Guest Post & #Giveaway: Crying in the Chapel (Swinging Sixties Mystery, #5) by Teresa Trent
- Archaeolibrarian
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books - Historia Imprint
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Number of Pages: 174 Pbk
ISBN: 979-8-89820-167-8
Series: Swinging Sixties Mystery Series, Book 5
@teresatrentmysterywriter @partnersincrimevbt
@teresatrent_cozymys @partnersincrimevbt
It's August 1965, and Dot Morgan is finally getting married to the dashing reporter Ben Dalton. Her wedding day, August 14th, promises to be perfect—if only it didn't follow Friday the 13th. What could go wrong? Planning a wedding with the members of the Camden Chapel, Dot thinks she’s overwhelmed, but then it gets worse when a body is found on the church lawn. Dot decides to focus on her wedding to Ben, but when police reveal the victim didn't jump from the belfry—he was pushed—she can no longer look away. Her suspects aren't hardened criminals; they're the same church members who bring casseroles and ask about her family. With her wedding day fast approaching, Dot must unmask a killer hiding in plain sight, or the secrets of Camden Chapel will remain buried in the summer heat.
Bookshop.org | StoryGraph | Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
How the Swinging Sixties Inspired My Latest Wedding-Day Murder Mystery
Imagine preparing for a daisy-themed 1965 wedding. Your groom is everything you ever wanted in a man. The church is beautifully decorated. Your family is happy for you. It’s perfect, except for one thing. There has been a murder. Oh, did I mention this is a murder mystery wedding?
Dot has worked as a secretary and has a keen eye for detail. Ben is a roving reporter for the Camden Chronicle. Dot is an independent woman, something that makes Ben’s mother, a traditional fifties housewife uncomfortable. When she discovers that Dot has been doing all the killer catching and not her beloved son, her idea of acceptance changes. Take this and mix in a little Elvis, with his hit song, “Crying in the Chapel”, and you have it. The world’s most complicated wedding.
When I started the first book in The Swinging Sixties Series, I was drawn in by the fashion, the beehive hairdos, the music, and the small town. Before this series, I wrote cozies, so when you define this genre, it would be a historical cozy mystery. With every book I find myself researching what life was like during this time. In this case it was churches, wedding gifts, wedding dresses, and even flowers.
There are many life-changing events going on with the women of Camden in this mystery. Dot is getting married. Her cousin Ellie is about to give birth to her first child, and if you’ve read about Ellie in other books, you know she’s a little over the top. Dot’s in-laws are trying to see her as the best woman for their beloved son, and Dot’s parents are dealing with sharing their daughter with another family. Dot has a wedding planner who is perfect for the job but incredibly annoying and a florist who had dated Ben who is beautiful, sexy, and mysterious.
Crying in the Chapel is the fifth book in the series, but can be read as a standalone mystery. Dot solves mysteries mostly through the jobs she’s hired for. In the first book,The Twist and Shout Murder, she is attempting to graduate from secretarial school. Then she works for a construction company, If I Had a Hammer, then a radio station Listen, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, and then a funeral home I Can’t Get No Satisfaction. Doing research for these jobs was interesting. I talked to a retired DJ who was actually on the air in 1965. I toured the museum in Dallas at the Book Depository and a funeral science museum. My husband has worked in the construction industry for decades, and I trained to be a secretary, although not in the 1960s! For the next book, the research is centering on something I know well: writing. Paperback Writer will be available from Level Best Books next year.
To close out, here is a quick 1965 wedding trivia quiz.
What was the most popular honeymoon destination for Americans in 1965?
What was the most popular food for middle-class couples in 1965 wedding receptions?
What was the most popular wedding shower gift given in 1965?
I will leave my answers in the comment section.
Teresa Trent is the author of four different mystery series. The Swinging Sixties Series which features Dot in a small town in Texas starting in 1962. The Henry Park Series, which features Gabby, an artist in Colorado who is also psychic and The Piney Woods Series featuring Nora, a woman who came to a small town in Texas to find out she is related to many of the people there. Her first series, The Pecan Bayou Series, she started writing way back in 2011. That series has nine books and features Betsy, a woman who writes helpful hints and solves mysteries. Teresa is the voice of the Books to the Ceiling Podcast where she narrates scenes from new mysteries coming on to the market. Books to the Ceiling is featured wherever you listen to podcasts. Teresa lives in Texas with her husband and son.
Catch Up With Teresa Trent:
Tour hosted by: Partners in Crime Tours
Here are the answers!
What was the most popular honeymoon destination for Americans in 1965?
Niagara Falls
What was the most popular food for middle-class couples in 1965 wedding receptions?
Roast Beef
What was the most popular wedding shower gift given in 1965?
Tupperware
What a great guest post. This series sounds like so much fun.
My guesses...
The Poconoes
Chicken
Toaster