D.R. Ransdell Follow

Thanks for visiting my author page! I’m a writer, traveler, teacher, and musician. I’m also a night owl—how else would I have time for any writing? Although I’m from Springfield, Illinois, after a lovely stint in Durango, Durango, Mexico (where I really learned Spanish), I settled in Tucson, Arizona, where the sun is strong and pools are inviting. Whenever possible, I play in a mariachi band. We used to play at a restaurant, but now we’re like doctors—we make house calls!

My main focus consists of humorous murder mysteries. While that combination might sound unlikely, it mimics the trumpet-violin duet in a mariachi band. The two instruments clash and harmonize in interesting ways. In a murder mystery, something terrible happens, but the characters maintain a sense of humor. They’d go crazy otherwise!

My latest mystery features my favorite setting so far. In The Cézanne Chihuahua, an American art teacher goes for a dream vacation in the Côte d’Azur, but his summer gets complicated when he’s accused of murdering his best friend. Party Wine capitalizes on my Italian relatives’ hometown. Years ago, my cousins made the mistake of telling me to visit “anytime,” and I have!

Besides five mariachi-themed murder mysteries, I have a series of travel novels. The first one takes place in Greece, but the latest one features Orvieto, a lovely town in Italy where I’ve often taught classes.