Magnolia Bluff, Texas - A small town with a proclivity for murder

If you are a part of the writing community on Twitter, you have most likely seen a tweet or two about the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. If you are in the dark regarding this unique crime fiction series, let me enlighten you. 

The series is the brainchild of a group of writers known as The Underground Authors. This is notable because each book is written by a different author, and each one brings their own individual take on crime and how it affects the citizens of this small town situated in The Texas Hill Country. This year, there will be a total of nine books published in the series, eight of which are already available. The last edition for 2022 will be released on December 20th. 

This is a group of extremely talented writers and any one of them could've kicked off this series. But someone had to go first, and CW Hawes drew the short straw... lol. Hawes is a prolific, multi-genre author with more than 40 titles to his name. Being the first meant that he was responsible for establishing the small town of Magnolia Bluff for the reader. That alone was not an easy task with so many different writers dipping in on what this little town would be all about. Hawes had the task of working everybody's ideas out on paper, so to speak, while writing his first draft. He was essentially constructing a town that nine authors would not only share but were waiting to expand on so they could add their own flavor within the pages of their own stories. But he pulled it off flawlessly, not only bringing Magnolia Bluff to life, but creating the first of many memorable places and characters that have become a fixture within everyone's books. Yes, the authors share characters and locations with each other. As a matter of fact, they all got together to discuss who could be killed off and who was important enough to show up in everyone else's books. I'm glad they did that. Having a core cast of characters and businesses that pop up in the different storylines offer a familiarity that keeps the series cohesive and makes it fun to read. 

What I find interesting is that even though each book involves some sort of heinous crime, we get a mix of styles throughout the series. Some of the stories are darker than others. A few are cozies, while others are thrillers. And although the authors have penned vastly different novels within the core mystery genre, the one common thread tying them all together is that they are all well written and all entertaining. It is not necessary to read these books in any particular order to enjoy them, but I do believe that reading them in order adds an extra level of pleasure in seeing how each author handles the characters introduced in the books that came before their own.

I love this series, so I was honored when I was recently invited to join The Underground Authors. I am so glad that this venture has been successful enough that there are plans to publish another round of books in the series next year, because I now get my chance to write a book to be included in this wonderful series. But you'll have to wait for my entry into this small-town world of murder and mayhem until 2023. Meanwhile, I have included, in order of publication, a link to each author and their offering to that little town in The Texas Hill Country that is as famous for its murder rate as it is for its laid-back country living.

Death Wears a Crimson Hat by CW Hawes

Eulogy in Black and White by Caleb Pirtle III

The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy by Cindy Davis

You Won't Know How ...Or When by James R Callan

The Flower Enigma by Breakfield and Burkey

The Shine from a Girl in the Lake by Richard Schwindt

The Dewey Decimal Dilemma by Linda Pirtle

Justice by Kelly Marshall

Texan Born and Bred by Jinx Schwartz

I do hope you will give these books a read. They will keep you entertained for hours. And what better way to relieve the stress of life's pressure than escaping into a fictional world of small-town foul play?

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And for some additional reading pleasure, you can also check out my PI series here: 

Books by Joe Congel  

As always, feel free to leave any comments that you may have😎

Until next time...