Jane Elzey
  • Home
  • Who's Jane?
  • Shop Books
  • GOSSIP
  • Contact
  • REVIEWS
  • PRESS and INSPIRATION
  • ISBN For Wholesale
  • Writer's Blog
  • Cardboard Cottage Mystery
  • Scorpius Carta Press
  • More
    • Home
    • Who's Jane?
    • Shop Books
    • GOSSIP
    • Contact
    • REVIEWS
    • PRESS and INSPIRATION
    • ISBN For Wholesale
    • Writer's Blog
    • Cardboard Cottage Mystery
    • Scorpius Carta Press
Jane Elzey
  • Home
  • Who's Jane?
  • Shop Books
  • GOSSIP
  • Contact
  • REVIEWS
  • PRESS and INSPIRATION
  • ISBN For Wholesale
  • Writer's Blog
  • Cardboard Cottage Mystery
  • Scorpius Carta Press

Discover the Mystery behind jane elzey

Confession from a Killer (Author)

I kill husbands. 

Well... not really. But in my books? One’s always gotta go.
I’m Jane Elzey — former journalist turned cozy mystery writer, full-time cat herder, and founding member of the Cardboard Cottage and Jane's VIP Club. That's the Very Important Players Club, because readers are the #1 reason I do what I do.
My stories are smart,

I kill husbands. 

Well... not really. But in my books? One’s always gotta go.
I’m Jane Elzey — former journalist turned cozy mystery writer, full-time cat herder, and founding member of the Cardboard Cottage and Jane's VIP Club. That's the Very Important Players Club, because readers are the #1 reason I do what I do.
My stories are smart, sharp, and a little sideways — just like the women who star in them. 

When I’m not plotting fictional murders in the Ozarks, I’m traveling the world to find new places to bury the bodies (on the page, of course).
If you like strong female friendships, killer plots, and a little southern sass, welcome to your new favorite mystery series. 

Be sure to join my newsletter!

From Journalist to Murder Maker

Make-believe and Friendship.

As a journalist and magazine editor, I was compelled to write the truth. But honestly? Making stuff up is more fun.

I’ve always loved a good mystery. And I’ve really always loved good friends — the kind who show up with wine, snark, and a shovel if needed. So when I sat down to write my first mystery series, I k

Make-believe and Friendship.

As a journalist and magazine editor, I was compelled to write the truth. But honestly? Making stuff up is more fun.

I’ve always loved a good mystery. And I’ve really always loved good friends — the kind who show up with wine, snark, and a shovel if needed. So when I sat down to write my first mystery series, I knew it had to be about fiercely loyal women who happen to trip over a body or two (or many). 

Now I'm writing, plotting, and eavesdropping in coffee shops, while imagining WHAT IF game night went fatally sideways. Every story I tell starts with friendship... and ends with someone dead.

Just the way I like it.



Visit Jane's Press Room

words from The Writing Chair

words from The Writing Chair

From this chair overlooking the Ozark Mountains—usually with a cat or two in my lap—I write mysteries about four women, the games they play, and the trouble that follows.

Bluff Springs is their home base, and mine is pretty close: a cozy Arkansas town with just enough charm to fuel a shelf of whodunits. Inside the fictional Tiddlywinks Pla

From this chair overlooking the Ozark Mountains—usually with a cat or two in my lap—I write mysteries about four women, the games they play, and the trouble that follows.

Bluff Springs is their home base, and mine is pretty close: a cozy Arkansas town with just enough charm to fuel a shelf of whodunits. Inside the fictional Tiddlywinks Players Club, old-school games meet modern-day mischief. A mashup of nostalgia, friendship, and murder.

Over 40 and full of moxie, these women are not the type to let a killer walk free. Whether sleuthing in Arkansas or on a bucket list trip gone wrong, one thing is always true—they  don’t lose. They might trip and fall. But they never lose.

Shop Books & Swag Now!

The true story Behind the books

Dying For Dominoes

It all started with a girls' game night and a wicked idea. I’ve always loved dominoes—strategy, noise, competition—and I thought: what if game night turned deadly? Amy and her friends took off from there. The dead husband? Pure fiction… with a sprinkle of bad exes mixed in. A trip to Mexico for a writer's retreat was all I needed to launch a killer plot.

Meet Four New Friends!

Dice on a Deadly Sea

This one’s straight out my travel journal with a lot of fiction in the mix. I went on a PR press trip to the Galápagos Islands with 22 strangers on a small ship. No one was murdered (thankfully), but the setting was too good not to use. I swapped cameras for chaos, and gave Zelda a birthday cruise she’d never forget.

Explore the Galapagos (and Murder)

Poison Parcheesi & Wine

Yes, Arkansas has a wine country—and I knew it was perfect for a cozy mystery. A political stump tour, a grape stomp festival, and the idea of secrets aging in oak barrels gave this one its legs. I just had to poison the vintage.

Mystery Stomping Grounds

Killer Croquet on the Emerald Isle

A dream trip to Ireland planted the seed for book four. Castles, fairy forests, ruins, and the wild Atlantic wind -- plus an incredible place called Gourgane Barra made for a perfect setting. Connecting with a real historian of rebel  the clan, O'Dea, was perfect for tracing Irish roots. I didn't attend a wedding or play croquet, but I had a killer Irish adventure.

Mystery in Ireland

Ouija & Haints in the Silent City

   Frequent walks in my local cemetery sparked a number of questions: what happened to these people, what stories were never told, and what if something sinister surfaces? A historical fundraiser and an antique necklace I bought at an auction turned that curiosity into a 1924 cold case—and a journey back in time.

A Visit to Silent City

Jane's blog about what writers write about


Copyright © 2024 Jane Elzey Cardboard Cottage Mysteries - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by

  • Home
  • Who's Jane?
  • Shop Books
  • GOSSIP
  • Contact
  • REVIEWS
  • PRESS and INSPIRATION
  • Writer's Blog
  • Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.

DeclineAccept & Close

want some gossip?

Join Jane's Newsletter VIP Club