Young Adult Cozy Mystery
Date Published: 6/23/25
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
College student Sara Donovan is in the homestretch of graduating when a
mysterious package arrives with an invitation to an exclusive contest. One
that will drastically change the winner’s life. Included are unsettling
photographs from forgettable chapters in her life and a threatening note
strongly suggesting she participate.
With no good options, Sara enters the contest and finds herself at a fabulous
mansion up against eight formidable opponents, each with a dark secret and all
racing to solve seven levels of riddles and puzzles.
After a contestant’s body is discovered, Sara contemplates dropping out
when another package arrives, its chilling contents making clear she’s
at the center of a dangerous game with deadly consequences if she quits. But
what it doesn’t say is—what happens if she wins?
Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Laying out the plot. I’m a
hardcore plotter. I began as a pantser, but after too many dead ends, I switched to detailed plotting. My process starts with weeks of brainstorming and research—sometimes months—then I create a detailed “blueprint” with plot points, subplots, characters, and turning points mapped out to the percentage. I also build a chapter layout and calendar timeline. The blueprint can run 50 pages before I write a single word of the manuscript. Once the structure is in place, I write quickly—sometimes up to 3,500 words a day. But at the beginning, I am envisioning in detail the entire book. Definitely the hardest part of the process.
What are your most played songs?
I have a very eclectic taste in music. With that said, some of my most played songs are: “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird” (anything from Skynyrd), “Back in Black” and “Highway to Hell” (anything from AC/DC), “One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer” (anything from Thorogood), “Show Me How To Live” and “Like a Stone” (anything from Audioslave), “Piano Man” (most of Billy Joel’s stuff), and “Jump Jive An’ Wail” and “You’re the Boss” (Brian Setzer Orchestra).
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes, I use beta readers, and I am always looking for more! In my latest book, Lucky Secrets, I give a shoutout to one of my awesome beta readers, Giselle Palmer, because she really gave me tremendous input.
What book are you reading now?
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall and Kitchen Confidential (the annotated version) by Anthony Bourdain.
How did you start your writing career?
In a nutshell, my writing career was hatched somewhere along Interstate 81 in Virginia as I was driving with my wife, Mary, on our way from Chattanooga to Washington, D.C. to attend our son’s graduation from medical school. It’s also a long story, like that drive was, and too long for here, but if you’re interested, I have a
blog post with all the details. It’s a fun story, although not as fun as the one about where I met my future wife. Yeah, we met in a closet back in high school. That always gets people’s attention. Maybe I’ll write about it one day.
Tell us about your next release.
Lucky Secrets was released on June 23, 2025. The book is very multilayered, a mystery within a mystery, and is my most ambitious and complicated plot yet. As
Kirkus Reviews noted in its review (“Our Verdict – Get It.”), the book is “An enjoyable, complexly plotted series installment that promises more mysteries and thrills to come.”
The story, set outside Birmingham, Alabama, at an extravagant estate called El Sueño, pits college student and amateur sleuth, Sara Donovan, up against eight formidable opponents with questionable pasts in an exclusive two-week contest. As the contestants quickly find out, hidden throughout El Sueño are seven levels of challenges complete with cryptic riddles that must all be solved to win. The stakes are high because the winner-take-all contest promises a mind-boggling payout that will drastically change the winner’s life for the good. However, when a contestant’s body turns up, suspicions and urgency explode as the remaining contestants race to solve the puzzles without getting themselves dead.
I also have several projects under different stages of development. One is a YA book for boys that an agent has expressed an interest in if I write a compelling story. Another is me spinning off my favorite character in the Mauzzy & Me Mystery Series, Mrs. Majelski, into her own mystery series. She’s a blast to write. Think of Elizabeth of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, and then amp up her energy level. That’s Mrs. M. I’m also working on Sara’s next adventure, which will have her hanging out a shingle as a private investigator and opening a whole new world of fun, laughs, and mysteries!
About the Author
B.T. Polcari is a graduate of Rutgers College of Rutgers University, an
award-winning mystery author, and a proud father of two wonderful children.
He’s a champion of rescue pups (Mauzzy is a rescue), craves watching
football and basketball, and, of course, loves reading mysteries. Among his
favorite authors are Richard Osman, D.P. Lyle, Frederick Forsyth, and Michael
Connelly. He is also an unapologetic fantasy football addict. He lives with
his wife in scenic Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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