Former Missourian reporter Mark Bliss publishes third mystery novel

Local author Mark Bliss — a former Southeast Missourian reporter who is now on the Cape Girardeau City Council — is taking readers on a third trip to Elmwood, Missouri, to unravel a murder mystery once again.

The third installment of Bliss’ Elmwood mystery series, "The Flynn House Murders”, was published in February.

Like his previous novels, this one is inspired by the Cape Girardeau community.

Mark Bliss

Readers will be able to once again go along with newspaper reporters Connor Tate and Rachel Short, who also starred in the previous books. Bliss said that while readers do not have to have read the first two books to understand this newer one, the novels do build on each other.

“The Flynn House Murders” is loosely formed around the background history of the Glenn House and the Broadway Theatre in Cape Girardeau.

The story follows the murder of a would-be murder mystery writer. Subsequent deaths lead the reporters on a search for clues to uncover the truth and a family’s tragedies dating back a dozen years.

One question Bliss said he gets asked is why he made his heroes newspaper reporters. He said that since he is a retired reporter, he knows the job, but that he also believes there are not too many stories with the reporters being the good guys.

“I firmly believe in journalism and believe in a free press. So often reporters are criticized; everyone wants to dump on the media and jump on the messenger," he said.

"And I thought, you know, I want to make the reporters my heroes because I believe in the good work that’s done by journalists and, you know, plus I was a newspaper reporter. So that’s a business I understand. So that’s kind of why I did that. I doubt there’s very many mysteries out there where the reporters are the good guys, but they are in my novels.” Bliss said.

Bliss’ novels are available on Amazon and Kindle. Signed copies may be purchased in Cape Girardeau at Visit Cape, 220 N. Fountain St., and the Glenn House, 325 S. Spanish St. Book signings will be held in the coming months. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/author/elmwoodmysteries.