Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery on October 13, 2014

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Synopsis

When CIA agent Merry Wrath is “accidently” outted, she’s forced her into early retirement, changes her appearance, and moves where no one will ever find her—Iowa. Instead of black bag drops in Bangkok, she now spends her time leading a young Girl Scout troop. But Merry’s new simple life turns not-so-simple when an enemy agent shows up dead at scout camp. Suddenly Merry is forced to deal with her former life in order to preserve her future one.

It doesn’t help matters that the CIA sends in her former, sexy handler to investigate…or that the hot new neighbor across the street turns out to be the local detective in charge of her case. And when Merry is forced to take on a roommate in the voluptuous form of a turned KGB agent/bimbo, things become trickier than wet work in Waukegan or cookie sales in the spring. Nothing in the CIA or Girl Scouts’ training manuals has prepared her for what comes next…

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For the first week this book is just $0.99 – a bargain!

Review

Leslie is one of my favorite authors and I think she has the makings of another hit series. I know it has to be hard to top the Bombay Assassins series (at least in my mind) but this book is full of similar wit and craziness that will have you hanging on until the very end.

The characters are a bit zany and I didn’t expect the curve thrown at the end as to who was the “evil” character. Merry is going to be an interesting character to watch, having to deal with her past as a spook with the CIA and trying to fit into suburbia with her best friend Kelly….which includes leading a girl scout troop. And there are even a couple of potential love interests for Merry….her ex-handler Riley and the hot detective, who also happens to be her neighbor, Rex.

I give this 5 paws up and can’t wait for the second book!

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About the Author

Leslie Langtry is, in fact, a mom and a Girl Scout leader, but she has never assassinated anyone, either professionally or for recreation. Okay, she knits, but she almost never garrotes anyone with the circular needles. She loves puppies and cake (but she will not share her cake with puppies) and thinks praying mantids make everything better.

Instead, she lives with her husband, Tom, and two children, Margaret and Jack, in the Quad Cities – with no immediate plans to train either child as an assassin. She wants to make that perfectly clear.

Sure, Tom is a professional bodyguard, but he is not from Australia – nor has he ever been there. Seriously, he can’t even do the accent properly. And yes, she has a Pug (named Lucy) who has never, ever tried to seduce anything other than the sofa. She also has a basset hound and two cats – none of which possess any killer instincts whatsoever.

So there, you see, this book in no way mirrors Leslie Langtry’s life. That’s her story, and she’s sticking to it.

Leslie Langtry is the author of the Bombays Greatest Hits series, The Adulterer’s Unofficial Guide to Family Vacations, The Hanging Tree Tales as Max Deimos and several books she hasn’t finished yet, because she’s very lazy.

Leslie’s favorite color is orange and her favorite flavor is sugar.

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Posted in 4 paws, cooking, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on September 8, 2014

It is a little late, but today’s Mystery Monday feature is the first book in the Italian Kitchen Mystery series by author Rosie Genova.  Come back tomorrow as I have a guest post and a review of her second book in this series, Wedding Soup Murder.

 

murder and marinara

 

Synopsis

Hit whodunit writer Victoria Rienzi is getting back to her roots by working at her family’s Italian restaurant. But now in between plating pasta and pouring vino, she’ll have to find the secret ingredient in a murder….

When Victoria takes a break from penning her popular mystery series and moves back to the Jersey shore, she imagines sun, sand, and scents of fresh basil and simmering marinara sauce at the family restaurant, the Casa Lido. But her nonna’s recipes aren’t the only things getting stirred up in this Italian kitchen.

Their small town is up in arms over plans to film a new reality TV show, and when Victoria serves the show’s pushy producer his last meal, the Casa Lido staff finds itself embroiled in a murder investigation. Victoria wants to find the real killer, but there are as many suspects as tomatoes in her nonna’s garden. Now she’ll have to heat up her sleuthing skills quickly…before someone else gets a plateful of murder.

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Review

This is what happens why a mystery writer goes home to learn how to cook the family way and runs across a murder…they solve it of course. Of all the cozies I have ever read, I don’t think I have read one where the main character was a mystery writer. And then you throw in some good ol’ Italian food (with recipes at the end), well it is a good combo.

There was a good cast of characters and I have to admit I probably missed most of the clues. I truly did not expect the murder to be who it was…definitely a surprise for me.

We give this book 4 paws!
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Posted in 4 paws, Monday, mystery on August 25, 2014

BBB

 

Synopsis

“Boardwalk Empire” meets “Miss Universe” in 1927 Galveston, Texas-the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who wants to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties.

The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.” She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures.

Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant. Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton: He wants Agent Burton to raid the Hollywood Club during the bathing beauties dance routine–or risk revenge from the Downtown Gang leader. Her loyalties torn, Jazz is faced with an impossible task that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance.

Meanwhile, Jazz fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on vengeance. Inspired by actual events.

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Review

I love all the history I am learning about Galveston and the 1920’s. The dialogue makes me feel like I am right there in that decade! Thank goodness for the dictionary at the end to let me know what some of the words mean.

This book continues where FFF left off with Jazz getting into her usual trouble but still keeping a secret about Sammy, that he is her brother. This time it is the Miss Universe Pageant and this is not the pageants we know today!

Like the first book, there are people that are murdered and that mystery must be solved. The author does a pretty good job of intertwining the mystery with the storyline and I don’t think you will figure it out…at least I didn’t!

We give this book 4 paws!

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About the Author

ellen collierEllen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. During college summers, she worked as a reporter (intern) for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she’s worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine, and was active in WICI (Women in Communications), acting as president her senior year.

Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, published in 2012, followed by the sequel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, released in May 2013. Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns is the last novel in her Jazz Age Mystery series, published in May, 2014. She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts, and visits Galveston whenever possible.

Website

Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on August 18, 2014

FFF

 

Synopsis

“The Great Gatsby” meets “Boardwalk Empire” in this soft-boiled Jazz Age mystery, inspired by actual events. Real-life rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.”

Jasmine Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette. After a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses at the Oasis—as speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook—Jazz suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn’t cooperate. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, hoping for information (and some romance), but she refuses to rat on Sammy.

As turf wars escalate between the Downtown and Beach gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston’s glittering society. Now available in a revised trade paperback version with a glossary of 1920s slang.

Review

The roaring 20’s in Galveston Texas…who knew that there were gangs in the town controlling the liquor despite prohibition? Jazz (Jasmine) is a society reporter trying to get in on the big news action but it is hard to do as a woman. Nathan is the hotshot photographer and Jazz’s pal. Then there is Burton, the hunky Federal Agent trying to shut down the illegal liquor that is killing people.

The story has several murders that tie in quite a few characters but it is easy to keep them straight. There wasn’t a real big “reveal” with “whodoneit” but it left the story open for the next installment in this series.   I thought that the story was well researched and I felt like I was back in time during the 20’s while reading this book with the language/slang of that time and setting the scene  with what they were wearing or what Jazz was shopping for in the way of accessories.

We give this 4 paws up and I’m in the middle of reading book 2 in this series, so look for a post on that next week!

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About the Author

ellen collierEllen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. During college summers, she worked as a reporter (intern) for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she’s worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine, and was active in WICI (Women in Communications), acting as president her senior year.

Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, published in 2012, followed by the sequel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, released in May 2013. Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns is the last novel in her Jazz Age Mystery series, published in May, 2014. She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts, and visits Galveston whenever possible.

Website

Posted in 4 paws, Blog tour, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on August 11, 2014

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WellRead_2

Well Read, Then Dead(Read Em and Eat Mystery)
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Read Em and Eat Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (August 5, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0425270288

 

Synopsis

First in a new series!

Nestled in the barrier islands of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers Beach is home to Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget Mayfield—owners of the bookstore café, Read ‘Em and Eat. But when they’re not dishing about books or serving up scones, Sassy and Bridgy are keeping tabs on hard-boiled murder.

Read ‘Em and Eat is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch treats, along with quite a colorful clientele. If it’s not Rowena Gustavson loudly debating the merits of the current book club selection, it’s Miss Augusta Maddox lecturing tourists on rumors of sunken treasure among the islands. It’s no wonder Sassy’s favorite is Delia Batson, a regular at the Emily Dickinson table. Augusta’s cousin and best friend Delia is painfully shy—which makes the news of her murder all the more shocking.

No one is more distraught than Augusta, and Sassy wants to help any way she can. But Augusta doesn’t have time for sympathy. She wants Delia’s killer found—and she’s not taking no for an answer. Now Sassy is on the case, and she’d better act fast before there’s any more trouble in paradise.

Includes a buttermilk pie recipe!

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Review

First in a new series that combines several of my favorite things – food and books!  Sassy & Bridgey are best friends that opened this restaurant/book store and have turned it into a hit in this small FL town thanks to some of the residents and the snowbirds.  They have several book clubs with a myriad of interesting attendees – and some nearly come to fisticuffs!  Then Miss Delia is found dead and her friend Augusta knows she was murdered…so it is Sassy & Bridge on the case.

I think this is the first cozy I have read in awhile where there isn’t a romance brewing between some of the main characters.  I think that will come in future books so I’m interested to see who becomes involved, but I have my guesses.  I liked that the restaurant employees are like one big family especially when the cook falls and breaks his leg, they rally around him to make sure he knows they want him back.

The killer is not an obvious one, although looking back I did not like this character and too see what the killer goes through near the end has you wondering about their sanity.

Well written and can’t wait to see what book two has in store for us.  Oh and don’t forget the PIE recipe at the back of the book!

We give this 4 paws up.

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About the Author

Twice short-listed for Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran’s cozy mystery novel, Well Read, Then Dead is the first book in the Read ’Em and Eat Café and Bookstore series. You can find Terrie blogging amid the grand banter of New York writers known as the Women of Mystery. Terrie tells anyone willing to listen that hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren provides life’s grand and joyful moments.

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Giveaway

Print copy of Well Read, Then Dead
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

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Tour Participants

August 1 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Review, Giveaway
August 2 – deal sharing aunt – Review, Interview, Giveaway
August 3 – Books Are Life – Vita Libri – Review, Giveaway
August 4 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Interview
August 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – Review
August 6 – dru’s book musing – Guest Post, Giveaway
August 7 – Books-n-Kisses – Review, Interview
August 8 – Back Porchervations – Review, Giveaway
August 9 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Giveaway
August 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview
August 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review
August 12 – Mystery Playground – Interview, Giveaway
August 13 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
August 14 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on August 4, 2014

On today’s version of Mystery Monday, I am featuring Lynn Cahoon’s book Guidebook to Murder.  This is the first book in the Tourist Trap Mystery series AND I will have a guest post and a review of her second book, Mission to Murder a little later today (so check back!)

guidebook

Synopsis

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store–Coffee, Books, and More–open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder? When Jill’s elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily’s gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill–along with all of her problems. . .and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit–especially if it gets her closer to South Cove’s finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she’s on the case–and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently.

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Review

This was an excellent first book in a new series. set in a small tourist town in CA, Jill runs a bookstore/coffeeshop and while having lived in the town 5 years is still considered a newbie. She befriended Miss Emily and when she finds her dead immediately suspects foul play. Of course she is right and there are a variety of suspects to choose from. Some of the characters are wacky, some are down to earth and some are just hunky!

And let’s not forget the character Sadie who makes wonderful pie! The words describing her pies made me feel like I could almost taste them.

This is a series to watch/read!

We give it 4 paws up.

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Posted in 5 paws, Blog tour, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on July 7, 2014

 

Today I bring you a new series set in Idaho.  You don’t find many books set there I’m sure!  I have been wanting to read a book by Rachelle for awhile.  She has several other books out that sound really good but have not been able to find them yet (short of buying them online), so of course I jumped on this when it came available as part of a blog tour.

Diamond Rings Deadly Front Cover

Synopsis

Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success–that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

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“I love Rachelle J. Christensen’s stories and characters, and Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things is another thrilling mystery to add to my collection. Don’t be surprised if you have to stay up all night to finish he book!”

–Rachel Ann Nunes, author of Before I Say Goodbye

Diamond Rings are Deadly Things pulled me right in from the first page and held me captive until the very end. Great characters, a compelling plot, a surprising twist at the end … Rachelle Christensen knows how to craft a great mystery.

Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries

A cunningly crafty mystery with just the right mix of romance. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Adrielle Pyper, stunning party-planner turned heroine.

Nichole Giles, author of Descendant

Review

Just when you think you have the mystery figured out…there is a twist! I don’t want to say too much but I didn’t like one character but did not expect they “why”!

This book is very clean which I appreciated. The author lets you think that perhaps other characters are the evil ones, good red herrings!

I did wonder for quite a few chapters who Briette was and how she affected Adri. All is revealed several chapters into the book.

This book was well written (although I had an ARC and there was a comment left in there for the author from the editor or copywriter) and I think this is going to be a very nice series…in fact, I think I know where book 2 will be set…or should be anyway!

We give this book 5 paws and recommend it next time you are looking for a new cozy series!

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About the Author

Rachelle ChristensenRachelle J. Christensen is a stay-at-home mom of four cute kids. She has an amazing husband, three cats, and five chickens. Rachelle was born and raised in the small farming town of Rupert, Idaho which is adjacent to the setting in her latest mystery Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things due out this July. Her new website www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com partners with the characters from the novel to bring readers an interactive look into the mystery of crafting and wedding planning.

Rachelle graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a music minor. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading.

Rachelle’s first novel, Wrong Number was awarded Outstanding Book of the Year from the League of Utah Writers and was also a 2010 Whitney Finalist. She is also the author of Caller ID, a nonfiction book Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage for Latter Day Saints, and a novella with a Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads * Craft Website

 

 

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Posted in 4 paws, 5 paws, Monday, mystery, Romantic Comedy on June 23, 2014

Today I am spotlighting author Christina A. Burke who writes the Queenie Baby series and book 3, Queenie Baby: On Tour, was released today!  To add to this great new release, the first two books in the series are offered for $0.99 which is a steal because I paid $3.99 middle of last week for this eBook…had I but known!  I am finishing up this new release and am enjoying it so far…can’t wait to see how it ends.  These books are billed as romantic comedies but there is a little bit of mystery in there.

Synopsis

Meeting your hot new boss in a bar while singing karaoke—bad. Being fixed up with your old high school boyfriend by your meddling sister—annoying. Making out in your sister’s minivan with said boyfriend—embarrassing. This week is shaping up to be a doozy for aspiring singer/songwriter Diana Hudson.

‘On the wrong side of thirty’ according to her mother and still living the bohemian lifestyle of a musician, Diana is having a double martini day.  Although a sought after performer on the not-so-happening Annapolis, Maryland bar scene, Diana works as a temp at Greene’s Staffing to pay the bills. Her assignment this week:  help the cape-wearing Mr. Vann Pyre find love online.  Unfortunately for Diana, the only man in her life for months has been Max, her fluffy, white Shitzu-Poodle with a crooked overbite and a bad attitude. But unexpectedly, Diana finds herself up to her chin in men. Her mysterious new boss, Mark Greene, smells so good she’d like to hang him from her rearview mirror, and her chiseled, super-sexy high school sweetheart, Rick Ellis, is back to sweep her off her feet.  When Diana’s love life goes from nonexistent to off the charts, will she give an old romance a second chance? Or will she take a chance on new love?

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Review

This was a pretty funny book – and since it is billed as a romantic comedy that is a good thing. Diana is a talented musician waiting to make it big and in the meantime temps to pay the bills between gigs. She has 2 guys that want her…a problem we should all have!

I chuckled a lot in this book which always make it a winner in my book. Definitely a series to check out.  I give it 5 paws

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QB2

Synopsis

There’s no turning back now for temp-by-day and rockstar-by-night, Diana Hudson. She’s left Annapolis, Maryland to take a chance on love and to track down the singer who’s stolen her song. What starts as a romantic rendezvous with new love on the paradise island of Puerto Rico, quickly becomes a wacky cross-island adventure featuring a high speed guitar chase, a bull fight, and a swashbuckling pirate. Love blooms amid the lush landscape, until a hot bodyguard from Diana’s past exposes her new love’s secrets, turning her world upside down. Back home on dry land, Diana prepares for the annual Renaissance Fair and a visit from The Grands. With her career heating up, her family closing in, and her heart on the line, how will Diana keep it all together?

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Review

This was a fun 2nd book in this series. my only problem with the book is that supposedly Diana corrupted a flash drive in book 1….I had just read book 1 and do not recall this at all and it bugged me throughout the whole book.

That aside, it has a lot of funny situations and I laughed out loud quite a bit and give it 4 paws.
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QB3

Synopsis

For temp-turned-rock-star, Diana Hudson, touring with a Pirate Rock band has been a whirlwind. The Pirate-Heads’ Bash in Key West is the last stop on their tour, and she’s ready to hang up her sword and play house in Annapolis, Maryland with her uber-sexy boyfriend, Mark Greene. But her plans hit a sour note when Diana receives sinister scrapbook pages depicting her demise. A series of near-miss accidents and a meeting with an old enemy confirm she’s on borrowed time. Hunted by a hitman known only as The Spider, Diana and Mark embark on a madcap adventure to outwit the unseen predator. Instead of rest and relaxation after the long tour, Diana finds herself battling pirates at sea, dodging explosions, and hiding out with The Grands. Will Diana uncover the identity of the hitman before he finds her? Or has she already been snared in the The Spider’s sinuous web?

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Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on June 16, 2014

I love the Psychic Eye series by Victoria Laurie!  I don’t know what it is about this series, but it has grabbed my interest and I look forward to each new book.  I am a little behind as this is book 11 which came out in 2013 and book 12, Fatal Fortune is due out July 1st…in just a few weeks!!

 

deadly forecast

Synopsis

As her wedding day approaches, Abby Cooper has a disturbing premonition of her fiancé’s murder. Her husband-to-be, FBI agent Dutch Rivers, has been assigned to a suicide bombing case, and Abby’s spirit guides warn her of imminent danger. Abby vows to do everything in her power to keep Dutch safe and get him to the altar. But on the morning of the ceremony, she finds herself in a dire situation with time running out.

Review

LOVED it!!!  Abbey & Dutch are FINALLY getting married…or are they?  They are pulled into a case during the two weeks prior to their wedding and the way things are going they may not make it to the altar.

This book has a different format than the previous books – it flips back and forth between 2 weeks prior and the wedding day.  It took a little bit to get used to the format, but once I got in the groove I had a hard time putting the book down.  There is a lot of action and it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering if they would figure out who the killer was before time ran out (and it was quite the surprise as to who the killer was, I definitely didn’t see this one coming!)

We give this book 5 paws

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Posted in 4 paws, Monday, mystery, Review on June 9, 2014

Today’s edition of Mystery Monday brings you a book by author Stone Patrick called The Fallen Body.  I really do like it when authors contact me about their books (despite my current backlog) because there are so many great authors out there that just need a little exposure.  So I like to help out when I can and of course when the book is set in Texas (where I live) I usually want to read it because I want to see if they get it right.  I have to say that Stone got it right (which I would hope since he lives in North Texas!)….and it was really neat to see my alma mater mentioned in the book – Texas Wesleyan University.  That was quite the surprise and it was just a quick reference to a character, but honestly, how many authors mention small universities that are real?  Ok, so I don’t go check out all universities mentioned in books, but I always assume they aren’t “real” schools.

Anyway, check out this book if you have the chance.

fallen_front

Synopsis

Small-town lawyer Taylour Dixxon befriends Sarah Cockrell Baines, a New Jersey socialite and millionairess. As their friendship begins, Sarah is arrested for the murder of her husband. When Taylour volunteers to defend Sarah, she has no idea that her struggling law practice in sleepy Marlinsville, Texas, will be turned upside down. Taylour’s life will never be the same.

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Review

This book was quite the surprise mostly from some of the references, but because it drew me in right from the start.  I wondered about Sarah and turns out my inklings were somewhat correct about her.  I like how Taylour took an interest in her nephew and let him move in with her for the short term while things at home for him were sorted out with his father and pregnant step-mother.  There is one character that disappeared that I wish had been resolved or mentioned what happened to this person.  I thought the characters were all pretty well developed, the mystery/suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and there was just a hint at romance to round out the story.

I am not sure if this will be a series or not, but I could see it turning into more books in this town of Malinsville – it is close enough to the Dallas/Fort Worth area that the author can bring in action from the “big city” as he did in this book.

We give it 4 paws up!

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About the Author

Stone Patrick is a pseudonym for Taylor Stonely, and he has a day job working for a financial services company. He received a BS degree from Brigham Young in 1991 and an MBA degree from the University of Phoenix in 2002. He currently resides in North Texas with his wife and four children. The Fallen Body is his debut suspense novel.

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