Who is Liss MacCrimmon?


          Liss MacCrimmon is the sleuth in Kaitlyn Dunnett's mystery series, set in modern-day Maine.
          Liss has been earning her living as a professional Scottish dancer with a company called Strathspey (think Riverdance, only Scottish) but a career-ending knee injury sends her back to her home town, Moosetookalook, Maine, to recover. There, since this IS a mystery series, she soon comes face-to-face with murder.
           The name MacCrimmon is an important one in Scottish history. The MacCrimmons were a famous family of bagpipers. Depending on who you believe, they originally came to Scotland from Cremona in Italy, or from Ireland. I thought this would be a particularly appropriate name for a character in a series that has a Scottish heritage theme running through it. As for the first name Liss (not Lisa as most of the online bookstores have it), it is short for Amaryllis. Her mother, Violet, named her Amaryllis Rosalie MacCrimmon.
           The first book in the series, KILT DEAD will be in stores in August, 2007. It is being published in hardcover first, followed by the paperback edition in 2008. There will also be Mystery Guild and large print editions. The second and third books in the series are also scheduled. SCONE COLD DEAD will be published in August of 2008 and A WEE CHRISTMAS HOMICIDE in October, 2009.
          




Above is the inspiration for one of the most important continuing characters in the Liss MacCrimmon Mystery Series, "Lumpkin" the cat. Although described in the books as "a big yellow tom," in reality he is buff-colored. He doesn't weigh quite as much as his fictional counterpart, either, although he's making every effort to reach that point!


OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE
LISS MACCRIMMON SERIES


MARGARET MACCRIMMON BOYD
Liss's Aunt Margaret is the owner of Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium. It is to help her that Liss returns to her old home town after ten years away.

DAN RUSKIN
Liss has known Dan since they were kids together. Now he owns the house she grew up in and works in his father's construction business. Most importantly, he's there to help out when she needs him.

SHERRI WILLETT
Even more anxious than Liss to leave tiny Moosetookalook, Maine behind, Sherri has returned with a young son and a few secrets. She works full time at the jail as a deputy sheriff/corrections officer/dispatcher and part time at Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium.

AMANDA NORRIS
She keeps an eye on the whole neighborhood, but who's watching out for her?

NED BOYD
Liss's cousin, who wants nothing to do with things Scottish.

JASON GRAYE
A newcomer to the area and an entrepreneur. He'd be a good customer if it weren't for his bad attitude.

CRAIG LAVERDIERE
The state police detective assigned to the murder. His tunnel vision forces Liss to do some investigating of her own.

BARBARA ZATHROS
She knows something about the day of the murder . . . but what?

ERNIE WILLETT
Sherri's estranged father has a lot of pent up anger, and some of it seems to be directed at Margaret MacCrimmon Boyd.

PETE CAMPBELL
As a patrol deputy, he knows the law, but he's willing to bend it to help a friend.

ANGIE HOGENCAMP
Owner of Angie's Books, she also has a good view of happenings on the town square of Moosetookalook.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Angie got her name because the real Angie Hogencamp was high bidder at a Malice Domestic auction to name a character in KILT DEAD. Don't make any assumptions from that. In a future book she could end up as either victim or villain.

PATSY
Owner of the local coffee shop, Patsy makes "wicked good" pastries.



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© 2007 Kathy Lynn Emerson (aka Kaitlyn Dunnett). All rights reserved.

Last updated 12/28/07