Marigolds and Murder
What good is it to know the truth if you’re powerless to change it?
Philadelphia, 1950.
Nobody suspects that private detective Katsumi Okazaki uses prophecy magic to solve her cases. But her uncanny “intuition” at finding the truth can’t help her prove that her new client’s wife was murdered. Not when everyone else is convinced the death was accidental. To make matters more complicated, Kat’s new client is an Exalter—afflicted with unpredictable magical abilities as collateral damage from the war—and her story stirs up Kat’s own painful memories of displacement and the love she lost.
Luckily, Kat has plenty of practice burying her personal problems under a mountain of work. She sets out with her ethically questionable but trustworthy assistant to find evidence and catch the killer. But dread creeps in when she realizes she’s being tailed. Is someone trying to thwart her investigation, or does the government still not trust her?
Either way, Kat can’t let her client down. And if what her magic tells her is real, then catching the killer might not be enough . . . not if she’s going to be able to live with herself when it’s done.
The first book in The Exalted series, Marigolds and Murder is a queer fantasy murder mystery that blends WWII history with magic.
2025 Indie Ink Award Finalist Categories
Best Friendship: Kat & Emrah
Side Character MVP: Emrah Stojanovic
Writing the Future We Need: LGBTQ+ Representation
Best book Cover and Cover Artist
Prettiest Book Interior
2026 Indieverse Award Nominations
Best Friendship: Kat & Emrah
Irreplaceable Side Character: Emrah Stojanovic
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View the Art Gallery for Marigolds and Murder
Light Scene - Kat saving Agent Esqueda from Marigolds and Murder. Illustrated by Kat Kraehen.
Milkshake Scene - Kat and Maiki getting milkshakes after dinner. Illustrated by Odette Locke.
Wet Emrah - Emrah washing up in Kat's office bathroom after returning from the courier's apartment. Pinup celebration for Indie Ink Awards nomination of MVP Side Character and Indieverse Awards Irreplaceable Sidekick. Illustrated by Kat Kraehen.
Breakfast Scene - Kat and Emrah enjoy breakfast together from Marigolds and Murder. Illustrated by Odette Locke.
Smoke Scene - Emrah grabbing Kat while she holds the vials from Marigolds and Murder. Illustrated by Odette Locke.
Gun Scene - Kat confronted by Agent Esqueda from Marigolds and Murder. Illustrated by Odette Locke.
Office Scene - Kat and Emrah in Kat's office. Fan art illustrated by Odette Locke.