Archive for the ‘Cozy Mystery’ Category

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Live And Let Grind

A Coffee Lover’s Mystery

by Tara Lush

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Live and Let Grind (A Coffee Lover’s Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Florida
Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639101128
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639101122
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Q877DDS

Devil’s Beach is percolating with a hot murder case, and reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis could be the next to get beaned in Tara Lush’s third Coffee Lover’s mystery, perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette.

 

Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil’s Beach island, Florida. She’s juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relishing the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. Only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica’s rage boils over and she confronts Gus.

 

Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she’ll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who’ve had run-ins with him.

 

As the clock ticks down will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend’s name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit?

About Tara Lush

Tara Lush is a Rita Award finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and a George C. Polk Award winning journalist. For the past decade, she’s been a reporter with the Associated Press, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations. A fan of vintage pulp-fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, and 1980s fashion, she lives with her husband and two dogs on the Gulf coast.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads

Purchase Links 

Amazon –  BARNES AND NOBLE   APPLE   KOBO   INDIEBOUND   GOOGLE PLAY

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 12 – Novels Alive – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – My Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

October 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

October 16 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

October 16 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 17 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 18 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 18 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 21 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW  

October 21 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 22 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

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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

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A Christmas Candy Killing

A Killer Chocolate Mystery

by Christina Romeril

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A Christmas Candy Killing (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
The book is set in a fictional town, Harriston, Montana.
Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639101667
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639101665
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Q8JS9HV

Their chocolates are to die for—but things aren’t so sweet when a real killer comes to town, in this debut mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.

 

Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead discovers Jane’s body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby.

 

The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two suspects: Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects—townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane.

 

When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year—and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.

About Christina Romeril

Christina Romeril loves to plot murders, especially by poisoning. When she’s not plotting how to kill one of her characters she’s coming up with ways to dispose of the body. Since writing her debut novel her husband’s friends have been regularly checking on his well-being.

Christina also loves to read, eat chocolates, and travel when she’s not in her she shed writing. She grew up in Southern Ontario and spent most of her summers in Muskoka swimming, boating, and generally getting into mischief. She’s lived on both coasts of Canada and has a love of being near the water and close to a forest. Thus, it makes perfect sense that she moved to the prairies of Southern Alberta over twenty years ago.

During the warmer months you’ll find her escaping to nearby Waterton Lakes National Park with her cooler stocked full of chocolate and pastries. Occasionally, the once avid hiker will even set out on one of the many hiking trails and hope she doesn’t run into a hungry bear.

Christina is a member of Sisters in Crime and enjoys interacting on social media.

Author Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

 Purchase Links – AmazonB&NKobo 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 17 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

October 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

October 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW  

October 18 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

October 18 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

October 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 21 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

October 23 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 24 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 26 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

October 26 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

October 26 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

 


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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.

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Too Much To Candle

A Glenmyre Whim Mystery

by Sarah E. Burr

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Too Much to Candle (Glenmyre Whim Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery/Paranormal
2nd in Series
Setting: A fictional town in upstate New York called Crucible
Independently Published (October 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: 249
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B1QT8XL8

Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury sets out again to bring the truth to light.

 

Iggy Alewell, Hazel Wickbury’s friend and candle shop assistant, is eager to purchase his own home with the advance from his first big book deal. Iggy is on the hunt for something with character, so what could be better than the old Cragmire house that’s rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on its property? Hazel is thrilled her friend has found success, but things in Crucible take a nasty turn when another potential buyer for the Cragmire house goes missing. He was last seen taking a boat out on Lake Glenmyre, and when the rental is found empty, it’s clear to police that foul play is involved.

 

What’s worse is that Iggy becomes the prime suspect in the man’s disappearance, and Detective Holden Whitfield’s thorny, new partner is certain Iggy is guilty. To clear Iggy from suspicion and dispel the darkness penetrating their beloved town, Hazel and her Aunt Poppy team up again to find a killer before their friend gets burned.

 

Return to Crucible in Too Much to Candle, Book Two in the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries.

About Sarah E. Burr

Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl. After not finding any mysteries in corporate America, Sarah began writing some of her own. She is the author of the Trending Topic Mysteries and the Court of Mystery series. Sarah is also the author of the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. You Can’t Candle the Truth was a 2022 NGIBA Best Mystery Finalist and a 2022 Silver Falchion Best Supernatural Mystery Finalist.

Sarah is a member of Sisters in Crime, currently serving as the social media guru for the NY-TriState Chapter. She is also the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a livestreamed YouTube series featuring author interviews and book discussions. She writes as a member of the Writers Who Kill blogging team. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing Broadway show tunes, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.

 Author Links: Website / Newsletter / Socials / Sarah’s Blog 

The Glenmyre Whim Mysteries / Amazon

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 14 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 14 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

October 18 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 19 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Elza Reads – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 20 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

October 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

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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.

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Kill Them With Canvas

A Paint By Murder Mystery

by Bailee Abbott

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Kill Them with Canvas (A Paint by Murder Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – New York
Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639101047
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639101047
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Q7Z7TDJ

In Bailee Abbott’s second book in the Paint by Murder mysteries, Chloe and Izzie are taking their paint party business on the road—with murder as the first stop!

 

Chloe Abbington and her sister, Izzie, are enjoying huge success running Paint with a View, their paint party business in the tranquil western New York lakeside town of Whisper Cove. Now, their aunt Constance—president of the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood—has hooked them up with a gig hosting a Halloween painting party. The guests will be painting a local ghost legend, the Lady of Chautauqua Lake, who died a hundred years earlier and rises from the lake every October to haunt anyone who dares venture out on All Hallows’ Eve.

 

The event seems to be going off without a hitch, until Chloe overhears an argument between Constance and Viola Finnwinkle, the Sisterhood director, about the fate of the local chapter. Both women leave and the sisters finish their painting. But the next morning, Viola’s body is discovered floating face down near the town ferryboat dock, her long red hair spread around her. Eerily, the image is an exact replica of a painting Chloe and Izzie had discovered at the event the night before.

 

What’s more, the police find Constance’s purple knit hat lying on the ground near the crime scene. Constance pleads innocence, saying the hat mysteriously went missing during the event. Frantic that she might be charged with murder, she begs Chloe and Izzie to help her. The sisters believe their aunt is innocent, but if so, who’s the real killer—and when will the next victim turn up?

About Bailee Abbott

Bailee Abbott is a native Ohioan who spends her days plotting murder and writing mysteries. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. Bailee lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. Bailee also writes the Sierra Pines B&B mystery series under the name Kathryn Long.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
 

Purchase Links
AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE     KOBO     APPLE BOOKS 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Lady Hawkeye – AUTHOR GUEST POST  

October 12 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 13 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

October 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 18 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 18 – Books Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 20 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW  

October 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

October 23 – Girl with Pen – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

 

 

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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.

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A Hill To Dye On

A Clear Creek Mystery

by Rebecca McKinnon

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A Hill to Dye On (Clear Creek Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – A small town in the Rocky Mountains
Independently Published (October 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: ~250
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6D7BXL4

Summer has made its way up the mountain to Clear Creek, and with the new season, the town is offering a slew of summer classes at the community center. Happy to participate, Jemma and her yarn shop sponsor a fiber-dying class taught by her oldest friend, Kitty.

 

When a mysterious man walks into class, something about him pulls Jemma into a tangle. Learning Kitty once knew him, Jemma has questions — but her friend is staying mum. Then Jemma goes on an early-morning walk and discovers the man dead.

 

This time, Jemma’s determined to stay out of the investigation — until she learns that because of a past she’s been hiding, Kitty is the main suspect! Unwilling to turn her back on her friend, Jemma starts looking for a dropped stitch.

 

Because somewhere, there’s a person with dye on their hands.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

I hovered in the open door, trying not to draw attention to myself, or to the fact that I was late.

“Be gentle.” Kitty, one of my best friends, had her fingers wrapped around a woman’s arm, slowing her movements as she pressed the mini practice skein into the water. “You don’t want to felt it.”

“If that girl looked any happier, she’d drop her harp plumb through the cloud.”

I stifled a laugh as I turned to Emmilene. “You do have a way of saying things, but you’re right. Kitty’s practically glowing. She’s a great teacher.”

Emmilene nodded.

We eased into the room as Kitty led the class through the next steps.

“Add in your citric acid and stir it so it dissolves.” Kitty offered a sassy grin. “You can use vinegar as the mordant, but I didn’t think the weight lifting class down the hall would appreciate breathing the smell of it while they worked on their muscles.”

Giggles rippled through the class, and I noticed a couple of ladies eye the doorway behind me as if hoping to catch a glimpse.

Emmilene’s efforts to put up walls in the unused portion of the old equipment building that housed the community center had allowed anyone in town to host classes there. Some, like Kitty’s yarn dying class, were sponsored by the shops or restaurants, and others were taught by residents who wouldn’t otherwise have much of a chance to contribute to the community.

The weight room had become a favorite with visitors to the resort down the road as well as with the locals, and a person would have to be blind not to notice the ogling it had spawned.

“That’s my cue to head to the gym. I want to lay my eyes on Grant’s muscles.” Emmilene and her husband didn’t need an excuse to make doe eyes. They flirted like teenagers in love for the first time instead of a couple who’d been married for a decade or more. “Looks like Kitty’s class is going smoothly, but if you need anything, y’all let me know.”

I waved as Emmilene slipped out the door, then I focused on Kitty.

She walked her class through adding the dye to their pots, making teaching look easy.

She was a born leader, when she wasn’t hiding behind her worries — or her brother.

Maybe I should hire her to teach more than this one class.

Or I could steal her from Daniel’s nanobrewery completely and have her help me in the yarn store when she wasn’t teaching.

“Your skeins have been soaking long enough. Go ahead and lift them out of your tubs and set them into the dye pot. Don’t forget your gloves.” Kitty pulled on a pair of long yellow dish gloves, then lifted her own unwound skein from the soak and set it in her pot of dye. “These mini skeins don’t tangle too badly, but it’s a good idea to get in the habit of tucking the yarn around the edges of the pan so when you move to full skeins you’re less likely to have a knotted mess on your hands.”

Kitty walked along the tables as her students transferred their yarn from one container to the other. She beamed at the woman who kept trying to rush the process. “Remember to be gentle as you press the yarn to submerge it.”

Everyone watched for bubbles as their hot plates heated the dye, and I started to back out the door. Kitty didn’t need me hovering, even if I enjoyed seeing my friend so sure of herself.

I grinned and waved as she glanced my direction.

Kitty froze. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face.

I frowned. Was she worried I might be disappointed with how the class was going? She was doing a great job.

Another step backward and I ran into something hard. Hands landed on my shoulders, keeping me from falling over.

“Careful.” The deep voice was tense, as if he was trying to blot out any emotion.

I turned. The man was built like a mountain, all muscles and valleys. Something in his look set me on edge. “Can I help you?”

He shook his head, his eyes glued to something behind me. “I’ve found who I’m looking for.”

I followed his gaze.

Kitty.

She knew him, and from the way her hands were shaking, she didn’t want him here.

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About Rebecca McKinnon

Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Author Links:

Website    Instagram    Facebook    GoodReads

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 11 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 13 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

October 18 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

October 19 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 20 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 21 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 22 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

October 23 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

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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.

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The Chamomile Conspiracy

A Garden Lover Cozy Mystery

Seasons Of The Witch

by Louise Marvin

The Chamomile Conspiracy: A Garden Lover Cozy Mystery (Seasons of the Witch)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Maine
Witchy Mysteries (September 30, 2022)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 311 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BCM2VJ17
GoodReads Link Coming Soon

Green witch Pax Thatcher leads a busy life. Between working two jobs, applying to grad school, and helping out at the old herb shop that belongs to her friend and mentor, Miss Millie, Pax doesn’t have much time for practicing spells. She’s lucky she can keep her enormous plant collection alive.

 

Fortunately, she can talk to her plants, and they talk back.

 

But when Pax arrives for a visit to her seaside hometown of Honesty Harbor, Maine, and discovers Miss Millie is missing, she drops everything to find her. When she does, it’s just in time to hear Miss Millie’s dying words:

 

Poison. Find them.

 

Unable to believe anyone would want to murder the kind old woman, Pax vows to fulfill Miss Millie’s last request. But how can a boring little witch who doesn’t even own a cauldron solve a murder? Ask the only witness—a potted plant—what happened.

 

But the more she listens to her leafy allies, the more questions she has. And when others begin to view her as the prime suspect, Pax must hurry to weed out the killer before someone else gets whacked.

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Free photos of Cook

Recipe

In The Chamomile Conspiracy, teashop and restaurant owner Daniel says his new chef is from Menorca and as a result there’s a new soup on the menu, Caldereta de Langosta!

 

It is a lobster stew that takes advantage of Honesty Harbor’s proximity to good lobster grounds and ingredients that bring to mind the Mediterranean. A perfect summer dish, especially if you’re fortunate enough to live on the coast where the lobsters roam!

 

It’s a bit labor-intensive, and considering it contains both lobsters and saffron it might put a dent in your wallet, but if you want something super savory and so different than your traditional soups like clam chowder, you should give Caldereta de Langosta a try! Especially for a special occasion!

 

Here’s the rest of what you need:

 

  • Two 2 pound live lobsters (female if possible!)
  • 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil (get the good stuff)
  • 1 large Spanish onion, diced a quarter-inch
  • 2 plum tomatoes, chopped coarse
  • 4 thinly-sliced garlic cloves
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 large sliced green peppers
  • 1 liter stock from the lobsters

 

Topping

 

  • 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves (no vampires are gonna get you after you eat this)
  • 1 large bunch of parsley, leaves removed, finely-chopped
  • 4 threads of saffron
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 10 toasted almonds
  • (Optional) Roe from the lobsters if they have it

 

For this dish, the lobster should be prepared while alive. However, not everyone can do that, so it is perfectly acceptable to have the lobster prepared at the counter. The heads should be removed from the tail, along with the legs. Throw out the insides but reserve the roe. Pop that in the fridge until you need it. Cut the tails crosswise in four pieces. Cut the head in half. Crack open the legs and reserve the claws. Keep lobster on ice and be ready to cook it immediately.

 

(If you do this at home, put the lobsters in ice water for an hour. This numbs them and they feel nothing when you prepare them.)

 

Heat the oil in a casserole dish on high and sauté the tomatoes, onions, garlic, a little parsley, and peppers, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for another 20 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.

 

Put the sauce through a food mill and add it back into the dish, on very low heat. Don’t let it burn!

 

Now, the lobsters. Boil the head and legs over high in salted water enough to cover them. Set heat down to medium and simmer for half an hour. Drain and reserve the stock.

 

Add the tail pieces and claws to the sauce. Mix the sauce and the lobster well, add the stock, bay leaf, and salt, raise heat to medium and bring to a boil. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes.

 

Crush the lobster roe, parsley, almonds, garlic, and saffron (you can add a little olive oil if you like) and mix until you have a paste. You’ll need a mortar and pestle for this part! Then add the brandy and lemon juice, mix. Add paste to the lobster and sauce, stir lightly, and simmer for five minutes.

 

Be sure to fish out that bay leaf! (I always forget.)

 

You should serve this immediately, and it’s best with a baguette to dunk in the sauce, or you can serve over a hunk of toast in a bowl. Be sure to have somewhere for the shells!

 

Enjoy!

 

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About Louise Marvin

Louise Marvin’s mother wrote Star Trek fanfiction in the 1980s, so it was only natural that Louise follows in her footsteps. FanFiction played a big part in Louise’s development and coincidence as a writer, inspiring her to try her hand at original fiction. THE CHAMOMILE CONSPIRACY is her first book. Louise lives in New England with an elderly cat and an extensive LEGO Star Wars collection and works at a medical cannabis facility.

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Tumblr / TikTok

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 3 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW  

October 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 4 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Elza Reads – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 

October 6 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 8 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

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

October 10 – FUONLYKNEW – RECIPE

October 10 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST

October 12 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 15 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

 

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Murder Up To Bat

A Front Page Mystery

by Elizabeth McKenna

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Murder up to Bat (A Front Page Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Independently Published (August 18, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 186 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218055424
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BBPPR2SF

Mystery with a whiff of romance…After falling in love with the quiet lake life and a certain police detective, former Chicago Tribune reporter Emma Moore trades interviewing jocks for chasing champion cows at the county fair. As a small-town newspaper reporter, she covers local topics both big and small, but when her friend Luke is arrested for the murder of the head coach of his club softball team, she’ll need to hone her investigative skills to clear his name. Emma calls up best friend Grace for help, and together the women go up against cutthroat parents willing to kill for a chance to get their daughters onto a premier college sports team.

 

It’s the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded, and murder is up to bat. Can Emma and her friends bring the heat and win the game?

About Elizabeth McKenna 

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband and Sidney, the rescue dog from Tennessee. When she isn’t writing, reading, editing, or walking the dog that never tires, she’s sleeping.

Author Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Smashwords

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

October 7 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 7 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

October 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

October 13 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 14 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

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Ballistics At The Ballet

A Musical Murder Mystery

by B. J. Bowen

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Ballistics at the Ballet (A Musical Murder Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Colorado
Camel Press (September 14, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1684920329
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1684920327
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09X3M6ZVL

When temperamental conductor Felix Underhayes is killed before a rehearsal of the Nutcracker ballet, everyone realizes the show must go on. At an already crazy time of year, things become more complicated when Emily Wilson’s nephew, percussionist Charlie McRae, is accused of the crime. Emily’s sister, Kathleen, and their mother arrive to help prove Charlie’s innocence, but in spite of their best intentions, their efforts do more to hinder the police investigation than to help. To secure justice for her nephew, can Emily juggle performances and family dynamics, while she dodges a demented killer who wants to silence her?

About B.J. Bowen

B.J. Bowen is a musician and free-lance writer whose love of music was awakened by her mother, who played the flute. After discovering her lips were the wrong shape and failing miserably as a flute player, at the age of eleven Ms. Bowen began studying oboe, and has since performed and recorded on both oboe and English horn with professional symphonies and cham[1]ber groups throughout Mexico and Colorado. Her inspirational articles have appeared in Unity Magazine and Daily Word, and she won Honorable Mention in the 2018 Focus: Eddy Awards for her article, “Letting Go with Grace,” published in Unity Magazine. Drawing on her quirky fellow musicians and orchestral experiences, she created the mystery series, “Musical Murders.” She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with two canine friends, and has a song for any occasion.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / BookBub

Purchase Links – AmazonB&NTarget

EXCERPT

As I opened the stage door, I heard Felix shout, “No!” followed quickly by a shot. My ears rang with the sound. It had to have been close…

A few fraught seconds later the exit door slammed, the ensuing silence broken only by Felix’s moaning. I decided the threat had gone and moved across the entry and down the hallway, toward Felix’s dressing room.

The prima ballerina’s door was closed. Next to it, the premier danseur emerged from his dressing room. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” I crept cautiously forward, the dancer following.

The next door, Felix’s, stood open. He lay on the floor, groaning. And bleeding.

The danseur turned ashen and his chin trembled. “What . . . what . . .”

I spotted a cummerbund hung over a chair. “Take that cummerbund and press it over the wound on Felix’s chest. I’ll call 911.”

I pulled the phone from my pocket. “Send an ambulance and police to Fleisher Hall. A man’s been shot.”

The danseur knelt on one side of Felix, pressing the cummerbund to the conductor’s chest. I knelt on the other, holding Felix’s outstretched arm, his hand in mine. “It’s okay.” I tried to reassure him. “Help will be here soon.”

Felix whispered, “Tell her she’s the only one . . .”

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Author Guest Post

Many Musings, Mostly Musical: The Show Must Go On

By B.J. Bowen

 

    Every performing artist knows the show must go on. Partly, it’s a financial directive. The group would go broke if the performance were canceled and ticket money refunded. But partly, too, it’s an existential motive. Artists exist to share their talents, inspiration, support, and vision with the audience. Whatever the reasons, in the second of my Musical Murders series, Ballistics at the Ballet, the symphony is accompanying the ballet in performances of the Nutcracker. When conductor Felix Underhayes is murdered before a rehearsal, the show must go on.

    How do I know this is what would happen? Because it happens in real life.

    Probably the most extreme example of this is the band of the Titanic, which, according to accounts of survivors, assembled on the deck of the doomed ship and played the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” as it sank. Accounts of performers working around glitches, malfunctioning props, and unexpected occurrences are legion. Even during the pandemic, theatre groups were giving performances virtually.

    I spent nineteen years as a symphony musician. In my own experience, too, the show has gone on. In one instance, the orchestra had just begun the third movement of Mahler’s Symphony #4, which is a beautiful, elegant, singing example of the composer’s art. We had just gotten to the oboe solo when a horrible, bone-shaking roar erupted. The conductor thought a bomb had gone off and stretched his arms out to protect the violins, which were on either side of him. But the oboe? He went on playing until the conductor cut him off and began the movement again. The show went on, although I, and probably many of my colleagues, were shaking. The cause of the sound? Feedback like you’ve never heard. Feedback amplified several times through the error of a recording engineer, and frightening in its intensity and power.

    The show went on, too, the night of 9-11. Yo Yo Ma had been contracted to play a fundraising concert with our orchestra. He had, fortunately for the symphony, flown in a day earlier. After the attacks happened that morning, the Symphony Board met with Mr. Ma and the conductor and determined that we would play the concert. But the program changed. We played elegiac pieces and dedicated them to the victims and first responders of the tragedy: Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber,

and Air on a G String by Johann Sebastian Bach being the most memorable. I was playing English horn in that concert, sitting next to the back of the cello section. At one point I looked up and recognized Mr. Ma, sitting anonymously in the back of the section, playing alongside the orchestra’s cellists. Unheard of. He later played his concerto in the second half. His comment—“It felt like I needed to be beside my fellow musicians.”

    So Emily Wilson and her colleagues are following a time-honored tradition and path when performances continue under the Assistant Conductor. Do you understand the thinking in taking this route? Would you have done the same? Answer below.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

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October 4 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – GUEST POST

October 5 – FUONLYKNEW – GUEST POST

October 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

October 7 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW

October 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

October 10 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 10 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER INTERVIEW  

October 11 – Girl with Pen – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

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Deuce

A Jax Diamond Mystery

by Gail Meath

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DEUCE – A Jax Diamond Mystery
Cozy Mystery – Roaring Twenties
3rd in Series
Setting – Millbury, Massachusetts
Independently Published (September 20, 2022)
Number of Pages: 200 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09WP9FG3C

One for sorrow, two for spice triggers a game of three blind mice.

While vacationing in New England, PI Jax Diamond and his courageous canine partner, Ace, bite off more than they can chew when two small town deaths reveal two big time killers, and the locals don’t take too kindly to strangers.

Laura Graystone, Broadway star, auto expert, and Jax’s heartthrob, is once again front and center digging for clues while trying to ditch an old boyfriend. That is, until her brother becomes Jax’s prime suspect. Then all hell breaks loose, and Ace is left in the lurch, tracking down leads with his new sidekick, Susie.

A crazy duet of crimes sends Jax, Laura and Ace into a tailspin in small-town USA during the Roaring Twenties. Where no one is above the law, everyone is a suspect, and time is running out before the clock strikes one.

About Gail Meath

Award-winning author Gail Meath writes historical romance novels that will whisk you away to another time and place in history where you will meet fascinating characters, both fictional and real, who will capture your heart and soul. Meath loves writing about little or unknown people, places, and events in history, rather than relying on the typical stories and settings.

The subgenres of her books vary from action-packed westerns, plot-twisting murder mysteries, and biographies of powerful women who defied the strict rules of society fighting for the freedom of their countries. Currently, she is spending all her time writing her new, fun Roaring Twenties Cozy Mystery series, Jax Diamond Mysteries.

Author Links: Amazon / Website / Goodreads / Facebook / BookBub / Instagram / Twitter

Purchase Link:  Amazon 

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October 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

October 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Ghost Cat On The Midway

A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery

by Mollie Hunt

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Ghost Cat on the Midway (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Ghost Cat on the Midway (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery)
Independently Published (August 29, 2022)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 195 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B8WGLNMT

This summer, there’s trouble brewing at the Cove County Fair.

 

Camelia Collins, Ocean Cove’s most recent resident over seventy years of age, is all set to go to the fair! The smell of the popcorn, the roar of the crowd, the Ferris wheel and the pony shows—things she remembers from childhood and looks forward to experiencing again.

 

But something’s up at the Cove County Fair. When Camelia meets the keeper of a rescued tiger, she could not have predicted that keeper would soon be dead and the tiger gone missing. A rogue band of aggressive animal activists seems the obvious culprits, but they deny the act.

 

Only one entity knows the truth—the ghost cat Soji, but will the capricious spirit decide to come forward before someone else dies?

About Mollie Hunt

Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series, the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and the Tenth Life Mysteries. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy features extraordinary cats saving the world. Mollie also pens a bit of cat poetry.

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, and Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats.

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

Books2Read / Goodreads / Newsletter

Purchase Link –  Amazon

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 26 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 26 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 26 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 27 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

September 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

September 28 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

September 28 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 29 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 30 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 1 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

October 2 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 2 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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