18 books in The Aloha Chicken Mystery series

By Sally Jack
Contributing Writer
Eighteen books in the Aloha Chicken Mysteries are the result of a unique collaboration of talent between the dynamic wife-husband duo Josi Avari and Richard Russell.
Josi tells the story with words, while Richard does the same with his artwork in this popular cozy mystery series set on the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
The cover of each book in the Aloha series is designed to look like a traditional Hawaiian shirt, while the texture of the cover actually feels like Hawaiian shirt fabric.
Reader-detectives who look at the cover artwork closely enough will have the fun of discovering that Richard has woven clues right into the shirt pattern.
“That’s why doing these cozy mysteries is so much fun. We can work together. It’s a team effort,” says Richard.
So how did this team end up writing about chickens?
Josi relates, “When we were on vacation in Hawaii, a family of chickens was in the yard at our AirBnB and the idea for this mystery series ‘just hatched.’”
The pair published a dozen-and-a-half books, all centered on a chicken theme with clever titles. A local woman who recently finished reading the whole series said, “I really enjoyed reading the Aloha Chicken Mysteries. They are a good read, and always surprise me at the end.”
Josi is an established author. She has written 25 novels, one novella, and three or four short stories which have been published in collections. Josi writes under two pen names: Josi Avari for her cozy mysteries, and Josi Russell for her science fiction.
Her first books to be published were science fiction, beginning with The Caretaker, followed by Guardians. Sentinel rounded off the three-book series.
Her next work was another science fiction book titled, Shadows of Empyriad.
As a child, Jose loved reading mysteries and always wanted to write mysteries someday. The Aloha Chicken Mysteries are her first cozy mystery collection.
The 18 Aloha Chicken books, and Josi’s other works, may be purchased at the San Juan Record Bookstore or online.
The Desperate Strangers Travel Club, her next cozy mystery series, will be a set of five books, with the first one slated to come out in February. She is also working on The Word Witch, another set of five cozy mysteries.
Josi’s books are clean and uplifting. “It is really important to me that when people read my stories, they get something uplifting with it. I try to keep it a positive experience for my readers, so that they can get lost in the story without worrying about coming across material that makes them uncomfortable,” the author says.
“It’s always been characters for me,” she said. “I love people and I love characters, so great characters are at the heart and core of the stories I write.
“The murders in my mysteries are secondary to the characters, their relationships, their motivations, their opportunities, and their personalities.”
Richard Russell received a BFA in illustration from Brigham Young University, but says as an artist, “you gotta love it enough that you’ll do the practice it requires to become really good at it.”
Richard loves art in all its forms. He works in all mediums but his personal favorite is oil painting because of the depth and transparency it creates.
Each year he shows his work at several art shows throughout the country. He also enjoys participating in “Plein Air” competitions, where artists work outdoors with a limited amount of time to catch the picture before the light changes. He has even painted in the rain with an umbrella over his canvas!
Artist Rick notes that with Plein Air art you have to pick and choose what you do. You have to make decisions quickly and solve problems on the spot.
“It’s challenging, and it’s a risk,” he says, “but it is fun, and you can also get some fun things going.”
People often come and watch the artists paint at these events, and later buy his artwork. Richard adds, “Sometimes I don’t even meet the buyers, but I usually get a thank you letter.”
Richard does commission work, but he also loves to draw people and to do narrative painting, which allows for more personal interpretation.
Lately Richard has been working on landscapes. He is currently working on a series of seven 4 x 5 foot murals of the Bookcliffs for a hotel in Green River.
His artwork can be seen at Monticello Elementary School, the UNHS healthcare building in Blanding, the Ensign or Liahona magazines published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the art museum in Springville Utah, to name a few.

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