sheriff Tucker by sharing confidential case details. If Mrs. Trout gets herself, or a friend, in a pickle again, then she should call the sheriff’s office for help, not go running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to do her own investigation again.
  9. What do you think about her husband, Jonas?
    Jonas seems okay if a bit odd. I’m glad Lizzy ended up with a nice guy, even if it seems a bit suspicious to me how he has all that money. You know, rather than tell you about him myself, I think Marc Jedel did a great job telling the whole story in Fish Out of Water. Y’all really should go read it now. It’s a fun clean story with Lizzy pulling many of her classic shenanigans, with lots of twists, town secrets and an exciting race to the ending. Personally, I’m just happy it’s all over now and the sheriff hasn’t fired me.

    Fish Out of Water is the first book in Marc Jedel’s new Ozarks Lake Mystery series. I think it’s pretty cool of him to tell more stories about Jenkins but I sure hope his other stories don’t have any more dead people. I’ve heard the second book will be titled Swimming with the Fishes. Plus, he’s still writing more books in his Silicon Valley Mystery series (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PHNT7XM). I haven’t read those but I hear they’re very funny. That doesn’t surprise me any as them Californians are strange folk, and none stranger than his protagonist, Marty.

My Review

You can go home again! But, beware! The local sheriff may view you as an outsider and quickly arrest you for murder. That’s what happens to Elizabeth in this quirky new cozy mystery set in Arkansas.

Elizabeth inherits her grandmother’s ranch. She and her husband, Jonas, return to her hometown to close out the estate. They find major damage done to the land in one corner of the property. Elizabeth confronts the ranch’s property manager, Duncan, loudly, in front of witnesses. When Duncan is found dead, the Sheriff arrests Elizabeth for the crime. What else can Elizabeth and Jonas do but find the real murderer?

The mystery within Fish Out of Water is extremely challenging. There are red herrings everywhere. It seems everyone had a motive to kill Duncan. By the end, I was almost expecting everyone to have done it together a la Murder on the Orient Express. Needless to say (but I’m going to say it anyway), I didn’t choose the correct suspect…but it was fun trying.

If you want to read a challenging mystery set in a charming cozy mystery world, I highly recommend Fish Out of Water. 4 stars!

Thanks to the author and Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About fISh OUt of WaTER


fISh OUt of WaTER – An Ozarks Lake Mystery

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: BGM Press
Number of Pages: 275

A small-town homicide. A community swamped in secrets. Can married amateur sleuths bait and capture the killer before the truth slips away?

Elizabeth Trout had escaped her rural Arkansas hometown. Compelled to sort through her deceased grandmother’s belongings, she and her new husband Jonas make an unexpected trip to the family ranch. But when the property manager turns up dead, Elizabeth is rocked when her ex-boyfriend-turned-deputy arrests her for the murder.

With incriminating evidence and the sheriff convinced he’s got the right suspect, Elizabeth and Jonas must fish for clues on their own. But with a multitude of potential culprits and her husband’s contrasting personality, Elizabeth fears she may be left dangling on the hook for a crime she didn’t commit.

Can these newlyweds net the real killer before Elizabeth is jailed for murder?

Fish Out of Water is the charming first book in the Ozarks Lake Mystery series. If you like quirky characters, clever twists and turns, and puzzling whodunits, then you’ll love Marc Jedel’s humorous tale.

Buy Fish Out of Water to reel in a slippery catch today!

About Marc Jedel

For most of my life, I’ve been inventing stories. Living in many places around the United States, including a lot of time in the South, has given me a particularly keen appreciation for those who feel like a “fish out of water” sometimes.

My writing skills were honed in years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley. While my high tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, we called these marketing collateral, emails and ads.

The publication of my first novel, Uncle and Ants in the Silicon Valley Mystery series, gave me permission to claim “author” as my job. And achieving Amazon Best Seller status gave me even better adjectives to use in front of “author.” This has led to way more interesting discussions than answering “marketing.”

Telling the stories in the Ozarks Lake Mystery series has given me an enjoyable opportunity to spend time with characters that somewhat resemble people I’ve known. Writing alternating chapters from the perspective of each spouse of the newlywed Trout couple allowed me to experience multiple personalities without getting a visit from mental health professionals.

Author Links

Website: www.marcjedel.com

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/marc-jedel

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/MarcJedel.Author

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjedel/

GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403497.Marc_Jedel

Purchase Links: Amazon

Giveaway

Straight HTML giveaway link: https://kingsumo.com/g/0nb2mo/win-a-signed-copy-of-fish-out-of-water-an-ozarks-lake-mystery

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 1 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 1 – My Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST

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February 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

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February 4 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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February 5 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

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February 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

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February 9 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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5 Comments





  1. Thanks so much for hosting me today on your blog and for your lovely review. I hope your readers will enjoy Fish Out of Water as much as you did. The price for the e-book is only $0.99 during this Great Escapes blog tour!

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