Mystery Novels

Friday Afternoon Club Mystery #2: Crime & Clutter

A storage unit, a 1963 Volkswagen van, and tattered letters reveal shattering secrets from the ‘60s.

Simon & Schuster, 2007
ISBN:1582296448

It’s been a year since Mary Alice lost her father—the father she never really knew. Now she’s stuck cleaning out his rubbish from a storage unit. Just when she’d rather it all go away from her well-ordered life, her secret is discovered by the feisty Marina, one of the six members of the Friday Afternoon Club. When these friends make it their mission to help Mary Alice tackle her stash, they arrive at the storage unit, prepared to clean. But what they discover takes them on a riotous ride through the crime and clutter of the sixties, the angst and betrayal of those caught in The Revolution, and the forgiveness that can only come through acceptance of a different kind of Cause. Includes fun, easy, and tantalizing recipes.   Read an excerpt.

Library Journal, STARRED Review… “Likable characters and vivid 1960s flashbacks of politically charged events take readers on a great ride. A combination of high-spirited mom lit and cozy mystery (complete with recipes for Homemade Twinkies and Coffee Can Bread), this second “Friday Afternoon Club” title (after Dying To Decorate) is recommended for collections where women’s fiction and light mysteries are popular.”

Christian Book Previews… “With slow, careful development of plot, and characters reminiscent of the authors of the Sweet Potato Queens series, Salzmann wins the hearts and laughs of women who read Crime & Clutter.”

Friday Afternoon Mystery #1: Dying to Decorate

A secret door, a hidden room, bloodstains on an old quilt and a yellowed journal tell the story.

Simon & Schuster, 2005
ISBN: 1582294550

Dying to Decorate is the first book in the hilarious Friday afternoon Club Mystery series for women who cherish friendship…and a bit of mystery. While juggling the responsibilities of carpool, laundry, and ballet lessons, this group of close friends find time to act as sleuths, unraveling mysteries and gaining spiritual truth along the way. Readers will readily identify with these richly drawn characters caught in the chaos of raising a family, maintaining friendships, and sorting out the items of intrigue that draw them in.  Read an excerpt.

Midwest Book Review says… “Salzmann employs a deep sense of humor with a genuine love of her family to take the reader down a fascinating historical path that includes the Underground Railroad. Her idea of human values and religion rings true, and the story she has to tell is one of simple Nebraska settlers who risked everything to help to end slavery. DYING TO DECORATE begins with light banter, but its lessons are sober and inspiring.”