Deborah Madar’s newest book “Deeper Dive” is the first in a mystery series set in imagined Westfield. Submitted photo

BEMUS POINT — Bemus Point author Deborah Madar is looking to take a deeper dive into the world of the mystery genre with her new book “Deeper Dive.”

Madar wrote her first book, “Convergence” in 2014. She retired from her job as an English teacher a few years before, and her son, who is also a writer, suggested that she try to write her own novels. Madar followed his advice and said it “grew from there.” Her second novel “Dark Riddle” was published in 2020 and “Deeper Dive” is her third.

The new book is the first planned in Madar’s new mystery series “The Merrill Connor Mystery Series” and was released on May 15.

“Deeper Dive” focuses on retired and widowed librarian Merrill Connor, who is ready to give up on life after the recent loss of her husband. Her friends refuse to let her give up and inspire her to instead become a podcaster, and Connor eventually grows a significant fan base. On the podcast Connor delves into a cold case of a local woman who vanished 20 years ago, and this “deeper dive” into that mystery accidentally leads her right into the path of the killer.

Madar said this book differs from her first two in the sense that the book is a classic “who did it?” story.

“My other two books were suspense thrillers and though there is a murder in each one, readers know very early on who did it,” Madar said. “The other two focus on the answer to why the killer did it, while this one is focused on who did it and who was it that caused this woman to disappear 20 years ago.”

Another special aspect of Madar’s new book is that it is set in an imagined Westfield. Madar said this means that the setting is but also is not Westfield, and that people may recognize some similarities along the way.

“The Amish community and Lilydale play small roles,” Madar said. “It is set locally, but it is also fiction.”

So far, Madar said she has had really good reader reviews on places like Amazon. At the moment she is well into writing the second planned book for the Merrill Connor Mystery series, though she has not settled on a title yet. Madar guesses that there will be at least three in the series.

Currently, “Deeper Dive” is also getting local attention.

“I’m proud and overwhelmed at the amount of book clubs I have requesting to read the book or for me to come visit,” Madar said. “There are seven book clubs right now, including library book clubs and the AAUW. That’s a lot for a local author.”

Madar has spoken at the Hazeltine Library and Bemus Point Library, with plans to speak at the Dunkirk Library’s mystery book club in July. She is also scheduled at the Shorewood Country Club in September and other book clubs and libraries, including the Mayville Library, in the coming months.

Madar said the notice “Deeper Dive” is getting is exciting for her because her last book did not receive as much as it was published in the middle of the pandemic.

Madar advised anyone who is also looking to be an author and to write their own novels to not be discouraged.

“I say if you love it, do it,” Madar said. “The publishing business is awful. It’s a tough gig, but if you love writing do it anyway. I had a great career teaching and now I have a great one writing. Especially if you start young, don’t get discouraged. I have a small publisher who has published all three of my books, and that works for me. It’s a tough business but you should do it because you love it.”

“Deeper Dive” is available now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback, along with at local bookstores Good Neighbor Bookstore and Genre Bookstore. It is also a part of the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus County Library System.