A Book(ish) Life: Christine Knapp
The newest installment in the Midwife Mysteries, Chocolate Cake, and a giveaway!
Welcome to another installment of A Book(ish) Life! This week, I’m pleased to share with you a guest post and recipe by author cozy mystery author Christine Knapp. Her latest book, Murder at First Light, was published this month, and I’m so pleased to have her here, sharing a little bit about her series and a delicious recipe for chocolate cake. One of my favorite things about cozies tend to be the recipes! Christine is also giving away one copy of Murder at the Wedding, the first book in the Modern Midwife Mystery series.
As a reminder, A Book(ish) Life is a weekly(ish) section of my main newsletter where I highlight other writers through interviews, guest posts, and giveaways. My main newsletter, Book(ish), is where I share monthly(ish) notes on my progress, process, and writing life. You’re automatically subscribed to both sections, but you can control which sections you receive by following these instructions.
Read on for a guest post from Christine!
Hello, I’m Christine Knapp, a nurse midwife and I’m thrilled to be invited to write a Guest Post for Jenny’s newsletter. I am the author of the Modern Midwife Mysteries.
Maeve O’Reilly Kensington, a nurse midwife, from the quintessential New England town of Langford, somehow manages to find dead bodies …a lot of dead bodies. In her first adventure, Murder at the Wedding, the chief obstetrician at Creighton Memorial Hospital suddenly drops dead at his daughter’s lavish wedding reception. Maeve’s husband’s company, A Thyme for All Seasons, catered the event and suddenly his bookings begin to dry up.
Her two worlds have collided in the worst way!
Taking care of women, helping babies be born, and hospital politics fills her days until it finally becomes clear that she needs to help find the killer and protect the innocent. As always, her older sister Meg, a no nonsense, very successful real estate agent, is at her side. Their mother, a quick-witted Boston Irish woman, adds observations that are invaluable in their investigation.
Although barely escaping from that episode, Maeve and Meg go on to earn their amateur sleuth badges in Murder on the Widow’s Walk, Murder on the Books, and the newest, Murder at First Light, to be published on January 7, 2025.
The Modern Midwife Mysteries contain many obstetrical vignettes and also recipes!
The series is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.
I would love to have you visit my site, thoughtfulmidwife.com
Maeve’s Triple Fudge Cake From Murder at the Wedding
1 box (15.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup water
¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
10-oz. bag mini milk chocolate chips
Chocolate shell topping
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Except shell topping, mix all ingredients well (can use a hand mixer), and pour
batter into a well-greased Bundt pan. Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes.
Use a cake tester to check if done.
Remove from oven—let the cake cool completely in pan.
The cake must cool completely before unmolding.
With a knife, loosen the cake around the outside and inside edges.
Tip upside down onto a platter.
Cover the cake with chocolate shell topping.
Refrigerate the cake and remove it 20 minutes before serving.
Top with your favorite ice cream.
Don’t tell anyone how you made this cake.
Birth, death, mayhem, and murder…..
Maeve O’Reilly Kensington loves her job as a nurse-midwife at Creighton Memorial Hospital in the quintessential New England seaside town of Langford. Nothing could bring her more pleasure than helping women usher new life into the world… except possibly having a child of her own with her husband, Will. In the meantime, she’s happy to celebrate the families of those she treats, and content to support her husband in his newly formed catering business.
However when Creighton Memorial’s Chief Obstetrician suddenly drops dead at his daughter’s extravagant wedding reception, catered by Will, Maeve’s two worlds collide in the worst possible way. Suddenly murder is on the menu, and Maeve is desperate to help her husband and find out who killed the doctor.
With the help of her wealthy, acerbic sister Meg and quick-witted Boston Irish mother, Maeve sets out to solve a murder and clear her husband’s name. Can she stay one step ahead of the killer? Or will they strike again… this time closer to home?
“A fun mystery set against a delightful New England backdrop! You won’t want it to end!”
~ Gemma Halliday, New York Times bestselling author
Author’s Website | Bookshop.Org (affiliate link) | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Thank you, Christine!! I’m pleased to share that Christine is giving away one copy of Book 1 in her series, Murder at the Wedding, to one of Book(ish)’s subscribers, in either e-book or paperback format (winner’s choice). To enter, leave a comment sharing your latest read, by Friday, January 24, 2025.
Til next time, friends!
