Valerie Saul's 'Badass Widows' Mystery Launches

Author Valerie Saul brings a unique background to her debut novel, drawing from a career that includes a doctorate in audiology and work in speech pathology and psychology across the U.S., New Zealand, South Korea, and Singapore. A participant in Stanford's Continuing Studies Creative Writing program, Saul was motivated to write a story that challenges the way older women are often portrayed in fiction. The story is set in the San Francisco Bay Area and centers on Beth Winstead, a former FBI agent grieving the recent loss of her husband. She finds a new sense of purpose after rescuing another widow, Elena, from a derelict sailboat, which leads to the formation of a secret crime-fighting group with two other widows, Anneke and Zoe. What starts as a joke with small acts of justice quickly escalates into more dangerous missions, giving the women a "rush" and a renewed sense of purpose. The plot thickens when Beth and Elena are stalked and a betrayal from within the group puts all their lives at risk. The novel is published by Sibylline Press, a publisher that exclusively features the work of women authors over the age of 50. The press, founded in August 2022, is owned by seven women and publishes over 50 titles a year. Reviewers have noted the book's blend of irreverent humor and warmth, comparing it to "Killers of a Certain Age" and "The Thursday Murder Club." One early review praised the novel as an "excellent book" where the widows are not typical mature women, with one being a tech guru and another fixing boat engines. Saul herself has said she was inspired by a trend of stories featuring "badass older women," including the television show *Matlock* starring Kathy Bates.