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0000017c-60f7-de77-ad7e-f3f739cf0000Arts & More airs Fridays at 7:50 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.Theme music: "Like A Beginner Again" by Dan Barry of Seas of Jupiter

"The Greeks of Beaubien Street": Part murder mystery, part family drama

The book cover for 'The Greeks of Beaubien Street'
Suzanne Jenkins

Saugatuck Township resident Suzanne Jenkins has just released the first book in her series called The Greeks of Beaubien Street. The book is part murder mystery, part drama.The main character, Jill Zannos, is a homicide detective whose family owns a grocery store in Greektown in Detroit. Jenkins says Jill is always walking a fine line between her rough, modern job and her old-fashioned family. But Jill soon finds out that her family has a few secrets that makes her realize they are not as perfect as they seem.

Author Suzanne Jenkins at WMUK
Credit Rebecca Thiele, WMUK
Author Suzanne Jenkins at WMUK

Jenkins grew up in Greektown and she says a lot of what made her Greek, in her mind, was the food. She says her family didn't speak Greek or go to an orthodox church, but they always made Greek food in their home. In the book, Jenkins mentions many places that Detroit natives and Saugatuck resident might recognize, like Christo's Roadhouse in Douglas, Michigan. Jenkins other interest in policework helped fuse together this mix of family drama and a CSI-like mystery. Jenkins also used her knowledge as a former nurse to fill in the medical details.

She puts a lot of attention into human relationships, especially the how family members and spouses interact with each other. Jenkins says she put a lot of her experiences over the years in the book.

You can find Suzanne Jenkins' books on Amazon.com and in most local bookstores.

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