January 2026 Rogue Reads

Authors Kaira Rouda, Jennifer Chow, and Michelle L. Cullen!

Regretfully, Valerie Burns had a scheduling conflict and can not attend.

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Kaira Rouda

An English major who graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University, Kaira Rouda wrote for numerous national magazines and was the society columnist for the Columbus Dispatch for ten years. Her novels have been translated into twelve languages, and BENEATH THE SURFACE, has been optioned for feature film—but writing is actually her fourth career path. Kaira started out in marketing where for her work she received multiple Addy, Webby, Telly, Communicator, PRism and WebAwards.

After filing a class action lawsuit for gender discrimination and sexual harassment, she left her position as VP of an Inc. 100 firm and created Real Living, the first female-focused residential real estate brand. The experience led to publishing her first book, a work of nonfiction titled Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs.

We Were Never Friends — February 3, 2026

Meet the sorority sisters of Theta Gamma Mu:
• Roxy Callahan Gentry, the ruthless former sorority president and current hostess who remains their undisputed queen.
• Amelia Dell, the widow drenched in old money and alcohol, with her big pot-stirring spoon and uninvited boy-toy in tow.
• Jamie Vale, the double-legacy pledge, straight-A student with no sparkle―and a well-guarded bad habit.
• Beth Harrison, the scholarship student only admitted because her best friend Sunny insisted that the two were a package deal.
• Sunny Spencer, the carefree and beloved friend to all, or so it seemed―until she wasn’t.

They’ve been summoned to Roxy’s luxurious Palm Springs vacation home to celebrate the engagement of her son to Beth’s daughter. But the refurbished 1920s estate is eerily reminiscent of the hotel where tragedy struck during Spring Break twenty-five years ago… and it’s not so easy to bury the past…

Jennifer J. Chow

Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She’s been a finalist for the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award. Her newest series is the Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries; the first book is Ill-Fated Fortune, which Booklist stated “will appeal to fans of Jenn McKinlay, Eve Calder, or Joanne Fluke.” The second book, Star-Crossed Egg Tarts, garnered this praise from Kirkus Reviews: “Good things lie ahead in this series.” Her other books include the L.A. Night Market Mysteries and the Sassy Cat Mysteries. Jennifer served as a past president on the board of Sisters in Crime and blogs at chicksonthecase.com. She is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America.

Tell-Tale Treats — January 27, 2026

A group of high school alumnae reunite years later and reserve rooms at Pixie Inn for an extended retreat. As part of their pampering package, Felicity delivers a scrumptious assortment of enchanted pastries, including her new almond cookies.

But the queen bee of the group is soon found dead in her bathroom, drowned in the tub, and she recently sampled the delicious baked goods. Could Felicity’s almond cookies have set off a fatal nut allergy? The enchanted pastries are supposed to bring joy, not sorrow―and certainly not death.

Boyfriend, Kelvin Love, is eager to assist, although odd things have been happening to his senses ever since he baked with Felicity. Will his extra sensitivity help or hinder the investigation? Plus, special bunny Whiskers lends a magical paw to the detecting since Felicity can’t and won’t relax until she restores both order and magic to her world.

Jennifer loves a mug of green tea—but if not, bubble tea, is her go-to. See her recipe for Grapefruit Green Tea with Boba below! For a snack, she likes nuts, but for a treat she’s all about cookies! See her Auspicious Almond Cookie recipe below as well.

Michelle L. Cullen

Thirty minutes on a Saturday morning as a kid in front of a TV influenced the rest of Michelle L. Cullen’s life. But that was her, riveted by the children’s show Big Blue Marble, which featured the lives of kids all over the world. The result: a few well-stamped passports and a lifetime of amazing experiences. She’s worked as a (decent if powered by enough espresso) bilingual secretary in Paris; backpacked around Europe, Central America, and Southern Africa; and helped rebuild communities after war throughout Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific. Michelle got her master’s degree in anthropology at Melbourne University in Australia and a Ph.D. in sociology at the London School of Economics in England.

This thrill of adventure also inspired her to earn a black belt in Taekwondo, summit 900 feet rock climbing, and fly a helicopter (once, during a lesson, for five terrifying minutes). She currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where she’s either doing yoga, playing outside, or plotting murder.

A Field Guide to Murder — January 27, 2026

Once a globe-trotting anthropologist, Harry Lancaster is now certain that all his grand adventures are behind him. Recently widowed and suffering from a fractured hip, Harry spends his days and nights behind a pair of binoculars, nose-deep in his neighbors’ affairs. His millennial caregiver, Emma, is determined to get him out of his armchair and back into the world.

Fate intervenes when Harry’s mysterious neighbor, Sue, phones, pleading for help. But instead of rescuing her, Harry and Emma find Sue dead: poisoned, days after a break-in at Sue’s house. Harry resolves to find out what happened, and Emma insists on going along for the ride. Together, they discover motives and suspects abound in Harry’s quaint condominium community—putting them both in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded killer.

Michelle’s main character loves pineapple and pepperoni pizza, possibly served with a mocktail—see recipes below!

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Our MC:

Lisa Black is the New York Times bestselling author of 16 suspense novels, including works that have been translated into six languages, optioned for film, and shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award. She is also a Certified Latent Print Examiner and a Certified Crime Scene Analyst, beginning her forensics career at the Coroner’s office in Cleveland Ohio and then the police department in Cape Coral, Florida. She has spoken to readers and writers at numerous conferences, been a consultant on CourtTV and was a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.

Lisa's website

Author Recipes

Grapefruit Green Tea with Boba

(serves one)

Ingredients
– 1½ cups jasmine green tea
– ½ medium grapefruit
– 2 teaspoons maple syrup
– 1/4 cup boba

Simple syrup:
– ½ cup water
– ½ cup sugar

Instructions
1. Boil 1½ cups water and make jasmine green tea; let steep. Juice the grapefruit half.
2. Cook boba according to package instructions (I like using the five-minute quick-cooking variety).
3. Make simple syrup: bring ½ cup water to boil and remove from heat; stir in ½ cup sugar and let dissolve; cool.
4. Add cooked boba to simple syrup (this keeps balls from sticking together and adds sweetness).
5. Pour tea into glass. Stir in grapefruit juice and maple syrup.
6. Add desired amount of ice to tea or refrigerate to chilled.
7. Scoop up boba and place in drink.

Auspicious Almond Cookies

Makes about 24 (2 dozen) cookies

Ingredients
– 1-1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
– 5/8 cup white sugar
– 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 cup butter
– 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract (1 teaspoon if less almond flavor is desired
– 1 egg
– 24 almond slices

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter (very important, don’t skip this) until mixture resembles cornmeal.
3. Add the almond extract.
4. Combine white and yolk of egg; add half of it to the bowl. Mix well. The dough will appear too crumbly in the beginning, but when you mix it long enough, it will get the right consistency (that’s why you only need half an egg). Reserve remaining half egg.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Press down with your thumb to flatten each cookies slightly. Place an almond slice in the middle of each cookie.
6. Combine the reserved half of the egg with 1/2 tablespoon water to make a light egg wash glaze. Using a basting brush, cover the tops of the cookies with the glaze. You can adjust the amount of glaze on each cookie depending on how much almond cookie shine you want.
7. Bake in oven until the the edges of the cookies are golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
8. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then place on wire rack to cool completely.

Note: These taste even better the second day when the almond flavor has set in

Emma’s favorite: Pineapple and Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients
– extra virgin olive oil, for greasing
– 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
– 3 tablespoons salted butter
– 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
– 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
– 4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
– 2 tablespoons sliced pepperoncini
– 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

– 1 1/2 cups brick cheese or whole milk mozzarella, cubed
– 1/2 cup provolone cheese, cubed
– 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
– 8 ounces pepperoni, sliced
– 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
– green onion, cilantro, and basil, for serving

Instructions
1. Position an oven rack in the bottom half of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° F.
2. Place the pizza dough on a lightly oiled quarter sheet pan (9×13). Gently press the dough until it
covers most of the sheet pan. Cover and let sit while you prep the pizza.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon melted butter, the sriracha, tamari, and 2 cloves of garlic.
4. To assemble. Spoon over the sauce. Add the pickled jalapeños, pepperoncini, and pineapple. Top
with cheese, then pepperoni. Bake until bubbly and a crispy cheese crust has formed, 10 to 15
minutes. Using a spatula, loosen the edges and slide onto a cutting board.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 cloves chopped garlic. Let the garlic turn golden and crisp,
then add the sliced jalapeños and remove from the heat. Spoon the butter over the pizza.
6. Slice the pizza into squares and serve with fresh herbs and ranch, if desired.

Spicy Pineapple Mocktail (with cocktail option)

Ingredients
– 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
– Juice of 1 lime
– 1–2 thin slices of jalapeño (adjust for desired spice level)
– Chilled ginger ale or ginger beer
– Ice
– Pineapple or lime slice (for garnish)

Instructions
1. In a blender, combine the pineapple chunks, lime juice, and a splash of water. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into a cocktail shaker with the jalapeño slices and ice. Shake well.
3. Strain the mocktail into a glass filled with fresh ice and top it off with ginger ale or ginger beer.
4. Garnish with a slice of pineapple or lime and serve.
5. Could add a shot of vodka or gin to turn it into a cocktail.