Friends who Sleuth Together, stay together ––and play to win
Amy Sparks
Owner of the Cardboard Cottage and Tiddlywinks Players Club in a small Ozarks tourist town, Amy is a board game expert with a sharp eye and a stubborn streak. She’s the glue of the group—especially when murder lands on their doorstep. Another dead husband? Must be Tuesday.
Zelda Carlisle
Zelda owns Zsa Zsa Galore Décor, where glam meets game. She’s got a passion for fashion—mostly shoes. Girls just want to have fun. And men? They keep getting in the way. Every mystery starts with a wasbund. The husband always dies.
Rian O'Deis
She’s two steps ahead and five steps sideways. First to dive into danger, last to ask permission. Rian O'Deis (say Ryan O-Day) runs The Pot Shed—and it’s probably illegal. Could be another reason the Ozarks are having a moment.
Genna Gregory
She may serve her tea with a smile, but there’s steel beneath those pearls. Arkansas born and bred, Genna keeps the group grounded—until she doesn’t. It's all about friendship, mystery, and adventure with sass.
Bluff springs, ark
Tucked into the Ozark Mountains, Bluff Springs is part tourist town, part time capsule, and 100% gossip-fueled. Here's what happens when murder collides with Main Street, and locals know your secrets before you do. Quaint by design. Dangerous by default. There's always a husband, a murder, and a mystery to solve.
why readers love jane elzey's cozy mysteries
"Perfect Cozy Read!"
"Rock-solid friendship"
"Rock-solid friendship"
"Witty, with an edge. Think Evanovich with a southern drawl. Follow this author, because you'll want to read the next book as soon as it comes out."
"Rock-solid friendship"
"Rock-solid friendship"
"Rock-solid friendship"
"Oh yes, these are ladies I would invite over to binge-watch Schitt's Creek while guzzling wine and eating Thai takeout. Elzey pens smooth, witty dialogue with a deeper message of female friendship."
"A captivating story"
"Rock-solid friendship"
"A captivating story"
"All the fun and comforting elements of a cozy mystery series, but it quickly became more than that. How far you would go to protect the ones you love? A gripping, thought provoking read."
Start your friendship with the Cardboard Cottage Sleuths
Dying for Dominoes
Four friends play to win—and a husband dies trying.
Amy Sparks only wants a good game of dominoes. But when one friend jokes about killing husband number four… and then he turns up dead, game night turns criminal. Was it a big bluff—or murder-by-strategy?
The perfect first move in a fierce, funny mystery series about loyalty, secrets, and sisterhood.
Dice on a Deadly Sea
A cruise, a birthday, and one very inconvenient corpse.
To celebrate Zelda's big Five-O, the sleuths sail to the Galápagos Islands. But when a husband winds up dead on deck, their bougie getaway becomes a murder investigation—complete with hidden agendas and a mud spa they don't anticipate.
Turns out hiding a body isn’t the hard part—it’s keeping secrets from your friends.
Poison Parcheesi & Wine
Secrets swirl in the Arkansas wine country… and so does another husband.
Another dead husband? Must be another day in the Ozarks. The friends hit the road for politics, puzzles, and a wine stomp. But when murder crashes the party, they’re forced to uncork a conspiracy—one that could stain more than their shoes.
When these friends sleuth, the truth grows tangled like vines.
Killer Croquet
Castles, croquet, and a wedding with a body count.
The Cardboard Cottage Sleuths win a trip to Ireland—only to be dragged into a murder scene at a fairy-tale wedding. When a game of croquet turns cutthroat and the Irish Garda questions their innocence, their holiday turns into hit or miss adventure on the Emerald Isle.
Turns out friendship makes for some killer travel.
Ouija & Haints
A ghost walk, a fundraiser, and a murder from 1924—naturally, they're involved.
During a cemetery fundraiser, the Cardboard Cottage friends step back into history, playing women from Bluff Springs' past. But when an antique necklace falls into Amy’s hands, she unknowingly unlocks a century-old cold case… and a very modern danger.
Will friendship and murder prove timeless?
Runner-Up, 2025 San Francisco Book Festival – General Fiction
