female detective

New Mackenzie Quinn Release: The Author of His Demise

So I’ve had a lot of balls in the air lately (which means I’m a little late posting about this), but the first full-length novel in the Mackenzie Quinn cozy mystery series is finally here! The Author of His Demise takes place after the short novel prequels Death Clause and By Book or by Crook. While you don’t need to have read those earlier books to enjoy the new novel, you’ll probably get the most out of The Author of His Demise if you do, since there are several recurring characters.

The Author of His Demise is available in ebook format from pretty much every retailer, as well as directly from this website. (Why buy direct? Click here to find out!) You can also grab it in paperback from Amazon. Links for all purchase options are available either beside or below this post, depending on your device.

About The Author of His Demise:

The Author of His Demise Mackenzie Quinn Mystery coverA fictional murder turns deadly…

Zee writes mysteries under a secret pen name. No one knows—except her best friend, Tara. (Aside from her two cats, that is.)

But the small town of Ashwood, Ontario has become home to more than one murderer in the months since Zee’s unplanned return. And while Zee has used the colourful characters of her childhood hometown as inspiration for her writing over the years, it seems a killer has become inspired by her books in turn…

Can she track down a murderer without exposing her secret?

Find out in this first full-length novel from the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mystery series by the author of the Kira Brightwell mysteries, Jacquelyn Smith. If you enjoy a fun mystery with a quirky heroine, grab this book. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments

Free Mystery Feature January 2022 | Ring Girl: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Ring Girl Kira Brightwell cover

Enemies since high school… Kira and Trevor never expected to end up solving cases together.

Trevor knows that Kira does most of the solving, but he likes to think his raw charm and charisma count for something

And when the opportunity to prove himself as more than a stunningly handsome sidekick falls into his lap in the form of a beautiful client, how can he possibly refuse?

A short story misadventure of Kira and Trevor from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format–both on its own, and as part of the Fourth Strike Kira Brightwell Collection.


Ring Girl: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only, which is now over. The next free story will be posted on April 1st. You can keep an eye out for it here.


Recommend, rate, and review:


Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Mystery Feature, 0 comments

Free Mystery Feature October 2021 | Puncher’s Chance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Puncher's Chance Kira Brightwell coverLocal hero and problem solver for hire, Kira Brightwell finds herself on the run. Again.

Her running shoes pound the crowded sidewalk. A trickle of sweat slithers down her back in the California heat. And the damp remains of scrambled egg spatter the front of her favorite Nine Inch Nails T-shirt.

The egg stain earns her a few looks from passers-by. That and her breakneck pace.

Kira’s quarry remains two blocks ahead of her. She needs to haul ass if she wants to catch him.

…Because when a bad guy messes with her favorite shirt, the case gets personal.

A stand-alone misadventure story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format–both on its own, and as part of the Third Round Kira Brightwell Collection.

Get the ebook at:


Buy ebook direct from the author

Paperback available at:


Puncher’s Chance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only, which is now over. The next free story will be posted on January 1st. You can keep an eye out for it here.

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Mystery Feature, 0 comments

Kickstart Your Collection: Kira Brightwell deals, plus a new mystery series on the way

Update: This promotion is now over.

So I recently set up a deal on the first four Kira Brightwell novels, as well as the first four collections as a summer sale. Split Decision (Kira Brightwell Book 1) is currently available for free, Black and Blue (Book 2) is $0.99, Low Blow (Book 3) is $2.99, and Game Plan (Book 4) is $3.99. (The rest of the novels in the series are available for $4.99 each. You can find a complete listing here.) You can find links to all the various ebook retailers by clicking the link for each title, or you can add all four of the books to your cart at once and purchase them directly from me for $7.97 USD.

Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments

Free Mystery Feature July 2021 | Seeing Stars: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Seeing Stars Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell might not wear a badge. But she still enjoys the challenge when she unravels a difficult case.

The case of Taylor Christie proves no exception. The social media starlet prepares to shoot a video, when things go wrong. Horribly wrong. With an entire crowd in attendance.

And more than Kira knows stands between her and the truth about what happened.

A twisting, stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith. If you love a clever detective, who plays by her own rules, grab this book.

Now, you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format–both on its own, and as part of the Third Round Kira Brightwell Collection.

Get the ebook at:


Buy ebook direct from the author

Paperback available at:


Seeing Stars: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only, which is now over. The next free story will be posted on October 1st. You can find the most recent mystery feature here.

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Mystery Feature, 0 comments

Kira collection updates, recommendations from lockdown, plus a crazy cat story

I’m not going to lie. 2021 started off rough for me. (Like it did for so many people.) Insomnia, mental health issues, jackhammers… It was not a good time.

But now it’s June somehow, and things have turned around. The jackhammers have left the building, and I’m finally sleeping again. (Yay!) More importantly, I’m finally getting some work done.

It’s a little early to talk about, but I do have a new mystery project in the works… And I’ve been hard at work designing and formatting the paperback versions of the latest Kira Brightwell collections that came out late 2020/early 2021. The sticking point has been the cover design, which I’ve had to completely re-think on the collection front, but it’s finally coming together:


First Blood Kira Brightwell cover Second Warning Kira Brightwell cover Third Round Kira Brightwell cover Fourth Strike Kira Brightwell cover Down in the Fifth Kira Brightwell cover Six Stitches Kira Brightwell cover


I’ve also been enjoying some mystery-based lockdown entertainment, which I can happily recommend. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments