Let's Talk with Terry Ambrose

Every mystery writer knows: the best-laid plans are just begging for a plot twist.

We’re currently on a road trip to Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks—a journey we started planning months ago. Then Life stepped in like an uninvited antagonist and said, “Not so fast, buddy.” We almost cancelled everything. But mystery writers don’t give up easily. We waited. We plotted. And tomorrow, we’ll finally reach Zion National Park.

But here’s where real life mirrors fiction: getting there meant navigating our own series of unexpected twists.

The first twist? What we’ve dubbed The Water Pitcher Debacle.

Twist #1: The Water Pitcher Debacle

We normally travel with a water pitcher—saves money, cuts plastic waste, the usual virtues. This trip? I’d left it behind in a last-minute bag swap.

No problem. I’d just buy a new one. Target had my order ready in an hour. Crisis averted, right?

Wrong.

Back at the hotel, I discovered a crack running along the top.

Fine. I drove back to Target and exchanged it. Standing at customer service, I even joked with the clerk: “This time, I’d like one without a crack, please.” We both laughed.

Back at the hotel, I opened the package. No crack! Victory!

Then the handle fell off. Just… fell off. Clean into my wife’s hand like evidence at a crime scene.

It was 8 PM. I stared at that handleless pitcher and made an executive decision: Target could wait until morning. Some battles aren’t worth fighting in the dark.

Twist #2: Your Account Has Been Deactivated

The next morning brought a new mystery: our electric Leaf had been charging overnight, but when I opened the Nissan app to check its status, I got a chilling message.

Your account has been deactivated.

I called Nissan immediately. They were closed. Wouldn’t open until 6 AM.

When I finally got through, I spent 45 minutes on hold. Twenty minutes in, I knew this wasn’t just my problem—this was something bigger. When a representative finally answered, she confirmed my suspicion: a “data disruption” was affecting all 2026 Nissan vehicles.

Their timeline? Fixed within 24 hours. They hoped.

Twist #3: It’s a Birthday! For Route 66

We left Palm Desert that morning an hour and a half late—pitcher-less, app-less, but determined.

On the road to Kingman, Arizona, we stopped at the Historic Route 66 Gateway Site outside Needles. I’ll be honest: the site itself was underwhelming. But here’s the twist—we’d stumbled into Route 66’s 100th birthday celebration.

Suddenly, the highway was alive. Antique cars gleaming in the desert sun. A whole festival we’d had no idea existed.

Sometimes the best discoveries happen when your original plans (or, at least, their parts) break.

Do You Love a Good Twist?

Every good mystery has a three-act structure. As I write this, we’re somewhere in Act Two of this road trip—mishaps behind us, Zion still ahead, and who knows what plot complications await?

That’s the thing about both road trips and mystery writing: you can plan the route, but you can’t script the detours. In my latest Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, Death by Blueprint, Rick and Alex discover that building a future in their charming coastal town may come at a deadly price. Like us on this trip, they face one twist after another—some threatening, some surprising, all leading somewhere unexpected.

Of course, it’s a cozy mystery, so the good guys win. But the fun? That’s in the journey.

What about you? What’s the best (or worst) twist you’ve experienced in life? Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it.

The photos in this post are from the author’s personal photo collection.

—–

Want to know more about our author Terry Ambrose? Visit his WEBSITE.

Did you enter our May giveaway? If not, hurry on over to enter to win two cozy mysteries. The entry period closes tomorrow, so today’s the day to get yourself in gear. To enter the contest, CLICK HERE.