Work in Progress (January '26)
A Monthly Newsletter from Mystery and Thriller Writer Jenna Kinghorn
January 2026
Work In Progress
I'm in the midst of the FOURTH revision of the manuscript for Next of Kin, the first novel in my Timber Bay Mystery Series. Adding and moving chapters around has meant lots of ironing out the “ripple effects” of the changes. I've just started a month-long online revision workshop through Sisters in Crime to help me get my arms around the many-tentacled beast my manuscript seems to have turned into.
With the technical help of my amazing husband, Morgan Conrad, I've also been launching a vastly revised jennakinghorn.com author web site...working on this newsletter...and dipping my toes into the waters of social media with Instagram (@jenna_kinghorn)
Plus, there were these things called HOLIDAYS.
Basically, my writing and publishing journey is taking longer than I planned. (Story of my life...)
What I’m Consuming
Including audiobooks, I read (and re-read!) several mystery and science fiction or fantasy books per week.
Recent mystery standouts:
- Dying Cry, by Margaret Mizushima (see below for more)
- A Farewell to Arfs, by Spencer Quinn
- Exiles, by Jane Harper
- Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz
- Assault and Pepper, by Leslie Budewitz
- The Queen Who Came in from the Cold, by S.J. Bennett
- Murder Takes a Vacation, by Laura Lippman
- Death at Greenway, by Lori Rader-Day
Recent science fiction or fantasy standouts:
- Accomplice to the Villain, by Hanna Nicole Maehxer
- Swordheart, by T. Kingfisher
I don’t watch as much video, but over the holidays we re-watched the extended editions of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it held up very well. I also recently enjoyed these on various streaming services:
- The Thursday Murder Club
- Ballard
- Lynley
- Countdown
- Return to Paradise
Where I’ve Been
In early October, my husband and I took a short trip to Victoria, B.C., Canada, crossing the border on the Coho ferry from Port Angeles, WA. Ostensibly a wedding anniversary celebration (20 years!), the focus was largely on taking our first road trip with Mia, the 3-year-old Irish Water Spaniel we adopted earlier this year. She was a good traveler overall—polite and relaxed while sitting with us in the ferry, good walking the busier streets of a city, and easy-going in our hotel room. Unlike our previous dogs, Mia barks her head off when left in the car, so we weren’t able to go to a museum or eat in a restaurant. Something for us to work on...
On October 23, I had the pleasure of doing an “In Conversation With”-style interview with my friend and mentor, mystery writer Margaret Mizushima, as she celebrated the publication of Dying Cry, the excellent TENTH book in her Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries series.
Have You Read Anything By Margaret Mizushima?
When people ask me for book recommendations, I tend to think in terms of writers and their series, rather than individual books…and this month I’m recommending Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries.
Set in a fictional mountain town in Colorado (except book nine, Gathering Mist, which takes place on my beloved Olympic Peninsula), the series follows the personal and professional growth of Deputy Mattie Cobb as she takes on the assignment of handling the Sheriff Department’s new K-9 police dog, Robo. On the job, Robo helps Mattie find everything from missing persons to illicit materials, chase down and apprehend dangerous criminals, and gain the respect and support of her law-enforcement colleagues.
As emotionally attuned as he is intelligent, Robo also helps Mattie access her long-suppressed emotions as she unravels the mysteries surrounding her family of origin and copes with memories of her troubled childhood. A young, energetic German Shepherd, Robo brings light and laughter into Mattie’s life outside of work, helps her make new friends, and steadies her through the ups and downs of a budding romance with Robo’s handsome veterinarian.
I really enjoyed the latest entry in the series, Dying Cry, which has newlywed Deputy Mattie Cole and her canine partner Robo investigating a suspicious death in the hazardous winter conditions of Colorado’s high country. In addition to the fascinating detective work and K-9 handling that feature in all of Margaret’s stories, there’s a harrowing search-and-rescue in a rockfall, interesting glimpses behind-the-scenes of mountain resort operations, a good lineup of plausible murder suspects, and stakes that are higher than ever for Mattie and her new family. Dying Cry is a fast-paced, adventurous, high-tension read!
The series will appeal to readers who love dogs, strong female protagonists, small town police procedurals, outdoor adventure, and a hint of romance.
My Furry Muses
Butch (gray and white) and Sundance (black and white) LOVE the toys we call “cat dancers”—picture a miniature fishing pole, but with a toy such as a fake mouse, an imitation snake, or an artificial bird dangling from the line. My husband or I play with our indoor-only cats using the cat dancers for ten or fifteen minutes at a time a couple times each day to give them a good workout. They really get into it, and often pull the toys right out of our hands. The cats would continue the game on their own if we let them, but I’m a little worried about them getting tangled up and injured without supervision, so we always put the cat dancers away after our play sessions.
A few weeks ago, watching TV one evening, I heard strange sounds behind me, and turned to find Butch hard at work, trying to get the cat dancers out of the drawer where we store them. I watched in amazement—and pulled out my phone to snap photos—as he patiently teased the entire snake-like cat dancer through the small opening that is the drawer pull of the Ikea storage unit, then went back for the other one as his brother Sundance started to play with the snake. I eventually took pity on Butch and opened the drawer enough for him to get the bulky toy out.
To my surprise, Butch kept working on opening the drawer farther, even though he had access to both of the cat dancers, and there was nothing left in the drawer. I opened the drawer to show him it was empty…and he promptly slithered into it and made himself comfortable.
So maybe he wanted a fort instead of the toys?
I will probably never understand the mind of a cat, but they sure are fun to observe.
That's it until the middle of next month. Thanks for being a reader! – Jenna