Pickleball and Mystery Novels

It’s often said to write about what you know. It’s also important to write about something that interests you. I played competitive tennis as a boy and in college, but over time with aging joints I converted over to pickleball with its smaller court. The combination of my interest in racquet/paddle sports and mystery novels led me to the publication of my pickleball mystery, Paradise Court. It is set in Maui where the protagonist makes two discoveries: a pickleball court and a dead body. Things go down hill from there.

Eighteenth Anniversary of My First Published Novel, Retirement Homes Are Murder

This month is the eighteenth anniversary of the release of my 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.

I’m 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

New Year’s Resolutions

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I’ve never really done these. I find it interesting that some people make resolutions about exercising, join gyms and then quit before February. Resolutions provide motivation for some people and frustration for others.

Left Coast Crime Conference

It’s that time of year again: preparing for the Left Coast Crime Conference in Denver March 13-16. I will be moderating the Meet the New Authors breakfast on Friday March 14. I have done this every year since the new author breakfast was initiated in 2008, except for missing Monterey in 2014 and Albuquerque in 2022 and it not being held during COVID in 2021. As of this time, we have fifteen new authors who will give a one-minute presentation on the most important thing to know about their debut mystery novel.

Dumb Dad Birthday Joke

I enjoy sharing dumb dad jokes with my grandson. I told him I celebrated my pirate birthday: “Aye Matey.”

Happy New Year

Reviewing my author year of 2024, I had three published novels: Murder in the Museo Kircheriano, a historical mystery; A Mystery Yarn, a cozy mystery and third book in the Omnipodge trilogy; and The Adventures of Sure Luck Holmes, a children’s mystery. For 2025, I have three manuscripts at two publishers: a geezer-lit thriller, a serial killer police procedural, and the second book in the Sure Luck Holmes series.