Sure Luck Holmes Holiday Adventures

Sure Luck Holmes Holiday Adventures is now available in print and e-book editions on Amazon. Fifth-grader Sherman Holmes and his sidekick Johanna Watson continue to solve mysteries surrounding the Baker Street Elementary School in Londonberry, California in this second book in the Sure Luck series. Johanna gave Sherman the nickname of Sure Luck because he has good investigation skills, but often is lucky in cracking a case. Sure Luck continues to obsess about the school bully Jim Moriarty. The mysteries in this book are around holidays in the last part of the year.

Sure Luck Holmes Holiday Adventures

Fifth-grader Sherman Holmes and his sidekick Johanna Watson continue to solve mysteries surrounding the Baker Street Elementary School in Londonberry, California in this second book in the Sure Luck series. Johanna gave Sherman the nickname of Sure Luck because he has good investigation skills, but often is lucky in cracking a case. Sure Luck continues to obsess about the school bully Jim Moriarty. The mysteries in this book are around holidays in the last part of the year.

This book will be published in August 2026 by Mystic Publishers.

Meet the New Authors Breakfast at the Left Coast Crime Conference in San Francisco

20 debut mystery authors each gave a one-minute pitch about the most important thing to know about their mystery novel to a room of mystery readers.

Left Coast Crime Conference

At the Left Coast Crime Conference this month in San Francisco, I will be participating in a number of events. I’ll be presenting at the Author Speed Dating; on a panel titled A Fresh New View: Younger Perspectives with Lee Matthew Goldberg, Annabelle Oh, Linda Joy Singleton and Gay Toltl Kinman; and moderating the Meet the New Authors Breakfast.

This Month Is the Nineteenth Anniversary of My First Published Novel

This month is the nineteenth anniversary of the release of Mike Befeler’s first published mystery novel, Retirement Homes Are Murder. Imagine yourself waking up in a retirement home, not remembering anything from the day before and being accused of murder.  Or consider a male Miss Marple enmeshed in a light-hearted Memento.

When crotchety octogenarian Paul Jacobson discovers a body wedged in a retirement home trash chute, he must become an amateur sleuth to clear himself as a murder suspect while struggling with the problems of his short-term memory loss and being stuck living with a bunch of old people.  As Paul’s snooping gets him in trouble with the local police and the retirement home administration, he meets eccentric residents, develops a new friendship, experiences the quirks of old age romance and must face his biggest fear in order to escape from a murderer intent upon a repeat performance.

Mike is available to give presentations to service organizations, libraries and book groups.     Retirement Homes Are Murder is available in print, e-book and audio book editions: Print: Amazon.com: Retirement Homes are Murder (1) (Paul Jacobson Geezer-Lit Mystery): 9781893035850: Befeler, Mike: Books e-book: Retirement Homes Are Murder (Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Befeler, Mike. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. e-book box set first four books of Paul Jacobson series: Box Set: Retirement Homes Are Murder, Living with Your Kids Is Murder, Senior Moments Are Murder, Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder (Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Befeler, Mike. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Audio book: Amazon.com: Retirement Homes Are Murder: Paul Jacobsen Series, Book 1 (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Jerry Sciarrio, Books In Motion: Audible Books & Originals http://www.mikebefeler.com

 

The Holiday Adventures of Sure Luck Holmes

Here’s a blurb about my upcoming second book in the Sure Luck Holmes middle grade mystery series. Sure Luck Holmes and Johanna Watson team up to solve mysteries relating to end of the year holidays in the fictional Southern California town of Londonberry.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Begotten

Here’s a blurb about my upcoming novel, Begotten: Grizzly murders of rapists by a serial killer decades apart test Detective Arlin Jamison’s perseverance to track down the killer as he uncovers the secret of both his and the murderer’s heredity.

Two Upcoming Novels

I have two manuscripts in final editing with my publisher. One is the second book in the middle grade Sure Luck Holmes series and the other is an adult mystery titled Begotten. Stay tuned for more information.

Holiday Season

 Tis the season. After a good Thanksgiving gathering, we’re moving into the pre-Christmas period. I put up two lighted globes on our porch, and we’ll get the Christmas tree trimmed this week.

Happy Thanksgiving

 Our family doesn’t always gather on Thursday. With two of our kids and three of our grandkids close by, we let them choose the best day for everyone to get together. This year it will be Saturday.

Recent Author Events

The last two Saturdays I’ve done author events. The first was Men of Mystery in Long Beach, CA, and the second was the Orange County Book Fair in Tustin, CA, where I signed books in the Mystery Ink booth.

Halloween’s Coming

We always have hundreds of trick-or-treaters on Halloween because there is a carnival at a park two blocks from our house and kids stop by our house to collect candy either on their way to the park or back afterwards. I’ve stocked up on candy and will be ready to enjoy all the costumes

Balancing

I’m in the process of balancing family obligations and activities, writing and pickleball. It’s a good thing I’m retired.

Our Porch Cat

A cat belonging to neighbors across the street likes to relax on our front porch. When we put boxes out for donation pickups, our porch cat lays out on top of the boxes. The cat used to be skittish but is now used to us.

 

Pickleball

During summer vacation for our grandson, I often did things with him in the morning. Now that he’s back in school, I’m able to play pickleball most weekday mornings. The courts are close by with a good group of people.

 

School Year Has Started

Our grandkids are back in school. We have a fifth grader, two juniors in high school and one freshman in college. It’s a joy to follow their progress.

Visit from Son and Grandson

Our son and grandson from Iowa are visiting this week. We had a chance to get together with our other son and daughter and two other grandsons. Always enjoyable to get the family together.

Our Grandson as Uncle Fester in Adams Family Musical

Our grandson has the part of Uncle Fester in the Adams Family Musical at the Westminster Community Playhouse. He is enjoying acting, singing and dancing.

Our House Is Full of Boxes and Containers

After my brother-in-law died, we cleaned out his apartment and a rented storage space. All those things are now in boxes and containers in our house for us to sort out to determine what should be thrown away, given away or kept. It’s quite a process.

 

Our House Is Full of Boxes and Containers

After my brother-in-law died, we cleaned out his apartment and a rented storage space. All those things are now in boxes and containers in our house for us to sort out to determine what should be thrown away, given away or kept. It’s quite a process.