New Crime Novel Drops

Author Valerie Saul brings a diverse background to her debut novel, holding a doctorate in audiology and a bachelor's in psychology from Stanford University. Her career has spanned clinical work, teaching, and representing a cochlear implant company internationally, experiences that have enriched her storytelling. A two-time cancer survivor, Saul has lived an uncommon life that she believes is reflected in her writing. The inspiration for "The Badass Widows: A Mystery" grew from Saul's frustration with the narrow depiction of older women in contemporary fiction. She believes that society underestimates women over 50 and that they can be more than just caregivers and grandmothers. The novel started as a "fun romp about older women," but after experiencing personal losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, it also became a more thoughtful exploration of grief. The story is set in the San Francisco Bay Area and follows a former FBI agent, Beth Winstead, who, after the death of her husband, forms a secret crime-fighting group with three other widows. Their alliance begins after Beth rescues a recently widowed victim from a derelict sailboat. What starts as a joke soon sees the women undertaking bold acts of secret justice. "The Badass Widows: A Mystery" is published by Sibylline Press, a publisher that exclusively focuses on 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. Book launch events are scheduled, including a conversation with author Mary Alice Stephens and a reading organized by the Left Coast Writers at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA.