Pagel, Tempa

PERSONAL:

Born in Pontiac, MI; married; children: a son and daughter (Maggie). Education: Oakland University, B.A.; Fitchburg State College, M.Ed.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Newburyport, MA. E-mail—tempapagel@yahoo.com.

CAREER:

Writer and educator. Has worked as a publicist, a freelance writer, a church school administrator, and middle school special education teacher.

WRITINGS:

Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple: An Andy Gammon Mystery, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

In her first mystery, Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple: An Andy Gammon Mystery, Tempa Pagel introduces readers to researcher and amateur sleuth Andy Gammon and her sidekick and mother-in-law, Mayta. When Andy is hired to update the town history of Newburyport and begins conducting research in an old church, she discovers the body of a long-ago murdered teen in the church's steeple. Later the body of a man who was restoring the church's steeple is found in the church. As a result, Andy ends up investigating both the old and new murders. In the process, she raises the ire of longtime residents whose ancestors may have had something to do with the old murder and, at the same time, also becomes the modern murderer's next intended victim. "It is an intriguing tale with just a hint of history that many readers will truly enjoy," wrote a contributor to the Love Romances Web site. Other viewers also praised Pagel's first novel. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that the author "hits the bull's-eye in her first attempt with … intriguing dollops of history and crusty characters." Harriet Klausner, writing on her Web site, remarked: "Tempa Pagel provides a fine whodunit, past and present, that readers will enjoy."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2006, review of Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple: An Andy Gammon Mystery, p. 66.

ONLINE

Harriet Klausner's Book Reviews,http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/ (July 13, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple.

Love Romances,http://www.loveromances.com/ (July 13, 2007), review of Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple.

Tempa Pagel Home Page,http://www.tempapagel.com (July 13, 2007).