Posts Tagged ‘cozy mystery’

.

Death at the Fireside Inn: 1920s Historical Mystery
(Veronica Vale Investigates)
by Kitty Kildare

 


Death at the Fireside Inn: 1920s Historical Mystery (Veronica Vale Investigates)
Historical British Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – 1920s London, England
K.E. O’Connor Books (January 16, 2024)
Number of Pages: 225
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CL2HDFSM

.

A fading star, a puzzling death, and a mystery that must be solved!

Veronica Vale spent a turbulent few years serving her country during the Great War – doing more than her role in the exchange network suggested! Now back on British soil and adjusting to life as an obituary writer for her uncle’s newspaper, while caring for her ailing mother, Veronica has gotten used to a slower (and safer) pace of life.

Excitement comes from fun parties, walks with Benji, her beloved rescue dog, and volunteering at the Dogs’ Home.

When an old family friend, and former superstar of the theatre, Florence Sterling, is discovered dead in her dressing room at the Winter Garden Theatre in London, Veronica is curious to discover what happened to the sweet, funny, ruthlessly ambitious beauty.

Much to the dismay of her sometimes nemesis Inspector Templeton, Veronica is tasked with writing Florence’s obituary. And what she learns will blow the roof off the theatre! That’s if she survives to tell the tale.

***

If you love witty dialogue, historical glamour, intrigue, and a fast-paced cozy mystery set in 1920s England, then you’ll adore Kitty Kildare’s unputdownable whodunits.

About Kitty Kildare

.

Immerse yourself into Kitty Kildare‘s cleverly woven historical British mysteries. Follow the mystery in the Veronica Vale Investigates series and enjoy the dazzle and delights of 1920s England. Kitty is a not-so-secret pen name of established cozy mystery author K.E. O’Connor, who decided she wanted to time travel rather than cast spells! Enjoy the twists and turns.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US   Amazon UK   Amazon CA   Amazon AU

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 7 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 9 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT 

February 9 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

February 9 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 11 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 12 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 12 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 13 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

February 13 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

A Killer Romance (A Beach Reads Mystery)
by Maggie Blackburn

 


A Killer Romance (A Beach Reads Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Crooked Lane Books (February 6, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639106359
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639106356
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C4J77BVN

.

Love and murder are in the air this Valentine’s day in Maggie Blackburn’s third Beach Reads mystery, perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Miranda James.

When Beach Reads bookshop hosts a Valentine’s Day event, “Romance by the Sea,” bookseller Summer Merriweather has no idea that the guest author is under investigation for her own husband’s murder. When that same author is found dead at the local bed and breakfast, nobody assumes it’s natural causes–there were plenty of people who wanted her dead.

As Summer searches for the truth about the author’s stranger-than-fiction life, Summer finds suspicious indications of shady behavior in the author’s belongings. But the casual sleuthing is quickly derailed when Summer’s friend Glads gets hauled in for the murder, and they launch a full-blown investigation to clear her name.

As Summer and company pick through the scant clues to solve the case, they may find more treachery and heartbreak than they bargained for.

About Maggie Blackburn

Maggie Blackburn is the pen name for bestselling mystery author Mollie Cox Bryan, who writes cozy mysteries with edge. She’s the author of several bestselling mystery series Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People’s Choice Award.  She’s also penned a historical mystery under the name of Mollie Ann Cox. She lives in Crozet, Va. and is the mother of two grown, nearly perfect daughters.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

 

Purchase Links
AmazonB&NBookshop.org

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 6 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 8 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 8 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 9 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT 

February 12 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

February 12 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 12 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 14 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

February 14 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 15 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

February 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)
by Paula Charles

 


Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Oregon
Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639105999
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105991
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9PJXCFG

.

Perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Victoria Gilbert, when a body is found in a hardware store, will Dawna Carpenter’s sleuthing measure up to find the killer?

Recent sexagenarian widow Dawna Carpenter thought running her own hardware store after the death of her husband was hard enough. With her adult daughter, April, moving back into town, and Darlene, the annoying boutique owner next door to her shop poking around, Dawna has her hands full. But when she finds a dead man in the bathroom of her store, with a framing hammer by his side, she’s in way over her head.

The victim, Warren Highcastle, was a land developer who was looking to purchase the old theater in town to build a new hotel. Dawna and April, worried about the implications of the crime scene at the hardware store, put themselves on the case. They soon learn that Warren had made quite a few enemies in his short amount of time in town. As the suspect list starts growing, so too do the threats against Dawna and April. Can Dawna and April nail the killer before they strike again?

About Paula Charles

When Paula Charles isn’t writing under the towering trees of the Pacific Northwest, she can be found in the garden with her hands in the dirt or sitting on her front porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. She has a love for small towns, ghost stories, and pie. Paula lives on a small farm in Southwestern Washington with her patient husband and a handful of furry and feathered critters. Paula also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name of Janna Rollins.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads

Purchase Links – PenguinRandomHouse.com: BooksAmazonB&NKoboBookshop.org

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 5 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

February 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 7 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

February 8 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 10 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

February 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 12 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

February 12 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

February 12 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

 

 

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Honey, Romance, and Danger…

.

.

Honey Moon Murder

.

Honey Bear Cosy Mysteries Book 3

by Dahlia Donovan

Genre: LGBTQ MM Romance, Cozy Mystery

.

Honey, Romance, and Danger…

As August winds down, George Sheth and Murphy Baird are ready to put months of murder mysteries behind them. They hope for calmer days as they move in together. But it’s all for nought when his pug, Bumble, stumbles on the body of a new bride in the middle of the lane.

It’s clear Bumble didn’t kill anyone, but someone did—and they may have set their sights on George.

With a wedding party full of potential suspects, they find themselves caught between the police and angry family members. Can they make it safely through the end of summer alive?

.

Amazon * Apple * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

.

“Moon’s out.” Margo lazily raised her arm to point up into the midnight sky. “Days are finally starting to get shorter again. We’re ready for the steep descent into autumn.”

“Yes, that’s what happens in August.” George smothered a yawn into his shoulder, unable to move his hands since his elderly pug, Bumble, and Margo’s Chihuahua, Treacle, had taken up possession of them and his lap in general. The two pups were the best of friends. “I’m glad. It’s been a bizarre summer. Dead bodies practically falling out of the sky.”

“There were two murders. A month apart. And neither body fell out of the sky.” Margo poked a hole in his dramatic retelling. “It hasn’t been all bad. You’ve finally admitted to being in love with Murphy Baird. You’re moving in together. I’ve started dating Teagan. We’ve had good things this summer. Don’t let your mind trick you into focusing on the bad.”

“My mind is not always my best friend.” George accepted and appreciated all the quirks that made up who he was. But there were times when being autistic added additional hurdles to his life. “It does make things interesting, though.”

It had been a busy summer for George Bernard Sheth. Maybe the most active since he’d moved from Edinburgh to a little cottage in Dufftown, where he’d created his perfect wild garden, complete with multiple beehives. They were his greatest passion.

The swarming had died down at the end of July. He’d spend August harvesting honey and preparing his colonies for the onset of the cooler months. It was a routine he knew well after several years of tending to his bees.

Closing his eyes momentarily, George allowed himself to enjoy the calm of Margo’s garden. His cousin didn’t go beyond their cosy little corner of the village often and rarely got into a car, still struggling with post-traumatic stress brought on by an accident during her time as a paramedic. They visited each other daily since he lived just down the lane.

They shared their love of gardens and calm, along with the thick black hair and deep brown eyes inherited from their fathers. The Sheth brothers had moved from Udaipur to Edinburgh with their parents years ago, but his uncle had been the one to move to Dufftown. His mum and dad had remained in the larger city, preferring it to quiet village life.

“You’re due a cut.” Margo interrupted his thoughts.

George reached up to clasp the end of his ponytail. “Back, demon.”

“I’m serious. It’s longer than you usually let it get.” Margo laughed when he tried to fend her off with a made-up prayer. “George.”

“Margo.” He hated having his hair trimmed, often going years between cuts to avoid the experience. He occasionally tried to do it himself. “My heart weeps for your lack of empathy.”

.

**Don’t miss the rest of the Honey Bear Cosy Mysteries!**

.

Honey Mead Murder

Honey Bear Cosy Mysteries Book 1

https://books2read.com/honeybearmurder1

Honey Bee Murder

Honey Bear Cosy Mysteries Book 2

https://books2read.com/honeybearmurder2

.

.

Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.

.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter

.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Clocked Out: A Josie Posey Mystery
by Anna St. John

 


Clocked Out – A Josie Posey Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting: A small town in Sunflower County, Kansas, named English Village
Level Best Books (February 6, 2024)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CRFY4R6P

.

Josie Posey and her posse of Mahjong Mavens are at it again, in this cozy mystery where the retired big city crime reporter turned small town crime solver uncovers another murder in picturesque English Village.

When the clockmaker’s daughter returns home for a visit, reporter Josie Posey is assigned the task of interviewing the talented watch designer. That very afternoon the young woman falls from a ladder while inventorying antique clocks.

At first, Josie is certain the fall was an accident. Everyone loved Ella McGregor Benjamin. But Ella’s deathbed statement is a mysterious riddle that can’t be ignored. With her Old English Sheepdog Moe by her side, and an ever-growing list of suspects, Josie scrambles to identify the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

The local police chief wants Josie to help solve the puzzle, but stay out of his murder case. The editor of The Village Gazette wants an in-depth story for the next edition. And somebody wants Josie to stop asking questions. Deadlines loom.

In this fast-paced rollercoaster ride of a mystery, the clock is ticking as Josie vows to find the killer before time runs out.

.

Enjoy this peek inside:

“What’s the bad news?”

“I might have brought a dangerous package into my house.”

“Might have?”

“Don’t know whether it’s actually dangerous. But, it’s definitely inside my house. My neighbor said a jogger delivered it yesterday after the UPS guy stopped by.”

“You let the UPS guy into your house?”

“Well, yeah. But he wore brown and carried a clipboard. I figured he was legitimate. Anyway, he’s the one who brought the packages from Lucy Button.”

The chief groaned over the phone. “Remember when I told you to be diligent?”

Yessss.” I drew the word out to a long hissing sound, so he would know I didn’t appreciate being treated like a ten-year-old kid.

“Do not open the package. Bring it to the station this morning. I’ll have our bomb guy check it out.”

I did an exaggerated eye roll the chief would never see. “If it was a bomb, it would have exploded already.”

“Unless it’s rigged to go off when opened.”

I stared at the brown box by the doorway. “You’ll have it in ten minutes.”

I placed the mystery box into my ice cooler like it would protect me from an unexpected explosion, and drove to the police station. Slow and steady. No sudden bumps or turns. Grateful the work crew had patched our tiny pothole earlier in the week.

When I arrived, the chief sent Devon to carry the cooler inside. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the precaution I’d taken, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

.

About Anna St. John

Anna St. John writes cozy mysteries featuring a mature, yet feisty, former crime reporter, Josie Posey, as the amateur sleuth.

Her debut novel, DOOMED BY BLOOMS, was released by Level Best Books in February 2023. CLOCKED OUT is the second book in her Josie Posey Mystery Series. It is scheduled to release Feb. 6, 2024.

A former journalist, award-winning advertising copywriter, and ad agency owner, Anna is married to her high school sweetheart. She writes from her home office in Kansas, with her Old English Sheepdog by her side.

Anna is represented by Cindy Bullard, of Birch Literary Agency. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Kansas Authors Club.

Author Links
Website   Facebook   

Purchase Link – Amazon

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 31 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

February 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

February 1 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 2 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 2 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – RECIPE

February 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

February 6 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 7 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 8 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 9 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT/PODCAST

February 10 – Reading Authors Network – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 11 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

February 12 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW  

 

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

Drawn to Murder

by Sarah Vernon

 

Publication date: January 31st 2024
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

Sam Green is a newly minted art school graduate, excited to attend her first artist residency. But the pretty, serene Vermont surroundings soon turn sinister.

After a few months spent looking for the right project, Sam has landed a dream opportunity: three blissful weeks of working at a beautiful artist residency program in remote northern Vermont. But almost as soon as the residency begins, strange things start happening. Eager to settle into her work and make new friends, Sam tries to ignore the vaguely sinister feelings trying to warn her that something is afoot. But when a body is discovered, Sam can’t ignore what’s going on any longer.

If she has any chance of getting out of here – alive – Sam will have to figure out who the killer is.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“Sam, it’s your turn.”

I jolted out of my daydreaming, looking up at the dark-eyed, even darker-haired man across from me at the table. From the intensity of his expectant stare, you’d think we were plotting world domination, not playing a simple getting-to-know-you game. If you could call revealing unexpected or odd facts about yourself a game. Everyone was just trying to one up each other in achievements, fame or outright weirdness – because this was a group of artists, after all.

“Uh, sure. I’m Sam. Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam,” I said, stumbling over my words and sure that my cheeks were as bright red as they felt. Whatever I had been planning to say was instantly forgotten. Was there anyone who actually enjoyed these kinds of introductions?

“I’m here from Boston,” I continued. “I just graduated from school in the spring and I’m…taking a kind of gap year at the moment. I primarily work in ceramics and sculpture, especially miniatures.” I paused, willing anyone else to make a comment or ask a question, anything to save me from having to think of an interesting fact to share. What was there to say that was appropriate for this group? I grew up in New York? I have a cat named Paul? I once tripped over the body of a dead famous sculptor who’d been poisoned?

There were polite smiles around the table, which I returned, slightly nodding my head, signaling that I was done with my intro. I was saved from further humiliation-by-spotlight by the woman on my right, who moved her wheelchair closer to the table so everyone could see her.

“I’m Tony. Tonya, but everyone calls me Tony,” she said, throwing a small smile my way. “I’m here from LA, where I make immersive installations that challenge viewers’ perceptions of their interactions with, and limitations within, the physical world.” Tony waited a beat, tilting her chin as if daring any of us to ask the obvious question. There were more polite smiles, although I noticed about half of our group were studiously avoiding eye contact.

Unfortunately, only Eliot took the bait. “What inspired you towards that kind of work?” he asked with a kind of forced obliviousness. I didn’t think any of us needed more of an introduction to Eliot: over the course of the previous twenty-four hours since we’d gotten to the Winterbrook Artist Residency, he’d made himself known as the type of pompous, arrogant artist that gives the rest of us a bad name.

“Well, Eliot,” Tony said, returning his tone. “I’ve used a wheelchair since I was a kid, after a spinal injury. So after all these years experiencing a very different side of the physical world, I thought I’d give other people the chance to have a similar view.” The pair politely smiled at each other (although, one did have to admit – and admire – that Tony’s smile had more than a hint of crocodile to it) while the rest of us avoided engaging. “But if you’ll forgive me, I think I’ll actually head up to bed now,” Tony said, wheeling away from the table. “It was great to meet all

of you!” she called cheerily as she turned towards the door, her wheelchair making an unmistakable bumping motion over Eliot’s foot as she left. I couldn’t help but grin.

About Author Sarah Vernon:

Sarah Vernon is an author and artist based in Massachusetts, where she writes the Triple-Decker Mystery Series.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram

 

.

 

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

 


Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder
Cozy Mystery
57th in Series
Setting – Maine
Berkley (January 23, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593640691
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593640692
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CHDQ2PFD

.

Jessica Fletcher learns that exercise can be murder in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips is back in Cabot Cove. Evelyn tells Jessica and Seth that she got a couple of really weird notes from Bertha Mae Cormier so she’s come back to town to check on her old friend. She demands that Jessica come with her to see Bertha Mae, who is a bit dithery but no more so than Jessica remembers her being in recent years.

Jessica does become somewhat concerned when Bertha Mae starts to talk about her new neighbor, Martin Terranova. He is quite charming and very health conscious and he teaches yoga and meditation in his pool house. Maureen Metzger says that she and Bertha Mae became friends in Terranova’s class and mentions how solicitous he is to his older clients.

Jessica attends one of his classes and does notice that Terranova is flirtatious with several elderly clients, especially Bertha Mae. Evelyn is becoming convinced that Bertha Mae is being mesmerized by Terranova and that he is after Bertha Mae’s money. A short while late, Martin turns up dead in his weight room. What at first blush seems to be an accident, soon proves to be murder and Jessica must put her investigative skills to the test when Evelyn becomes the prime suspect.

About the Authors

.

Along with Jessica FletcherTerrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including  Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.

Author Links – Webpage   Facebook 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 29 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Ascroft,eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

February 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – Diane’s Book Journal – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW, PODCAST

February 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

February 4 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

February 5 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 7 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – MJB Reviewer – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

February 10 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

February 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Murder at a Scottish Castle: A Scottish Cozy Mystery
(A Scottish Shire Mystery) by Traci Hall

 


Murder at a Scottish Castle: A Scottish Cozy Mystery (A Scottish Shire Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Nairn, Scotland
Kensington Cozies (January 23, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496744373
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496744371
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C3WTZYGT

.

USA Today bestselling author returns with the latest novel in a Scottish seaside cozy knitting mystery series featuring busy single mom Paislee Shaw, owner of a specialty sweater shop, knitting enthusiast, and reluctant sleuth who must untangle another murderous yarn!

With the summer days getting shorter in the seaside village of Nairn, the annual bagpiping competition at Ramsey Castle promises to be quite the end-of-season blowout. Paisley has snagged a special invitation from the Dowager Countess, who wants to showcase her cashmere goods in the castle gift shop, and she’s brought her son Brody, Grandpa, and their black Scottish terrier Wallace.

There’s a fierce rivalry between Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon, and last year’s winner Jory Baxter, with Grant loudly vowing to show up the blowhard Baxter and claim clan bragging rights. But the reigning champion has barely put the reed to his lips when he turns red and collapses, soon to take his dying breath. DI Zeffer confirms foul play, suspecting the reed may have been poisoned.

With a murderer in their midst, the rest of Nairn won’t breathe easy until Paisley applies her sleuthing skills to make sure justice is served and the killer pays the piper . . .

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

~~~~~

Character Guest Post

Great Escapes Blog Tour Angus Shaw (Grandpa)

Murder at a Scottish Castle by Traci Hall

 

Five quick questions for Angus Shaw

 

  1. Profession?
  2. Clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. Retired fisherman. Now I work with me granddaughter, Paislee, at Cashmere Crush. She needs me.
  3. Married or single?
  4. I was married to the love of me life, Agnes Monroe Shaw. Willnae marry another.
  5. Greatest achievement?
  6. Me bairns, though two are now dead. It’s cruel to outlive your children.
  7. Greatest regret?
  8. The misunderstanding between me and Agnes, though I dinnae blame her for booting me out. Let this be a word of caution—take care ye dinnae get pished on your stag night.
  9. Life goals?
  10. At 76, it’s tae live long enough tae help Paislee with Brody. I’m in the best of health.

~~~~~

Excerpt from Murder at a Scottish Castle:

The Shaws followed the non-melodic fits and starts of instruments being tuned to the left of the castle and a gigantic expanse of green lawn. Brody and Grandpa were on either side of her. Wallace, on her naughty list for chasing the squirrel, didn’t once tug against the lead in Brody’s hand.

They reached the edge of the field and Paislee paused in wonder at the explosion of bright hues. The sun broke from behind a cloud to shine on brass and metal fittings. Twelve bands were to compete, between eight and ten players, each with matching kilts in a variety of tartans.

“Well, isnae that something,” Grandpa said with amazement in his tone.

“It’s impressive.” Paislee smiled at a few familiar faces. Bagpipers, drummers, and the band directors gathered in clusters. Each group was here to perform their best.

Three stands had been erected for spectators and the band members who would sit and watch the others when they weren’t playing.

“Hey—there’s Jerry.” Grandpa stepped toward Jerry McFadden, member of Clan Campbell, sporting a kilt in green, blue, and black. When Jerry wasn’t delivering her yarn, he rocked the bagpipes. His light brown hair matched his thick mustache.

Jerry saw them and lowered his bagpipe. “Bonny day after all for the competition,” he said as they neared him. “I was a wee bit worried during the downpour this morning.”

“God’s way of giving the cows a bath,” Grandpa said sagely. “How are you part of the Campbell clan?”

Jerry placed his pipes at his shiny black brogues. “My mother is a Campbell cousin. Why do you ask?”

“Sorcha told us it was a rule,” Grandpa said.

“Sorcha, is it?” Jerry teased.

Paislee laughed when Grandpa turned red.

“She gave us a tour,” Brody said. “Mum’s got her cashmere in the gift shop.”

“Well, that is nice,” Jerry said.

“I hope it means I’ll need tae increase my order of cashmere.” Paislee smiled. “We’ll see. But today is not about that—today is about you and the competition. How are you feeling regarding the outcome?”

“Verra well.” Jerry leaned toward them. “We’ve mastered a new tune tae land the number one spot. I was voted by my mates tae be our soloist this year.”

“What aboot the other bands?” Grandpa asked. He gestured with his head to the musicians around them.

“The Grants will come oot strong too, due tae old-fashioned practice, but I think Clan Cunningham is rattled.” Jerry nodded to the stand at their right. “Jory Baxter and Clyde Cunningham were arguing over something.”

“Who is Clyde?” Grandpa asked.

Brody was jerked to the side as Wallace saw another dog—also on a lead, thank heaven. Paislee put her hand on Brody’s shoulder and arched her brow.

“Clyde Cunningham is the pipe major, or band director. He organizes the group and keeps tempo. He’s responsible for turning in the program tae the judges, and also the liaison between the band and the GHB, Great Highland Bagpipe, Council.” Jerry dipped his head toward a short man with copper hair in the Campbell tartan. “That’s Mattias Campbell, our pipe major. Keeps us in line. Though they dinnae play a physical instrument during competition they are crucial tae the performance.”

Brody couldn’t hide his eagerness to explore, so Paislee tapped Jerry on the arm. “Good luck tae you. Where will you be sitting? We’ll cheer you on.”

“This stand behind us. If you’ve a mind tae place a wager, I think we’ve got a guid chance at the win. Thanks!” Jerry picked up his pipes and joined the group around Mattias.

Paislee and Brody, with Wallace, went to the stands and scored a seat on the second row, near the end. There were three stands surrounding a circular field, with enough seating for two hundred.

“Can I go play, Mum?” Brody pointed to a group of other kids his age kicking a football around in the barren field, well within her eyesight.

“Sure. But leave Wallace here, please.”

Brody reluctantly handed her Wallace’s lead.

“Maybe you can take him later,” Paislee said.

“Okay!” Brody ran off.

Wallace chuffed as his boy joined the others and sat with his furry back to the bands. A protest? Paislee opened her handbag and dug around for a dog treat. “Here you go.”

Wallace snapped up the biscuit and swallowed, then returned to his vigil. She poured water into a popup water bowl and placed it in the grass for the dog along with a chew toy. She returned to her seat next to Grandpa, content that Wallace would alert her if anything happened to Brody and focused on the circular field.

At noon on the dot, judge Meri McVie stepped into the center field. She had a sharp, foxlike face and naturally orange hair, with brown eyes behind silver-framed glasses that gazed at the spectators steadily. White shirt beneath a black jacket, a blue and light-green kilt, and a badge attached to a ribbon around her neck proclaimed her position.

Meri blew her whistle to get everyone’s attention, though the competitors were ready to go. Each clan sat grouped together. The Campbells were on the first two rows below Paislee and Grandpa, along with Clan Buchan, Clan Lincoln, and Clan MacTavish.

Across from Paislee, Clan Grant took an entire two rows, and above them sat Sorcha and Cinda. Sorcha had changed her clothes and now wore a Grant tartan blazer over navy-blue slacks. Clan Douglas, Clan Sinclair, and Clan McKinley waited their turn. On the third stand was Clan Cunningham, Clan Cameron, Clan Graham, and Clan Fraser.

“Hello!” Meri said in clear voice. “Welcome tae this year’s Ramsey Castle Competition.”

Applause sounded.

The kids had come to the stands to see the beginning. Paislee gave Brody his water bottle and offered a granola bar that he declined.

“Let me go over the rules.” Meri read from a clipboard she held. “Each band will play for fifteen minutes or less, but no more. The songs must match what has been turned in to the judges. Myself, and Connor Armington.” The second judge was much older, seventy to Meri’s fifty, and his jacket didn’t quite button over his belly. “If they dinnae match that team will be disqualified.”

Murmurs could be heard on the benches.

“Last year’s champion will be the final act of the day. Clan Grant will perform second tae last, and Clan Campbell third.” Meri raised her pointed chin and lowered the clipboard. “This is my tenth year of judging this competition. Each year the talent gets better and better. It is my privilege tae announce the first of our twelve bands, Clan MacTavish!”

The clapping was loud as Meri left the grass to stand on the edge of the circle, her posture perfect. Connor also had a clipboard. The judges walked around as the band played and made various marks. The MacTavish kilts were red with sky blue and black, the shirts white, the jackets sky blue. They were a newer band and so had placed at the bottom to start.

Clan Fraser played next. The band’s kilts were a robin’s egg blue with red and gray, the jacket gray over a white shirt. It seemed that each outfit would have to be custom-made to fit the person and Paislee wanted a closer look at the way the arms fit for ease of movement, whether at the drums or the bagpipes. The horizontal and vertical patterns allowed for a large variety in the tartan.

The difference between a plaid and a tartan was the replicated pattern in the fabric at the vertical and horizontal ends tied to a specific clan, whereas plaid described a crisscross of any sizes or colors.

Finally, it was time for Clan Campbell: Jerry’s team. So far Meri hadn’t called anyone out for breaking the rules, though Paislee wouldn’t know. She thought everyone sounded wonderful, and her hands were sore from applauding so enthusiastically.

In the last four hours, Brody had come for water or snacks but mostly had stayed with his new mates. She admired how he could make friends like that. She’d always been shy.

Grandpa finished his water. “Shouldae brought me flask,” he said, smacking his lips. “Dinnae suppose you have anything stashed in that bag of yours?”

“I do not have whisky, Grandpa. That would be correct.” Paislee didn’t mind the occasional dram but wasn’t much of a drinker. Her vice was chocolate.

“That handbag is big enough for a whole keg,” he remarked.

She glanced at him, then back at the field. “I have an extra water bottle, if you’d like that.”

“No thanks. I’ll wait for the good stuff.” Grandpa scratched his bearded chin. “There will be the good stuff, eh?”

“Drinks will be served with the meat afterward, aye.” In years past, an outdoor eating area had been set up next to several large barbecues. There were kegs of beer and whisky both. Tea as well as coffee, and of course, cases of Irn-Bru, Scotland’s number one soft drink.

“I’d expect no less at a castle,” Grandpa said.

“Did you ever play the bagpipes, Grandpa?”

“A wee bit.” Grandpa touched the brim of this tam. “Enough tae know it’s best left tae the professionals.”

“Jerry called it a GHB.”

“Aye.” Grandpa pointed to Jerry as he took his position on the field with his bandmates. “The Great Highland Bagpipe. The leather bag collects air, they each have two tenor drones—the shorter pipes there, and the big one over Jerry’s shoulder is called a great drone.”

“I don’t see the reeds Sorcha was talking about,” Paislee said.

“Oh, you wouldnae,” Grandpa said. “They’re inside the instrument.”

“I had tae learn the recorder in primary, and so did Brody. P3.” Paislee smiled at Grandpa as she remembered the awful noise her son had made, and she’d been no better. “You’re lucky you weren’t with us then. It was a racket.”

Grandpa chuckled. “Do you think he’ll really want tae learn the drums?”

“I’m praying he’ll forget when he’s playing football next weekend,” Paislee said.

“That’s the way of it,” Grandpa agreed. “Lads have short memories.”

~~~~~

About Traci Hall

From cozy mysteries to seaside romance, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over sixty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite tale for everyone.

Mystery lovers, check out her Scottish Shire series, set in the seaside town of Nairn, or the Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Her latest project is an Irish Castle cozy as Ellie Brannigan. Whether it’s her ever-popular By the Sea romances, an Appletree Cove sweet romance, or a fun who-done-it, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida, living right near the ocean.

Traci wants to hear from you!

Traci@TraciHall.com

Author Links: Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter-X / BookBub / Instagram / Website

Purchase Links

Amazon   Barnes and Noble    Apple    Kobo 

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 23 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST WITH EXCERPT

January 23 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST WITH EXCERPT

January 24 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST – WITH EXCERPT

January 25 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

January 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 26 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST WITH EXCERPT

January 29 – FUONLYKNEW – CHARACTER GUEST POST WITH EXCERPT

January 29 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Old Bones and New Ghosts
(The Marti Mickkleson Mysteries)
by Kay Charles

 

.

Old Bones and New Ghosts (The Marti Mickkleson Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
One Ghost Another Ghost (January 25, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CPCF4S3Z

.

Marti Mickkleson and her ghostly Grandma Bertie are back!

With only one month to go until Marti meets the conditions of her late father’s will and gains control of her trust fund, she’s determined to be on her best behavior. No admitting that she can see ghosts and certainly no talking to the dead.

But her mother’s roped her into a new family project, her new office has a mysterious haunt, Grandma Bertie’s digging up mysteries from the past, her friend Dmitri’s barely speaking to her, and her sister’s life is falling apart. It’s enough to make a girl miss her days of flipping sort-of-beef patties on a Burger Buster grill.

Then things get really bad.

With both a cold case and a new murder on her hands, her “best behavior” won’t cut it. Protecting her family may cost her more than a trust fund. It may cost Marti her life—or the life of someone she loves.

Join Marti and Grandma Bertie in the follow-up to Ghosts in Glass Houses!

About Kay Charles

Kay Charles is the much nicer, mystery-writing alter ego of dark fiction writer Patricia Lillie (author of The Cuckoo Girls, a 2020 Bram Stoker Award® finalist.) Like her evil twin, Kay grew up in a haunted house in a small town in Northeast Ohio, earned her MFA from Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program, teaches in Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA in Creative Writing program, and is addicted to coffee, chocolate, and cake. She also knits and sometimes purls. Both their lives would be much easier if one of them enjoyed housework.

Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook

Purchase Links
Amazon    Amazon Series Page

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 23 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

January 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

January 25 – Sarah Can’t Stop ReadingREVIEW  

January 25 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 26 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT  

January 27 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – MJB Reviewers- SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 30 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW *

February 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 1 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery)
by Joyce Tremel

 


Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Pennsylvania
Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639105433
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105434
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C2P4QB9T

.

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with it: open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.

She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.

Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.

Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late?

About Joyce Tremel

Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. In addition to the Cider House Mysteries, she wrote the Brewing Trouble Mysteries. As Joyce St. Anthony, she writes the Homefront News historical mysteries. She lives in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania with her husband and two cats named Hops and Lager.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Purchase Links – AmazonB&NKoboBookshop.orgPenguinRandomHouse

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 15 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

January 15 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

January 16 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 16 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 17 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

January 17 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

January 18 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 19 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

January 20 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

January 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 21 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

January 22 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT  

January 22 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

January 23 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 24 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 25 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 25 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

January 26 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

January 27 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Cozy, Suspenseful, and Sweet – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.