Murder at the Waterfront
(The Academic Mom Mysteries)
by Jacque Rosman
About Murder at the Waterfront
Murder at the Waterfront (The Academic Mom Mysteries)
Traditional Mystery/Amateur Sleuth
3rd in Series
Setting – Washington D.C.
Publisher : Speaking Volumes, LLC
Publication date : May 19, 2026
Print length : 230 pages
Paperback ISBN-13 : 979-8890224279
ASIN : B0H2C46SXZ
Digital ISBN-13 : 979-8890224262
ASIN : B0H279G98V
She’s mastered the art of work-life balance—until murder tips the scales.
Assistant professor Cara Knight juggles raising two preschoolers, teaching social work, and chasing tenure, with a dean intent on derailing her hopes. When one of her students is arrested for murdering Washington D.C.’s chief medical examiner, and Cara inserts herself into the investigation, she risks far more than her career. Convinced of her student’s innocence, Cara stumbles into a tangle of city politics, grieving families, and secrets someone would kill to keep buried.
Can she diagnose the cause of death before she too ends up in the morgue?
Murder at the Waterfront is Book Three in the Academic Mom Mysteries. If you like clever sleuths, dry humor, and twisty whodunits, then you’ll love Jacque Rosman’s well-plotted puzzle.
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
With Protagonist Cara Knight
What words or phrases do they overuse? Like most mothers, “guilt” comes up, especially since I left the kids with a babysitter a couple of times in Murder at the Waterfront to pursue leads. I might overuse phrases when talking to my kids—half the time I was reading from a daily script (“Let’s get dressed,” “clean up,” “get ready,” “brush teeth,” “have a bath,” “go to bed”) over and over again—such as the word “no!” Even though I used at least double the number of positive commands (“Let’s bang pots and pans!” instead of “Don’t bang your sister on the head with your Superman doll!”), it still added up to a lot of no’s.
Do they have a catchphrase? I introduce myself in crime-solving situations, unless I have a special reason for using my mother role, which I did at a playground in Georgetown to sniff out information about the victim’s family: “I'm Alyssa and Noah’s mom, just here watching the kids play.” It’s like a badge I flash for credibility while snooping.
Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? I consider myself a realist. Throughout Murder at the Waterfront, I see the seedy side and don’t shy away. Instead, I want to expose the corruption and get justice served.
Are they introverted or extroverted? Most academics are introverts—much of the research and writing is a solitary pursuit, and I am true to form. To add to the natural isolation of the job, I work at an off-campus program and so come into contact with very few colleagues. I am meeting new mothers like me through preschool for the kids. But even that can get old, especially when the social dynamics involve Queen Bee mothers. Sometimes, sad to say, that becomes one of the motives for getting involved with a crime because then I at least have a good reason to actively seek out people to talk to and interview.
Do they ever put on airs? Not putting on airs, but making sure people know my title so I have credibility and can gain access to information.
Bad habits: My husband would call it “sticking my neck out” all the way to “putting myself in danger.” I also hate to admit to a few small lies in the service of an investigation. I value honesty, but on a few occasions, I rationalize that it’s in the service of the greater good: solving a crime and correcting a social ill.
What makes them laugh out loud: Most of the humor is of the dry and ironic variety, poking fun at modern-day parenting, academic types, and interfering mothers-in-law.
How do they display affection: In Murder at the Waterfront, you’ll see me showing a lot of physical affection for the kids: kissing the tops of their heads, stroking their hair, blowing exaggerated kisses, scooping the kids into hugs, and sometimes a “full kangaroo hold.” Seth and I are also physically affectionate on screen (these mysteries are “clean” related to both sex and blood/gore): hand squeezes, hugs, and kisses hello and goodbye.
What would they change about themselves: Maybe being able to enjoy the small things in life. Instead, I crave the excitement of crime-solving.
Obsession: I pursue investigative leads relentlessly, even at professional (tenure) and physical risk (safety).
Pet peeves: Pretentious colleagues, the futility of grant writing, students who don’t do the reading and then want deadline extensions, police who won’t explore all their leads—in a word, many. Hopefully, these just become grist for the sardonic humor in Murder at the Waterfront.
Idiosyncrasies: High need for adult contact and excitement after being alone grading papers and writing articles for too long, along with the demands of daily caregiving. Somehow, I find crime-solving easier than locating research participants and winning grant awards!
About Jacque Rosman
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