Writer's apprentice Lena London is enjoying life in Blue Lake and being newly engaged, but is soon drawn into the terrifying disappearance of one of her closest friends....

Lena is starting to feel like having it all may actually be possible! She and suspense novelist Camilla Graham are busily plotting their next novel and she's got a brand-new diamond ring on her finger thanks to her fiancé, Sam West. The only blot on her Blue Lake life is a strange new corporation that has come to town called Plasti-Source. They seem to be intent on gobbling up prime real estate and changing the landscape of Lena's lovely adopted home.

When she and Sam get a call from their good friend (and Blue Lake detective) Doug saying that his girlfriend--and Lena's pal Belinda--isn't answering her phone and missed a date with him, they all head out to her home. The trio is shocked to discover that Belinda's purse and phone are at her house, along with a single red rose on her countertop--but Belinda herself is missing. Has she been abducted? Could the strange new corporation play a role in her disappearance? Lena is determined to find out and rescue her friend because she knows that the truth can be stranger and much more deadly than fiction...
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I started reading A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series from the first book because I liked the premise of a young aspiring novelist, Lena London, working and living with a successful older woman novelist, Camilla Graham. The house, filled with their pets, sat picturesque by a lake. But I soon learned that this series wasn’t quite as cozy as I thought. Both women have had to be tough. But Lena has formed friendships in the community. Those friends help her solve the mysteries that befall them. They cocoon each other through the stressful adventures.

This series is one of five that Julia Buckley writes. Death with a Dark Red Rose is the fifth book in this series and will be released by Berkley on February 25. Please welcome Julia Buckley to WWK.                                                                          
								       E. B. Davis 


Where is this series set? Is it Blue Lake or Blueville?
Blue Lake is the town in which Camilla and Lena live. Blueville is a nearby town.

How far is it from Stafford?
The towns that border Blue Lake (like Stafford), are just twenty or thirty minutes away, just as suburban towns are often very close to one another. Towns like Blueville are a bit of a longer drive, but still less than an hour’s time away from Lena’s house.

The story starts with a group text among main character Lena London’s friends about a new factory opening in Blue Lake called Plastic-Source. What do they fear about this factory?
Cliff’s initial concern about Plasti-source is merely that it is ugly, and will ruin the view over the field he runs past during his morning jog. Soon their fears about this new company begin to grow, for a variety of reasons.

Lena’s cat is named Lestrade. Why did she name him that? 
In the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels, Lestrade is the police officer who is always bested by Holmes, but he is also the long-suffering recipient of Holmes’ scorn. Lena is a fan of the Holmes series, so she names her cat Lestrade to show her appreciation of Arthur Conan Doyle. As an aspiring mystery writer, she wants a mystery name that is more obscure than Holmes or Watson, but is still recognizable.

Camilla has two German Shepherds, Heathcliff and Rochester. How do the dogs treat Lestrade?
Heathcliff and Rochester (also given literary names) are initially shocked to see a cat in their house, but they befriend Lestrade on the same day that they meet him (way back in Book One, A Dark and Stormy Murder).

How did One-Shoe Road get its name?
According to Lena, who heard it from Camilla, the townspeople rather whimsically responded to a single shoe that is left on the roadside. No one claims it (and don’t we all see these lost shoes here and there? It’s never a PAIR of shoes!), and someone humorously puts out a sign that says “I’m lonely,” next to the shoe, at which point other shoes begin to appear. 


Is Belinda’s brother Carl autistic? 
If Carl has been diagnosed with anything, it is not revealed in the novel (on purpose, since we often don’t know the specific diagnoses of our colleagues or friends), although his mother mentions that he is on medication to counteract his sometimes dangerous impulsivity.  Carl does have similar behaviors to some of my friends or family who are on the autism spectrum, and like them, he is very often delightful to be with because he sees the world through a slightly different lens; on the other hand, he also sometimes lacks a social filter for what he says or does.

Although Carl works in an IT department, he has another talent. What is it and how did he develop it?
Carl has a very rare gift—he is an intuitive chef, and can make delicious meals with any food.

Adam, Camilla’s boyfriend, takes her on a trip so that Lena can set up a surprise seventieth birthday party for Camilla. What special present have Adam and Lena created?

Adam and Lena have the inspired idea to make large wall-hangings out of the art for every one of Camilla’s published novels. They intend to display them at her party, and then to hang them in her house on the bluff.

Camilla’s publisher wants her to write an advice book for writers. You’ve started chapters with snippets from this book and alternate to pieces from a mystery work-in-progress of Camilla’s and Lena’s. How do they relate to Death with a Dark Red Rose? Are they foreshadowing?

The text that is “quoted” from Camilla’s works in progress always contains some theme that is pertinent to the chapter. Camilla’s writing advice often reveals something about her life that might pertain to decisions she makes or challenges she faces. The words quoted from her novel generally pertain to the Gothic elements of the fiction that she (and I) both write. It is a nod to the genre, and a link between Camilla, Lena, and me. (And yes, some of them foreshadow what will happen in the chapter).

After Belinda and Lena check out a video game store that Carl and Luis like, they are followed by a dark car. Once home and at twilight, Lena imagines sinister forces following her. Do all mystery/suspense writers create their own tension?

I think that mystery writers might be more conscious of things that look sinister because everything they see is potentially fodder for a future book. In the early chapters, Lena thinks that a man looks ominous, but dismisses the idea, saying that she’s thinking like Camilla and trying to turn life into fiction. However, her instincts are good, as are Belinda’s when she notices the dark car. In this respect, it is actually a drawback to be a mystery writer, because Lena might tell herself she’s being too imaginative when in fact her instincts are warning her to beware.

What is Sam’s theory about the pendulum effect?

Sam suggests that there is some magical quality, either to life in general or Blue Lake in particular, in which events seem to swing back and forth between extremes of happiness and despair. He offers examples of recent traumas he has suffered, followed by levels of joy he had never previously achieved. At some points in the novel, this “pendulum effect” theory is used to comfort characters who are suffering or unhappy.

 What’s next for Lena, Camilla, and the gang?

I can’t give anything away.  

Death with a Dark Red Rose has an excellent suspense opening, with the disappearance of Lena's friend Belinda. She is quickly found at her brother's place, Carl is off his meds and refused to let her bring her purse or cell phone with her. The reason he stopped taking his meds is because his coworker and friend, Luis, has gone missing. Luis' wife, Elena, hasn't reported him missing because they got into a fight and their employer, Plasti-Source, doesn't seem to care.

Plasti-Source is odd from the get-go. Lena and friends are not happy about this new plant being built on Blue Lake, but there's no way they couldn't have heard of it before construction started. They are also disturbed by the number of environmental complaints and fines against the company (which again, the town council and mayor should've caught, but they are completely absent from this story). It's never mentioned really why Blue Lake, and if it's supposed to bring more employment/development to the area, or what. It doesn't make sense because of gaps in the story.

The mystery of the book is where is Luis and what has happened to him? Why would anything happen to this everyday IT guy? In the meantime, Camilla and Lena are writing their book and Camilla's also working on a book of writing. The chapter headers tie into both the fiction and non-fiction work and it gets a bit heavy handed with the writing advice and then events happening in the book because it's time for the pendulum to swing.

The book has a great start, a mostly ho-hum middle, and intense ending. The suspense is often lacking or resolved quickly. It is one of the weaker installments in the series so far, though readers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

Author Julia Buckley expertly sets the stage for murder with suspicions of environmental conspiracy in the fifth story of the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series. I halfway expected Erin Brockovich to appear and give the adversaries what for! The plot is immediately immersing when Lena London’s good friend Detective Doug Heller’s girlfriend, Belinda, disappears. From there, it’s a nail-biting merry-go-round as Lena and her fiancé, Sam, and Camilla Graham and her other half, Adam, join forces to solve a missing person’s case of a man who worked for a polymer materials manufacturer, Plasti-Source which has been accused of releasing toxic chemicals into the local community of lovely Blue Lake, Indiana.

As the suspenseful mystery builds to a dire climax; Lena and Sam search for precious moments to plan their upcoming wedding. The ending scenes are tense as the conspiracy unfolds and the main characters’ lives are in grave danger. My heart was thumping right along with how theirs must have pumping! Brava to the author for maintaining a tight grip on the storyline!

Fast-paced, great characters, humor, a plethora of pets, smart people, and plenty of action combine to make this cozy Mystery a 5 Star read! 

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishers. Thank you.

Writer's apprentice, Lena London is loving life.  She is newly engaged to the handsome and charming Sam West, has a great job working closely with suspense author Camilla Graham on their next novel, and has plenty of friends in the town she lives in, Blue Lake.  The only minor source of irritation is when a new corporation, one that is rumored to be inept at proper waste disposal moves into town.  Plastisource threatens to disrupt the harmony of the small town of Blue Lake.  When Lena and Sam receive a phone call from local detective and friend Doug, who is worried that his girlfriend is not answering her phone, they immediately set out to investigate.  Clues are sparse, just Belinda's phone and purse are found at her house, along with a single red rose left on the counter.  Lena grows worried when she learns Belinda has missed a date with Doug and is determined to uncover the reason behind Belinda's sudden disappearance.    
It is always a delight to travel back to Blue Lake and visit again with the quirky inhabitants of this charming small town.  The dynamics between the main characters is fun and refreshing and adds a level of humor to an otherwise dark plot.  The mystery moved along quickly and was well plotted.  There was a bit of repetition throughout that may prove helpful to those needing a refresher on previous plot points or those new to the series.  Overall I enjoyed this newest mystery in the writer's apprentice series and look forward to more adventures featuring Lena and Sam.

There is nothing better than curling up on a snowy day with a new book by Julia Buckley.

In Death with a Dark Red Rose, Lena London is beginning to settle into her life. She has a wonderful job working with talented author Camilla Graham, she's engaged to the handsome Sam West, and she has several close friends who she enjoys spending time with.
It isn't until one of her best friends has disappeared and a strange new company plans on settling in her adopted town.
When Plastisource begins scouting the area for available land, residents become concerned over the rumors that the company doesn't dispose of their waste correctly.
Before long, Lena and Sam become involved in a whirlwind investigation, putting them all in danger.

I enjoy how the author brings each of her characters to life, coloring their personalities with different quirks, sending the reader right into the story.
I highly recommend this book to any reader.

I simply could not get into this cozy mystery. Lena is a writer's apprentice, working for mystery writer Camille. Many, many characters and subplots. If you have not read the earlier books in this series, many of these characters will remain a puzzle. The author also seems determined to bring us up to speed on each character and these events probably were in earlier novels.

I love this series. So much so, I read this as soon as I got my eARC. The characters are interesting and I always look forward to what will happen next in their lives. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't enjoy this book at all.  It's the 5th in a series and if you have not read the first ones then this one isn't going to be easy to follow.  It's a little juvenile and I just got bored with it.  I did like the characters and the names but just couldn't get into it.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery.  The characters were likable and the mystery fairly interesting with some good twists and turns.  My biggest issue was that there was A LOT exposition.  This was the first book of this series I read, but even a first time reader doesn't need to be spoon-fed all the past details and histories of the characters which was often repeated again every time something which touched on a past story came up again.  The clues and 'progress' were also often repeated as well.  These things hampered my enjoyment of reading the mystery.

Each book in this series is better than the last, and this one was terrific. 
Lena is still living and writing with famous author Carmella Graham, engaged to Sam, and extremely happy. Life is good, until they find out a new plastics factory wants to manufacture in Blue Lake and they and all their many friends are concerned, especially when a factory worker goes missing.  Something about the factory seems to be off, and things go from bad to worse. Of course a huge mystery is involved, as well as happy times for the gang at Blue Lake. Great plot, lots of good surprises, and a very interesting mystery.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this if I had read the author's first book. Obviously I missed a lot of the back story of all the characters which plays into the interactions between them in solving the mystery. The premise seemed over the top.