Small town life comes with a healthy dose of gossip and interconnectivity which are the perfect ingredients for a mystery. Throw in a nosy journalist who knows the town inside and out, though not as well as she thought, and the result is The Peculiar Case of the Petersburg Professor by Sharon Kay. Below is my review of the novel followed by an interview with Kay about her writing.
The Peculiar Case of the Petersburg Professor plot summary
Journalism major Michelle Kilpatrick has opted for college over working for her parents on her family’s farm like her older siblings do. But trailblazing a path for herself as a young woman coming of age in the 1970’s is not easy. She has to juggle scrutiny from her family, a part time job, and a full workload of classes.
But her largest obstacle is her journalism teacher, Professor Ladd, who seems to be standing in the way of her goals by grading her harshly. The morning that Michelle decides to confront Professor Ladd about her grade, she finds the crotchety educator dead in her office.
The discovery of her body, along with a valid motive for killing her, makes Michelle a prime suspect in Ladd’s death. To clear her name and solve the mystery, Michelle begins to investigate the murder with some help from her best friend, T.J., and her smug, know-it-all journalism partner, Craig Miller.
The story
The Peculiar Case of the Petersburg Professor is a cozy murder mystery novel, if you can consider murder cozy. That being said, there’s no real gore, and even the more intense scenes never take themselves too seriously.
Michelle is perfectly positioned to investigate the murder. Not only is she present at the crime scene directly after the murder, but she’s also a lifelong citizen of Petersburg, a commuter who flipflops between campus life and country living, and the employee of a local gift shop owned by a descendant of the town’s most prominent family. However, her digging around frequently causes her to stumble into the investigating detective, and constantly getting into his way makes her all the more susceptible to putting a stop to her investigation.
The early fall setting also adds to the cozy mystery tone of the story. It has a light academia aesthetic that will appeal to those who love that flavor of ambience. The rural Ohio setting provides sleepy town feel which makes the murder all the more shocking and intriguing. This isn’t something that happens in Petersburg every day, but as the story unfolds, it’s easy to see how the town’s secrets and cover ups have been bubbling up, making such a terrible crime eventually inevitable.
The hero, Michelle Kilpatrick
Much like the resilience of a final girl in a horror story, a good detective is good because they are hyper focused and super curious of the world around them. Michelle is a classic nerd who can wear multiple hats and juggle multiple tasks with ease.
She’s the girl who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself, especially when it comes to her hard work. She’ll bring homemade baked goods to a college party instead of a case of beer, but she’s extroverted enough to fit right in, even if she doesn’t fit the standard college student mold.
Where Michelle doesn’t fit in is at home. She is constantly butting heads with her parents about her life’s choices. They would rather she help them out at the farm as they too are overworked and feel too put out by their daughter’s pursuits. Her only real ally is her cat, Gidget, who is always at home waiting for her to come in late from studying, sleuthing, or working.
The other characters
Michelle’s commuter lifestyle allows her to maneuver through this rural world with ease. As she and T.J. take turns driving each other to and from school each day, they find comfort in their shared experience. But with Michelle getting wrapped up in the case and T.J. becoming distracted by a new girlfriend, the two friends begin to drift apart.
Michelle finds herself spending a lot more time with Craig Miller. And over time, her opinion of him begins to soften, particularly when his personal connection to the case shines through and his motives for wanting to solve the mystery become deeper than just trying to prove that he’s the smartest person in the room. Craig is also more worldly and has experienced life beyond Petersburg, which is Michelle’s ultimate goal.
The elders who become Michelle’s prime suspects have more worn down and cynical personalities. Their entire identities are wrapped up in the town, and their crotchetiness reminds Michelle of why she is desperate to get out as the bitterness, secrets, and damaged relationships can lead to a crime as serious as murder, forever tethering them to the town.
It can sometimes be hard to keep track of all of the characters and their relationships with each other. But by the end, the confusion clears, and everything comes to a satisfying and neatly wrapped up conclusion.
My recommendation
I recommend The Peculiar Case of the Petersburg Professor to readers looking for a cozy, small town mystery, a new adult novel featuring a fall academic setting, or those with a nostalgia towards or appreciation for the 70’s. Though it is a bit formulaic, I’m always in awe of the work that goes into crafting a mystery novel, and Sharon Kay has a knack for it.
My rating
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An interview with Sharon Kay
What prompted you to write a mystery novel versus another genre? Do you have any tips for writing a mystery in terms of plotting, outlining, etc.?
I’ve always wanted to write a book, but it was a strange twist of fate that introduced me to the world of cozy mysteries. During the pandemic, when everything was shut down, I started watching a lot of movies on the Hallmark Mystery Channel. The movies were entertaining who-done-its without being gory or so scary that I couldn’t sleep. One night, on a whim, I told my daughter, “I think I could write a cozy mystery,” and the next day, I started The Peculiar Case of the Petersburg Professor.
I find it helpful to get my thoughts on paper first—a rough outline of where the story starts, the defining incident, and who is involved. After that, I look at the structure of the plot and create a roadmap detailing how to get from A to B.
I also like to create a series of visuals that I can refer to, such as a diagram of the campus, the layout of Downtown Petersburg, a class schedule for my main characters, as well as a comprehensive list of information for each character (birthdate, hair and eye color, what kind of car they drive, etc.) It is helpful to create a style sheet listing words I repeatedly use so the spelling stays consistent such as the names of towns and words like back room instead of backroom.
The story takes place in Ohio in the 1970’s. How crucial was this setting and era in terms of telling the story?
An old maxim says, “To write what you know.” Since Michelle and her friends are loosely based on my experiences as a commuting student in the 70s, I wanted to keep the setting and the time period accurate. In addition to telling a story, I also wanted readers who had lived through the 70s to feel nostalgic while giving younger audiences a glimpse into life before cell phones and social media.
Do you have a favorite character or one who is the most fun to write?
Right now, my favorites are Michelle and T.J.—two friends who have a casual and fun dynamic. However, things get tricky when Michelle starts to think that she might want something more than camaraderie with T.J. It’ll be exciting to see how their relationship develops; will they explore a romantic connection or come to terms that they’re better off as platonic pals?
Michelle and T.J. listen to specific songs as they commute to and from their college classes. Did you create a playlist of songs that you wanted to feature as part of shaping the story? Did you listen to music while you wrote?
As a matter of fact, I have a playlist for the songs in the book on Spotify. (You can listen to it here) While I wrote, I immersed myself in the sounds of the 70s, and I loved every minute of it—it was like a soundtrack to my writing.
An interesting side note: I researched every piece of music, film, and TV show mentioned in the book to ensure that they would have been available in October 1974.
Michelle rebels from her family’s farming business by attending college, making her the black sheep of the family. Do you think her parents will eventually come around to her alternative career path, or will this always be an issue between them? What advice do you have for people who butt heads with their family over their life choices?
I don’t foresee Michelle’s parents coming around and understanding what it is she wants from life, especially since her siblings seem content with their lives on the farm. Her parents grew up with different expectations and they misunderstand her desire for something different as looking down on the life they chose.
It’s hard when family does not understand your life choices, yet surrounding yourself with people who agree with you all the time can be just as detrimental as being around those who do not support you. The key, I think, is to listen and evaluate what people are saying.
What is their motivation behind their advice? Is it for your benefit or theirs? In Michelle’s case, although her parents love her, their own insecurities cause their lack of support for Michelle’s desire to get a college education and see the world. They worry she will achieve more than they ever could and then, perhaps, will have no need of them.
One aspect of the story deals with corruption and cover ups involving people in power. Do you think that some people are above the law, or will it come for everyone eventually?
In a perfect world, no one would be above the law, but unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and never will. There will always be people who get away with things that someone else gets punished for. Likewise, corruption and cover-ups will always exist because, regardless of the economic or political system, greed will always be a root problem.
However, I believe that the truth has a way of making itself known in due time. Unfortunately, sometimes it just takes longer than we would like for justice to be served.
What’s next for you and/or Michelle?
In Book Two, disaster strikes during the Open House for Rick’s mother’s fitness center, and Michelle is determined to get to the truth. While she and T.J. gingerly dance around their feelings for each other, Craig complicates matters with his plan to help Michelle solve the murder.
In the future, we will see royalty come to visit campus, a spring break getaway to Daytona Beach, and a mishap at the campus skating rink. Regarding Craig, T.J., and Michelle there are a few surprises coming.
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Good job. Well done. Thank you.