Murder, Mayhem and Mystery: Connecticut crime writers discuss how they write their books - where their ideas come from, how they plot the twists and turns, and how they develop their characters.

Panel: Sarah Blanchard, Kathleen Kalb, L.M. Pampuro, Manju Soni

 Sarah P. Blanchard is the author of the thriller Grabtown (2025) and the psychological suspense novel Drawn from Life (2024).  A Connecticut native and former teacher, radio journalist, horse trainer, and (briefly) volunteer firefighter, she now writes fiction and poetry from her home in Woodstock, CT.
 

 Kathleen Marple Kalb is an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York’s 1010 WINS Radio, she’s the author of a dozen mystery novels and more than three dozen short stories and podcast scripts. A past Vice President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the New York Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime, she currently serves as Co-Liaison for Marketing and Communications on the Sisters in Crime Board. Kathleen, her husband, and son live in a Connecticut house owned by a large calico cat. 

 L.M. Pampuro is the author of nine novels that include the Harlot’s series (grace and fire) and the Maximum series (Mayhem, Trouble, and Panic). She is an avid skier, loves dancing to live music, and possesses a warped sense of humor. For more information, please visit www.pampuro.com For release updates and concert photography, please visit Instagram.com/lmpampuro/
 

 Manju Soni, pen name MJ Soni, is the author of Defying Apartheid, her part-memoir about being a doctor activist in apartheid South Africa. Her debut mystery, to be released in July 2026, is The Masala Chai Mystery Club, and is perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. Set in coastal New England, it features a retired librarian and her chai-loving friends who involve themselves in solving the murder of their much-despised HOA president when his death has an uncanny similarity to their most recent book club read.