Lori Soard – Ruff Drafts

Murder on Mulberry Lane
(Mildred Wiggins Cozy Mysteries)
by Lori Soard

About Murder on Mulberry Lane

Murder on Mulberry Lane (Mildred Wiggins Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Fictional town of Maple Hollow, Indiana
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 8, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 211 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8185329344
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H8293CY1
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GX2Z9NP6

Small town. Big secrets. One woman who refuses to mind her own business.

Mildred Wiggins isn’t nosy․

She just… pays attention․

It’s been fifty years since Mildred moved to the small Indiana town of Maple Hollow․ She knows her neighbors by name‚ their habits‚ and when something isn’t right․ The man living near her on Mulberry Lane has been setting off every alarm she has․

He’s rude․ Secretive․ Always in trouble with someone. When he’s found dead at the bottom of his porch steps‚ most of the neighbors are not surprised․

The police deem it an accident․

Mildred calls it suspicious․

Armed with her surprising powers of observation‚ her keen sense of justice‚ and her exceedingly opinionated rooster‚ Sir Alphonse Beauregard Clucksworth III‚ Mildred sets out to solve the case․ Because in a town like Maple Hollow, everyone knows everyone… which means anyone could be hiding something.

The deeper Mildred digs‚ the more she believes his death was not an accident․

It was murder․

But it will take more than curiosity to prove it. Will Mildred be the only one brave enough to ask the questions no one else dares?

After all, in Maple Hollow‚ secrets don’t disappear․

They wait․

GUEST POST

What Mildred Wiggins Knows About Small-Town Secrets

Mildred Wiggins lives in the small town of Maple Hollow, Indiana. It’s a place where folks know everything about you and aren’t afraid to tell it. In fact, they may know things about you that even you aren’t aware of.

As Mildred navigates cases, she has to sort through gossip and clues. The thing about a small town is that you can ask a few people and learn almost anything about anyone. Unfortunately, not all of it will be true.

Mildred is a people watcher. She observes their behavior. When something is off, it catches her attention. She knows instantly when someone is acting out of character.

It’s About Relationships

Mildred knows you can get more answers over a cup of hot coffee than grilling people for answers. She developes relationships that serve her well in her sleuthing. She’s lived in Maple Hollow for decades and developed relationships that she can call on as she goes about her investigation.

She’s fond of the local sheriff, watching him grow up and become the decent man he is. But… He’s a bit lacking in his investigative skills. Mildred isn’t afraid to guide him, whether he wants it or not.

They have a relationship where they gripe at each other and joke around, but deep down they each care about the other. Mildred sees them as a team and Colton sees her as bored and getting in the way of his investigations. However, he also knows that she has a lot of time on her hands that the sheriff’s department doesn’t. He isn’t ashamed to tap into her curiosity to help solve a crime.

Everybody Knows Your Name

Knowing nearly everyone in town has a downside. When Mildred starts asking questions, she isn’t talking to strangers. These are people she sees at church, passes in the grocery store and waves to while driving through town.

It’s harder to suspect someone of murder when you know where they attend church, everything about their family and where they get their fresh watermelon in the summer.

Of course, those people know Mildred, too. They usually mention that they know she’s just trying to gather data. She doesn’t mind. Mildred would probably argue that she isn’t nosy at all. She’s simply interested in people.

Mildred has to figure out which parts matter and which belong in the town gossip mill.

Small Towns Have Long Memories

People in small towns remember things. They know who dated whom their senior year of high school, which families are feuding and who is They remember who dated whom in high school, which families haven’t gotten along for years and who said something they shouldn’t have at a church dinner fifteen years ago.

Mildred probably remembers those things better than most people. But her suspicions can also get in the way. Sometimes an old feud has nothing to do with the mystery she’s trying to solve. Other times, a long-held grudge or forgotten connection makes everything click into place.

The Trouble With Secrets

Maple Hollow looks peaceful. Neighbors wave from their porches, people stop to chat when they run into each other, and news travels from one end of town to the other at an impressive speed.

Yet, under it all, people hid secrets. The neighbor who brings you a casserole when you’re sick might be hiding something. Someone who has lived down the road for twenty years can still surprise you. Even the people you trust don’t necessarily tell you everything.

Mildred digs through years of friendships, grudges, memories and gossip until she finds the detail that doesn’t fit. Then she follows it, even when Sheriff Briggs would prefer she stay home and find herself a nice, safe hobby.

People in Maple Hollow can try to keep a secret. But Mildred will figure it out eventually.

Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing, but she’s hardly the stuffy professor type. She loves nothing better than a good romantic comedy and thinks the good guy should always win, and the ending should always be happy.

From an early age, Lori started honing her storytelling skills. As a kid, she was rarely seen without a book in her hand, even walking and reading at the same time. Her first stories were about the world around her. At twenty she wrote her first novel, which she admits was horrible. At twenty-one, she sold her first article to a local newspaper. Once she got that taste of having others read her work and realizing that she could reach others and touch their hearts, there was no turning back for this natural-born writer.

“If I can make someone’s day just a tiny bit better,” Lori says, “if I can make them smile even though they are sad, make them think things could be better, make them understand how much God loves them, then I have accomplished something. I write my stories, articles, and books with that one person in mind who really needs the message. If I can change one person’s perspective, then I’ve succeeded.”

Lori is a lifelong Hoosier and lives in southern Indiana with her high school sweetheart turned husband. They have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She always has her critters surrounding her, including a couple of miniature dachshunds and several rescue cats. “During the extreme low points in life, it has been my animals that have seen me through. There is nothing like the deep devotion of a dog or the unconditional love of a cat.” Lori adores animals, and while some of her dear friends have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, she will always stand by her belief that animals make the world a better place.

She loves to hear from her readers and blogs regularly.

Author Links

Website https://lorisoard.com, Facebook https://facebook.com/AuthorLoriSoard, Newsletter https://lorisoard.substack.com/p/get-your-free-bonus-novella

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 28 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

September 28 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

September 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 30 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST