Did you know you can sand your fingerprints off? I didn’t—until I got swept up in a spring DIY project and couldn’t unlock my phone with my finger anymore. No fingerprints.

Naturally, I had to investigate—because, mystery writer——and discovered that sanding, burning, and chemical dissolving are all legit ways to erase fingerprints. And it will take about a month for mine to grow back.

And where did I find the most disturbing and complete how-to guide on the topic?
On FBI.gov.

Apparently, the agency that catches criminals also publishes their own DIY tutorials on how to dodge them.

So what were my important takeaways from these do-it-yourself guides to crime evasion? Mostly, that I should stick to cozy mysteries—and buy some work gloves.

Every parent thinks their baby is the cutest. Same goes for dog owners. And apparently… authors with bookmarks.

I’m giving away a batch of these adorable bookmarks, originally created for local bookstores to highlight the hometown connection in Postmarked for Peril. They turned out so cute, I couldn’t resist making a version to share with readers.

Want one? Enter the free raffle! I’ll announce the winners in next month’s newsletter.