Posted in Cozy, excerpt, Giveaway, mystery on February 27, 2020

 

 

Murder Makes Scents (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (February 25, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages

 

Synopsis

Stella Wright loves creating candles at her Nantucket store—and she also has a burning passion for justice. Now, after visiting a perfume conference, she must solve a vial crime . . .

Stella and her globe-trotting mom, Millie, have come home from a perfume industry conference in Paris, where their trip was marred by witnessing the stabbing death of a young man. It’s a relief for Stella to be back on her picturesque island, with the comforting company of her cat, Tinker. But lingering danger may have followed them back across the ocean.

After someone breaks into her candle store, the Wick & Flame, Stella starts feeling spooked. And just as things threaten to ignite, Millie suffers a blow to the head. Stella receives an anonymous note claiming that her mother smuggled a secret formula out of France—and threatening her life if it isn’t returned. Now Stella’s picked up the scent of a cold-hearted criminal and an intriguing puzzle, and things are about to get wicked . . .

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Emily was the last to go, and Peter offered to drive her home since her husband had left earlier to relieve the babysitter. When I shut the door behind them, my mom and I fell onto my double-sized mattress. A few minutes later, she was snoring, her body stretched diagonally, and I was thinking from my two inches of bed space that Tinker was living like a king at my store in comparison.

Sitting up, I texted Peter to see if he was still awake. There was no answer. Sleep, however, still eluded me, and after a few more minutes of tossing and turning, I got up and headed to my sofa. That solution was no better, because my back was stiff from the airplane and now the cushions felt too soft. Finally, I scribbled a note to my mom, and tiptoed down the stairs with my coat and car keys. There was a comfy chair in my workroom at the Wick & Flame. A few hours of sleep there would be better than a sliver of mattress and stereophonic snoring.

When the wheels of my bright red Beetle hit the cobblestones of Main Street, they sounded like bombs going off in the otherwise silent town. Fortunately, the population on Main Street at this hour was zero, so I didn’t feel too badly. Turning the corner onto Centre Street, I parked in front of my store. As I approached, the moonlight lit my breath in the cold night air.

Fall was upon us.

I hadn’t taken more than one step inside the Wick & Flame when I noticed the mess. Tinker,

evidently, had disliked his lodgings. My candle displays had been knocked over, his water bowl spilled, and some receipts on my counter were now on the floor. Across the room, I saw his shining, green-saucer eyes staring at me.

“Bad boy,” I said to him in a whisper.

Tinker swished his tail across the floor. He casually walked over to me as if the scene was my fault. I supposed it was. I’d never left him overnight at the Wick & Flame. Lesson learned. He circled my feet in what I decided was his apology. I picked him up, appreciating his warmth, and decided not to worry about the mess tonight.

Carrying Tinker into my workroom, I settled into my comfy chair with a blanket and Tinker to keep me warm. Immediately, I started to drift to sleep. My dreams were starting to take hold of me when something urged me to wake. I tried to pat Tinker, thinking he had nudged me. A moment later, I stirred again. There was no doubt about it. I heard the bell over my door jingle slightly, and then stop.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Christin Brecher was born and raised in NYC, where her family and many childhood friends still reside. As such, she feels she is as much of a small-town girl as any. The idea to write the Nantucket Candle Maker series sprang from her life-long connection to the small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Spending summers there as a child, Christin read from her family’s library of mystery novels, after which she began to imagine stories inspired by the island’s whaling heyday, its notoriously foggy nights, and during long bike rides to the beach. After many years in marketing for the publishing industry, followed by years raising her children, Murder’s No Votive Confidence is Christin’s debut novel.

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, mystery on February 18, 2020

 

 

 

 

Death By Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris (Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Traveling Life Press (February 7, 2020)
Print Length ~200 Pages

 

Synopsis

Paris—the city of love, lights … and murder? Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to France! Unfortunately it will be the last trip for one passenger…

 

Lana Hansen’s future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend. Regrettably she won’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her new beau, Chad. Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France. Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her.

 

Things go downhill when Lana’s new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour—with his wife. Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.

After Chad drops dead during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, a persistent French detective becomes convinced that he was poisoned. And the inspector’s sights are set on several members of the tour—including Lana!

 

While escorting her group through the cobblestone streets of Montmartre, the grand gardens of Versailles, and the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges market, Lana must figure out who really killed Chad before she has to say bonjour to prison and adieu to her freedom.

 

Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.

 

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Book OneDeath on the Danubeis available now. Coming soon: Books Three (Death by Windmill) and Book Four!

 

 

 

About the Author

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before settling in the Netherlands. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning mystery series—the Zelda Richardson Mysteries and Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries—and standalone stories.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on February 17, 2020

 

 

Southern Double Cross: A Southern B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Alibi (February 11, 2020)
Print Length: ~260 pages

 

Synopsis

A fundraising party goes south in a delightful cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Southern Discomfort and the Java Jive novels

Quinn Bellandini is ready to get back to running her grandfather’s B&B in Savannah, Georgia, with her sister, Delilah—but first, she has to coordinate a fundraising event at the house of local philanthropists, with the help of her boyfriend, Tucker Heyward. Everything is running smoothly until Quinn’s friend, Pepper Fox, frantically calls her with the horrifying news that the lady of the house was found dead. Pepper’s brother, who was working as a caterer, is soon charged with her murder.

Pepper knows her brother didn’t commit the crime and asks Quinn, now a veteran detective with two solved murders under her belt, to prove his innocence. Quinn can’t bear to see her friend upset and enlists Delilah and Tucker to help investigate.

The invite list quickly turns into the suspect list as tensions mount and old feuds are brought to light. Could Quinn have hired the only catering company in Georgia that throws in a murder on the side?

 

 

 

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About the Author

CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, mystery on February 16, 2020

 

 

Playing the Devil (A Bridge to Death Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 28, 2020)
Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

 

Reporter and bridge player Wendy Winchester once again plays ace detective when a country club member is murdered in a hot tub . . .

Now an investigative reporter for the Rosalie Citizen in the Mississippi River port of Rosalie, Wendy still likes to unwind over a game of cards. Following the demise of the Rosalie Bridge Club, she’s started her own group at the Rosalie Country Club. During the first meeting of the Country Club Bridge Players, the dummy has barely been laid down when another dummy gets in a scuffle at the bar across the room. Bridge player Carly Ogle’s husband Brent is at it again.

After the club’s new female golf pro breaks up the fight, Brent storms off to soak in a hot tub. But Carey soon finds the bullying Brent dead in the water, clubbed over the head with the pestle the barkeep uses to crush leaves for mint juleps.

Racist, sexist, homophobic, and an all-around lout, Brent made enough enemies to fill a bridge tournament. So Wendy has to play her cards right to get the story—and stay out of hot water long enough to put the squeeze on the killer . . .

 

 

Amazon  –  B&N – Google Play –  IndieBound  – Kobo

 

Guest Post

 

Today we welcome R. J. Lee to StoreyBook Reviews as he shares with us the role of women in his books and others.  Thanks for joining us today and sharing your thoughts.

 

Do you like strong female characters? Do you like women represented in positions of power in your fiction?

Then R. J. Lee’s A BRIDGE TO DEATH MYSTERY series is for you. The series debuted last year about this time with GRAND SLAM MURDERS, now in its second printing and enthusiastically reviewed by KIRKUS, BOOKLIST, PUBLISHERS’ WEEKLY, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS, MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE and SUSPENSE MAGAZINE. In that one, Lee’s ambitious young, female amateur sleuth, Wendy Winchester, solves the simultaneous poisoning of the four wealthy widows comprising the Rosalie Bridge Club.

In the just-released second installment—PLAYING THE DEVIL—Wendy decides to form her own bridge club (she’s hooked on the game!) because she was in line to join the one that is now wiped out. She is able to round up a table of four which she convenes at the Rosalie Country Club. The other three players are Deedah Hornesby, the RCC’s first female director, Hollis Hornesby, Deedah’s artist son, and Carly Ogle, wife of the RCC’s major contributor and benefactor, Brent Ogle.

But there’s much more to Brent than that. A former star college quarterback turned ‘personal injury/billboard’ lawyer, he is furious that the RCC has a female director, who has then turned around and hired the club’s first female golf pro. When Wendy and Deedah introduce bridge to the club, Brent fears they are trying to turn his ‘jock zone’ into a ladies’ ‘tea party.’ Used to throwing his weight around, he has become Rosalie’s most notorious bully, sexist, xenophobe and homophobe.

No sooner have Wendy and Deedah convened their first bridge game in the RCC’s Great Room, than Brent rolls in, feisty and annoyed that his two golfing partners have beaten him on the front nine for the first time ever. He then proceeds to get drunk, provoke a fist fight, which has to be broken up by the female golf pro, and then finishes by calling out everyone in the room. With a flourish, he then retires to the club’s outside hot tub to soak and pout.

Fate soon intervenes when a horrendous weather cell hovers over Rosalie, knocking out the power all over town and at the club for a good thirty minutes. When Carly decides to check on her husband during the blackout, she finds him dead in the tub, clubbed over the head with the pestle the barkeep uses to make his famous mint juleps.

The official investigation, conducted by Wendy’s detective boyfriend and Chief of Police father, begins once power is restored. So, who are the suspects beside the bartender? Who isn’t? Everyone inside the building was continually taunted, abused and mistreated by Brent. So it’s impossible to dismiss the possibility that anyone, besides the bartender, could have swiped the pestle and done the deed.

Wendy’s female editor and mentor orders up a separate investigation for the paper, and Wendy dives in, just as she did in GRAND SLAM MURDERS. But both investigations bog down. There are no prints or DNA around the hot tub because the water and steam have compromised any that existed. Meanwhile, the prints and DNA of everyone in the building at the time are everywhere abundant because they were all there all afternoon and evening, proving nothing. Furthermore, identities and whereabouts prove vexing to document because of the darkness. Glimpses of cell phone flashlights here and there aren’t much to go on or prove anything.

Wendy encounters twist after twist until she puts herself in harms’ way enough to come up with who was and who wasn’t involved in Brent Ogle’s death? Was it a solo crime? Or were two or more involved? Or—except for Wendy—was everyone at the RCC at the time in on it?

Don’t miss this follow-up to GRAND SLAM MURDERS, with the third installment—COLD READING MURDER by R. J. Lee—to follow this time next year.

R.J. Lee

 

 

About the Author

R. J. Lee follows in the mystery-writing footsteps of his father, R. Keene Lee, who wrote fighter pilot and detective stories for Fiction House, publishers of WINGS Magazine and other ‘pulp fiction’ periodicals in the late ’40’s and ’50’s. Lee was born and grew up in the Mississippi River port of Natchez but also spent thirty years living in the Crescent City of New Orleans. A graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) where he studied creative writing under Sewanee Review editor, Andrew Lytle, Lee now resides in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, mystery on February 14, 2020

 

 

 

Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary:
A Tale of History, Mystery, Riddles and Gold.

Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Elk Grove Publications (September 6, 2019)
Paperback: 264 pages

Synopsis

In this dual tale of mystery, lost treasure, and riddles, while Black Cat narrates the exciting events in Fern Lake, Kimberlee discovers a cryptic clue in a diary about a hidden treasure, and heads to Austria to solve the puzzle.

When Kimberlee and Dorian arrive in Austria, they attract the attention of a stalker determined to steal the diary in hopes the clues will lead him to the treasure first. On a collision course, it is inevitable that Kimberlee and the stalker meet in Hopfgarten.

Black Cat and Angel’s lives are endangered with the arrival of Kimberlee’s grandmother in Fern Lake, and the return of a man presumed dead for twenty-five years. With both arrivals, emotional and financial difficulties loom for Kimberlee’s family. Since their return to Fern Lake, Angel seems reluctant or unable to adjust to her new home. Does she regret leaving Texas and Grandmother? And, when the opportunity arises, will she decide to leave Black Cat and Fern Lake?

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

The Elevator Pitch – Elaine Faber

 

The blurb on the back of my cozy cat mystery reads something like this. ‘While Black Cat narrates his own challenges back home, his mistress, Kimberlee, follows a clue to a lost treasure she found in a WWII soldier’s diary. It sends her on a treasure hunt to Austria. Little does she know she is on a collision course with a stalker determined to steal the diary and reach the treasure…blah…blah…blah…’

The back of the cover cannot explain the plot’s humor, drama, intrigue, or the battle on the beaches of Normandy and the friendship struck between Dewey and a German soldier recorded in the diary, or the beauty of Austria, or the intrigue as Kimberlee matches wits with the stalker.

When I first starting writing years ago, no one told me there was more to ‘being an author’ than plots and dialogue. In these days of limited acceptance by traditional publishing houses, unless one has achieved personal fame or fortune and a platform of 10,000, an author must resort to Indie Publishing and be a jack of all trades.

Beyond writing talent, one must master the skills of publicist, bookkeeper, full-time blogger, cover artist, and skilled orator, always keeping an eye and ear open for opportunities to participate on author panels and speaking engagements. Though not necessarily a ‘master’ at any of the above mentioned skills, I’ve become somewhat competent in most. Now, I’ve learned I must master one more skill… Memorize an ‘elevator pitch’ on the off chance that, perhaps in a coffee shop or the dry cleaners, I should run into a literary agent sipping a Carmel Macchiato or picking up dry cleaning.

It is imperative to command the agent’s undivided attention with an opening hook and define my scintillating plot’s originality. I must convince him everyone from a cowboy in Texas to a stockbroker in Hollywood would buy my book with his last green dollar, and how it will become a Best Seller…and accomplish all this in sixty seconds or less.

I have practiced my ‘elevator pitch’ in front of a three-way mirror and perfected where to smile, when to pause for special effect, and when to use hand motions to emphasize the final sentence. It has become second nature and the words now roll off my tongue like scotch tape at a Christmas party.

Unfortunately, in my case, I fear if I should ever be fortunate enough to find myself on that much discussed elevator with an agent, in spite of my good intentions and hours of practice, I expect the conversation would more likely go something like this.

Uh… You’re that Zondervan guy, right! Wait. Let me push this button and stop the elevator. I never thought… I have some notes here somewhere. Where is that paper? Well, never mind. I wrote a book, see? You’re not going anywhere special right now, right? About that book I wrote… You’re gonna love it. I called it Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary. Do you like cats? It’s narrated partly by the cat. At least half of it. The other half is in Austria. There’s a stolen treasure, see and Kimberlee…that’s the lady, not the cat. She finds a clue in a diary. Well, you have to read it. So, there’s this cat…see….

****

 

About the Author

 

Elaine Faber lives in Northern California with her husband and feline companions. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, California Cat Writers, and Northern California Publishers and Artists. She volunteers with the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. She enjoys speaking at public venues, sharing highlights of her novels. Her short stories have appeared in national magazines and multiple anthologies.

Black Cat’s Legacy, With the aid of his ancestors’ memories, Thumper helps pursue a cold case murder.

Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, Thumper accompanies his family to a Texas horse ranch where they confront wild horses, embezzling, false identities and attempted murder.

Black Cat and the Accidental Angel, Black Cat and his companion are left behind following an MVA. Taken in by a family facing personal and financial disaster, Black Cat and Angel encounter danger and a spiritual encounter.

Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot, Eccentric Mrs. Odboddy believes Nazi spies and conspiracies run amuck through her town.

Mrs. Odboddy-Undercover Courier, Mr. O carries a package by train to President Roosevelt that she presumes are secret war documents. She is equally sure Nazi spies are after her package and will to anything to deliver the package to the president.

Mrs. Odboddy-And Then There was a Tiger, Falsely accused of various crimes, Agnes sets about to restore her reputation and missing war bond money.

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, mystery on February 13, 2020

 

 

Murder at the Million Dollar Pier (Three Snowbirds)
Historical Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Mystery and Horror, LLC (September 26, 2019)
Paperback: 260 pages

 

Synopsis

 

“Never waste good rum on a bad night.” – Teddy Lawless, February 1926.

There are many bad nights ahead for Teddy. Shortly after she arrives at the newly opened Vinoy Hotel in Saint Petersburg, she comes face to face with her ex-fiancé, Ansel Stevens, in the dining room. Cue the slap that was thirty years in the making. Unfortunately, her ex-fiancé dies during a yacht race shortly thereafter. Conclusion of the authorities: poison. His family closes ranks, leaving Teddy as the prime suspect. Worse, Teddy’s hair comb is found on the deck of Ansel’s boat, leading to her swift arrest.

Can Cornelia Pettijohn and Uncle Percival save fun-loving Teddy before she goes from the grand hotel to the big house?

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

Today we welcome Percival Pettijohn who gives us some insight into this new series and his role in the books.  Take it away!

 

Greetings; Professor Percival Pettijohn at your service. This morning my writers asked me to step in and tell readers a little about myself and how I ended up in the Three Snowbirds series. I will do my best, but it’s complicated. I didn’t expect to live this long, let alone participate in a second book series. Quite honestly, I didn’t expect to participate in the first.

My first writer, Gwen Mayo, introduced me to her readers in Concealed in Ash.  My young assistant, Jacob, was framed for murder. The officer in charge of investigating the case was once a romantic rival of mine.  I was concerned that his animosity toward me would have adverse consequences for young Jacob. That young man was like a son to me. It was my moral obligation to step in and help Jacob.

That was the beginning of my crime-fighting interest. I was in the prime of my life then, and able to provide invaluable assistance to Jacob. At the time, I was a respected professor of mechanical engineering at the Kentucky Agricultural and Mechanical College in Lexington, Kentucky. My inventions were improving farming practices around the country and providing me with a handsome income.

I continued to teach for another thirty years before retiring to my farm in Midway. I thought I had retired from investigating criminals, too. Then Sarah Glenn and Gwen Mayo wrote a short story featuring my niece, Cornelia, and her friend, Teddy Lawless. I wasn’t in the first story, but Sarah insisted on including me in the second one. I’m glad she did. That one got published right away.

There were a few more short stories, then this series started when I got accused of murder. We were in New Homosassa, Florida and the rotter who died was no friend of mine. In Murder on the Mullet Express, Cornelia showed remarkable character.  I was so proud of her.

I have to admit, my retirement is infinitely more fun traveling with the ladies. My niece is a bit stuffy. Reminds me a lot of her father. Her friend Teddy is a delight. She finds the best parties and the best booze everywhere we go. Cornelia didn’t think it was much fun when Teddy got arrested in our last adventure. Murder at the Million Dollar Pier started out innocently enough. I was having a grand time documenting the construction, and filming it as an educational piece that I planned to donate to the engineering school back home.

If I had known that Teddy’s former beau was going to end up murdered, I would have reconsidered my plans. It all turned out well though, and I haven’t had so much fun since leaving my post at Kentucky A&M.

Oh, you haven’t heard of Kentucky A&M. The school is still there, but the state expanded the curriculum and renamed it the University of Kentucky. I am quite pleased that they also started allowing women to attend. Both my writers graduated from UK. Overall, I think they are a credit to the university, but I am relieved that I retired before either of them arrived. They have an annoying tendency to arrive late. I tried to teach them the importance of punctuality. To date, I’ve seen no improvement.

Please forgive me for that digression. Tardiness is a character flaw that shows amazing disrespect for others.

Excuse me … I have to go now; a pair of thugs just kidnapped my niece.

“You there, unhand her this instant!”

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

 

Gwen Mayo is passionate about blending the colorful history of her native Kentucky with her love for mystery fiction. She currently lives and writes in Safety Harbor, Florida, but grew up in a large Irish family in the hills of Eastern Kentucky.

​Her stories have appeared in anthologies, at online short fiction sites, and in micro-fiction collections. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Gwen attended the University of Kentucky on a poetry scholarship but has an associate degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in political science. Interesting side note: Gwen was a brakeman and railroad engineer from 1983 – 1987.

 

Blog * Website

 

Sarah E. Glenn loves mystery and horror stories, often with a sidecar of humor. Several have appeared in mystery and paranormal anthologies, including G.W. Thomas’ Ghostbreakers series, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, and Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Her great-great aunt served as a nurse in WWI, and was injured by poison gas during the fighting. After being mustered out, she traveled widely. A hundred years later, ‘Aunt Dess’ would inspire Sarah to write stories she would likely not have approved of.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, mystery on February 9, 2020

 

 

 

Bitter Alpine: An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Returns)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Alibi (February 4, 2020)
~Print Length: 235 pages

Synopsis

 

New year, new murder . . . Emma Lord is on the case when death finds its way back to the wintry mountain town of Alpine.

After a relatively calm and cozy holiday season, neither Emma Lord, editor and publisher of The Alpine Advocate, nor her husband, Sheriff Milo Dodge, are surprised when their new year gets off to a rocky start. A woman’s body has been found in a squalid motel. Her driver’s license shows that Dawn Purvis was in her late thirties and lived in Weaverville, California—and the only connection between that town and Alpine is their gold-mining and logging origins. When they discover that Dawn’s room reservation was open-ended, Emma, Milo, and the ever-inquisitive Advocate receptionist, Alison Lindahl, are more than mildly curious. And never mind that the youthful Alison is a bit distracted by the new county extension agent’s virile good looks. She can still sleuth while she stalks her newest crush.

But that’s not all the news that’s unfit to print. There’s something strange about the older couple who have moved into the cabin down the road that was once owned by a murder victim. The elderly wife seems anti-social. There’s got to be a reason, which Emma, Milo, and Alison intend to find out—even if it puts them in deadly danger.’

 

 

Amazon  –   B&N   –   Kobo

 

 

About the Author

Mary Daheim is the author of the Alpine mystery series. A Seattle native with a degree in communication from the University of Washington, she realized at an early age that getting a book published might elude her for years, so she began her writing career working on daily newspapers. The mother of three daughters, she lives in a century-old house in her hometown.

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on February 3, 2020

 

 

A Crafter Quilts a Crime: A Handcrafted Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (February 11, 2020)

Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, Holly Quinn’s third Handcrafted mystery aspires to wrap you in its warmth.

Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane must piece together a patchwork of clues when a “live” mannequin ends up stone-cold dead.

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won’t keep the locals away from Heartsford’s annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft’s one-night-only sale, Samantha “Sammy” Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.

Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack–tapping on the glass and making funny faces–but nothing disrupts Wanda’s stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn’t breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.

Detective Liam Nash can’t seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy’s cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda’s untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort.

 

 

Amazon – B&N – BAM

IndieBound – Powell’s Books – Kobo

 

 

About the Author

Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born.

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Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on February 1, 2020

 

 

Statue of Limitations (A Goddess of Greene St. Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 28, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

In this delightful new series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mysteries, Athena Spencer comes back home to work with her crazy big Greek family at their garden center. But she never expected a return to her roots would mean protecting her family from murder . . .

After her divorce, Athena has returned to coastal Michigan to work in her family’s garden center and raise her son, while also caring for a mischievous wild raccoon and fending off her family’s annoying talent for nagging. Working alone at the garden center one night, Athena is startled by a handsome stranger who claims to be the rightful owner of a valuable statue her grandfather purchased at a recent estate sale.

But she has even bigger problems on her plate. The powerful Talbot family from whom her pappoús bought the statue is threatening to raze the shops on Greene Street’s “Little Greece” to make way for a condo. The recent death of the family’s patriarch already seemed suspicious, but now it’s clear that a murderer is in their midst. Athena will have to live up to her warrior goddess namesake to protect her family from a killer and save their community from ruin . . .

 

Kensington – Amazon – B&N   – Kobo

 

Review

If you thought you had a loud boisterous family. you need to meet Althena and her Greek family.  It is reminiscent of My Big Fat Greek Wedding – so if you have seen that movie you will understand.  The nosy sisters, the overbearing mother, and the love that can be found despite everything.

Althena is divorced with a son and living back in her hometown with her family and working at the family garden center.  She is the secret author of a blog that features her family but they don’t know it even though they read it every day.  One day they are going to realize it is about them!  Althena is dating Kevin.  Kevin is not going to win any awards with Althena but she can’t figure out how to extract herself from him without hurting him or having her mother start back down the matchmaking path.  Everything is going along swimmingly until Case Donneley appears inquiring about a statue in their garden center.  He claims it was stolen from his grandfather’s museum.  Is he going to try and take it back?  Will he be able to find the provenance to prove his claims?

This is a fun new series that had me giggling and trying to figure out the mystery.  I had my suspicions in regards to the killer but couldn’t decipher how they were involved until near the end as nuggets of clues were dropped into the story.  I felt for Althena dating someone like Kevin that she obviously doesn’t like but doing it to keep the peace in the family.  Case could be an interesting new twist because I think there is some chemistry between the two and will be interested to see how a relationship plays out for them.

We think this is a great start to a new series and can’t wait to see what is in store next for Althena and Case.  We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

Credit: Edda Taylor Photographie

About the Author

Kate Collins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mystery series. After publishing numerous historical romances, Kate penned the long-running mystery series, three books of which were made into Hallmark movies starring Brooke Shields. An Indiana native, Kate graduated from Purdue University with a master’s degree in education. When not growing roots at her computer, Kate loves to garden. Other passions include yoga, reading, spending time with family and friends, sampling great wines and fine dark chocolate, and enjoying every moment of life. Kate lives in Northwest Indiana and Key West, Florida.

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on January 29, 2020

 

 

A Field Guide to Homicide (A Cat Latimer Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 28, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Synopsis

Cat Latimer and her writer’s retreat group go on a hiking trip—but a murderer has been lurking off the beaten path . . .

Cat’s sweetheart, Seth, is going all out on an outing into the local mountains—for the benefit of the writing group Cat’s hosting at her Colorado B&B. But when they try to identify some plant and animal life, they find death instead. The body belongs to a man with a gold claim a few miles away. Instead of striking it rich, he’s been struck down.

To his surprise, Seth recognizes the victim from his military days—and up to now believed he’d already died during his last tour of duty. Now Cat has to solve this mystery before the killer takes a hike..”

 

 

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play

 

Review

 

It’s time for another journey back to Colorado and Cat’s writer’s retreat.  This retreat is different than others since there are two couples plus the college student from the local college.  It is an interesting bunch and while they are featured in the book, I don’t think that they were the main focus.  The main characters were tied to Seth’s past in the military and those that were in town for a reunion of sorts.  I’m not sure we learned much about Seth’s military buddies but that didn’t stop me from thinking something was off about the deceased and those he served with all those years ago.  I feel like there is so much more that Seth hasn’t revealed yet about his time in the military and I wonder if more will be revealed in future books.

We discover a little bit more about Cat’s deceased husband, Michael.  The author has a way of keeping me engaged in this series because I want to know what he was involved with and how it will affect Cat.  Especially since the dead body from Seth’s unit has notes about Michael and others in his cabin.  What is the secret?  When will we learn more?

The mystery and the interactions between the various characters (Cat, Seth, Shauna, Uncle Pete, and Shirley) kept me engaged and made it hard for me to put the book down.  I had my suspicions about the killer but there was more to the story than I ever expected.  Shauna has some family issues that she hides from Cat for most of the book, but I’m glad she trusts their friendship and opens up about what is happening with her family.

Overall we give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several New York Times and USA Today bestselling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in central coastal California with six-holiday novellas releasing in 2018–2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, debuted in 2018. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.

She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.

 

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