Local novelist’s book turned into television movie

by Dan Holland

For Brecksville novelist Connie Laux having one of her mystery novels turned into a movie has been a whirlwind. The Hallmark Mystery Channel film, “Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery,” which made its debut Aug. 2, is based on her novel “The Secrets of Bones.”

The novel is the second book in a three-part series centered around a cadaver dog. Laux, who writes under the pen name Kylie Logan, said the movie offer and subsequent filming process all happened quickly, much to her surprise.

“On Nov. 30, I received an email from a producer asking me if the movie rights were still available on my cadaver dog mystery series,” Laux explained. “I sent the producer’s information to my agent, and I didn’t think we would ever hear anything else from them. That evening, I received another email saying they were going to be making me an offer the following morning.”

Laux told her agent she didn’t believe the offer was legitimate.

“I thought it was a scam, but my agent called me back in the morning and told me that we had an offer,” she continued. “That was on Dec. 1, and by the time the contract got nailed down and the holidays passed, we talked again in mid-March, at which point they had a script and cast, and they were set to begin filming April 1. It was amazing how quickly it all came together.”

Although the novel, first published in 2020, is set in Cleveland – specifically the Tremont neighborhood – filiming took place mainly in Barrie and Orillia, Ontario; both located north of Toronto. The film was produced by Brain Power Studio Inc. headquartered in Newmarket, Ontario. Laux was invited to visit the set and cast during filming.

“I knew nothing about filmmaking, so watching it on set and seeing how it all happens was very interesting, and I got to meet the cast,” said Laux. “When they lined us up, and I was standing with the cast while people took photos of us, it struck me at that moment that I made all of these characters up, which was an odd moment. It was so much fun learning how the filming process is done and the crew it takes to make it all happen. They filmed the 90-minute-long movie in 13 days, which is pretty amazing.”

Laux’s Airedale Terrier, Eliot, is featured on the book’s cover.

“One of the things in all three books I point out is how dogs can take a scent in when they inhale and exhale, as their sense of smell is vastly more sensitive than ours,” she said. “It was really fun coming up with those facts and putting them in the books. I think dog lovers really appreciate those kinds of things.”

Laux and her husband David, who have lived in Brecksville for 24 years, have two adult children. She has written 64 books, with her first novel being published in 1992.

“I have lots of ideas going on,” she said. “But recently, my head has been filled with publicity for this novel, so I haven’t had time for much else. But I’m working on some other mysteries, which I love. I like all the twists and turns and surprise endings found in mysteries.”

Laux’s “Jazz Ramsey Mysteries” three-book series, from Macmillan Publishers, can be found on Amazon.com. ∞

Photo: Connie Laux’s Hallmark Channel film is based on the second book in a three part series about a cadaver dog. Photo submitted.