The Accidental Sleuth
  An Emma Winberry Mystery

ISBN 978-1-59414-581-0
Available in bookstores, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
Now available in the large print edition Wheeler Cozy Mystery Line
ISBN: 978-1-59722-655-4
Five Star Publishing
www.gale.com/fivestar

Advance praise for the book:

“The Accidental Sleuth is pure delight. Emma Winberry and her significant other, Nate, tiptoe on the edge of the dark side in this one, tangling with some bad crooks, troubled teens, and homeless allies. It’s a cozy that even a tough guy like me can enjoy.”
          — Michael Black, author of A Final Judgment

“Helen Osterman presents an authentic picture of the art of filmmaking as she weaves it into her clever mystery. Her eye for detail and fresh take on the city of Chicago gives one a sense of actually being there. The reader will definitely want more of Emma and Nate’s adventures.”
          — P. Scott Sakamoto, Hollywood Cinematographer

About The Accidental Sleuth:

Sixty-something Emma Winberry gets through life’s ups and downs by depending on her sixth sense, the patience of her significant other, Nate Sandler, and assistance from her Guardian Angel to keep her out of trouble. Most of the time.

When she leaves her old house in suburban Chicago and moves to a posh condo on the lakefront, she discovers that even her angelic protector might be a bit overmatched. Emma finds herself mixed up with a self-abusing, anorexic teenage neighbor, the girl’s cruel uncle, a couple of tough hoodlums who think Emma has something they need, and a cadre of mysterious homeless people.

With the help of Nate, an old friend, and her celestial back-up, Emma begins to figure things out. She knows the trouble is somehow tied in with the report of an inventor murdered in an alley.

But can even her Guardian Angel keep her out of harm’s way as the complex puzzle unravels to an exciting climax involving treachery, deceit, and murder?

Read an excerpt from The Accidental Sleuth

Bonus — Read the short story, Through the Bookstore Window

About the author:

Ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil in my hand I drew pictures and scribbled what I thought were words—wonderful words—taking me on marvelous adventures. So what profession did I choose? I became a nurse.

I received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Mercy Hospital-St. Xavier College and later earned a Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University. Throughout my forty-five year nursing career, I wrote articles for both nursing and medical journals.

I’ve had a life-long love of opera. I always wanted to be a supernumerary, an extra in the opera, but the demands of my profession and raising a family left this dream unfulfilled. So I have done this vicariously though my character, Emma Winberry. Like my character, I am an avid gardener and bake all my own five-grain bread.

I am the program chairperson for the Southwest Chapter of the Lyric Opera. In this role, I have met some very interesting people.

 I am also an accomplished artist. Four of my paintings of historic Maxwell Street in Chicago are part of the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum.

                                                                      — Helen Macie Osterman

Author appearances: Oct. 18. Cozy Library Extavaganza at Warren Newport Public Library, Gurnee IL.
Oct. 20. Homer Township Public Library, Homer Glen, IL

Coming in 2009: The Stranger in the Opera House, another Emma Winberry mystery

A short story titled "A Visit From the Blues Brothers" is available on Amazon Shorts for $.49.

Contact Helen via E-mail Here