Bluffton residents know her as Lucinda Stratton Guthrie. She writes mystery books under the pen name Bluette Matthey.

Today she lives in Béziers in the south of France with her husband and, as she puts it, two demanding cats. (As an additional Bluffton connection, her brother is Rodney Stratton.)

The former Blufftonite and BHS grad says she grew up reading mysteries and being frightened to death as a child watching Alfred Hitchcock on Friday nights. The result: “Two Murders Too Many,” Bluette’s latest mystery. 

Background on her books
Bluette says she combines her two passions in her Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery Series, with her protagonist, trekker Hardy Durkin, taking readers to Corsica, Dalmatia, Abruzzo, Italy, The Black Forest, Germany, and the Swiss Engadine Valley.

“Hardy is never far from a murder or two and invariably finds the key to solving the crimes,” she says.

She visits, and often hike, each locale featured in her books, focusing on the region’s history, culture, and food as backdrop for her mysteries. Her treks mimic less strenuous versions than those of her protagonist, Hardy.

“Murders Too Many” synopsis
“Two Murders Too Many” is a break from her travel mystery series, zeroing in on characters in the small  “imaginary”” town of Shannon, Ohio, with shadowy facets of their lives. 

These secrets are gradually uncovered by Charlie Simmons, acting police chief. He’s in way over his head on this one in "Two Murders Too Many," but Charlie has never been known to back down from a challenge: in this case, two murders and a string of blackmail victims showcasing the Who’s Who of Shannon.

The author says that “Two Murders Too Many,” is an adaptation of events from her father’s childhood.

More about the author
"I come from a heritage of story tellers. Author Gene Stratton Porter is part of my family tree, but more closely and importantly, my father, Rolland, was an amazing raconteur who enthralled his family and friends with tales of his youth in Bluffton.

"My dad had a knack for capturing the personalities of these various characters, and he gave lively renditions of their vaunted escapades to spellbound listeners who never tired of hearing them." 

Click here to visit her website and learn more about her books.