Two award-winning mystery writers will share a stage at Barrett Bookstore on Friday, July 24, giving Fairfield County readers an early chance to meet debut novelist MJ Soni three days after her book's publication.

Soni and Korina Moss, author of the Agatha Award-winning Cheese Shop Mystery series, will appear in a free conversation-style event starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Darien bookstore, a short drive from Greenwich along the Post Road. Complimentary refreshments will be served, and both authors will sign copies after the talk, according to Barrett Bookstore's event listing.

A Connecticut debut rooted in diversity

Soni's first novel, "The Masala Chai Mystery Club," was published Tuesday, July 21, by Crooked Lane Books. The 336-page story follows retired librarian Neeti Shah and her diverse group of chai-loving friends who investigate the murder of a despised homeowners association president in a fictional coastal New England town modeled on Mystic, where Soni has lived for 25 years.

Before turning to fiction, Soni worked as an eye surgeon in South Africa and the United Kingdom, then developed prescription eye drugs at Pfizer after moving to the United States. Her short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and she was a runner-up for the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award.

"New England is often represented in cozy mysteries as white and I wanted to represent people of color," Soni said in an April profile with Stonington-Mystic Patch, explaining her motivation for writing the book.

Library Journal gave the novel a starred review, calling it a multicultural and multigenerational story with "intrigue, heart, and excellent storytelling."

Moss brings Agatha Award credentials

Korina Moss won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for "Cheddar Off Dead," the 2022 opener of her Cheese Shop Mystery series set in Sonoma Valley, California. The series, published by St. Martin's Press, now spans six books through "Bait and Swiss" in 2025. Moss is also a founding faculty member at Stone Lyon Society, a writing school for cozy and traditional mysteries.

How to attend

The event is free. Registration is appreciated and can be completed at barrettbookstore.com. Barrett Bookstore is located at 5 Corbin Drive, Darien, CT. The store's phone number is 203-655-2712.

The July 24 appearance is one of Soni's Connecticut bookstore stops, which also includes a Wednesday, July 29, event at RJ Julia Booksellers in Middletown.