Monday, June 1, 2015

CHECK IT OUT: Cover of New Historical Mystery, Author Joyce T. Strand

Joyce T. Strand, Author
THE JUDGE'S STORY
Scheduled for release June 23, 2015
Today I come to you as Joyce T. Strand, Author, rather than as Joyce T. Strand, Editor, Strand’s Simply Tips. I bring you the cover of my new book – THE JUDGE’S STORY, an historical mystery scheduled for release June 23, 2015. It’s different from my contemporary mysteries and features a Judge as the lead character.

But my previous protagonists are eager to tell you more about it. 












Here Comes THE JUDGE'S STORY Cover!

“You mean there’s a new book by our author, Joyce T Strand, and we’re not in it?” asked Jillian Hillcrest, protagonist of Strand’s first three mysteries.

Her boss, Brynn Bancroft, protagonist of the most recent Strand mystery, responds, “That’s right. Not only are we not in it, but it’s not even about public relations, biotech companies, or wine making—like all of her other books.”

Jillian exclaims, “What? But then what is it about?”

“It turns out she has a love of history so she’s written a new mystery about a Superior Court Judge in a small California town, in 1939.”

Jillian sighed. “Well, at least it’s a mystery. But did she base the story on a real case like with our books?”

Brynn smiled. “Sort of. She was inspired to write it by the 1941 unpublished memoir of a real Superior Court Judge in Ventura, Calif. He was the grandfather of a friend of hers and prior to being a judge was a law partner of Erle Stanley Gardner. Of course, that appealed to Strand who has read almost all of the Perry Mason books. But the main case or mystery is fiction—although she weaves in actual cases and incidents from the judge’s life.”

“I wonder why she chose 1939?” Jillian asked.

“It was a turbulent time with the financial scarcities of the Great Depression, growing war in Europe, and the transitioning of the justice system toward rehabilitation. It made for an interesting time against which her characters could interact to reveal their traits."

“Do you think she’s finished with us?”

Brynn laughed. “Oh, no. She’s planning to release her next book with me as the protagonist in November. I understand you might be getting re-married finally; and I get to build up my new winery.”

“But it is a mystery, right?”

Brynn smiled, “Of course. And I get to learn how to make and market wine—a killer cabernet sauvignon!”



A Superior Court Judge with a passion for social justice as well as the law strives to discover the truth behind the mystery of a robbery-murder in a small California town in 1939.

When the Judge hears testimony against a 14-year-old teenager, he realizes that the boy participated in a robbery-murder. However, the accused did not actually pull the trigger. But unless the boy identifies his partner, the Judge must sentence him as a murderer, which would result in prolonged jail time. The Judge’s investigator, along with the precocious 16-year-old girl who identified the boy as one of the thieves, explore different approaches to uncover the murderer. In the backdrop of escalating war in Europe, the financial scarcities of the Great Depression, and the Judge’s caseload, their attempts to find justice for the accused boy and unmask the killer lure the Judge and his friends into sordid criminal activities.

About Joyce T. Strand

Mystery author Joyce T. Strand, much like her fictional character, Jillian Hillcrest, served as head of corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike Jillian, however, she did not encounter murder. Rather, she focused on publicizing her companies and their products. She is the author of the Jillian Hillcrest mysteries ON MESSAGE, OPEN MEETINGS, and FAIR DISCLOSURE and the Brynn Bancroft mystery HILLTOP SUNSET. Strand received her Ph.D. from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and her B.A. from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA. She currently lives in Southern California with her two cats, a collection of cow statuary and art, and her muse, the roadrunner.

Links

Pre-order purchase links on Amazon.com for THE JUDGE'S STORY 

HILLTOP SUNSET: A BRYNN BANCROFT MYSTERY

ON MESSAGE: A JILLIAN HILLCREST MYSTERY (1) 
Amazon Kindle and Paperback

OPEN MEETINGS: A JILLIAN HILLCREST MYSTERY (2)
Amazon Kindle and Paperback

FAIR DISCLOSURE: A JILLIAN HILLCREST MYSTERY (3) 
Amazon Kindle and Paperback

3-book-bundle The Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries (e-book)

Author Links

Twitter - @joycetstrand









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