The Burden of Hate (An Annie Collins Mystery) by Helen Starbuck

 

Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 216 pages

 

Genre: Mystery

 

Publisher: Routt Street Press

 

Release date: March 2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

How far would you go for someone you love? How much hate would you need to commit murder? Revenge. Hate. Fear. Not exactly traditional wedding gifts. But when convicted killer Ian Patterson escapes from prison, operating room nurse Annie Collins and fiancé assistant district attorney Angel Cisneros are forced to confront these realities head on. Will Ian Patterson’s quest for revenge toward the two people responsible for sending him to prison—Annie Collins and Angel Cisneros—bring them face to face to settle the score once and for all? Find out why Kirkus Reviews calls The Burden of Hate, “A thriller that offers a master class in suspense.”

 

 

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Interview with Helen

 

 

Where did you find the inspiration for The Annie Collins Mystery Series?

 

The idea for The Mad Hatter’s Son, originated when I worked at a major hospital in Denver. I helped care for a patient with puzzling, difficult to diagnose, neurological symptoms. I thought at the time it would make a good plot. The book is based on the clinical presentation of that patient, not the actual patient.

The second book, No Pity In Death, centers around mercy killing in a hospital. Nurses as killers fascinates me because intentionally killing a patient is so antithetical to what it means to be a nurse.

The third book, The Burden of Hate, deals with the consequences of the main characters’ actions coming home to roost. I believe that everything we do—even choosing to do nothing—has consequences, and those consequences are not always clear.

 

Are any of the main characters based on people you know or yourself?

 

My main character Annie Collins is an OR nurse and I based her on my professional experiences. Annie is a lot like me in terms of curiosity and sense of humor, but she’s much braver.

The other main character is Angel Cisneros, an assistant DA in Denver. He isn’t based on anyone I know; he’s just the type of man I like and would trust implicitly as Annie does.

Secondary characters continue throughout the series—Homicide Detective Alex Frost, Ian Patterson, and Annie’s friends Chip Elliott and Maddie Doyle. Her friends are an amalgamation of nurses I know. The detective is a bit like my father, a tolerant, amused, and frustrated mentor. I’ve never known anyone like Ian Patterson, but I based him on psychological profiles and how I imagined he would act and think.

 

What kind of research did you do to bring a sense of realism and accuracy to the storyline?

 

I conferred with a doctor who had helped care for the patient who inspired the first book to ensure I was remembering the clinical course correctly. I consult with an emergency room doctor, an ER nurse, and a surgeon to ensure the medical scenes are correct.

I consulted with a homicide detective regarding investigations and police procedures. Online research into newspaper accounts of famous nurse mercy killers and the prison system in Colorado was very helpful.

I learned an amazing amount about police work and crime at the Writers’ Police Academy conference. To accurately describe handling a gun, I took a class at a local shooting range.

 

As an author, what do you enjoy most about the writing process, and what feels like a chore?

 

I love when the ideas are flowing and characters are ‘talking’ to me and becoming real. Proofing is a chore, and I’m not good at it. I have to rely on beta readers to proof my writing at various stages and a professional to proof the manuscript before I send it for layout.

 

Do you have any new books in the planning or writing stage?

 

I have a new book that debuted in December titled, Finding Alex. It’s romantic suspense set in Denver. A woman—assaulted, left for dead, and amnesic—is the only surviving victim of a killer. To solve the crime, the homicide detective in the story must try to identify her, which proves nearly impossible. It’s available on Amazon and other book retailers in paperback and ebook.

 

 

About the Author

 

Helen Starbuck is a Colorado native, former OR nurse, and award-winning author of the standalone romantic suspense novel Legacy of Secrets, and the Annie Collins Mystery Series. She loves mysteries, suspense, romance, and any book that is well written. She’s a huge fan of books with independent, strong, women characters and, as Neil Gaiman says, “…stories where women save themselves.”

 

 

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Giveaway

 

Win 1 of 5 autographed copies of The Annie Collins Mysteries w $10 Amazon Gift Card (5 winners) (USA only) (ends Feb 16)

 

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Wedding Bear Blues (A Teddy Bear Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (December 29, 2020)
Paperback: 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When a heartless killer ruins a Valentine’s Day wedding, teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman vows to solve the crime . . .

 

At the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha will be selling plenty of bride and groom teddy bears come springtime. But this Valentine’s Day weekend, she’d take any of those silent, stuffed couples over the real thing. Sasha and her sister Maddie are bridesmaids at Cissy Davidson’s upcoming wedding in Silver Hollow. Cissy is fuming over the worst choice of best man—the jerk who broke her sister Debbie’s heart—and the groom-to-be won’t budge in his decision. At the rehearsal dinner you could cut the tension with a wedding cake knife.

That is, until best man Dylan is found dead, impaled with an ice pick. Although jilted Debbie is the most likely suspect—the blood on her dress doesn’t help her case—the bride begs Sasha to prove her sister’s innocence. If anyone’s going to walk down the aisle, Sasha will first need to find the cold-hearted killer who iced Dylan . . .

 

 

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Guest Post

 

WRITING A MYSTERY

 

As Meg Macy, I write the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries. As Meg Mims, I write western historical mysteries plus sweet holiday romance short stories and novellas. As one half of the D.E. Ireland team, I write the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins historical mysteries. All in all, enough under my belt to lend credibility. I’m here to tell readers how easy writing a mystery is – just kidding! It’s not. Is there anything easy about it? Sure! The beginning.

I have loads of ideas in notebooks, scraps of paper, pieces of napkins, even docs in my laptop. Character sketches. Setting details. Research photos. I’ve trolled Pinterest for photos of actors and actresses who might help spark how a protagonist might look, how they would act (via a role in a movie), how they might sound. It helps to ground that character in “fictional reality” – that’s a conundrum, isn’t it? I’ve written scenes, first chapters, even multiple chapters to see if and how that idea would take shape as a full story. Like I said, beginning is the fun part.

The grueling part for a story in any genre is taking that beginning and then “fleshing it out”. I prefer Michael Hauge’s three-act (and six-stage) structure. Yes, it’s hard. And complicated. It makes a writer think about what a character wants (goals) versus conflicts (why they can’t get what they want), and maybe throwing in either a romantic entanglement or emotional journey they face. So what’s the big deal about adding mystery? That’s where it gets much, much harder.

Sure, drop a body in a book. Readers love a good murder. But they also want to see the killer brought to justice – it doesn’t always happen in real life. So in addition to the regular story, there’s a secondary structure of who did it (don’t forget you need multiple suspects to muddy the waters), why the killer did it (explained at the end after the confrontation/climax), where the murder took place (and often not at the spot where the body is found), when (timeline is important in establishing suspects’ alibis) and with what – the weapon. And don’t forget secrets and lies.

Add even more complications to a contemporary mystery, with modern forensics like fingerprint and DNA evidence (not always a problem in a historical before all that came about), body trauma, etc. Usually, the official investigators never want amateurs butting into their business – especially Miss Marple, and even Hercule Poirot had detractors. No wonder Agatha Christie was a genius and continues to be a bestseller to this day.

Have I ever written a mystery where I don’t know who the killer is? Never. But at times, the characters surprise me with a twist on that. And yes, mysteries need a good twist to spice things up, plus red herrings to lead the reader away from the truth. I don’t mind reading a mystery where I can figure out the killer easily, or early on, but not when the motive doesn’t make sense or isn’t explained well. Like I said, adding a mystery to any plot structure adds to the complications. I have loved the process. I’ve also hated it, at times. And I always hope my readers will be a little forgiving, like I am with other authors, if the book doesn’t completely satisfy.

So leave a review for an author, and keep in mind that writing a book is never a piece of cake. It’s like running a whole bakery. Now I’m hungry for cake. And the mystery is spice, pistachio, or chocolate?

“Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.” Olin Miller

“Writing is easy. All you do is cross out the wrong words.” Mark Twain

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Meg Macy is a voracious reader, from first grade, and by 3^rd grade wanted to write her own stories. Being a late bloomer, she waited until after career, marriage, and childbirth – and then won a Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best First Book in 2012 with Double Crossing. After co-writing the Agatha Award nominated Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins historical mystery series, Meg began writing the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries. Wedding Bear Blues is the fourth book, and she hopes to keep writing beyond this horrible pandemic when life seemed to be “on hold” for so many. Meg spent way too much time doing puzzles, binge-watching TV, and somehow managed to deliver book five, Bear A Wee Grudge, to her patient editor. She also read A LOT! Always a good thing.

 

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Synopsis

 

Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death is a humorous cozy mystery set in a Jewish retirement home. Rose Kaplan has won the right to prepare the matzoh ball soup for the annual Passover seder. Ordinarily, this would be a great honor; but as lamented by her friend Ida, who narrates the story in her old world dialect, this year “the devil should have such an honor!”

At the seder, Bertha Finkelstein is discovered dead, face down in her soup bowl. It turns out Bertha choked on an earring, reported stolen earlier that day by fellow resident Daisy Goldfarb, which somehow had found its way into the soup. Suspicion of theft and possibly murder, therefore, falls on Mrs. Kaplan, the only one who prepared the soup. Knowing she is innocent, Mrs. Kaplan and her friend Ida determine to find the real culprit.

They first make a list of possible suspects, whoever had both a motive and an opportunity to kill Bertha. It turns out there are several. They also use various means (some quite unconventional, including engaging the services of a lady burglar) to find out whether their suspects had police records and to search their rooms for the missing second earring. They learn, among other things, that Bertha suffered from kleptomania, and that only one earring was taken: the second earring is still in Daisy’s possession. (Daisy was attempting to defraud the insurance company by claiming both were stolen.)

Not only do the ladies’ investigations lead them to the solution to the death of Bertha Finkelstein, but along the way, they manage to solve a few difficult “domestic” problems of their colorful fellow residents.

Mrs. Kaplan lays out her solution for the police:  Bertha, unable to resist the shiny earrings sitting on a table near Daisy’s open door, took one of them on her way to the seder. She was holding it when she saw Benjamin, the policeman son of another resident who was there to see his father, approach her in his police uniform. Her ingrained fear of the authorities—going back to her childhood in Russia—and guilty conscience caused her to panic.  Seeing nowhere else to hide the earring, she tried to swallow it. It became lodged in her throat and she was asphyxiated. Having discovered no better explanation, the police reluctantly accept Mrs. Kaplan’s theory and she is vindicated.

 

 

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This book was originally published in 2014 but has been updated with the new publisher.

 

 

Excerpt

 

The rabbi completed his brief remarks thanking Mrs. K, who was as usual both pleased and a bit uncomfortable, as she doesn’t like to be the center of attention. There was a hum of low voices and then the polite slurping of soup, not to mention quite a bit of much louder slurping. It seems to me the older we get, the louder we eat. And everything seemed fine until someone behind us shouted, “Oh, my God, Mrs. Finkelstein has fallen into her soup!” And indeed, when we all looked over to where Bertha Finkelstein was sitting by herself, she was definitely lying face down in her soup bowl.

And while it is true that at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors not everyone is a neat and tidy eater, we knew that no one of Bertha Finkelstein’s impeccable manners would think of eating her soup—much less Mrs. K’s delicious matzoh ball soup—from the bottom up, so to speak. There was definitely something very wrong with poor Mrs. Finkelstein.

 

*****

What was wrong with Mrs. Finkelstein was that she was dead.

Now I should explain, for the benefit of those who might not have much experience with establishments like the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors, that one of our residents suddenly becoming deceased would not be such a strange or, unfortunately, uncommon occurrence. While we know that death comes to us all at our appointed time, the appointments for the residents of the Home are necessarily somewhat sooner and shorter than for the general population. Nevertheless, this was the first time that a resident, and especially one with Bertha Finkelstein’s sense of propriety, had departed by way of their bowl of chicken soup, so you can imagine that it caused more than the usual stir.

 

 

About the Author

 

MARK REUTLINGER is an attorney and former law professor. He now writes novels in which the law is frequently broken, including his “Mrs. Kaplan” cozy mystery series (MRS. KAPLAN AND THE MATZOH BALL OF DEATH and A PAIN IN THE TUCHIS) and the political thrillers MADE IN CHINA and SISTER-IN-LAW: Violation, Seduction, and the President of the United States. His next novel, MURDER WITH STRINGS ATTACHED, a humorous caper/crime story, will be published in 2021. He is also a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books.

Mark and his wife Analee live in University Place, Washington, where in addition to reading and writing, he plays clarinet with the Tacoma Concert Band and enjoys tennis, biking, exotic cars, model railroading, and various arts and crafts. He has no idea where he finds the time for it all.

 

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Synopsis

 

When Hayden was a child, she lost her cat. Adults told her the cat ran away, but she knew the truth. The mirror had taken her. She knew because the mirror had given her a glimpse of an alternate world and had nearly pulled her in, so she was certain the cat had suffered that fate.

Twenty years later Hayden discovers the secret of the mirror when she is thrust into it. She learns of a world she never knew existed, and a family she never knew she had. But danger brought her here, and it followed her. Now, Hayden is on a mission to remove the threat, so that she can begin her magical, meaningful new life in this enchanted world.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This is a new series that is bound to be a smashing success for this author. It may be her first foray into fiction writing, but she definitely shows us what she can do in the fictional world.

The book starts off somewhat eerie and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the prologue other than I was intrigued. We are tossed into Hayden’s world where we learn she is not a morning person (don’t talk to her until she has had her first cup of tea), has a love for cats, and an amazing support system with her best friend and grandmother and great grandmother. Her parents are long gone, or so she thinks until she is pulled into a magical world that introduces her to her brother, father, and his parents. What a crazy day that was for her to find out the true story of what happened to her father. On top of that, she can communicate with her cat, Sassy, who now wants to be called Princess Latifa.

Destiny Falls is a world unto itself and her family, the Caldwells, are the keepers of this town. The town is magical and continually rearranges itself to fit what Hayden, or anyone else, needs. All is going well until someone is murdered and Hayden is determined to discover who the killer is and why. There is a lot of effort displayed throughout the book to portray the town, the Caldwell family, and the other citizens. Quirky is probably an understatement to describe the Caldwell family. Outside of Hayden’s brother, her half-siblings are all named after shades of blue – Indigo, Sapphire, and Cobalt.  Their mother is Jade and that might have played a part in their names.

Caldwell Manor is another interesting facet of Destiny Falls. This is where Hayden is staying while she adjusts to the town. The house seems to sense what each person needs and provides it to them. Now if we could all have a home like that! The staff is rarely seen but there is one person, Cleobella, that is fascinating and I loved the descriptions of her each time Hayden saw her. The outfits and the glitter made me giggle.

The mystery itself kept me guessing and just when I thought I knew who the killer was, BAM, a twist. I was quite surprised at the reveal and never would have suspected this character. The author did a good job of keeping this character out of the spotlight and while I thought this character was a bit odd, I would never have thought them possible of the crimes. Shows you what I know!

The mystery does seem like a minor part of the story until near the end. With the magical aspect, it does take a lot to build up this world because it isn’t like going to another small town. Well, it is but it isn’t. There is a couple of potential love interests for Hayden and while there is a peek into what might happen in future books, we still don’t know what will occur since it would seem that Hayden would want to return to our world and her friends and family. I’m sure you are wondering where they think she is….Denmark, on a research trip. This does seem a little farfetched that Hayden would take off on a moment’s notice for another country and not tell anyone where she is going until she gets there. But, Hayden had to come up with something because she cannot tell them where she really is at that moment. In fact, the computer servers won’t let her spill those details.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and do recommend it. I am curious to see what is in store next for Hayden.  We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives near Seattle and is the mother of four and nana to one. This is her first work of fiction.

 

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Slightly Murderous Intent: A Southern California Mystery
Traditional Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Level Best Books (October 20, 2020)
Print Length: 323 pages

 

Synopsis

 

There’s a shooter on the loose who keeps missing his target. But that doesn’t stop him from trying again…and again. It’s up to Corrie Locke, rookie lawyer and spunky sleuth, to find the gunman before he hits his mark, Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary, Corrie’s hunky and complicated frenemy.

When Corrie is stuck with more questions than answers, she enlists a team with various strengths, from weapons to cooking skills, to help her find the shooter. Her computer whiz boyfriend Michael is onboard. So is former security guard Veera. Toss in an over-the-hill informant and a couple of feuding celebrity chefs and Corrie’s got her very own A-Team. Okay, maybe it’s more like a B-Team.

Can Team Corrie hunt down the shooter before he scores a bulls-eye?

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

Cliff Hanging

 

I’ve been told that I have a knack for cliffhanging. Not literally, of course, although I might if I tried. I’m talking about ending chapters with a cliffhanger…what’s going to happen next? I have a very good reason for ending the chapters that way, which I’ll explain in a bit.

If you’ve been around the writing world, you’ve likely heard of plotters vs. pantsers. Plotters outline and consider the stages and steps of the book. Pantsers just go for it, compass be damned. They hope to somehow reach those two coveted words, “The End” with a story that makes sense. You’d have to be out of your mind to be a pantser, unless you enjoy torture and confusion. That would be me because I’m a pantser. I fly by the seat of my pants and I enjoy every moment of it…afterward.

When Book #2 in my Southern California Mysteries came along, I sat up and told myself serious writers plot. So I wrote an outline.  It was pretty good. Then I started  writing the book, following the outline. I promptly tossed out the outline…after Chapter One. It took out the excitement of writing. I didn’t want to know what happened next. I wanted the story to unfold beneath my pounding fingers.

I start out nearly every chapter by putting my heroine, Corrie Locke, in a situation that’s shaky and unstable. I end each chapter by putting Corrie on the spot and possibly in danger. Will she or won’t she? That’s where the cliffhanger comes in.

For instance, in my latest installment of my Southern California Mystery series, SLIGHTLY MURDEROUS INTENT, the chapter opens with Corrie attending a celebratory dinner where everyone at her table is served dinner, but her. That pushes Corrie over the edge and she does what many famished diners would do: she hunts down the server. She never does get her meal; she’s served crime a la mode instead, which ignites the first of many action scenes in the novel.  Corrie’s not your average young female attorney. She’s the daughter of a well-known PI, and together they’d cracked a few high profile cases. Even without Dad, she’s become quite the crime-cracker and has the notches (and the weapons) to prove it. Back to the cliffhangers.

When I end each chapter with a cliffhanger, it provides momentum for me to continue writing. Like my readers, I want to know what’s going to happen next. And, as I write, I insert the usual characters: Corrie’s sidekicks who play co-starring roles in helping solve the crime, and in helping me create the cliffhangers. At this stage in my writing life, I don’t know how NOT to end a chapter without a cliffhanger, except for the very last chapter where I need to wrap things up. If I ended with a cliffhanger there, I wouldn’t know where to stop. Which would make me the author of one extra long novel!

 

 

About the Author

 

Lida Sideris is an author, lawyer, and all-around book enthusiast. She writes soft-boiled mysteries and was a recipient of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America scholarship award. Slightly Murderous Intent is #4 in her Southern California Mystery series, published by Level Best Books. Lida lives in the northern tip of SoCal with her family, rescue dogs, and a flock of uppity chickens.

 

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Casting Call for a Corpse: A Fun Detective Cozy (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (August 1, 2020)
Print Length: 295 pages

 

Synopsis

 

A DETECTIVE AGENCY WITH HEART.

AND A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

Super sleuth, Lee Alvarez, finds a dead man wearing a tuxedo in a friend’s bathtub during a soiree for San Francisco’s VIPs. And not just any friend, but an internationally acclaimed actress who recently came to live in San Francisco. And not just any bathtub, but a bathtub residing inside one of Alamo Square’s famed Painted Ladies, recently bought by said actress.

The police believe it’s the actress friend who done the man in. After all, it’s her house and her tub. And another man died under suspicious circumstances around her recently. Both romantic encounters, doncha know. The actress must be guilty.

Or is she?

For ace detective Lee Alvarez, the timing couldn’t be worse. She is supposed to go off in celebration of her 6-month wedding anniversary with her hunky hubby. Paris is calling!

Or is it?

Her long-time friend, plus her mother – She Who Must Be Obeyed – thinks she should stick around and find out who the real killer is. So Lee, family, handsome hubby, and Tugger, the cat, are on the job. But Lee’s nose is itching. Which means not one of the suspects is telling the truth.

Or not all of it. Lee soon uncovers threatening letters, sullen playwrights, dead bodies, and a criminal web of jewel thieves, all treading the boards of her friend’s latest musical. This is showbiz?

Author Haven pulls out all the stops in a cozy fan’s delight about a charming, and unconventional Palo Alto detective family who get their man or woman, as the case may be. Book Seven follows its tradition of the Bay Area’s favorite PI, who rolls over with all four paw in the air when it comes to her darn near perfect mother. But with the help of her computer geek brother and handsome hubby, Lee works to solve the case in time to celebrate her own 6-month wedding anniversary.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Heather moved to the Bay Area and studied creative writing at Stanford University. Previously, several of her comedy acts and plays were performed in NYC. Her novels include the humorous Silicon Valley-based Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Manhattan-based Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries, Love Can Be Murder Novellas, Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Series and standalone mystery noir, Murder under the Big Top, based upon her mother’s stint as a performer with Ringling Brothers’ Circus. There is also her anthology, Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories. Her favorite protagonist is in Corliss, one of the featured short stories, but don’t tell anyone!

 

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Synopsis

 

Beck O’Rourke and her grandmother own Beach Reads bookstore and coffee shop, a gathering place for locals and tourists, a block off the ocean in Manatee Beach, Florida.

They live above the bookstore with Beck’s feisty younger sister, Lizzie, a lifeguard. Beck is excited to host the country’s bestselling cozy mystery writer for a book signing event until a member of the audience turns up dead later that night.

Afterward, Beck decides to pursue her lifelong dream of being a detective to try to catch the killer. The amateur sleuth finds several suspects, but the murderer isn’t happy about her interference.

Neither is the town’s handsome new police detective who has a history with Beck.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This may be the start of a new series, but if you have read Somebody in the Neighborhood you will recognize the town and some of the characters including Scratchoff and Dorothy.

This new series features Beck and her grandmother Alice that run a bookstore and cafe in Manatee Beach Florida. Beck has always wanted to be a detective and now she is getting her chance to investigate (on the side) a murder that happened close to their bookstore and was someone they had met.

I enjoyed this cast of characters and I think this will make a wonderful series in this sleepy town in Florida.  I foresee a possible romance between Beck and Devon, who is a new detective to the force and someone she knew from college despite the fact that he wants her to stay out of the investigation so she doesn’t get hurt.

The list of possibilities for who the murder might be isn’t too long.  There are many that could potentially have a good motive and I wasn’t sure who was the most likely candidate.  Let’s just say this person was on my list but I couldn’t figure out why they would be the killer until it was revealed in the end.  There are a few clues that might point you in this character’s direction, but not many.  You will have to piece together the different clues to get you there.

And for you dog lovers, there is a Great Dane named Coquina (which is the name of a very small shell) and Dorothy’s poodle, Fifi, that we see on a couple of occasions.

Overall a fantastic start to a new series and we give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Judy Moore is the author of the popular thriller, “The Mother-in-Law,” as well as three mystery novels: “Somebody in the Neighborhood,” “Murder in Vail,” and “Murder at the Country Club.” She has also written numerous novellas, including the Christmas anthology “Christmas Interrupted,” which contains three novellas: “Airport Christmas,” “The Holiday House Sitter,” and “The Hitchhiker on Christmas Eve.” She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine feature writer, and publications editor for several years. A former tennis pro, Ms. Moore’s writing background also includes sports writing, and athletes from various sports are sprinkled throughout some of her novels. A lifelong resident of Florida, she currently resides in Vero Beach.

 

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A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020)
Hardcover: 288 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In Dianne Freeman’s charming Victorian-era mystery series, Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, finds her sister’s wedding threatened by a vow of vengeance.

 

London is known for its bustle and intrigues, but the sedate English countryside can host—or hide—any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s imminent wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice, and soon Frances, her beloved George, and other guests have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits—shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.

But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George—a man who loves her for much more than her dowry—she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.

As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll. . . .

 

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About the Author

 

 

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award finalist, as well as a nominee for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona.

 

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Calling for the Money (A Holly Price Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Publisher: Red Mountain Publishing (June 25, 2020)
Number of Pages ~280

 

Synopsis

 

 

Holly Price has it all—or does she?

Holly finally has the dream job at the top of her field, the money and prestige she’s worked so hard to attain. But when a friend disappears while Holly is working a make-or-break career assignment, she’s drawn into another criminal investigation. A ruthless con ring will stop at nothing to extort its victims and her friends are directly in their cross-hairs.

While she’s searching for her missing friend, behind the scenes she’s wrestling with a backstabbing boss, a hurtful family situation, and the devastating worry she’s made a massive life choices mistake. When the gangsters target Holly, however, facing certain death has a way of making her reevaluate her life.

Now Holly must confront her painful past in order to redefine her future…and hope she lives long enough to see it.

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

Setting the Stage

 

“The world only exists in your eyes, your conception of it. You can make it as big or as small as you want to.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

I’ll never forget a New York publisher telling me eastern Washington state was an exotic location. Either she didn’t get out much or her definition of “exotic” meant a place no one has visited. Her comment did make me think about the setting for a novel, however, and how that location choice impacts the story.

Setting is as much a component of the story as the plot and characters. Not only is it the background, the physical place where the action occurs, but it also includes the social environment with its history, nuances and norms. Think about how deeply intertwined William Kent Kreuger’s stories are with northern Minnesota, Jonathan King’s ventures can only occur in the Florida Everglades, and how Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch investigations are inseparable from LA. The setting is so connected to the story, it becomes a character as well.

The internet has opened access to the physical appearance of pretty much any location. There are newspaper articles, Nat Geo, Google Earth, and YouTube, and whatever else is relevant to your plot and character. But there’s nothing like actually visiting (or living in) a particular place.

In the first book in the Holly Price series, (So About the Money) Holly moved back to Richland, her hometown, in eastern Washington. Years earlier, she’d bolted out of the area, headed to Seattle for college and a high-flying career. She’d seen Richland as too conservative, too restrictive. Returning as an adult to help her mother, she still chafed over some of those same perceptions, but she can now see positives in the close-knit community.

 

 

Drawing verbal pictures of the area was easy since I was so familiar with the three river-side cities (Richland, Kennewick and Pasco are known as the Tri-Cities) and the surrounding wide-open spaces. I knew the 90-mile view across the rivers from the Nature Preserve to the Blue Mountains and the beautiful desolation of the Snake River. Mom and Pop stores along Richland’s main drag? Yep, place really does reek of the 50s. Cell phone dropping during an emergency call to Detective JC Dimitrak? I knew exactly where that was going to happen along the Kahlotus Highway.

An element like that wouldn’t work in a larger city and dying cell phone batteries have become their own cliché.

With Calling for the Money, I moved Holly out of both Richland and Seattle. Holly’s business trip to California allowed me to reasonably bring Holly’s father back into the picture. After the family conflict simmered in the background of several books, it was the right time to confront that particular problem head-on. Moving her father and Seraphina Vincent, his new honey, from a Sedona sweat lodge to tony Coronado Island slammed a lot of issues into focus.

 

 

Venice Beach was a deliberate location decision. I was able to take advantage of day-job business trips to the area to describe the current influx of businesses and restaurants into what has been frankly considered a seedy area. (Of course, others saw it as fun and funky, if a little over the top.) Over the years, I saw both the changes to Venice Beach and the push back from the locals. (Yes, my client might’ve been one of those intruding tech companies.)

 

 

The location change from Washington to California served to isolate Holly from her Seattle-based work team at Falcon as well as her mother and friends back in Richland. That isolation played directly into decisions Holly needed to make about her future. It made Holly’s initial interactions with Max Vincent not only fun to write but simply possible. United by their mutual irritation with their parents, it drew Holly to both Max and his friends and ultimately to her involvement in yet another mystery.

Wherever an author takes her readers, the setting enhances the story and thus the reader’s experience. And hey, you might visit all sorts of “exotic” locations along the way.

 

About the Author

 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories. When not writing, she does battle with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs, and the resident deer herd.

 

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Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Running an independent bookstore in small-town Hazel Rock, Texas, doesn’t sound like a high-risk pursuit. But when a fundraiser reveals a story with a truly killer ending, Charli Rae Warren will need to scramble to sort out the deadly plot…

Sponsoring the literacy drive to benefit the foster care system should be a feel-good endeavor, but one of Charli’s helpers is definitely on another page. Charli’s dad is distracted and keeping something secret, which Charli suspects is a harmless flirtation with an attractive county clerk who offered to lend them a hand. It’s nothing to worry about—until the same clerk winds up dead…

When nosy locals begin pointing fingers, Charli finds herself entangled in a race to uncover the killer’s identity—and to get to the bottom of a shattering family secret that could rewrite her history in alarming ways. Suddenly Charli is facing her worst fears and her childhood nemesis in order to unmask a murderer—before he silences her for good…

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This is a fantastic series and I always love going back to Hazel Rock since it is set somewhere close to where I live in Texas. The characters deal with issues that may seem familiar to many. And we can’t forget unearthing the killer!

This book is a little different from a normal cozy because family secrets are being revealed and while I don’t want to spoil anything, it is relevant to what is going on in our world right now. I can understand how Charli aka Princess feels about what she discovers.

Solving the mystery of who killed Ava and attempted to kill others was harder to figure out The cast of characters isn’t large and when the killer was revealed it shouldn’t have too big of a surprise, but the why wasn’t anything a reader could have guessed.

This series has taken an interesting turn and I can’t wait to see what happens next.  We give this 5 paws up

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Three career paths resonated for Kym during her early childhood: a detective, an investigative reporter, and…a nun. Being a nun, however, dropped by the wayside when she became aware of boys—they were the spice of life she couldn’t deny.

In high school her path was forged when she took her first job at a dry cleaners and met every cop in town, especially the lone female police officer in patrol. From that point on there was no stopping Kym’s pursuit of a career in law enforcement—even if she had to duct tape rolls of coins to her waist to meet the weight requirements to be hired.

Kym followed her dream and became a detective that fulfilled her desire to be an investigative reporter, with one extra perk—a badge. Promoted to sergeant Kym spent the majority of her career in SVU. She retired from the job reluctantly when her husband drug her kicking and screaming to another state, but writing continued to call her name, at least in her head.

 

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