The Last Turkey
Hello, care to join me for a cup of coffee and a story about what happened to The Last Turkey?
In Death of a Snow Ghost, when Jamie celebrates her first Northwoods Thanksgiving she uses an old Betty Crocker’s Cookbook she bought at a garage sale. Despite all of Betty’s advice, she ends up burning the turkey drumsticks before the rest of the turkey is ready. She’s rescued by a friend who covers the drumsticks in aluminum foil and voila! the turkey is fine.
I stole that scene from real life when my wonderful mother-in-law had to save the turkey before the whole Norlander family gathered at our house. This was especially important because Uncle Wally (who always brought the Cold Duck) loved the drumsticks. After that almost fiasco, I roasted my turkeys in a plastic roasting bag, and all went well. Until…
The Year 2008, when our son and daughter-in-law took over the Thanksgiving duties. They are vegetarians but I offered to make a turkey for those of us non-vegetarians. I thawed it, stuffed it, and put it in the roasting bag. (Betty Crocker would have been proud of the home-made dressing.) With plenty of time to spare, I put it in their oven and awaited the Thanksgiving aroma of roasting turkey. The aroma eluded me. Four hours later with the vegetarian food ready, I unveiled the turkey. The bird was slightly browned and only fit to give the meat-eaters salmonella. Turned out the thermostat on their oven was broken. The last turkey went unceremoniously into the compost.
Over the years I’ve learned that Thanksgiving is not about the turkey or the stuffing or the mashed potatoes. It’s about the family and the comradery and the stories of past Thanksgivings. Jamie learns the same lesson in her first Thanksgiving in the Northwoods.
Oh yes, and my stained and tattered forty-year-old copy of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook still comes in handy.
Farewell to Steve
Steve the grandcat (belonging to the grandchildren) was the model for Goldie in my upcoming new mystery Death of Goldie’s Mistress. He could be playful and sassy and a little testy from time to time—just like a regular cat. Sadly, he developed health problems this fall and is now in the place where cats go to spend their days in the eternal sunbeam. He lives on, though, through Goldie who can also be sassy and testy (but not very playful.)
Death of Goldie’s Mistress is scheduled for release from Level Best Books on February 13, 2024.
Thank You for Your Reviews!
William Kent Krueger, New York Times Best Selling author and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met said of Death of a Starling:
“There’s a bit of romance, a lot of suspense, some fine inclusion of elements of the Ojibwe culture, and a wonderfully serpentine plot that’s sure to keep you guessing to the end. I can’t think of a better read at a summer cabin or in front of roaring winter fire.”
If you have read any of my books, please take a moment to rate them on Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes and Noble. Your feedback means a lot to me.
Upcoming Events
For those of you in the Seattle area, I will be reading along with fellow members of my Puget Sound Sisters in Crime.
When: January 22nd, 2024 at 7:00 pm.
Where: Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothel Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA. Hope to see you there.
Wishing you a Safe and Happy Holidays! (With or without the turkey ☺)