Author Spotlight: Meet Historical Mystery Writer Jolie Tunnell

What a fun treat to introduce you (and I’m just meeting her myself, too!) Historical Mystery writer, Jolie Tunnell, who has just joined the Tule Publishing family!

Award-winning author Jolie Tunnell brings the past to life in suspenseful historical mysteries with a hint of romance, bringing the flavor of the turn-of-the-century Wild West to the isolated mountains of Idyllwild and the writhing underbelly of San Francisco.

Her books gallop to the last page.

A Southern California native, she loves on her sprawling family, forces her freeloading tomcat to cuddle, and can drink her weight in Yorkshire Gold tea. Sign up for her extraordinary newsletter and settle in for a visit at JolieTunnell.com and be sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram!

Mountaintop Mysteries: My Wild West Writing Adventure

You know that one person who—whether or not they saw it coming—ends up with the collected memorabilia of an entire family tree? Yep, that’s me. But instead of shoving the tattered hankies, crumbling letters, and other flotsam into an attic bin, I’m breathing new life into the stories they tell.

I’m Jolie Tunnell, a historical mystery author living in Southern California with my hubby, seven grown kids, one sweet grandbaby, and a twenty-two-pound tabby cat. I’m passionate about bringing the past to life through mysteries that—unlike an old photo album full of mug shots—will keep you glued to every page.

My Idyllwild Mystery Series is basically a love letter to 1912 California—a time when horse-drawn carriages coexisted with the first sputtering automobiles, and isolated communities remained skeptical of “new-fangled contraptions” while the world beyond their boundaries raced towards unprecedented innovation.

Each book feels authentically grounded in its historical moment, offering readers not just a gripping mystery, but a vivid window into a transformative period of American history. My great-great-grandmothers were doing amazing things you’d never guess from their serious sepia-toned photos. Their stories were passed down the generations over coffee and our secret family carrot cake recipe.

All I did was fill in the details. And murder a character or two.

When Loveda Brown arrives in the tiny mountainside town of Idyllwild, California, as yet the Wild West of 1912, she is running from her husband.

But when a body turns up the next day, she realizes she might have worse things following her… That cold, clenched fist holds something that forces Loveda to stay in Idyllwild and use all of her wits to stop another murder from happening.

Probably her own.

Meet Loveda Brown, my spirited protagonist who’s running from her husband when a dead body in the middle of the road traps her in a tiny town that time forgot. Loveda is a combination of all those strong, ornery women who were fighting to define their own destinies, one stubborn step at a time. And she knows poppycock when she hears it. Idyllwild is full of secrets that force Loveda to stop running and face her own fears.

I want our daughters to read these books and realize they can be the heroes of their own stories. That family isn’t just about who you’re born to, but who you choose. That your past doesn’t define your future. As Loveda’s papa always said, “Look to the future, darling girl!”

Writing these mysteries is my way of giving a voice to the stories that need telling. Of time-traveling. Full of grit and glamor, ancient legends and new friendships, suspense and justice, the ten-book series is complete and ready to be vacation-binged.

This June, I’m set to expand my historical storytelling with the new Mrs. Kelly Mystery series. My upcoming release, Shadows in Chinatown, transports readers to 1882 San Francisco, promising another richly detailed exploration of a pivotal moment in American history. Follow the story of Karine Kelly, a mail-order bride who finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when her husband is killed on their wedding night.

Karine Kelly’s dream of a fresh start as a mail-order bride in booming 1882 San Francisco becomes a nightmare when her charming Irish husband is murdered on their wedding night. Waking to destitute widowhood and fiercely angry in-laws, she discovers a series of shocking secrets that her husband left behind.

Why did he tell no one about their wedding? Why was a Chinese assailant hunting him and now stalking her? Why do residents in the city shadows seem to know more about her husband than she does? And why does the irritating Detective Max Fisher keep turning up like a bad penny?

Faced with appalling apathy and growing suspicion from the police, Karine’s determined to follow the trail of lies to find justice in a lawless city.

Warily working around each other as the killer strikes again, Karine and Detective Fisher uncover a sinister web of corruption, bigotry, and betrayals that circles ever closer to the jade pendant she wears over her heart—all that’s left of her husband’s pledge—and a ticking bomb that threatens to destroy Chinatown.

Roiling with diverse neighborhoods, unforgettable characters, and a complex web of murder and conspiracy, this new series showcases my continued passion for combining authentic West-coast history with nail-biting mysteries that gallop to the last page.

Visit my website, JolieTunnell.com, sign up for the newsletter, and get a free book.