Rosie Genova is…On the Writing Block!

Sherry Ickes
Nov 18
3 min read

Allow me to introduce fellow writer Rosie Genova…

Proud Jersey girl Rosie Genova is a multi-genre author. Her work includes a Jersey shore cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries, and The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, set in 1955 Atlantic City. She is also the author of standalone suspense and a couple of rom-coms that presently live in her computer files (but are longing to be released into the wild). A former teacher and journalist, Rosie’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur magazine and The New York Times. The mother of three sons, Rosie still lives in her favorite state with her husband, too many dusty antiques, and a charming mutt named Lucy.

How much research do you conduct for your storylines?

Murder and Marinara was my first mystery, and as it is set in an Italian restaurant, I landed on poisoning as the method. The character is eating a salad, so I spent a lot of time learning about poisonous plants native to New Jersey. My search history was pretty scary! A writer friend has a brother who was in law enforcement, and I sent him a bunch of questions about the effects of poison on a corpse, as well as police procedure. He provided great details that lent credibility to the scene in which the body is discovered. (Also, he ended his email by saying he hoped my husband was careful not to make me angry, though he used a more colorful term!)

Do you always know who the killer is, or do your characters surprise you in the end?

I always know who the victim is, but I’ll admit that sometimes the killer I have in mind will suddenly seem too obvious as I’m plotting. In Murder and Marinara, however, I always knew who the culprit would be. But in my latest release, Murder on the Steel Pier, those characters had me hopping; it wasn’t until midway through the story that I finally landed on the killer. But I had laid enough groundwork that a number of suspects could have worked.

In what stage of your writing did you determine that your book was to be a standalone, or a series?

The goal was always to establish The Italian Kitchen Mysteries as a series. That’s how my previous agent pitched it to Penguin’s former cozy imprint, Obsidian. Unfortunately, the Penguin/Random House merger was already in the works, and the Obsidian imprint was absorbed by Berkley. Since then, I have reissued the series independently, adding a holiday novella and a fourth book, Minestrone Mischief.

Who is your favorite mystery sleuth? (Books, TV, amateur and professional alike)

It’s hard to choose, but I’m partial to the Golden Age mysteries of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. So definitely Miss Marple (of the books, not television). People have always underestimated the abilities and wisdom of older women. Of course Sayers is known for her aristocratic sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, but it’s his partner and wife, Harriet Vane, who gets my vote. She’s practical and sharp, and provides a nice counterbalance to Wimsey’s, uh, whimsy.

What is Murder and Marinara about?

Author Victoria Rienzi takes a break from writing murder mysteries—only to find herself caught in the middle of a real one…

Victoria heads back to the Jersey shore to explore her family’s roots and the specialty Italian cuisine their restaurant, the Casa Lido, is famous for. But she barely hits town before she finds that Oceanside Park is abuzz about a reality show slated to film there. Not everyone in the cozy seaside community is happy with the news, with Victoria’s family is leading the protest.

But when the show’s brash producer winds up face down in the tomato garden after eating at the restaurant, things look bleak for the Rienzi clan—and Victoria lands in some hot pasta water. She served the dead man his last meal, her ex-boyfriend prepared it, and the Casa Lido is on the verge of closing. Adding to her troubles is a nosy journalist, a determined prosecutor, and a plateful of suspects, all spelling a recipe for disaster. That’s when her formidable nonna gives her a new job: solve the murder before the summer season starts and save the Casa Lido.

With her deadline only days away, this saucy sleuth jumps into action—but can Victoria serve up the culprit before it’s too late?