Maverick, Movies & Murder
Semi-finalist in the 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards!
The bullets changed everything for me. Sometimes I wished I’d taken a bullet too because I lost the most important men in my life. My dad still fought every day to reclaim his confidence, mobility, and wit from the bullet that creased his brain. But my husband of seventeen days took our dreams with him when he died. They never caught the shooter.
After losing everything, Katie Wilk is starting life over in Columbia, Minnesota, with a new career—giving up cryptanalysis in favor of teaching school—and a canine companion, Maverick, a black Labrador retriever. But on one of their first outings, Katie and Maverick discover a dead body in a nearby marshland. Doctor Pete Erickson enters her life. As the county coroner, he’s one of the first on the scene; as the doctor that day in the ER, he’s the one who stitches up Katie’s head; as the son of the police chief, Pete is also in on the investigation.
Meanwhile, the locals are gearing up for the premiere of a new docudrama film called Titanic: One Story, which would be the cornerstone piece of a new Titanic exhibit, to open Labor Day weekend at the Midwest Minnesota History Center.
The director selected their town as the location for some of the scenes, and many local residents are featured as extras in the movie. There will be a huge gala dinner and celebration for the grand opening. Tragedy strikes when the director dies suddenly, and there are a number of suspects.
Katie finds herself in the midst of it all and doesn’t know anyone in town well enough to know who she can trust.
PAPERBACK AVAILABLE AT:
PAPERBACK DETAILS:
Publisher : Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group, LLC (June 11, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 308 pages
ISBN-10 : 1649140878
ISBN-13 : 978-1649140876
Item Weight : 11.9 ounces
Dimensions : 5 x 0.77 x 8 inches
eBOOK AVAILABLE AT:
eBOOK DETAILS:
- ASIN : B09YVP1BBL
- Publisher : Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group, LLC (June 15, 2022)
- Publication date : June 15, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 1445 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 270 pages
AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE AT:
AUDIOBOOK DETAILS:
Listening Length : 8 hours and 13 minutes
Author : Mary Seifert
Narrator : Erica Sullivan
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date : October 25, 2022
Publisher : Blackstone Publishing
Program Type : Audiobook
Version : Unabridged
Language English
ASIN : B0B8PB7SB8
Awarded to Maverick, Movies, & Murder
2024 finalist list for American Fiction Award
2023 American Fiction Award Finalist

2019 Semi-finalist Chanticleer International Book Award Mystery and Mayhem

Book Reviews
"Very well-written"
Widowed while still a newly-wed, Katie Wilk is looking for a fresh start in Columbia, Minnesota, with a new career as a high school math teacher. But on one of their first walks, her black Labrador, Maverick finds a body, and as a consequence Katie meets the county coroner and ER doctor, Pete Erickson.
Meanwhile the town has gone a bit Titanic crazy due to the local filming of a new docudrama about the ship’s tragic voyage. And Pete and the local sheriff (Pete’s father) are becoming alarmed by an escalating drug problem among the town’s teenagers. So Katie’s new life quickly becomes complicated.
This series (I’ve read book 2 already as well) is very well-written with deep and well-developed characters who draw you in and make you care about them.
5.0 out of 5 stars Check This Series Out!
Author Mary Seifert’s Katie and Maverick Cozy Mystery Series is engaging, entertaining and thoroughly researched. I love her strong, female character, Katie, and enjoy how she has cleverly incorporated Katie’s 4 legged sidekick, Maverick, into the storyline. Ms. Seifert doesn’t shy away from addressing real world issues making her already engaging storyline timely and pertinent. I’ve finished the first 2 books and am preparing to dig into book 3 right now! Check them out!
What a pleasure!
Fun read! The author has an authentic voice and has done her research. The plot covers many topics: dogs, history, the inner workings of hospitals, family dynamics, and more. I especially enjoyed the puzzles and little-known historical facts that were part of the story. Maverick, Movies & Murder kept my interest and left me wanting more. Highly recommend!
Great read!!
This is a fun, quick read! Great character and has the feeling of an adult Nancy Drew. Perfect for cozying up in the sun or with a blanket! Truly enjoyable and would recommend! Can’t wait to get my second book in the series in the mail.