Archive for the ‘Cozy Mystery’ Category

We’re excited to share the cover for You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet by Juliette Harper! This is the first book in A Study Club Mystery series. It’s set to release in June 2015. Check out the excerpt and then the fabulous giveaway at the end!

About The Book

You Can’t Get Blood Out Of Shag Carpet

A Study Club Mystery

by Juliette Harper

ShagCarpetEbookCover

Synopsis

Wanda Jean Milton discovers her husband, local exterminator Hilton Milton, dead on her new shag carpet with an Old Hickory carving knife sticking out of his chest. Beside herself over how she’ll remove the stain, and grief-stricken over Hilton’s demise, Wanda Jean finds herself the prime suspect in the case. But she is also a member of “the” local Study Club, a bastion of independent Texas feminism 1960s style. Club President Clara Wyler has no intention of allowing a member to be a murder suspect during her administration. Aided by her younger sister and County Clerk, Mae Ella Gormley; Sugar Watson, the proprietress of Sugar’s Style and Spray; and Wilma Schneider, Army MASH veteran and local RN, the Club women set out to clear Wanda Jean’s name — never guessing the local dirt they’ll uncover in the process.

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Enjoy this peek inside!

Sugar Watson took a long drag on her Camel and critically appraised the height of Clara Wyler’s black bouffant. “You want me to go a little higher, honey?” she asked, punctuating the question with a well-developed smoker’s cough. “If I rat it up real good, I can get you another 2 or 3 inches on top.”

Clara squinted at herself in the mirror. “I think I’m good, Sugar,” she said. “What with Wanda Jean finding Hilton dead in the living room, I don’t want to look insincere at Study Club.”

Sugar leaned in conspiratorially. “I know we don’t ever throw anybody out of the Study Club, but my Lord, what in the world are we gonna do if she really did kill him?”

Clara glanced around to confirm that all the other women in Sugar’s Style and Spray were safely tucked under the dryers. “Well, she called me herself to assure me that she didn’t do it,” Clara said. “She owned up to wanting to, but she didn’t do it.”

“Well, hell,” Sugar said, “we’ve all thought about killing our husbands. That’s just part of being married. But nobody’s ever walked in my house and found Slim laying there with an Old Hickory carving knife sticking out of his chest. What did Wanda Jean say about finding him?”

“She told me the first thing she thought about was how hard it was gonna be to get the blood out of that new shag carpet they put in last month,” Clara said. “You know they went with the deep pile.”

“I know,” Sugar said. “I looked at it too when T.J. put the ad in the paper, but my vacuum cleaner just won’t suck up dirt good enough for that. Is it a light carpet?”

“I didn’t think to ask her,” Clara said, unclipping the plastic cape around her neck and handing it to Sugar. “Anyway, she said she just stood there thinking about how you can’t get blood out of shag carpet. Then it dawned on her maybe she ought to check him for a pulse.”

“I hope it wasn’t a light carpet,” Sugar said, rearranging cans of Aqua Net on the counter. “Those boys from the ambulance service never think to wipe their feet before they go in to get a body. You should have seen the mess they made when Blake Trinkle died. They just ruined Maybelline’s carpet. She spent as much getting it cleaned as she did on the funeral.”

“That’s so inconsiderate,” Clara agreed. “People just don’t think. Now you’re not gonna be late this afternoon, are you?”

“Of course not,” Sugar said. “Flowers knows not to book me on the third Thursday at three. Study Club day is sacred.”

“Good, I have to go by the bakery and . . . ”

The look on Sugar’s face stopped Clara mid-sentence. “Good Lord, Sugar,” she said. “You look like you swallowed one of your Camels.”

“I think we’re gonna be one short for Club,” Sugar croaked. “Look.”

Clara glanced out the front window in time to see Sheriff Lester Harper helping a handcuffed Wanda Jean Milton out of the backseat of his car. “What is that man thinking!” she exclaimed. “Parading her in front of God and everybody on the courthouse square!”

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About The Author

Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson.

Like the characters of their debut series, The Lockwood Legacy, Juliette is a merging of their creative energies.

Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan from a long line of hardheaded Scots, knows the world of the Lockwoods like the back of her hand.“We decided to write under a pen name because neither one of us by ourselves could have created Kate, Jenny, Mandy, and their world,” says Pauletti. “Juliette is a little bit of us both. We want to be her when we grow up.”

“Patti teases me that I just don’t want to own up to writing a book with romance in it,” Williamson adds, “but that’s not true. I like the Lockwood women and the way they tackle everything life throws at them. And before we’re done, they’ll be ducking a lot. I imagine coming into the office every day and saying, ‘Okay Juliette, what’s going to happen now?’ She tells us, and we get it down on paper.”
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Ends May 12th, 2015
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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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FREIGHT TO THE DEATH large banner640

A Fright To The Death

by Dawn Eastman

If I had to use one word to describe this book that word would be fun. The setting, the characters and the mystery were all very much enjoyable.
~I Wish I Lived In a Library

This was a cute book. It has all the elements of a great Cozy, A quirky cast of characters, A charming location, knitting, and of course dogs and a cat.
~Tea and A Book

A Fright to the Death has a lot going for it! Besides the psychic aspect of the series, which is always a lot of fun, this book takes place in a Victorian “castle” hotel of the sort I’ve always wanted to stay in – and there’s a knitter’s conference going on at the same time. That hits four of my interests right there – knitting, mystery, Victorian architecture, and a touch of the paranormal. Small wonder that I jumped on the chance to do this tour!
~The Bookwyrm’s Hoard

The characters continue to make me smile. Mac’s mom added some normality to help balance out all of Clyde’s family wackiness. This was a nice addition to the series. I am giving A Fright to Death, 5 stars. As an added bonus, I just love the covers!
~Musings and Ramblings

This was my favorite Eastman yet! … A great cozy mystery that will keep you guessing as you meet suspect after suspect, I can’t recommend this series enough. Perfect for cuddling on the couch with a cup of tea…A Fright to the Death will leave you feeling warm and satisfied and itching for the next book in the series.
~Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf

Dawn Eastman is a phenomenal writer who can draw her readers in and leave them in suspense until the very end. It is rare that an author can do that.
~Girl Lost in a Book

A Fright to the Death is a hauntingly fun mystery filled with thrills and chills, that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
~Books-n-Kisses

This story is full of twists and turns and will keep you up long into the night trying to find out what happens next.
~Griperang’s Bookmarks

Clyde was my favorite character and I loved that she had psychic abilities.
~Deal Sharing Aunt

A Fright to the Death (A Family Fortune Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (April 7, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0425264485
E-Book ASIN: B00LMGK3WG

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 My Review

Finally Clyde(you’d know why she calls herself that if you knew her real name) and Mac are on their way to Mexico. Or so they think. As the snow flakes thicken, all flights are cancelled, so Mac takes them to a lovely secluded hotel until they can catch another flight. Should be fun as it’s rumored to be haunted.

Imagine their dismay when they are greeted by Clyde’s mother. And she informs them Clyde’s Aunt Vi and Mac’s mother are there also.

The hotel is hosting a knitting conference and all of the rooms are booked so Clyde and Mac have to bunk with their respective mothers. Talk about a sad excuse for a vacation.

I guess it wasn’t funny for Clyde and Mac, but it was for me. They were supposed to be on a sunny beach and instead they are still in Michigan, snowed in with both of their mothers and one very nosy aunt.

The storm worsens, the power goes out, and Voila!, a dead body is discovered.

Someone has murdered one of the hotel’s owners and the list of suspects is long. Now, instead of getting a lovely tan and dipping their toes in warm waters, Mac, a police detective, and Clyde, a former police officer and tentative psychic, have to take charge and weed out the killer from among the stranded guests.

What a great scenario for a cozy mystery. The guests are trapped. One of them is a murderer. And there isn’t a snowballs chance of help reaching them.

Then throw in some very colorful characters.

Clyde’s mother, Rose, who says I told you so. Her tarot cards foretold dark deeds.

Vi, Clyde’s aunt, a self-proclaimed pet psychic, who can’t keep her cute little nose out of the case. Taking her own notes and poking into police business. I swear she was in hog heaven trying to figure it out.

Then there’s Lucille, Mac’s mom, who doesn’t see that this isn’t Clyde and Mac’s idea of a great vacation.

And on to the main characters, Clyde and Mac. I felt for them but had a lot of fun at their expense. The poor souls. Their romantic vacation is a bust and now they are snowed in with a murderer and their mothers. They were trying to get away from their families and instead have to bunk with them. It truly had me snickering.

I had a lot of fun poking around the hotel for clues, sitting in on the interviews, chilling out with the many guests, and discovering hidden passages.

And what’s a good cozy without some adorable dogs and a cat that appears to vanish and reappear out of thin air.

If you’re worried about reading this without having read the first two books, don’t be. The author gives snippets of information from previous events in just the right spots without slowing down the story.

I love cozies and when you add in a paranormal or supernatural element, you’ve made my day.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

From the author of Be Careful What You Witch For, here is the newest Family Fortune Mystery, starring former cop Clyde Fortune, who—snowbound with her kooky family in a creepy castle—is climbing the walls and combing the halls, looking for a cold-blooded killer…

After their flight to Mexico is cancelled, Clyde and her detective boyfriend, Mac, end up snowed in with their families at a supposedly haunted hotel. Clyde’s tarot card reading mother, Rose, is making dire predictions for the weekend, and self-proclaimed pet psychic Aunt Vi is enchanted by the legend of the hotel’s ghost—until the power goes out and a body turns up.

With a hotel full of stranded suspects, Clyde will have to draw on all her skills—both the police ones she’d rather forget and the psychic ones she’d rather ignore—to solve the bone-chilling mystery before someone else gets iced…

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headshot dawn eastman

About This Author
When I was ten years old, my two favorite things were climbing trees and reading. As a bonus, I discovered if I combined the two, I could hide from my mother when she wanted me to clean my room. Nancy Drew and I spent many afternoons solving crimes and avoiding chores. Eventually, I moved on to Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, and Stephanie Plum. I improved my housework-dodging ploys.

After many years in Michigan, I now live in Iowa with my husband, son and daughter. When I’m not writing or chauffeuring kids, I keep busy catering to the whims of a bossy bichon-shih tzu mix who wants to rule the world.

Author Links:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Purchase Links
Amazon     B&N      Book Depository     Kobo     Google Play

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I have one print copy of A Fright To The Death to giveaway.

Entry is easy.

Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“What do you love best about cozy mysteries? Is it the cover art? The fun, quirky titles? The colorful cast of characters and their names? Or something else?

Giveaway ends April 20th.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 6 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – Review, Giveaway

April 7 – Tea and A Book – Review, Interview

April 8 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

April 9 – Musings and Ramblings – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

April 10 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf– Review, Giveaway

April 11 – A Blue Million Books – Interview

April 12 – Girl Lost In a Book – Review, Giveaway

April 13 – Book-n-Kisses – Review, Giveaway

April 14 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review, Giveaway

April 15 – deal sharing aunt – Review, Interview, Giveaway

April 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Guest Post

April 17 – fuonlyknew – Review, Giveaway

April 18 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview

April 19 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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DEAD GIRL BLUES large banner new640

What a fun series. Need a ride? Hop in the Taxi for the Dead. Oh, I’, sorry. Not a zombie? No ride then and consider yourself lucky.

I’ve got lots to share with you today.

I’m reviewing both books, Broken Hearted Ghoul, Book One, and Dead Girl Blues, Book Two.

And I have an awesome giveaway too so don’t forget to enter.

You could win print copies of both books and a skull mug and pen holder plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

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Dead Girl Blues
by Joyce and Jim Lavene

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25268052

You simply canNOT go wrong with anything written by Joyce and Jim Lavene.
~Back Porchervations

Jim and Joyce Lavene’s newest paranormal Dead Girl Blues will have you reading through the night. Magic, Zombies and a story line so well written this whodunit will leave you wanting more.
~Shelley’s Book Case

Ghosts, zombies, werewolves, sorcerers….there is a lot of paranormal going on here in this cozy mystery. But it all works and makes for an enjoyable read. The characters are all believable and interesting.
~MysteriesEtc.

Dead Girl Blues is a zombie novel with a twist that is new to me. I love finding something unique, original and slightly funny. Imagine a zombie doing a murder investigation. It put a smile on my face, how about yours?
~fundinmental

Dead Girl Blues is a different cozy mystery. It has ghosts, zombies, sorcerer and other creatures. It has lots of drama, humor, wit , car chases, romance and surprises….I want to read the next book in the series. Has lot of characters that I want to find out what happens next.
~readalot

There is something for everyone in this book. I liked this author team and will be watching for more books.
~Bab’s Book Bistro

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Dead Girl Blues
By Joyce and Jim Lavene

25268052

• Genre – Cozy Mystery (PARANORMAL)

My Review

I’m addicted to cozy mysteries and how could I resist one with a supernatural theme. There’s magic, mayhem, and mystery with many mystical beings.

As I read the first couple of sentences from this second book in the Taxi For The Dead Series I was grinning. I’d wondered if this installment would be as fun as the first and I needn’t have worried.

Skye and Debbie start us off with a bet on whether their next LEP (Life Extended People) would submit meekly or be a runner. Skye bet the woman would submit and she one. Or so she thought until the husband started blasting away at them with a shotgun while the LEP took off across the rough terrain on a four-wheeler. In pursuit, Skye’s poor bedraggled van met it’s end with tires flying off and tail pipe flying through the air. Looks like they’ll be shopping for a new taxi for the dead.

Dead Girl Blues captured me right then and there and I couldn’t wait to read more.

For those who haven’t read the first book I’ll give you a brief recap. Skye and her husband were in a fatal car crash. Approached by Abraham Lincoln Jones, Skye pledged servitude to him for twenty mores years walking the eart. She’s a zombie but looks normal. She doesn’t shuffle or eat brains. She did this to have more time to raise her daughter. Her service to Abe is bringing in other LEPs when their time is up.

In her job, she must not show sympathy and let one slip away. After their twenty years, if now rounded up and brought to the mortuary, they change and become a ghoul. A loved one no longer recognizable.

Three years into the job and one year of working with Debbie as a partner, things are going okay. So, of course, something has to happen to stir the pot.

Abe’s sorcerer is murdered and the zombies that work for him are disappearing after turning into ghosts. If she doesn’t want the same to happen to her, she’ll need the help of Lucas, the amnesiac sorcerer, a guest in her home.

Like the first book, there is more than one mystery going on. Skye is still seeking the truth about the accident that killed her and her husband. Going against Abe’s wishes, Skye pursues the lead, risking his wrath and perhaps being promoted to full dead.

I love it when the second book in a series gives me what I want. This is every bit as good as the first book and I couldn’t be happier.

New mysteries. More mayhem. And lots of ghoulish fun.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

When Nashville cop Skye Mertz and her husband, Jacob, are killed in a wreck, Skye is given the opportunity to come back for twenty years to raise her five-year-old daughter, Kate. With her ghostly mother-in-law’s help, Skye hopes to be there until Kate is old enough to take care of herself.

But three years into her twenty-year service to Abraham Lincoln Jones, the man who gave her the extra time, Skye is beginning to think life might have been easier before she died.

Abe asks her to investigate the murder of his sorcerer, Harold the Great, a man who was a victim of too many snakes. And the Life Extended People (LEPs – a nice term for zombies) who work for Abe have begun turning into ghosts and disappearing. Only Lucas, the possibly evil, amnesiac sorcerer who lives with Skye and her family, can save her from being the next victim of the deadly curse.

To make matters more complicated, Skye has found a lead in solving the riddle of her husband’s death. She has never believed Jacob died as a result of the crash, but hasn’t been able to prove it. Many other people have lost their lives in the same lonely stretch of highway that he did three years before. Skye goes against Abe’s express wishes to discover the truth with a crazy man bent on vengeance.

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First Book in Series
Broken Hearted Ghoul (Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mysteries) (Volume 1)

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My Review

A supernatural cozy mystery with zombies! I couldn’t wait to read this book.

A car crash ended Skye’s life. Her husband didn’t survive and she was on the brink of death when she was offered a different ending. One she gladly accepted so she could have more time to raise her daughter.

So she pledged twenty years of service to Abraham Lincoln Jones and became a zombie. Not the rotting flesh and brain sucking kind. She still looks pretty much the same. But she is undead.

No longer a police officer, she now drives a taxi for the dead, making pickups for Abe when other zombies times are up, their twenty years of service over.

After two years of driving the taxi it’s become routine, until one pick up changes everything. A zombie, one of Abe’s has been killed before his time was up. A plain gold wedding band left by his heartless corpse.

More zombies are killed and it becomes a race against time to discover the killer before he sets his sights on Skye.

There are so many different plots woven into this one book.

Who is killing the zombies, ripping out there hearts and leaving wedding bands by the bodies? What is the purpose of the rings?

What or who is Lucas, Skye’s strange guest at the inn  her husband inherited from his parents? He has some powers but appears to have amnesia. Who called him to Skye? Is he good or evil? Sorcerer or monster?

Perhaps Jacob’s mother can get to the bottom of it. She died but her ghost lingers at the inn. She stayed to help Skye with raising her daughter. Not liking Lucas, she’s still stuck with his presence and he does offer to help her become more solid so she can do more around the inn. Maybe a friendship will blossom and his memories will become clearer.

And just what is Abraham Lincoln Jones? He isn’t human or zombie. Where did he get the power to create zombies? Most of the time Abe is a happy guy, smiling, calm spoken. But it’s not a good idea to makes him angry and questions do that. So who or what he is will remain a mystery for now.

And what’s Skye’s new partners story. Debbie pledged twenty years of service to Abe in exchange for saving her husbands life. This hasn’t been done before. And something is strange about him. Skye senses something different in the man, not zombie. Did Abe make this unusual deal to woo Debbie? He does appear to have taken a shine to her.

See what I mean about many plots. Don’t worry about becoming confused though. The author weaves them together as the book progresses and you can easily follow along. In fact, you’ll be swept into the mystery right to the end.

I loved it. All of it. So much fun. So many mysteries. Lots of supernatural beings. A teeny bit of a possible romance. And many laughs with a good dose of sarcasm here and there. And it’s a series too! So I’ll be visiting with these characters again.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

It’s been two years since Skye Mertz agreed to drive Abe’s Taxi for the Dead, transporting his zombie workers back to the man who gave them an additional twenty years of life. She’s raising her daughter, with the help of her ghostly mother-in-law, and keeps looking for what killed her husband the night she died.

Now she has a partner – a housewife working off her zombie husband’s service – and she’s met a sorcerer with amnesia. It shouldn’t be surprising that a broken hearted ghoul, bent on getting revenge, should show up too. After all, there’s no rest for the dead.

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About The Authors

joycejim

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.

 

Author Links

Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon ~ Twitter

Purchase Link:
Amazon

First Book in Series
Broken Hearted Ghoul (Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mysteries) (Volume 1)

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow The Tour

April 6 – Back Porchervations – Review

April 7 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Guest Post

April 8 – MysteriesEtc – Review*

April 9 – fundinmental – Review*

April 9 – readalot – Review *

April 10 – Babs Book BistroReview, Guest Post*

April 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review*

April 12 – LibriAmoriMiei – Review

April 13 – Tea and A Book – Review, Interview

April 14 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post*

April 15 – fuonlyknew – Review*

April 15 – Lilac Reviews – Review, Guest Post

April 16 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post

April 17 – Community Bookstop – Review*

April 18 – A Chick Who Reads – Review*

April 19 – Brooke Blogs – Review*

April 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Interview

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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wicked stitch  large banner640

I have another fun cozy mystery to share with you!

Wicked Stitch is the 8th book in the Embroidery Mystery Series but you don’t have to have read the other books to enjoy this one.

I started this series with the fifth book and then read the 7th book before reading Wicked Stitch. I plan to go back and start from the beginning. I’d like to be there when Marcy first moved to Tallulah Falls.

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Wicked Stitch
by Amanda Lee

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A great cozy mystery…
~Bab’s Book Bistro

Wicked Stitch:
An Embroidery Mystery

Series: Embroidery Mystery (Book 8)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet (April 7, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0451467409
E-Book ASIN: B00MNN7GXQ

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 My Review

It’s good to be back with my friends in Tallulah Falls. There’s big doings going on. The town is hosting the Renaissance Fair and all of the business owners are setting up booths to ply their wares and dressing up in period costumes.

Marcy plans on displaying some of the blackwork embroidery she’s been working on along with some other stuff from her shop, The Seven year Stitch.

Everything is going swimmingly until Marcy visits the booth next to hers. The booth belongs to her nemesis, Nellie, who just recently opened up a needlework shop right next door to Marcie’s and even copied her interior decorating.

Trying to once again mend fences, Marcie visits Nellie’s booth only to find her collapsed on the floor, a scarf wound tightly around her neck.

Marcy calls her boyfriend,detective Ted Nash, to report what she found and she’s quickly cleared as a suspect. Well almost. Nellie’s sister, Clara, swears Marcy killed her. The two sisters never liked Marcy from the moment she moved to Tallulah falls and made her life miserable.

Marcy and Ted put their heads together to try to solve the murder, along with an arson case that might be connected. Marcy’s booth gets trashed, people get assaulted, and a killer roams the crowds, invisible is his costume.

It’s never dull in Tallulah Falls. For such a small town, there’s always trouble and poor Marcy seems to always land in the middle of it.

All of the usual characters are back, the good and the bad. I swear those sisters, Nellie and Clara, are meaner than snakes. I was as enraged as Marcy to learn that Nellie had set up shop right next door to her, plying a lot of the same merchandise, trying to steal her customers, and copying her interior decor. I guess it could be considered a compliment and I have a feeling Marcy wouldn’t lose many customers to mean old Nellie.

Not that I’d wish Nellie dead. The obvious suspect would be Marcy. I know Marcy can handle herself and she’s gotten really close with Ted. Their romance is steaming along and they had me giggling and sighing. They are so sweet together. And Marcy’s Irish wolfhound, Angus, is as adorable as ever. I love when the author gives an animal a part in their story. There’s a sweet little rabbit too and Angus adores it. Unfortunately, it belongs to Nellie. I think play dates will be unlikely.

Once the killer was revealed, and it was a surprise to me, I felt the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked a little more action. It was over so quickly. Perhaps I just didn’t want it to be the end yet.

Spring is here and summer will soon follow. I’d recommend this as a fun mystery to read while sitting outside taking in the fresh air or lounging by the pool. I’m looking forward to visiting Tallulah Falls again.

4 Stars

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Synopsis:

When murder strikes the small town of Tallulah Falls, embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer isn’t afraid of getting into the knitty-gritty to clear her own name…

For most small-business owners in Tallulah Falls, the upcoming Renaissance Faire is a wonderful way to promote their specialty shops. For Marcy’s nemesis, Nellie, and her sister Clara, it’s an opportunity to finally put Marcy and her shop, the Seven-Year Stitch, out of business. Apparently the sisters like to keep their grudges all in the family and have set up a competing booth right next to Marcy’s at the Faire.

When Clara is discovered dead in her own booth—strangled by the scarf she had almost finished knitting—Marcy becomes the prime suspect. Now she has to do whatever it takes to keep her reputation from unraveling and get to the bottom of a most deadly yarn…

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About This Author

Gayle Trent (writing as Amanda Lee) writes the embroidery mystery series. The series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back. Gayle/Amanda lives in Virginia when she’s not inhabiting the fictional world of Tallulah Falls.

 

Author  Links

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository Kobo Google Play

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Tease for this week is from

A Fright To The Death

A Family Fortune Mystery #3

by Dawn Eastman

 

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My Teasers from pages 54 and 106 in the paperback.

From page 54:

Vi had been known to interview dogs, cats, and even woodland creatures to try to solve a mystery.

From page 106:

The bear bounded off the snowmobile and let out a very canine woof.

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Synopsis

From the author of Be Careful What You Witch For, here is the newest Family Fortune Mystery, starring former cop Clyde Fortune, who—snowbound with her kooky family in a creepy castle—is climbing the walls and combing the halls, looking for a cold-blooded killer…

After their flight to Mexico is cancelled, Clyde and her detective boyfriend, Mac, end up snowed in with their families at a supposedly haunted hotel. Clyde’s tarot card reading mother, Rose, is making dire predictions for the weekend, and self-proclaimed pet psychic Aunt Vi is enchanted by the legend of the hotel’s ghost—until the power goes out and a body turns up.

With a hotel full of stranded suspects, Clyde will have to draw on all her skills—both the police ones she’d rather forget and the psychic ones she’d rather ignore—to solve the bone-chilling mystery before someone else gets iced…

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I’ll be reviewing this in April for the tour and can’t wait to tell you about it. It’s equal parts scary good and funny. What a cast of characters and great scenario! I’ve been giggling like a school girl:)

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Today I’m excited to share the cover of A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander, the second book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. This book releases June 30, 2015 by St. Martins Press.
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Welcome to Torte–a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for…

It’s autumn in Ashland, Oregon–’tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte’s famous peach cobbler. It’s also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family’s beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel’s reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered–death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

Don’t miss out on book one, Meet Your Baker, available now!
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About the Author:
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.
Find her on Twitter | Facebook
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Triple chocolate brownie mix
Oregon Chai tea
Custom handmade coasters and napkins
Signed copy of Meet Your Baker
Signed Advanced Reader copy of A Batter of Life and Death
***Open to US only***
Ends April 9, 2015

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
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To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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I was so excited after I finished reading Out From Under. I hope you’ll read it so we can talk about it. So many scenes had me laughing and I sure wish I had friends like these.
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Come on in and meet the gals.
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Enjoy my review.
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And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
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My Review
It’s never too late to start your life anew. Tallulah Dewy Townz, at 52 yrs. old, quits her investigator’s job at Child Welfare Services and opens her own investigation business. There’s plenty of cases to go around in Wenatchee, Washington.
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Once she finds office space, it isn’t long before she has several new employees. Her 72 year old neighbor, Arizona Wyatt Zanderfield, offers her secretarial skills cheap.
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And when Tallulah’s  best friends, Gigi VanWey; Pea Pod Girl #1 and Babs Rosencratz; Pea Pod Girl #3 stop in to check out her new business, it feels natural, only right to hire the gals too. With Tallulah being Pea Pad Girl #2, now they can get down to the nitty gritty. And boy, do they.
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I can’t count how many times I busted out laughing while reading this book. The author gave me some seasoned ladies to fall in love with.
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Each of the Pea Pod Girls is tough, says exactly what they are thinking, and are like momma bears if anyone threatens the others. The author flashes back to show how the girls met, and the laugh riot never stopped.
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And before I forget, wait until you get a load of Arizona. She’s hired as a secretary, but she’s not afraid to stick her nose in the case. Her shouts to the girls from the outer office had me snickering. I could just see her out there, leaning towards the inner office door, growing impatient, and shouting at them to get to the good stuff.
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Their first case is a doozy. Cyndi Lou Montgomery gets caught with her pants down, literally. A recovering sugar daddy addict, she falls off the wagon and someone gets pictures and a video of her in some very compromising positions and they want money to keep quiet. The poor thing, She has a loving husband and this one lapse could cost her everything.
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I don’t know what I loved more. The fact that these gals were around my age. That they were full of p#ss and vinegar. How tight there friendship was. Or how much snark they could sling.
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All through the book I was thinking, “Bring it.” Cause these ladies are like terriers when they got their teeth into the case. Give them a wrecking ball and all obstacles fall.
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I raise a glass to these authors. They gave me such a fun, thrilling read. I truly didn’t want it to end. Just loved the Pea Pod Gals.
5 Stars
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Out From Under
Pea Pod Girls’ Investigations Book #1
By- Melanie Donithan, Dee Middleton-Taylor, and Suzanne Curry
Genre- Romance/Mystery/Humor
Expected Publication Date- March 2015
 
Three small town, middle-aged women with big town dreams open up The Pea Pod Girls’ Investigations. Gigi VanWey, the Amazon Queen, Tallulah Dewy Townz, the pint-sized rebel who can open a can of whoop ass, and Babs Rosencrantz, the Jewish Guru, had no idea how much trouble they could stir up with their first case. These extremely resourceful women are three peas in a pod who know how to get a job done.
 
Their first client, trophy wife and recovering-sugar-daddy-addict Cyndi Lou Montgomery, wants to find out how one minute she’s watching the Douglas County 4th of July celebration and the next, waking up in the Douglas County Prize Bull Barn in a most un-lady-like situation. Now Cyndi is being blackmailed, and given specific instructions to follow.
 
The Pea Pod Girls didn’t know that a home explosion, being shot at, missing evidence and unwanted help from the new town sheriff, Jackson Lee – who, by the way, is so hot you could fry an egg on his fine ass – would be part of the job.
 
The case comes to a head when the Pea Pod Girls set a trap for the blackmailer at the annual Midnight Madness Costume Ball.
 
Will the Pea Pod Girls be able to solve the mystery before the clock strikes midnight?
 
  
 

(more…)

A Lesson in Murder Tour Banner

Looking for a cosy crime story?

Look no further.

Get to know the characters of Cherringham form A lesson in murder.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

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A Lesson In Murder

by Authors Neil Richards and Mathew Costello

A lesson in murder cover

Synopsis

Nothing ever happens in the small Cotswold village of Cherringham, making it the perfect place to retire to – or so ex-NYPD Detective Jack Brennan thought. But before long, local web designer and single mother Sarah Edwards had convinced him to help her investigate a suspicious suicide. Since then, he and Sarah have solved mysterious deaths, unlikely accidents and perplexing robberies. “Peace and quiet” never really suited Jack anyway…

Cherringham is an ongoing “cosy crime” eBook series, that launched in December 2013 and features unlikely sleuthing duo Sarah and Jack. Released in monthly episode, it is written by award-winning game and TV writers UK-based Neil Richards and US-based Matthew Costello in a transatlantic collaboration – which mirrors that of Jack and Sarah. The new series, released from March, launches with A Lesson in Murder, in which the two are asked to investigate the violent death of a popular teacher at Cherringham Girls School.

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About The Authors

Neil_Richards_and_Matt_Costello_Low_res-40

Photo Credit – Wayne Mathews-Stroud

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Co-authors Neil Richards and Matthew Costello are known for their script work on major computer games. The Cherringham crime series is their first fictional transatlantic collaboration. Matthew has written and designed dozens of bestselling games including the critically acclaimed The 7th Guest, Doom 3, Rage and Pirates of the Caribbean. He is also the author of a number of successful novels, including Vacation (2011) and Beneath Still Waters (1989), which was made into a movie. Neil has worked as a producer and writer in TV and film, creating scripts for BBC, Disney, and Channel 4, and earning numerous Bafta nominations along the way. He’s also written script and story for over 20 video games including The Da Vinci Code and Starship Titanic, co-written with Douglas Adams, and consults around the world on digital storytelling.

LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

Bastei Entertainment

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GIVEAWAY
1st Prize – Winner written into a Cherringham episode plus an ecopy of the book
2nd Prize – ecopy of the book

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ladle to the Grave
by Connie Archer

The mystery is such fun and with old and new characters and an ending that will leave you hungry (pun intended) for the next book!
~A Chick Who Reads

Even though I knew there was going to be murder involved, Ladle to the Grave was simply a cozy (pun intended) comfort read from beginning to end.
~Read Your Writes

This was a cup of tea kind of mystery. This is an interesting story, great pacing, nice characters and soup. What more can you want!
~I Wish I Lived In a Library

I adored the characters Lucky and Sophie are a hoot. This book is indeed cozy from the first page. I wanted the pages to keep going and not end.
~Bab’s Book Bistro

LADLE TO THE GRAVE was just as wonderful as the first three books in this series. No, wait. Scratch that. LADLE TO THE GRAVE was even MORE wonderful than the first three titles.
~Lisa K’s Book Reviews

Ladle to the Grave
(A Soup Lover’s Mystery)

4th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 3, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0425273111
E-Book ASIN: B00LMGLY7E

22668776

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 My Review

I sure do enjoy cozy mysteries and I have a new one to share today.

When I first started reading this, mention of a pagan ritual had me going back to the cover on my Kindle to be sure I was reading the right book. Several local women have formed a coven and are performing the ritual of spring, the Beltaine, when one of their members dies after drinking a potion.

This is where Lucky, owner of By The Spoonful, a popular soup cafe, enters the story, as her grandfather, Jack, was the one who gathered the herbs and spices for the brew. She begins her own investigation to clear his name after he comes under suspicion of foul play.

As if that’s not enough, her best friend, Sophie, and her fiance, Sage, an employee at the soup shop, are planning their wedding and when the two women are visiting the site of Sophie’s future home, they stumble upon a man drowned in the stream that runs through the property.

As the bodies pile up and light of suspicion is cast upon family and loved ones, Sophie places herself in the middle of the investigation and paints a dangerous target on herself. It’s only a matter of time before things start boiling over.

There’s more than one plot to follow in this story, but the author kept it flowing smoothly. I don’t usually get caught by surprise in a cozy, but there were two big ones for me in this book. One made me cry. And one set me back as I realized I hadn’t solved this mystery. This kept me on my toes and emotionally engaged.

One part that had me chuckling was the wedding. Sophie and Sage are planning a small, private one. But the town folk are bombarding Lucky about what to buy the couple and when their invitations will arrive.  I was anticipating a big pickle about this and wasn’t disappointed.

I enjoyed all of the colorful characters and a few became near and dear to me. A few others felt familiar, as I’m from a small town, much like Snowflake, where everybody knows everybody, and there are those few people that seem to be everywhere at once and know everything.

Even though this is the fourth book in the series. I easily got familiar with the characters and references to previous events had me curious to go back and read the series from the beginning. It’s always fun to begin at the beginning and find out how and why the characters ended up where they are.

A fun cozy and a series I”ll be following. I hope you give it a try.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

By the Spoonful is Snowflake, Vermont’s most popular soup shop, but owner Lucky Jamieson doesn’t have any time to enjoy her success—she’s too busy trying to keep a lid on false accusations against her loved ones…

It’s almost May, and some of the local ladies have organized a pagan celebration in the woods to welcome spring. But the evening goes terribly wrong when one of the attendees winds up dead, apparently poisoned by an herbal concoction prepared by Lucky’s grandfather, Jack.

Lucky’s sure her grandfather could not have made such a tragic mistake. But before she can clear him of suspicion, her best friend, Sophie, is diverted from planning her wedding to By the Spoonful chef Sage DuBois when she finds a dead man floating in the creek on her property. Now it’s up to Lucky to get both Sophie and Jack out of hot water before a killer stirs up more trouble…

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Connie.Archer.XX

About This Author

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.

A Spoonful of Murder, [http://amzn.to/1pRKL9TA]

A Broth of Betrayal [http://amzn.to/1ofLs86] and

A Roux of Revenge [http://amzn.to/1ofLCMD]

are set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont.

The fourth book in the series,

Ladle to the Grave, [http://amzn.to/Zs1GGg] will be released on March 3, 2015.

 

Links:

Website:  www.conniearchermysteries.com

Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries

Twitter:  @SnowflakeVT

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1y1CYeM

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Valentine’s Day is Murder
by Carolyn Arnold

It ‘s a mystery fast to read but very exciting, set in a beautiful place like Jamaica: splendid sea, fantastic beaches, tempting cocktails and lots of sun.
~LibriAmoriMiei

This was a quick, enjoyable read. Fast paced, beautiful setting of Ocho Rios, Jamaica,
~Tea and A Book

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Valentine’s Day is Murder
(McKinley Mysteries series Book 8)

23922975
Cozy Mystery
E-Book File Size: 527 KB
Print Length: 117 pages
ASIN: B00OO729NQ

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My Review

The story takes place in exotic Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I’ve always wanted to go there, but until I do, I’ll visit vicariously through this fun cozy mystery.

Sean and Sara will soon be celebrating their One year Anniversary and this will also be their first Velentine’s Day as a married couple.

Their plans will have to be put on hold when they receive a phone call from Meredith, their dear friend Jimmy’s new girlfriend, that he’s disappeared. They drop everything and fly to Ocho Riosto find him.

Sara and Sean are both former police officers and now own their own private investigation company and put these talents to work as soon as they land. All is not sunny and welcoming in Jamaica and they have to move fast to save Jimmy, protect Meredith, and stay alive themselves.

When I reached the finale and discovered the culprits, it came as a complete surprise. I’m wondering if their story was told in a previous book from this series.

This is the eight book in the McKinley Mystery Series but I had no trouble reading this before the other books. The author focused on this mystery and introduced the characters in a way that made them quickly become familiar and easy to engage with.

Sean and Sara are still in the newlywed mode and share some sweet moments. They are a bit gushy with their endearments, hence the mention of the newlywed mode.

I came away from this happy with the ending and eager to go to the beginning and get to know the characters better. To explore how they came to be where they were in this book.

A fun, fast read, that will bring me back for more of this series.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

From bestselling author Carolyn Arnold…
Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piña colada.

Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.

Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.

With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.

With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.

8th in the Amazon Bestselling McKinley Mystery Series

Enjoy this glimpse inside!

From Chapter 4

Pineapples & Alibis

 

“There was no answer in her room. She may be out by the pool.” The front desk clerk lowered the phone’s receiver and gestured toward a wall of windows that faced a pool, and, beyond that, the sea.

“Thank you,” Sean said.

“No worries.” The clerk smiled and flipped some papers over that she had been working on when they had approached her to call up to Meredith’s room.

Tourists, clad in bathing suits in a spectrum of colors, dotted both the poolside and the beach. It had Sara wishing all she and Sean had to do was enjoy the scenery.

The sun was beating down, the warmth all-encompassing, but thankfully, the humidity wasn’t extreme. Sara still wished to slip out of her dress to reveal the bikini she wore underneath. The thought of the rays kissing her skin was almost too much to dismiss from her mind.

She scanned the horde of vacationers and spotted Meredith lying out on a lounge chair. She sat up as if she sensed Sara watching.

“There she is, Sean.” Sara nudged her head toward Meredith.

“She doesn’t look too upset, does she?”

Sara put a hand on Sean’s shoulder. “We’re not going to assume she’s behind this.”

He stayed put. “She’s not behind this and yet she’s new to his life and he’s never gone missing before.”

“We promised on the flight we would give her the benefit of the doubt, unless something came up to convince us of her involvement.”

“I’m starting to rethink that decision.”

“If Jimmy trusted her—”

“Yes, then we should too.”

“That’s right.” Sara pressed her lips, hoping she conveyed more conviction than she felt at times—this being one of those times.

rgb Valentine is Murder Final Paperback

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Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo

 

Carolyn Author Photo 2013 ColorAbout This Author

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the bestselling author of the Madison Knight series, the Brandon Fisher series, and the McKinley Mysteries. Her love for writing dates back to her teen years, but her passion was reignited in 2006 when a fellow employee said “tell me a story.” Since then Carolyn has never looked back.

Her writing has since been compared to New York Times Bestsellers such as JD Robb, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, and more.

Carolyn was born in 1976 in a rural town of Ontario, Canada, and she currently lives with her husband and two beagles in a city near Toronto.

For more information on the author visit https://carolynarnold.net/

 

Tour Participants

January 15 – Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog – Spotlight

January 16 – Marie’s Cozy Corner – Spotlight

January 19 – The Gal in the Blue Mask – Spotlight

January 20 – Jane Reads – Spotlight

January 21 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Spotlight

January 22 – LibriAmoriMiei – Review

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

January 25 – A Blue Million Books – Spotlight

January 27 – Christa Reads and Writes – Spotlight

February 1 – Tea and A Book – Review

February 5 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – Spotlight

February 6 – Babs Book Bistro – Spotlight

February 9 – Community Bookstop – Review

February 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Spotlight

February 11 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Spotlight

February 12 – fuonlyknew – Review

February 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – Spotlight

February 14 – Brooke Blogs – Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!