Murder, Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality

What happens when heart-pounding suspense meets thought-provoking storytelling?

Join me on Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality as I welcome talented author Peter Pontsa for an intriguing conversation where suspense meets substance, danger lurks around unexpected corners, and every choice has consequences.

Peter takes us into the fascinating world of mystery and adventure, where compelling characters, unexpected twists, and high-stakes situations keep readers turning pages long past bedtime. We'll explore his creative journey, the inspiration behind his stories, and the art of weaving suspense, moral dilemmas, and unforgettable characters into fiction that entertains while challenging readers to think.

What makes a great suspense novel impossible to put down? How does an author keep readers guessing while creating characters they genuinely care about? And can a thrilling adventure leave us with something meaningful long after we've turned the final page?

We're diving into these questions and more!

Whether you're a devoted mystery lover, an aspiring author, or someone who appreciates stories filled with intrigue, courage, and the complexities of human nature, this episode promises plenty of fascinating insights.

Love stories that keep you guessing, characters who challenge your expectations, and endings that leave you thinking? This one's for you!

🎙️ Tune in for another captivating episode of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, where the mysteries are compelling, the conversations are meaningful, and morality is always part of the story.

Listen, subscribe, and share with a fellow suspense lover!

#MurderMysteryAndMayhem #PeterPontsa #AuthorInterview #MysteryAndSuspense #ThrillerBooks #WilliamFoxAdventure #CrimeFiction #WritingCommunity #BooksWorthReading #PodcastForReaders

🎙️ The plot thickens—and Peter James is taking the mic!

I’m thrilled to welcome UK No. 1 bestselling author Peter James to Murder Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality!

With more than 24 million books sold worldwide, this master of suspense has captivated readers with unexpected twists, sinister characters, and the unforgettable Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

Pull up a chair for suspense with substance—and an author who knows how to keep us turning pages long past bedtime. 🔍📚

What would YOU ask Peter? Submit your questions, and when we have him return, we'll have answers. And follow the podcast for this conversation!

Explore his books: www.peterjames.com

#PeterJames #RoyGrace #MurderMysteryAndMayhem #CrimeFiction #AuthorInterview

Family Secrets, Buried Truths & the Price of Remembering with John Infortunio

What if uncovering your family’s past changed everything you believed about yourself?

Join Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes on Murder Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality for a spotlight on author and longtime educator John Infortunio. His thrillers, Today Was Tomorrow and Destroyed by the Events of the Day, take readers into worlds where grief clouds memory, loyalty clashes with betrayal, and exposing secrets carries dangerous consequences.

From hidden family histories to scandal inside an elite prep school, discover stories that raise unsettling questions: Who can we trust? What do we owe the people we love? And how far would we go to protect the truth?

Follow the podcast and share this episode with someone who loves suspense with emotional depth.

Connect with John: Instagram.com/johninfortunio⁠

#MurderMysteryAndMayhem #JohnInfortunio #AuthorInterview #PsychologicalThrillers #SuspenseWithSubstance

What do secret societies, killer unicorns, Jane Austen, underground cities, classic board-game murder mysteries, and the ghostly legacy of Edgar Allan Poe have in common? Diana Peterfreund.

On this episode of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes sits down with acclaimed author Diana Peterfreund for a fascinating conversation about writing across genres, creating unforgettable worlds, reimagining beloved stories, and crafting mysteries and adventures that keep readers turning pages.

Diana has written novels for adults, teens, and younger readers, including the four-book Secret Society Girl series; the killer-unicorn novels Rampant and Ascendant; For Darkness Shows the Stars, her post-apocalyptic reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion; and Across a Star-Swept Sea, inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel. Her Omega City trilogy sends middle-grade readers beneath modern Maryland into a mysterious hidden bunker city, while her CLUE mysteries, written in partnership with Hasbro, bring the iconic board game’s murder, motives, and suspects to life for a new generation.

Her newest series, Ellen Poe, ventures into paranormal mystery and adventure, following a contemporary heroine connected to the haunting legacy of Edgar Allan Poe—a perfect choice for readers who enjoy the clever sleuthing of Enola Holmes and the puzzle-filled adventure of National Treasure. Diana Peterfreund

Diana’s work has been translated into fourteen languages and recognized by the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, Capitol Choices, the Texas Lone Star Reading List, the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list, and Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. She has also written dozens of critically acclaimed short stories and nonfiction essays exploring children’s and popular literature. Diana Peterfreund

Join us as we talk about where Diana finds her wonderfully unexpected ideas, what it takes to move successfully between age groups and genres, how familiar stories can inspire something entirely new, and why mystery, imagination, danger, and morality make such compelling companions.

Discover Diana’s books and learn more about her work:
DianaPeterfreund.com

🎙️ Listen, subscribe, share the episode, and tell us: Which Diana Peterfreund world would you most like to step into—Secret Society Girl, Killer Unicorns, Omega City, CLUE, or Ellen Poe?

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T.K. Bush on Writing Unveiled While Working in Healthcare

What does it take to write a psychological thriller while working full-time in healthcare?

On this episode of Murder Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality, I talk with T.K. Bush, author of Unveiled, about her writing process. We discuss how she balances writing with her work as a radiographic and cardiovascular technologist, and how that experience shapes her stories.

In Unveiled, Tessa Brooks has rebuilt her life after an accident stole her memories. When a man from her past returns, buried truths threaten the life she has made.

Listen to our conversation, follow the podcast for more mystery and suspense with purpose, and visit T.K. Bush at tkbush.com⁠. 

#TKBush #Unveiled #AuthorInterview #WritingProcess #WritingLife #PsychologicalThriller #SuspenseBooks #BookPodcast

When technology can manipulate information faster than we can verify it, who—or what—do we trust to tell us the truth?

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation where murder, mystery, mayhem, technology, politics, and morality collide.

Duncan spent thirty years advising governments and companies on energy, infrastructure, transactions, and policy. He has also written nonfiction for international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Environment Program, advocating for policy changes and investment related to climate change. Now, he has turned his experience with governments, policy, finance, and global affairs toward fiction.

The Truth Chamber began with a series of “what if?” questions Duncan started exploring in 2022. What might happen if outside forces attempted to exploit America’s political divisions? How could artificial intelligence change the battle over information? And what happens when people trying to protect democratic institutions begin questioning how far they themselves should go?

The resulting novel combines political intrigue, artificial intelligence, assassination attempts, foreign influence, disinformation, and moral dilemmas in a high-stakes story about the increasingly complicated relationship between truth and power.

At the center of the novel is Admiral Liam Driscoll, a grieving man drawn into presidential candidate Anna Hoffman’s campaign as political violence escalates. Their team recruits a Stanford Ph.D. student developing an AI technology known as the Truth Chamber, hoping it can help uncover who is behind the violence.

But the conspiracy extends far beyond one campaign.

As domestic turmoil collides with international ambitions, Liam and his team confront an unsettling question: How much can you compromise the principles you are trying to protect before you become part of the problem?

Dr. Katherine and Duncan explore:

• Duncan’s journey from investment banking and international policy work to political thriller author

• The real-world concerns and “what if?” questions that inspired The Truth Chamber

• How he created a fictional American presidential race while separating speculation from reality

• The Truth Chamber itself and the possibilities and dangers of AI in determining what is true

• Disinformation, propaganda, foreign influence, and the manipulation of public perception

• The global power struggles operating behind the novel’s domestic political conflict

• Liam Driscoll’s central moral dilemma: how far can someone go to protect democratic institutions without compromising the principles behind them?

• The challenges of writing politically charged fiction for readers who may bring very different perspectives to the story

• How Duncan’s career and international experiences informed the novel’s geopolitical world

• Why thriller fiction offers a compelling space for exploring uncomfortable questions about truth, technology, morality, and power

• What Duncan is writing next

Duncan Ritchie is a former—he jokingly says “recovering”—investment banker who grew up on a plantation in North Borneo and graduated from the University of Western Australia.

During a thirty-year career, he advised governments and companies on major energy and infrastructure transactions and policy. He has also written persuasive nonfiction for multilateral organizations, including ADB and UNEP, focusing on climate-related policy and investment.

Concerned by international conflict, political extremism, and growing questions surrounding misinformation, Duncan began developing speculative “what if?” scenarios in 2022. Those ideas eventually became his political thriller, The Truth Chamber.

Duncan now lives in Tasmania with his Malinois pup, Aletheia—Alé for short—who, thinks he is slightly mad.

The Truth Chamber is a speculative political thriller examining AI, disinformation, foreign influence, political violence, power, morality, and the fragile boundary between protecting principles and violating them.

🎙️ What happens when the extraordinary enters an ordinary life—and certainty gives way to mystery?

We welcome back author Lou Pugliese, whose new thriller, The Portal, has just been released! 📖

From an international career with Toyota to teaching business in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Lou brings a wealth of experience, extensive travel, and a love of obscure research to his fiction. His stories weave subtle paranormal elements into realistic relationships, exploring the emotional consequences of events that defy explanation.

Now settled in Green Cove Springs, Florida, with his wife Kathy and their dog Mitch, Lou also hosts the Florida Writers Association’s monthly Clay County chapter.Stay in touch with Lou: https://loupuglieseauthor.com/

✨ Tune in, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, and share this post with a friend who loves a mystery!

#MurderMysteryAndMayhemLacedWithMorality #LouPugliese #ThePortal #AuthorInterview #MysteryReaders #ThrillerBooks #Bookstagram #WritingCommunity #FloridaAuthors #SuspenseMeetsSubstance

HIGH EXPOSURE: Romance, Danger & Faith with Debut Author Kelly Borjas

What happens when a travel blogger running from her past—and from God—stumbles across a dead body in a snow-covered Colorado town?

On this episode of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes welcomes debut romantic suspense author Kelly Borjas for a conversation about faith, fiction, danger, romance, and the journey from aspiring writer to published novelist.

Kelly’s debut novel, High Exposure, launches an adventure-driven romantic suspense series from Kregel Publications.

Travel blogger Julia Stevens arrives in snowy Silverberg, Colorado, determined to complete one final assignment before beginning a new career in journalism. But Silverberg forces Julia to confront more than she bargained for—including the sport connected to her sister’s death, the God she’s been running from, and a dead body that may be connected to something far more dangerous.

Enter Cade Haskins, a former DEA agent who has returned home after a failed mission to help care for his father. When Julia’s curiosity leads her dangerously close to a meth ring, Cade finds himself drawn back into the kind of danger he hoped he’d left behind—and increasingly drawn to Julia.

Kelly joins us to talk about the inspiration behind High Exposure, creating suspense and romance against the breathtaking—and unforgiving—backdrop of Colorado, writing characters wrestling with faith and loss, and the long road to becoming a traditionally published author.

We also explore Kelly’s own story. A love of inspirational fiction that began when an eighth-grade teacher handed her a Janette Oke novel eventually grew into a passion for writing stories filled with adventure, escape, unforgettable love, grace, and hope.

Kelly grew up in Southwest Colorado and earned her degree in Communication Studies from Biola University and a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Azusa Pacific University. She now lives on California’s Central Coast with her husband and three boys. When she isn’t writing romantic suspense, she enjoys boating, camping, running, spending time outdoors, and podcasting with The Lit Ladies Podcast.

Kelly is represented by Lynette Eason of The Steve Laube Agency.

High Exposure releases September 15, 2026, from Kregel Publications.

Learn more about Kelly, High Exposure, and her upcoming books at KellyBorjas.com.

Website: KellyBorjas.com

#KellyBorjas #HighExposure #RomanticSuspense #ChristianRomanticSuspense #ChristianFiction #InspirationalFiction #SuspenseBooks #FaithAndFiction #ChristianAuthors #DebutAuthor #KregelPublications #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #MysteryAndSuspense #RomanceReaders #FaithHopeAndLove #BooksWithHope #TheLitLadies #MurderMysteryAndMayhem #MurderMysteryMayhemLacedWithMorality

🎙️ Chad Boudreaux on Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality

What does it take to lead when the stakes could not be higher?

In this compelling episode, I speak with Chad Boudreaux about leadership, national security, resilience, public service, and navigating extraordinary responsibility.

Chad’s remarkable career includes serving in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was hired the night before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He later served in as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, advising Secretary Michael Chertoff on significant matters confronting the newly established department.

Chad went on to become Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, bringing together an extraordinary breadth of government, legal, and corporate experience.

In this episode, we discuss service, courage, decision-making, resilience, and the experiences that shape the stories we tell.

Learn more about Chad Boudreaux:Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/chadboudreauxWebsite: https://www.chadboudreaux.com/about/

Follow the podcast, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. After listening, share the moment that made the greatest impression on you.

#ChadBoudreaux #PodcastGuest #MurderMysteryAndMayhem #LacedWithMorality #SuspenseWithSubstance #Leadership #NationalSecurity #HomelandSecurity #DepartmentOfJustice #ExecutiveLeadership #LegalLeadership #PublicService #Resilience #CourageousLeadership #AuthorPodcast #PodcastInterview #MustListenPodcast

What happens when a 54-year-old woman loses her marriage, her job, and nearly everything she owns—and decides to start over in Paris?

In this episode of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes welcomes debut author Lauren Johnson, author of The Soufflé Also Rises, a hilarious and fast-paced midlife reinvention mystery.

Lizi Cleverly is broke, unemployed, and determined to pursue her long-forgotten dream of becoming a novelist. But when she lands in Paris, an unexpected hotel stay puts her in the middle of the notorious Harry Winston jewel heist. Soon, Lizi and her much younger friend Frankie are running from the Serbian mafia while trying to stay ahead of a trail of dead bodies.

Lauren talks about midlife reinvention, second chances, fearless women, humor, mystery, friendship, and why it's never too late to become the person you're meant to be.

If you love witty mysteries, unforgettable women sleuths, Parisian adventures, and a healthy dose of mayhem, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

The Soufflé Also Rises by Lauren Johnson
Book 1 of the Lizi Cleverly Midlife Badass Detective Series

Buy *The Soufflé Also Rises* on Amazon

Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality features fascinating authors, compelling mysteries, unforgettable characters, and the moral questions hiding beneath the mayhem.

Because sometimes the best stories don't just entertain us—they make us think.

Listen. Subscribe. Share. And join the conversation!

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Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality: Lauren Johnson📖 Get Lauren's Book🎧 About the Podcast