Archive for June 25, 2026

 

 

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book for The Deadly Tea organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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The Deadly Tea

By Rachel Dacus

 

 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Synopsis

Most sleuths don’t have the advantage of talking to the murder victim for clues, but Saffron has a window into the afterlife. The problem is, she’s not a detective and has no wish to be.

In the charming heart of London’s Notting Hill, Saffron juggles motherhood, running an animal welfare foundation, and counseling recently deceased spirits—the invisibles. But her peaceful routine is upended when a spirit insists she solve the mystery of his untimely death. Lucas Troy pops into her awareness claiming he was killed and demanding she figure out who did it. He wants justice before he’ll agree to move on. But Saffron’s role isn’t to play detective, but to help each invisible plan for the next adventure in living. She asks Lucas if he suspects anyone in the circle at his aunt’s tea party where he died. He can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill him, but he persuades Saffron to interview them all.

She feels for Lucas, who had hardly begun his life, and she tries to persuade him that he can have a great future next lifetime, but finally she gives in and agrees to a little investigating. If she finds out something, perhaps he’ll agree to move forward. But the closer she gets to the possible killer, the more she’s in danger. Saffron has no wish to join Lucas in The Room Over There.

Settle in to a cozy mystery with a touch of the supernatural, the heartwarming chaos of family, and the charm of London’s Notting Hill. “Interesting characters, intriguing mystery.”

Enjoy this peek inside:

It was glorious to dawdle around the bohemian and vintage shops on Portobello Road, and the addition of rare April sunshine in London made it seem to Saffron like her spa day. Not that she ever got to have those, as most mothers of young children didn’t. But today, browsing and shopping, she indulged herself in a glorious solitude amid the crowds. This busy street was her paradise, and she needed just a few more things for the children’s Easter outfits, but hoping not to find them too quickly.

Traffic and people swirled around her, and she thrilled to the bright colors, food stalls, brushes of music wafting out of open doors. She would forever be a tourist in her adopted city of London. Notting Hill was so like her San Francisco Bay Area, but snootier. In many ways, more exciting.

Peering into windows, she thought about the perfect bow tie she wanted for Percy’s suit, so her seven-year-old son didn’t look like a tiny banker. Four-year-old Freida could use a flower pin for her pinafore dress. Focusing on these ideas was such a pleasure. Saffron tried to wipe the smile off her face, remembering that Londoners did not walk around smiling, though Californians often did.

A passerby jostled her, and as she stopped to check her bag, a low voice drifted down. “Hey! Anyone here?”

Hella damn. An invisible. Another drifting spirit.

“I’m here,” she whispered. “I’m busy, as you can see. You can see me, right?”

“I see a lot of hair. Curly. Are you some kind of animal?”

Saffron huffed. “You’re looking at the top of my head. Come down lower, so you can see my face.”

Some might call it being haunted, but Saffron called it helping invisibles. She wasn’t often contacted by newly dead people, but occasionally one popped into her vicinity. They always needed orientation and comfort after the trauma of dying.

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About Author Rachel Dacus:

Rachel Dacus is the author of eight novels and five poetry collections. Her fiction features love and relationships, exotic locations and intrepid heroines, and emotional journeys of self-discovery, all with a touch of the supernatural. Her poetry, stories, and essays have appeared widely in print and online literary journals and anthologies. She enjoys life in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, with its coast and trails where she walks her tiny but mighty Silky Terrier with her architect husband.

Website / Facebook / X / Instagram

Amazon

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GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Deadly Ruse: A World War II Mystery (Deadly Series)
by Kate Parker


Deadly Ruse: A World War II Mystery (Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
14th in Series
Setting – England
Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2026
Number of Pages ~300
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8993886442
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GYQCS43C
Paperback will be available on the release date.

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As the war’s outcome shifts, deception is an art–and survival depends on who’s painting the picture.

When British spy Olivia Redmond is summoned again by her elusive spymaster, she’s expecting danger–not an invitation to teach drawing to captured German generals at Trent Park House. But beneath the genteel cover of sketches and civility lies a deadly ruse: the lavish POW mansion is wired for sound, every whispered secret a weapon in Britain’s intelligence war.

Among the prisoners is Oberst Bernhard, a conflicted German officer from Livvy’s past. When murder, stolen jewels, and a suspected plot among the prisoners ignite within Trent Park, Livvy must decide whom she can trust–and how far she’ll go to expose a truth wrapped in loyalty and lies.

From the candlelit salons of wartime espionage to the shadows of betrayal, Deadly Ruse is a gripping historical mystery where every stroke of trust could be fatal.

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About Author Kate Parker

Kate Parker has long wanted to build a time travel machine. However, after several false starts, she gave up and created time travel by going back in time inside her  books. Since she’s fond of murder mysteries, it is probably best that all of her travel is inside books or police from various ages would be hunting her. When not recreating old time buildings and fashions, she can be found with a modern computer and modern air conditioning in North Carolina with her daughter and a 115 lb. puppy who could just crash through any time barrier.

Author Links
Website – Facebook 

Purchase Links –

Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

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GIVEAWAY

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 23 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

June 24 – Book Hookup – REVIEW

June 25 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 26 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

June 29 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

June 30 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

June 30 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT

July 1 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author– SPOTLIGHT

July 1 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

July 2 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

July 2 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 3 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 3 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.