The Extra is the first in the Monument Studios Mystery series. Set in 1930s Hollywood, the series follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Frankie Ray.
Vancouver schoolmarm Frankie Ray runs away to Silver Screen Hollywood to test her conviction that an actress who lacks glamour but has talent and an enterprising attitude can make it in the movies. But when a dissolute, womanizing matinee idol turns up dead on her sofa, Frankie’s career hopes shatter. She’ll need all her acting chops to sleuth out the murderer and clear her name.
About the Author
Mel Anastasiou writes mysteries starring sleuths who are often fish out of water and gifted amateur ’tecs. She is a founding editor with Pulp Literature Press, and she authors their in-house thirty-day writing guides. Mel has been longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour in Literature, and was the winner of a Literary Titan Award for her Stella Ryman and the Fairmount Manor Mysteries series. Mel can be found every day writing, editing, walking for miles to look at inspired Victorian architecture, and eating scones with clotted cream and jam — hence the walking.
Her novels are:
Stella Ryman and The Fairmount Manor Mysteries, 2017, Pulp Literature Press
The Labours of Mrs Stella Ryman, 2019, Pulp Literature Press
The Writer’s Boon Companion: Thirty Days Towards and Extraordinary Volume, 2016, Pulp Literature Press
The Writer’s Friend and Confidante, 2016, Pulp Literature Press
Other Published Work
The Hertfordshire Pub Mysteries, 2016 – 2019, Pulp Literature Magazine
Mel Anastasiou writes mysteries starring sleuths who are often fish out of water and gifted amateur ’tecs. She is a founding editor with Pulp Literature Press, and she authors their in-house thirty-day writing guides. Mel can be found every day writing, editing, walking for miles to look at inspired Victorian architecture, and eating scones with clotted cream and jam — hence the walking.
Look for Mel’s Fairmount Manor Mysteries starring Mrs Stella Ryman, and the Hertfordshire Pub Mysteries featuring Spencer Stevens and the Seven Swans Public House. As well, she is working on the further adventures of Frankie Ray and Connie Mooney in the next Monument Studios Mystery.
Her website is https://melanastasiou.wordpress.com/
Reviews of The Extra
“Frankie’s debut is both exciting and fascinating. The crime mystery aspect is equally intriguing. Virtually everything about it reflects the Hollywood of the era. It couldn’t happen anywhere else … it’s like entering a time machine. There’s a heck of a lot to admire in this ongoing saga. Thoroughly entertaining.” – Amazing Stories
“Ms. Anastasiou has created some very dynamic and addictive characters. She has me wanting to see more of them.. The switch from a noir-esque mystery to a feel good dramatic closer is quite seamless and puts the reader on a positive tail-spin.” —Cameron Winters
“The style is plain and breezy, concentrating on character and situation, with plenty of humorous touches. What makes it particularly interesting is the matter-of-fact portrayal of 1930s attitudes and behaviour, with the promise of enjoyable Hollywood tidbits to come. I’d say this is an example of seemingly effortless integration of historical research devoid of expository lumps. It strikes me as an enjoyable romp reminiscent of the best of heroine-centred crime/mystery B movies of the era.” – R. Graeme Cameron
“The characters of The Extra will linger in your imagination long after you read the last page of this romp of a mystery. I’ve long been a fan of Mel Anastasiou’s Stella Ryman novellas and was pleased to see that her bright pace, humour, and down-to-earth characters were present in good measure in this full-length novel, too. This isn’t a genre I typically reach for, but I’m glad I did. It was a delightful read.” – Sandra Vander Schaaf author of The Passionate Embrace: Faith, Flesh, and Tango
“I’m thrilled that The Extra will be continued in the future and I can’t wait to follow along. Charming story!” – Brighton Hugg
Reviews for Anastasiou’s Previous Works
Praise for Mel Anastasiou’s Fairmount Manor Mystery series.
Longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour in Literature, and winner of a Literary Titan Award, Mel Anastasiou’s Stella Ryman and the Fairmount Manor Mysteries continues to be a reader favourite.
“Far from simply being Christie-esque, Anastasiou’s protagonist is not only funny but finds the funny in a warehouse of the death expectant.” – Daniel C Goodwin
“Delightfully different, gently humorous exploration of sleuthing with a touch of senior citizen fogginess and intrepid zeal for the quest. Stella’s life is as motivated by her passion as Sherlock Holmes’s ever was and her mental health as dependent on keeping some game afoot. Author Anastasiou paints a respectfully sympathetic picture of the challenges of old folks in a seniors’ home without pulling her punches or passing up a good chuckle by creating a character with enough spunk to carry the reader safely through. I’m not a lover of mysteries as a rule. But I do like to see genuinely novel looks at the human experience through the lens of established genres.” – Lynda Williams, Reality-Skimming Press (5-star review on Goodreads)
“An excellent read, full of colorful characters. Stella Ryman, as a character, is quintessentially heroic — in the classic sense.” – Literary Titan
Praise for Spencer Stevens and the Seven Swans, the Hertfordshire Pub mysteries:
“Take a wry protagonist with a cast of quirky frenemies, add a dash of Wodehousian wit, mix in a mystery that would stump Miss Marple, throw it all through time, and you have the charming and delightful Seven Swans mysteries.” – JM Landels, author of the Allaigna’s Song trilogy.
“These pub mysteries are great reads. Old buildings have souls.”
To request additional review copies or an interview with Mel Anastasiou, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
