Coming Back to Haunt Us by J.C. Kenney

Good morning! I hope you’re enjoying your Month of May. Spring’s in full bloom, the racecars are motoring around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and hope springs eternal.

Especially when you have a new book out.

You see, my latest Elmo Simpson Mystery, Dead in the Ditch, landed May 5 and I’m in celebration mode. I know, being in a party mood while giving this post a foreboding title might seem like an odd combination. Trust me, there’s a method to my madness.

One of the key plotlines in Dead in the Ditch involves one of Elmo’s former business partners showing up in Paradise Springs. Completely out of the blue. And then turns up dead, of course. I write crime fiction, after all.

To nobody in Paradise Springs’s surprise, Elmo is suspected of the murder when the authorities learn that he had a challenging history with the victim. I’d love it if you read the book to find out what happens next. It’ll be worth your time. Promise!

Anyway, the idea of the past coming back to haunt us is one of those universal themes that’s always ripe for exploration. We’re human, after all. I’m sure we’ve all made decisions that we now regret. I know I do.

Most of the things I regret are things that I didn’t do. I regret not being more interested in the performing arts when I was young. The few occasions I got involved I plays during my youth, I always had a great time. It’s too bad I didn’t spend more time in that world. It was fun.

I regret turning down an interview opportunity with the Indianapolis Zoo way back in 1993, when I was at the start of my first career. Who knows if I would have even been offered the job. And if I had, I have no idea if would have accepted it. Still, I wish I had given myself the chance. 

I regret not spending more time with my mom in her later years. Once someone’s gone, you never get that chance to speak with them again. 

Still, I have no real regrets. And I’m pleased to report that I’ve lived a life that has been mundane enough that I don’t have to worry about something, or someone, from my past coming back to haunt me. Never robbed a bank and double-crossed my crew. Never stole someone’s identity and went on a shopping spree. Never even nicked someone else’s lunch from the office fridge.

And I definitely don’t have to worry about a former co-worker showing up dead in a ditch at a resort I own.  Thank goodness for small favors, right? 

It does beg the question, though. What would I do if a dead body was found in my back yard? And it turned out that it was someone I knew from years ago? I’d probably freak out, then dial 9-1-1. And leave the investigation to the authorities. 

All amateur sleuthing in my life will remain on the page and on the screen. How about you? Any chance you’d start your own investigation? Tell me. I’ll give a commenter an eBook copy of Dead in the Ditch, which will be drawn at random. Until next time, bubbles up!

J.C. Kenney is the Agatha Award winning and bestselling author of mysteries full of oddball characters in unusual settings. Panic In the Panhandle, book 1 of his Elmo Simpson Mysteries series, was named one of the Ten Best Cozy Mysteries of 2024. He's also the co-host of The Bookish Hour and A Bookish Moment webcasts. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.