MAGNOLIA BLUFF
CRIME CHRONICLES
Seasons 1 & 2
by
The Underground Authors
Scroll down for a giveaway!
Each stand-alone book in this multi-author crime novel series is set in the fictitious, beautiful little Texas Hill Country town of Magnolia Bluff. Each author writes in their preferred sub-genre to allow readers to experience humor, dark dilemmas, suspense, romance, thrills, and spills — told through good storytelling that will keep readers awake past their bedtime, trying to find out whodunit.
Season three of The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles begins in January 2024. Stay tuned.
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JJ and Jo find the ideal spot to escape their busy work lives—Magnolia Bluff offers Flower Bed & Breakfast, a quaint country destination within the beautiful Texas Hill Country.
They pull up to the picturesque building only to discover a crowd of citizens anxiously awaiting a special podcast created by a group of local women to start. Flower B&B is the sponsor of today’s show in this multi-day series. The couple works through the human log jam. As they check in, they learn that a cyber-attack may prevent the show from airing.
JJ, a technology guru, is convinced by Jo to help the group meet their broadcast promise. While he’s working on the issue, Jo spots a girl in the crowd with fear in her eyes who flashes the international help sign. The teenager vanishes into the throng. Fearful young people signaling for help strikes too close to home for Jo.
Their romantic vacation becomes a journey from one crisis to the next as these vacationers help the evangelizing ladies even as risks multiply. Threats expand to include all the podcasters, the show location owners, and suspected missing teens.
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Meet JJ and Jo, a Brazilian super couple that has found their way to Magnolia Bluff. It is a good thing, too, because they have stumbled onto a mystery that leads to uncovering a human trafficker.
This series is unique. There are multiple authors writing this series, and they all use the town and characters. Each book adds an additional character and brings in new aspects of this tiny hamlet. The main location of this book is the Flower B&B, where JJ and Jo had planned to relax and unwind from their stressful lives, but hackers trying to bring down a local podcast called for JJ’s expertise as a cybersecurity specialist. Jo may be a supermodel, but she has experience as someone who was caught up in a trafficking situation, and not in a good way. However, that allows her to connect with the young women they rescue and create a bond with them.
I enjoyed the humor, tension from the neighbor (aka the trafficker), and watching JJ and Jo fall deeper in love with each other. The interactions with the townspeople are what I love to see in a small town. Caring, nosy, and welcoming to those who want to be a part of the community.
While there isn’t a murder to solve, there is danger that abounds thanks to these criminals in town. I really enjoyed watching the story unfold and good winning over evil.
We give the book 4 paws up.
JJ and Jo learn privacy doesn’t exist for them. They return to Magnolia Bluff to check on their friends and recapture the small-town anonymity. In Magnolia Bluff, no one suspects their fame.
They discount the status as urban legends in favor of acceptance and a quiet, peaceful life. After all, a supermodel needs time and space to recharge between jobs. A geek wants time to adore his wife.
- Does Magnolia Bluff hold the answers to their prayers?
- Will their desires get clouded by a hidden secret?
Past, present, and future collide in a perfect storm no one expected. JJ and Jo take action to uncover the truth. Chief Tommy Jager likes them, but he feels they’re a lightning rod for trouble and disruption.
Who will live or die to prevent the truth from being exposed? The answers may be in the graveyard with the fresh flowers on the gravestone.
Amazon
I picked up this book to read not long after I finished The Flower Enigma. This is a continuation of JJ and Jo’s life and foray into Magnolia Bluff, Texas. This is a year or so later, and JJ and Jo are celebrating their one year anniversary. They decided to revisit Magnolia Bluff and Flower B&B. A lot has happened in this town, and the young women they rescued in the previous book are now living happier lives.
JJ and Jo have decided they want to purchase a vacation home in this little town. I can’t blame them; I want to live in this town too. However, purchasing the property can be a little bit tricky. Plus, there are signs of tampering. Why? What secrets does this property hold?
I feel bad that JJ and Jo never get to have a relaxing vacation when they visit Magnolia Bluff. They are thrust into helping to solve crimes. They do have some great sleuthing skills and are able to uncover information to assist the police in solving a few mysteries. Jo turns out to have a wicked backhand when handling a skillet. There are several scenes that made me laugh tied to that skillet.
While I had my suspicions about a character or two, I wasn’t sure why. There was just something off. Once all was revealed, it made a lot of sense.
I enjoyed all of the descriptions of the town and surrounding area. The descriptions were on point, and I could envision the scene in my mind. If it doesn’t make you want to travel to the Hill Country, I don’t know what will.
This story is full of rich characters, humor, and suspense. A nice addition to the Magnolia Bluff Chronicles series.
We give this book 4 paws up.
Charles Breakfield is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He also enjoys wine tastings, wine-making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.
Rox Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments for customers worldwide with a focus on optimized customer experiences. She writes white papers and documents with a marked preference for fiction.
Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today.
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THREE WINNERS:
1st: $25 Amazon gift card
2nd & 3rd:Â eBook bundles of first 18 books in the series
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/8/23)
Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page
For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,
or visit the blogs directly:
| 11/27/23 | Boys’ Mom Reads | 10 Million Ways to Die | Review |
| 11/27/23 | Reading by Moonlight | Death Wears a Crimson Hat | Review |
| 11/27/23 | Hall Ways | Series Spotlight | |
| 11/28/23 | The Plain-Spoken Pen | Death in the Absence of Rain | Review |
| 11/28/23 | StoreyBook Reviews | Eulogy in Black and White | Review |
| 11/28/23 | LSBBT Blog | Series Spotlight | |
| 11/29/23 | Forgotten Winds | The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy | Review |
| 11/29/23 | Carpe Diem Chronicles | Only the Good Die Young | Spotlight |
| 11/29/23 | It’s Not All Gravy | When Bad Things Happen to Good Mice | Review |
| 11/30/23 | Rox Burkey Blog | You Won’t Know How. . .or When | Review |
| 12/01/23 | StoreyBook Reviews | The Flower Enigma | Review |
| 12/01/23 | Writing and Music | The Killer Enigma | Review |
| 12/02/23 | Reading by Moonlight | Men Lying Dead in a Field | Spotlight |
| 12/02/23 | The Clueless Gent | The Shine from a Girl in the Lake | Review |
| 12/03/23 | Jennie Reads | The Dewey Decimal Dilemma | Review |
| 12/03/23 | Forgotten Winds | The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma | Review |
| 12/04/23 | Chapter Break Blog | Justice | Spotlight |
| 12/04/23 | The Plain-Spoken Pen | Bye Baby Bye | Review |
| 12/05/23 | Shelf Life Blog | Texas Summers are Murder | Sneak Peek |
| 12/05/23 | The Book’s Delight | Born and Bred Texan | Review |
| 12/06/23 | It’s Not All Gravy | Who Killed Lilly Paine? | Review |
| 12/07/23 | Hall Ways | Second Chances | Review |
| 12/08/23 | The Page Unbound | A Chance of a Ghost | Sneak Peek |
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[…] StoreyBook Reviews […]
Entertaining books and a great addition to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. And good reviews of these 2 books.
All, thanks for the insights and kind words. Enjoy the rest of the blog tour.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and feature the story on your blog. Appreciate your support
It happens that way. You take off from work for a vacation and right off something happens that turns the vacation into either more work or a horror story. This book uses that premise and the two protagonists, JJ and Jo soon find themselves up to their necks with the worse kind of criminals. The authors make this shift smoothly and logically. The result is an exciting and tension filled read with a good ending. But they didn’t get their “relaxing vacation.” But the reader gets a riveting read. I feel confident in recommending this book.
Great review! The Flower Enigma brings us yet another side of Magnolia Bluff. Great characters, a solid story, intriguing mystery, and a blooming love story all make this a fantastic reading experience. I love how Breakfield and Burkey mix high tech elements with a small southern town vibe. Great job!
Storybook, thanks for hosting our books on the blog tour and the kind review.
I have often said that Breakfield and Burkey are, in addition to being excellent writers, purveyors of ideas. These two “Enigma” books provide a vision of both the light and the dark of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Their main Characters are attractive, both in appearance and action. It is quite fun to place them amidst the various personalities and eccentricities of Magnolia Bluff. Highly recommended!
Nice reviews of the two books. I’m familiar with JJ and Jo from other Enigma books, but hadn’t seen them in Magnolia Bluff. Maybe I need to remedy that. 🙂
PLOT TWIST! No murder in a cozy mystery! How refreshing! Sounds like there’s lots of other goings-on to keep the reader engaged, including the arrival of a Brazilian super model in small-town Texas! Thanks for the review!
Great reviews! I’ve read both books and the authors are spot-on with their character development and scene-setting. The plot lines are hi-tech, which is unique. Love JJ and Jo. They’re well-off but down-to-earth. Can’t wait for their next story!