Murderous Means

December 13, 2023

Murderous Means

Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery
by Lida Sideris

About Murderous Means

Murderous Means: A Southern California Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in the Series
Setting – California
Level Best Books (December 5, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 315 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CKYGV5YH

Corrie Locke may not be the best rookie lawyer in town, but when it comes to catching a killer, let’s just say, she’s got enough skills to bring a band of shifty-eyed suspects to their knees.

When the wealthy matriarch of the dysfunctional Means family dies in her sleep, the family is convinced her death was anything but peaceful. They hire Corrie to prove it, but the only evidence they have to go on is a psychic’s half-baked vision that it was murder. To put the matter to rest, Corrie sets her sights on proving the psychic is a fraud. After all, everyone knows psychics are crack-pots, don’t they?

But what should be a simple investigation morphs into something deadly. The deeper Corrie digs, the more bizarre clues are revealed, and a possible witness is found dead. As tempers rise, it’s up to Corrie to catch a killer… who’s about to strike again.

About Lida Sideris

Lida Sideris is the author of the Southern California Mysteries. After graduating law school, Lida managed to snag a newbie lawyer’s dream job: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke… except without the homicides. Lida is a recipient of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a 2x Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion Award finalist. Lida lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs, and a flock of uppity chickens. To learn more, please visit www.LidaSideris.com

Q&A with the Author:

Thank you very much for hosting me today!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

- I enjoyed creating the characters the most. Especially the Means family. There are siblings and a nephew, plus the psychic and a family friend, each with their own agenda, just like real people, right? Not exactly. All of these characters had a motive for wanting the family matriarch snuffed out. It didn’t help matters that they were constantly at odds with each other. At one point, much to my surprise, they all got along beautifully. Like a Hallmark family. It was a miracle! What happened? You’ll have to read and find out.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

- I would love to write another picture book. I’m working on one now, and also working on a romance, amid small town politics, where two old friends who parted ways in law school, are thrown together again when a senatorial vacancy is up for grabs.

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

- I’ve just started book #7 in my Southern California Mystery series, which will include at least one character that hasn’t been seen in a while, my main character’s mother once more (she’s become a fan favorite), and the answer to what exactly happened to Corrie’s father. Of course, there’s yet another murder to solve by my heroine Corrie and her sidekicks.

How long have you been writing?

-My first Southern California Mystery was published in 2015, so that’s my official start, but I’d been writing long before. In fact, a picture book that I’d written nearly 20 years prior, was finally published in 2018: THE COOKIE EATING FIRE DOG.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

- I’m so grateful to my readers. When someone contacts me to tell me they enjoyed one of my books, I’m so appreciative! I have great fun in writing my series; the adventures, the humor, the craziness. It’s a total escape for me, and if I can do that for someone else…Wow! That makes me so happy. I can’t ask for more than that.