You don’t have to have lived in the 1950s to enjoy The Man that got Away. However, it is eminently easier to understand if you’re from England.
There is a murder, a con man, and a criminal mastermind in Brighton, a beach town on the English coast in1957. Only young Constable Twitten has a chance to solve the crime if his bungling co-workers don’t stop him.
I read many British mysteries. But this series continues to confuse me with Briticisms and product names available only in England. Possibly only in the past. My Kindle dictionary doesn’t even know what they mean. I also don’t like or relate to the bumbling policemen. They have an office cleaner who is really a master criminal. Their chief didn’t notice he was being conned by the local wax museum. Reading The Man that got Away forces the reader to totally suspend disbelief.
While I enjoyed this entry, the second, more than the first, I still believe it was only good—not great. Still the mystery itself was entertaining. Plus I enjoyed the delights and surprises of an English beach town. 3 stars.
Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: British, cozy mystery, Oct 15 2019
When an acclaimed local potter is killed by suffocation, he is truly Molded 4 Murder.
In Glendale Arizona, Phee is a bookkeeper at Williams Investigations, a private detective firm. One day two acquaintances come in asking for Phee’s help. Someone is stealing small items at their luxurious retirement residence hotel. Tuna cans, yarn, olives, a $5 bill, and an old jar don’t sound like much but it means someone has access to their locked apartments. Phee agrees to look into the thefts. After all, she is a former police officer.
I enjoyed the characters most of all. Phee and her newish boyfriend/co-worker Marshall’s romance is moving forward nicely. You can feel the attraction. The retirees of Sun City West, including Phee’s mother, feel genuine—not generic—too. And who wouldn’t want to pal around with the enterprising Phee for a day or two?
The multitude of mysteries is intriguing too. The twists and turns in the plot allowing all to be unveiled at the conclusion are skillfully created by the author.
If you like your cozy mysteries with a touch of romance and humor, I highly recommend Molded 4 Murder. 4 stars!
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Also, we will be attending the Tucson Festival of Books on March 14, 15, 2020, in Tucson, Arizona. Ann will be moderating a panel and we’ll be on board for book signings.
Thank you both for taking the time to answer my questions!
Don’t forget to enter the contest for one of three paperback copies of the book below!
Molded 4 Murder (Sophie Kimball Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Kensington (August 27, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1496719905
ISBN-13: 978-1496719904
Digital ASIN: B07L2FJ1PN
A view to a kiln …
Sophie “Phee” Kimball enjoys working as a bookkeeper for a private investigator. If only her mother Harriet could enjoy her retirement at Sun City West in Arizona—instead of constantly getting involved with retirees being prematurely put out to pasture. This time Quentin Dussler, a prominent member of the clay sculpting club, was found dead, clutching a piece of paper scrawled with Phee’s mother’s name.
Terrified she’s been targeted by assassins, Harriet begs Phee to investigate. What Phee uncovers is a complicated scheme that only the most diabolical of murderers would ever devise. And as she chisels away at confusing clues and potential suspects, Phee unearths something far more precious and valuable than she could imagine. Eager for answers, she takes a bold step—placing herself in the crosshairs of a stonefaced killer …
Ann I. Goldfarb
New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, she has authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington) was released in June 2017. In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name. Visit the websites at www.jceatonauthor.com and www.timetravelmysteries.com
James E. Clapp
When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb. His first novel, Booked 4 Murder
Visit their website at www.jceatonauthor.com and Like and Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play
October 15 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 15 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 16 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 16 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 16 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
October 17 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – GUEST POST
October 18 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
October 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 18 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
October 19 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 19 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
October 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 20 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 21 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW
October 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 22 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 22 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Giveaways, Mystery & Thrillers Tagged with: amateur detective, Aug 27 2019, cozy mystery
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
From award-winning novelist Cherie Claire comes
a new paranormal mystery series.
They say there are blessings from Hurricane Katrina. For Viola Valentine of New
Orleans, it was losing her dead-end job and leaving behind a loveless marriage
and an overbearing family.
But the storm also blew open a psychic door. Now she sees ghosts who have died
by water.
As she enters her new career as a travel writer, solving mysteries that appear
with apparitions everywhere she goes, the one person she hopes to speak to — her
daughter who died of leukemia years before — continues to elude her.
Amazon
* B&N
* Apple *
Google
Play * Kobo
* Smashwords
Every day at dusk, in a small Louisiana town,
the dead emerge from Lorelei Lake. And travel writer Viola Valentine must use
her “gift” of seeing ghosts to rid this town of its apparitions. Viola
struggles not only with the task-at-hand but hopes that this evolving ability
she obtained after Hurricane Katrina will help her reach her beloved
Lillye.
Yet, the more Viola struggles to talk to her departed daughter, the more
frustrated she gets. Plus, it’s 2008, the height of the Great Recession, travel
jobs are hard to come by, and her suffocating family and ex-husband keep making
demands. She takes solace in a new love interest, one who teaches her how to
harness her anger.
In the end, Viola realizes that only love can solve her problems, from ridding
ghosts of lakeside towns to healing a broken heart.
Ghost Town, book two in the Viola Valentine Mystery Series by award-winning
author Cherie Claire.
Award-winning novelist Cherie Claire continues
her paranormal mystery series as travel writer Viola Valentine takes a trek
down the historic Natchez Trace of Mississippi. Traveling with her is an
adventurous heiress who’s been dead since 1860 and a living fellow travel
writer who’s not what he seems. In the end, it’s a showdown between good and
evil, and a bargain made with the devil at the crossroads may be Viola’s final
undoing.
Book Three in the Viola Valentine Paranormal Mystery Series.
Posted in Book Tour, Giveaways, Mystery & Thrillers, Paranormal Tagged with: cozy mystery, spotlight
It’s that time of the year, where I start making my list and checking it twice for the newly released and new-to-me holiday books. From November 1 until January 7, I only read novels (and pretty much watch Christmas movies exclusively) set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. There is just something about Christmas themed entertainment that cheers me up and boosts my spirit. I like to immerse myself as much as I can into the holiday season. My love of the Christmas/holiday season was one of the reasons my new series, Merry & Bright Handcrafted mysteries, features a heroine who loves the holiday and has built a crafting business around her love for Christmas.
Since 2011, I have posted holiday reviews on my blog (The Self-Rescue Princess) and I’m going to share with you my Top 10 holiday reads from 2011-2018. I can’t wait to see/read if my list will change for next year. Please comment with some of your favorites or any new holiday books coming out (fiction or non-fiction, children, teen, or adult). I’m not picky when it comes to holiday books, well except I prefer less angsty books and definitely want a happy ending.
Happy Holiday Reading!
Better Watch Out (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Henery Press (October 15, 2019)
Hardcover: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 1635115108
ISBN-13: 978-1635115109
Paperback: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 1635115078
ISBN-13: 978-1635115079
Digital ASIN: B07VQST5YT
Making a list. Merry’s life is Christmas chaos. Her divorce is still in question. She’s behind on crafting orders. Ebenezer is an escape artist. And with one day left, she hasn’t completed the line-up for the annual Christmas parade, thanks to one grinch. Once Merry knows the Christmas secret, she realizes Santa isn’t what’s coming to town.
Checking it twice. Santa’s naughty list, courtesy of Jenna Wilcox, will roll down Main Street with names of residents who deserve a lump of coal in their stocking. Saving the parade won’t be easy, but Merry is up to task. Or so she thinks until she discovers Jenna’s body stashed in Santa’s sack.
Going to find out. As facts are unwrapped, Merry finds the line blurred between who’s naughty and nice. As threats are aimed at her and those she loves, Merry dashes for the truth before the murderer puts her on the naughty list and crosses her off for good.
Christina Freeburn has always loved books. There was nothing better than picking up a story and being transported to another place. The love of reading evolved into the love of writing and she’s been writing since her teenage years. Her first novel was a 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee. Her mysteries series, Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery and Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mysteries, are a mix of crafty and crime and feature heroines whose crafting time is interrupted by crime-solving.
Christina served in the US Army and has also worked as a paralegal, librarian, church secretary, and golf shop pro. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid and allergic to felines.
Webpage: www.christinafreeburn.com
Blog: www.theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaFreeburnCraftyandCrimeAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChristinaFreeburn
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo
October 15 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
October 15 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
October 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 16 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW
October 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
October 17 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST
October 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
October 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW*, GIVEAWAY
October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
October 19 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
October 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
October 22 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 22 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
October 23 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 23 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
October 24 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
October 24 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW*
October 25 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW*
October 25 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
October 25 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: Christmas, cozy mystery, Oct 15 2019
By Lucy Richardson from the Lighthouse Library Series by Eva Gates
My employment contract says “other duties as assigned”.
I guess descending toward the center of the earth qualifies. Although I’d rather it didn’t.
Let me explain. The Bodie Island Lighthouse, in which our library is situated is old and in need of repair. After a lot of fund-raising (as described in Something Read Something Dead) the library community came up with the needed funds and work began.
Work was well underway and all progressing well when suddenly… it wasn’t.
Deep in the earth at the base of the lighthouse tower, the crew found a tin box. Just a box (thank heavens they didn’t find a skeleton or old bones) but it is a potentially historical relic, after all it wasn’t put there yesterday. So someone from the library had to go down and get it.
Bertie James, our director, refused outright. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her face quite that shade of pale. It seems she’s severely claustrophobic. Who knew?
In her panic. Bertie turned to the closest person, shoved the hard hat at her, and ordered her to descend into the pit in her place
That closest person just happened to be me. Conscious of my interrupted performance review, I reluctantly did as I’d been asked. It wasn’t too awful. I didn’t care for the sense of the earth closing around me, but Zack went ahead of me and we didn’t have too far to go. We got the box and carried it up. Now we’ll all troop into the library to open it and see what we have. It might be quite exciting. We don’t know if the box was deliberately buried there or someone dropped it and didn’t care enough to go in after it.
I only hope whatever it is it doesn’t lead to another murder at the Lighthouse Library.
Read and Buried: A Lighthouse Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Crooked Lane Books (October 15, 2019)
Hardcover: 325 Pages
ISBN-10: 1643852337
ISBN-13: 978-1643852331
Digital ASIN: B07P9MQV3F
Librarian Lucy Richardson unearths a mysterious map dating back to the Civil War. But if she can’t crack its code, she may end up read and buried.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library’s foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code.
The library is overrun by people clamoring to see the artifact. Later that night, Lucy and Connor McNeil find the body of historical society member Jeremy Hughes inside the library. Clearly Jeremy was not the only one who broke into the library–the map and the coded page are missing.
Lucy’s nemesis, Louise Jane McKaughnan, confesses to entering the library after closing to sneak a peek but denies seeing Jeremy–or his killer. When Lucy discovers that fellow-librarian Charlene had a past with Jeremy, she’s forced to do what she vowed not to do–get involved in the case. Meanwhile, the entire library staff and community become obsessed with trying to decode the page. But when the library has a second break in, it becomes clear that someone is determined to solve that code.
Made with Repix (http://repix.it)
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea By The Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series and, as Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library books for Crooked Lane.
Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It crime writing festival. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Author Links
a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 7 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
October 7 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – Sapphyria’s Books
October 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 8 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
October 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 9 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST
October 9 – eBook Addicts – RECIPE POST
October 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
October 10 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
October 10 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 10 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW
October 11 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW
October 11 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
October 12 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 14 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 15 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 15 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
October 16 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 16 – Diane Reviews Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 17 – Curling up by the Fire – REVIEW
October 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST
October 18 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
October 18 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 18 – Reading Authors – REVIEW
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Oct 15 2019, series
“Don’t worry. I promise to stay completely out of it this time.” are the last words spoken by Assistant Librarian Lucy in Read and Buried before she gets involved up to her neck in the mystery and murder.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is being renovated to shore up its crumbling foundation. Workmen find an old tin box buried under the lighthouse. In it is an old, but unimportant, fishwife’s diary. Hidden within the diary’s pages is a map and a coded legend to decipher the map. Before anyone can solve the puzzle, a break-in occurs, the map and legend are stolen, and someone is killed in the library.
In Read and Buried, there are two mysteries. Who killed the victim and why? Plus where or to what does the coded map lead? Is there a connection between the library’s book club book, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the coded map?
I love the Lighthouse Library mysteries. The characters are like friends and family now. I read each book to catch up on their lives. The mysteries in this book were especially challenging. There were many red herrings in plain sight but the real perpetrator can be found with enough investigative skill. Overall, an excellent addition to an excellent series. I’m already looking forward to the next one. 5 stars!
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. Stay tuned for a guest post tomorrow on my blog with amateur sleuth, Lucy Richardson from this series. See what she really thinks of her job!
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Oct 15 2019, series
“You’re developing quite a tendency to stumble across murder in your middle age.” Said to our heroine, Rachel, after she finds a corpse in the men’s room on the first page of the Books of the Dead.
Rachel lives in Paris with her husband, Alan, and her best friend Magda. After solving one murder in the previous book in the series, the Capitaine asks for her to “observe and report” who among the murdered man’s co-workers would like to see him dead. The quick answer is everyone. Guy Laurent was universally hated by all who knew him. So how will Rachel, Magda, and the Capitaine solve the crime?
The reader definitely has to suspend disbelief to read Books of the Dead. I can’t picture any country’s police force asking a rank amateur to go undercover. However, if you can get past that plot point, this book has a lot to recommend it to cozy readers. Middle-aged characters, a library, and last but not least, Paris are all here to entertain any cozy reader tired of one more restaurant owner. The characters are great too. The three main characters are realistic and feel like friends to the reader by the end of the book. For those reasons, I recommend this book highly. 4 stars!
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Oct 8 2019, Paris
It’s Halloween and Professor Kellan is renovating his newly purchased rundown mansion in the Haunted House Ghost.
A current mystery and a historic one compete for Kellan and his potential girlfriend, Sheriff April’s attention. Between that, a Fall Festival, a ghost, home renovations, a psychic, and a skeleton, no wonder Kellan and April can’t even find the time to go out on a date!
Good thing there is a guide to Who’s Who in the front of the book. This book has the largest cast of any tale shorter than a 19th-century Russian novel. Luckily, you don’t need to memorize them all. The Haunted House Ghost quickly narrows down to a handful of suspects. Kudos to the author for making me second guess my thought on who was the murderer—multiple times right up to the reveal. Overall, an enjoyable cozy mystery. 4 stars!
Thanks to the author and Great Escapes Blog Tours for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Haunted House Ghost: Death At The Fall Festival
(Braxton Campus Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Gumshoe Books – A Next Chapter Imprint (October 1, 2019)
Digital Edition, 275 pages
ASIN: B07WGKGZ9J
It’s Halloween, and excitement is brewing in Braxton to carve jack-o’-lanterns, go on haunted hayrides, and race through the spooky corn maze at the Fall Festival.
Despite the former occupant’s warnings, Kellan renovates and moves into a mysterious old house. When a ruthless ghost promises retribution, our fearless professor turns to the eccentric town historian and an eerie psychic to communicate with the apparition. Meanwhile, construction workers discover a fifty-year-old skeleton after breaking ground on the new Memorial Library wing.
While Kellan and April dance around the chemistry sparking between them, a suspicious accident occurs at the Fall Festival. Soon, Kellan discovers the true history and dastardly connections of the Grey family. But can he capture the elusive killer – and placate the revenge-seeking ghost.
James is my given name; most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in New York City, but I’ve traveled all across the US (and various parts of the world). After college, I spent 15 years working in technology and business operations in the sports, entertainment and media industries. Although I enjoyed my job, I left in 2016 to focus on my passion: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is ‘Watching Glass Shatter,’ a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com
What do I do outside of writing: I’m an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, I have over 900 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, there is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have segments where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real and show how I live every day.
List of Books
Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
Mistaken Identity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)
Haunted House Ghost – #5 (October 2019)
Websites & Blog
Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/
Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com
Next Chapter: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney?rq=cudney
Social Media Links
Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4
Purchase Links – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 1 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 2 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
October 2 – The Book’s the Thing – SPOTLIGHT
October 2 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 3 – Reading Authors – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – Sapphyria’s Books
October 4 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 5 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW
October 6 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
October 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT*
October 9 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
October 10 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
October 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
October 11 – Ebook addicts – REVIEW
October 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Giveaways, Kindle Unlimited, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books, Paranormal Tagged with: cozy mystery, ghosts, Halloween, Oct 1 2019
“Finding one body could be considered bad luck. Finding two within the space of thirty days was beginning to look like destiny.”—most honest words ever spoken by a cozy mystery’s heroine from A Legacy of Murder.
Widow Kate is back in England collecting antiques for her shop in Ohio. While there, she stops at stately Finchley Hall to visit her daughter, Christine, who is interning there. Of course, she also agrees to have dinner with new beau, Detective Inspector Tom. Unfortunately, her first call to Tom is to report finding another intern, Tabitha, dead, an apparent victim of suicide. When the coroner rules it murder, Tom asks for Kate’s outsider viewpoint to assist him with solving the case.
A Legacy of Murder is a sweet cozy mystery with a perfect balance of mystery and romance. With a forty-six-year-old widow as the heroine, it should appeal to older readers as well as antique lovers. The characters are well-defined and the mystery is just difficult enough for a light read on a windy fall night. 4 stars!
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Oct 8 2019
Andy, the perpetually retiring defense lawyer, gets sucked into two cases involving dogs in the fun cozy mystery, Dachshund Through the Snow.
Andy is asked by an old cop frenemy to find a way to get the city to allow the cop’s K-9 partner, Simon, to retire with him in a few weeks. Simon has arthritis and could be hurt if he continues to work. So Andy sues the city alleging that Simon is a city employee who should be able to disability retire. It really is a case of species discrimination!
Laurie, Andy’s wife and an ex-police lieutenant, starts celebrating Christmas in November. So it is no surprise when she selects a wish off a tree in her local pet store. The child requestor, Danny, wants three gifts: a winter coat for his mother, another coat for his dachshund, and his dad to come home.
The coats are no problem. Unfortunately, Danny’s dad is accused killer, Noah. Fourteen years earlier, he met Kristen at a bar. After a few dates on the down-low, they meet in a remote spot. Kristen asks Noah to take her with him when he leaves for college in a few days. When Noah refuses, Kristen becomes distraught and accidentally scratches his face. He leaves. He finds out that she is killed later that night. Fourteen years later, Noah’s brother spits into a genealogy website’s test tube and Noah is caught by his DNA—found under Kristen’s fingernails so long ago.
A Christmas setting has everything I love about cozy mysteries. Family interactions and murder. Okay, I’m not trying to wish up a murder at my next family Christmas party, but it would stop everyone from gossiping—at least for a minute or two. The Andy Carpenter series is always entertaining and this installment is no different. I love the interaction between the characters, who all seem realistic and relatable. However, the trials are also a smart addition to all the books in this series and that is rare in cozy mysteries. You might even say that Dachshund Through the Snow is a legal thriller set in a cozy mystery world. Plus Andy’s sarcastic asides are hilarious! Overall, I continue to love this series and wait each year for the next to appear. 5 stars!
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Diane's Favorites, Humor, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, dogs, legal thriller, Oct 1 2019
It’s December in Massachusetts in the latest adventure of Sid the animated skeleton where The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking in anticipation of Christmas morning.
When Bryon, teenager Madison’s Akita, finds a human femur, it is no surprise. After all, their family has an animated skeleton named Sid living in their attic. Her mother, Georgia, quickly agrees to go with Madison to give the bone back to Sid and apologize. However, when they talk to Sid, he quickly informs them that he isn’t missing a bone. Realizing the bone is from a stranger, they call the police. The skeleton’s identity leads the police to suspect one of Georgia’s fellow adjunct professors. Georgia decides to solve the crime with the help of Sid’s head.
It is a credit to the author that you don’t have a minute of doubt with any of the paranormal aspects of Sid’s very existence. An animated skeleton who help solves mysteries by hiding his head and a cell phone in Georgia’s Day of the Dead bucket bag? It sounds absurd but somehow works. I’ve read at least three of the six cozy mysteries in this series including the first two books but The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking is fine as a standalone mystery. However, beware the genuine characters and laugh-out-loud humor of the series will draw you in quickly. You will soon be quietly stalking your library, bookstore, or Amazon account looking for the entire series. If you like cozy mysteries, you can’t miss this excellent book. 5 stars!
Thanks to Diversion Books and NetGalley for granting my wish for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books, Paranormal Tagged with: cozy mystery, Sep 24 2019, series
Author Interview with Marc Jedel
Q: Tell us about your novel and series.
Marc: Chutes and Ladder is the second book in the Silicon Valley Mystery series, but can be read standalone. Marty Golden is not your typical, cozy mystery protagonist. As a male sleuth who doesn’t own a bakery, bookstore, or bed & breakfast, or live by the beach, he stands out from the crowd of cozy protagonists. Marty does bumble his way through the investigations, armed with nothing but an eye for detail and powers of self-delusion.
In Chutes and Ladder, Marty discovers the dead body of his friend while failing as chaperone for a Girl Scouts camping trip. After the police rule it an accidental death, he disagrees and decides to investigate because friends don’t let their friend’s death go unsolved.
One reviewer called it “a gem with its great plotting and unusual cast.”
Q: Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
Marc: I tend to pay attention to the strange stories in the newspaper, especially about unusual deaths or bizarre situations. This became a lot more socially acceptable once I become a published mystery author. Almost like a puzzle, I enjoy trying to merge together multiple situations into a coherent plot and trick the reader.
Q: Is there a theme in your story?
Marc: In a rare moment of introspection, I decided that the book should be about more than just humor wrapped in a mystery. A literary scholar, if one ever were foolish enough to select my novels for their dissertation, might say they’re about a search for family life, friends and happiness. However, Marty typically doesn’t realize this is what he wants out of life, so he tries hard to return to the quiet, simple and peaceful life that he had before his sister and his nieces moved to town.
Marty frequently mentions advice and etiquette lessons that his parents gave him when he was young. He’s often dismayed that their lessons didn’t cover the unusual predicaments that he finds himself in.
Q: How do you create your characters and do you have a favorite?
Marc: I’m obviously partial to the protagonist, Marty, since the novel is told in first person. My friends and family believe this fashion-backward, self-absorbed software engineer is not exactly a huge stretch of the imagination for me to write. But it’s fiction. I mean, I’m not a software engineer. I enjoy writing Marty’s nieces, especially young Megan. They’re loosely based on my own nieces and kids, exaggerated and merged with other kids that I’ve known. Perhaps my favorite side character is Mrs. Quarles, the school secretary. Marty struggles mightily to deal with her, and I always laugh as I’m writing her scenes. A surprising number of readers tell me she’s one of their favorite characters too. I’d love to hear from your readers which characters or scenes they like best.
Q: How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
Marc: I’ve lived a long time in Silicon Valley, working in high-tech, marketing roles. A lot of interesting characters work in big, high-tech companies. While I haven’t based any character directly off someone I’ve known, let’s just say that certain people influenced some of my characters more than others—especially the nuttier or more villainous characters.
If Silicon Valley is portrayed in fiction, it tends to be a very one-sided and biased view. I wanted to highlight more of the diversity and unusual personalities that I’ve encountered in my novels.
Q: What research do you do?
Marc: I’ve found that writing has made me more willing to talk to strangers in different situations and more observant and patient in lines and crowded situations, as I’m looking for material. I’m normally more of an introvert. Who’d have thought that the solitary occupation of being an author would make me more socially outgoing?
Most of my detailed mystery research is done via the internet. I’m hopeful that no law enforcement agencies are watching my searches and wondering what I may be up to. Not to be paranoid or anything, but I’ll use this space to remind them: “Marc Jedel is a fiction writer of humorous murder mysteries. Fiction!”
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
Marc: I’ll quote a reviewer: “I enjoyed this fast-paced humorous mystery just as much as Uncle and Ants. His writing is clever, and the plotting is meticulous and exceptionally well-executed.” And I swear that reviewer wasn’t related or a friend.
Chutes and Ladder, book 2 in the Silicon Valley Mystery series, can be read standalone. It and Uncle and Ants are free to Kindle Unlimited readers. Serf and Turf, book 3 in the series, will be released in mid-October 2019 so this is a perfect time to catch up. Buy them on Amazon at amazon.com/gp/product/B07PHNT7XM. For more about my books or me, please visit www.marcjedel.com.
Posted in Book Tour, Giveaways, Kindle Unlimited, Mystery & Thrillers Tagged with: cozy mystery, Mar 12 2019
It’s all about the characters, baby, in Two Bites Too Many (and yes I did just reference an old Puff Daddy/Diddy hip-hop song from 1997.)
Maybelle is the protective Southern mama of twins, Sarah and Emily. Emily is denied a business loan at the small town local bank. Maybelle brings recently rich Sarah with her to complain to the bank’s manager, Lance, about the loan denial. When Lance is found dead on his desk a few moments later by Maybelle, she is suspect number one. What can Sarah do but find the real murderer to save her mother from a long prison term?
The small town of Wheaton Alabama, near Birmingham, is so well described that you feel like you traveled there. It’s an even more southern version of Mayberry.
But truly the characters are the stars here. Sarah is finally recovering from her divorce with the help of her Siamese cat RahRah’s inheritance and her job running an animal parade. Sarah quickly learns why there is a joke about the difficulties of herding cats. Emily is trying to rebuild her restaurant after a catastrophic fire. However, Maybelle is my favorite. She uses her southern charm to cover an unladylike amount of spunk and determination. Slap her or her children and draw back a stump—figuratively of course.
The mystery itself was rather easy to solve. However, Two Bites Too Many allows its readers to fall into a completely different, tightly-bound family for a few hours. And who doesn’t want to do that? Highly recommended for cozy fans. There are cats, dogs, an animal parade, and small town southern charm in abundance here plus recipes at the end. 4 stars!
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for one print copy at the bottom of this page!
Two Bites Too Many (A Sarah Blair Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (September 24, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1496719484
ISBN-13: 978-1496719485
Digital ASIN: B07MB4779P
Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone . . .
Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end.
When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the twins sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?
Includes quick and easy recipes!
Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Two Bites Too Many, as well as One Taste Too Many, the first of Kensington’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series. She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. Debra serves on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and is president of the Southeast Chapter of MWA and past president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter.
Author Links
Website http://www.debrahgoldstein.com Blog http://www.debrahgoldstein.com/blog
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/
Twitter @DebraHGoldstein Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-h-goldstein-72473a11/
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906340.Debra_H_Goldstein
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 23 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
September 24 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – Reading Is My SuperPower
September 24 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
September 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 26 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 26 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
September 28 – Laura’s Interests – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
September 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 30 – My Journey Back-The Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 2 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, RECIPE
October 2 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
October 3 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
October 4 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
October 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
October 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Giveaways, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cats, cozy mystery, dogs, Sep 24 2019
The Garden Club Murder (A Tish Tarragon Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Severn House Publishers (September 1, 2019)
Hardcover: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 0727889443
ISBN-13: 978-0727889447
Digital ASIN: B07TXLVLPP
Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win.
Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane’s bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?
Author of the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade is a native of Long Island, NY where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.
After stints as an Operations Manager for a document imaging company and a freelance technical writer, Amy left the bright lights of New York City and headed north to pursue her creative writing career amidst the idyllic beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains.
Now residing in Bristol, England, Amy spends her time writing mysteries with a humorous or historical bent. When not writing, Amy enjoys traveling, testing out new recipes, classic films, and exploring her new home.
Author Links:
Webpage: https://amypatriciameade.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.patriciameade/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amypatriciameade/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amypmeade
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/174006.Amy_Patricia_Meade
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – AbeBooks
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
September 17 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 17 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
September 18 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 18 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 19 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 20 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 20 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
September 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 22 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
September 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
September 24 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 24 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
September 25 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 26 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
September 28 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 28 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
September 29 –Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Posted in Book Tour, Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Sep 1 2019
Small town life in Fettering will never be boring as long as there may be a Killer in the Choir.
Leonard, a retired and rich industrialist, is dead. Did he fall down the stairs or was he pushed? His daughter, Alice, thinks her stepmother, Heather, did it for money. After all, Heather had just convinced Leonard to change his will to leave everything to her. And nothing to Alice. Two local busybodies, Carole and Jude, decide to investigate.
Killer in the Choir is a perfectly serviceable cozy mystery set in a quaint English village. Unfortunately, it is hard not to compare it to earlier, better, entries in the series. However, this one is a good way to spend a few hours. 3 stars.
Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: cozy mystery, Sep 3 2019, series
There is Wonton Terror when the Wonton on Wheels food truck explodes at the first Asian Night Market in Cleveland.
Lana Lee is now managing her parent’s restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House. While promoting the restaurant at Market night, her parent’s old friend, Ronnie, is killed in the explosion. When the police decide it was caused by a bomb, Lana decides to investigate to ease her anxiety. But there are so many suspects…
It’s always fun to return to the world of Lana Lee. Her family life intervenes once again in her amateur detective work. In Wonton Terror, Lana’s Aunt Grace is coming to visit her sister, Lana’s mother. The two sisters get along just as badly as Lana and her own sister, Anna May, do.
This particular cozy mystery was a bit too easy to solve. But the book was still fun to read due to the engaging characters and a light comedic feel. If you want a pleasant cozy read with an underlying humorous take on sibling rivalry, this is a good choice. 3.5 stars!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Posted in Mystery & Thrillers, New Books Tagged with: Aug 27 2019, cozy mystery, series
