Synopsis

 

It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a book called The Great Cake Rivalry, because, well … cake! They read the back cover, and it’s unanimous. So off they go into another grand adventure into a town aptly named Frosting.

Frosting is a rural town in an idyllic setting. The people live quiet lives most of the year. But in the spring, things change. The Annual Cake Competition becomes the focus of every man, woman, and child. They take this competition seriously. The cakes are spectacular. The festival is fabulous. For a week, there are contests featuring all kinds of cakes. The people of the community become official tasters and vote for the winning cakes in each category.

The grand finale is a display of finely decorated cakes made by the town’s bakeries. The winner of the best design receives a prize package that would make any baker dizzy.

Sadly, this event has been tainted. Once a year, each one different, but all somehow related to this event, a person is murdered. The main investigator is stumped, but that could be because he’s an inept buffoon.

Can the book club help the people of this community figure out who is causing this disturbing pattern of deaths, and stop another murder from happening? Can they figure out why some of the citizens dress so oddly, and why they always wear those unique backpacks? All while they fill themselves to the brim with cake, of course.

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

I still love this concept, a book within a book, and this one does not disappoint. Paige, Glo, and the gang are picking their next book to dive into, literally. Their new pick is a modern-day setting with a paranormal aspect with the characters in the book since they can see Mollie (a ghost that is now part of the group from the previous book) and hear Frank, the cat.

The book they chose starts off differently because it is in the voice of the killer, but that doesn’t make their job any easier to uncover that person. There is a smaller set of characters that could be the culprit, but the clues really don’t start revealing themselves until near the end. I thought I had the mystery solved at the end, but I was wrong. I think my mouth dropped when they unmasked the killer because it wasn’t anyone on my radar.

There is a new discovery in the Inn they own and where the magical library is housed, a room that holds the books of all previous book clubs and their adventures. This book club has apparently gone on for centuries, and there might be a little more to Frank than we know after a drunken incident and his ramblings. Only future books will reveal those truths.

As with other books, a character can choose to stay in the book they are in, with the book club writing the ending that includes leaving that person behind. There is one character that finds their match, and who could blame them for wanting to stay behind? You’ll have to read the book to learn who it is.

I enjoy this series and look forward to the next book. We give this one 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Elizabeth Pantley says that writing the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic book series is the most fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the internationally 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 in the Pacific Northwest, the beautiful inspiration for the enchanted Destiny Falls world.

 

NoCrySolution​.com | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Instagram |  Website | Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

Wined and Died in New Orleans (A Vintage Cookbook)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Louisiana
Berkley (February 7, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

 

 

Synopsis

 

The second in a fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

 

It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum.

Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale.

When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it.

In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee.

 

 

 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo

 

 

Review

 

Everything is not as it seems; there are multiple surprise reveals that will keep you glued to the pages.

Having family from south Louisiana, I always love a book with that setting. This is the second in this series set in New Orleans and features a family that some might consider nobility in certain circles of N’awlins.

In the second installment of this series, cases of rare wine are discovered under Bon Vee, which sets off an influx of “family” that state that they have a claim on the proceeds. Greed has a way of bringing out the worst in people, especially family members. These characters keep Rickie, Eugenia, and the rest of the gang on their toes while they sort through the details.

I loved the book from start to finish. I find Rickie’s shop to be quite intriguing. I love to cook and have many cooking gadgets myself, but nothing antique, but I do love roaming through cooking stores and imagine that I could spend hours rummaging through Miss Vee’s store.

A new family addition is Olivia. She is Eugenia’s granddaughter and something of a typical Gen Z., but that also brings about a multitude of talents that Rickie can use, from posting tips to videos and images. While Olivia might seem a bit surly at times, I grew to love her character and hope we see her more in the future.

I had to chuckle at Carissa, who has the hots for Virgil (but I’m pretty sure he likes Rickie), and her antics. Never come between two people and their dogs! It will never end well for you.

I will not reveal any spoilers, but this is becoming a new favorite from this author. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.

We give this book 5 paws up!

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Bayou Book Thief will be the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. She also writes the Catering Hall Mystery series under the name Maria DiRico.

Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. An alum of New Orleans’ Tulane University, she blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America, and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster.

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Instagram * Bookbub

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A mysterious package.

A new school.

A chance to be someone new.

A new virtual reality school where students get a fresh start.

The pandemic was rough on everyone, especially since school went from being a fun place where you could hang out with your friends to a bunch of heads in small rectangles all trying to talk at once. For Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko, that’s about to change.

A mysterious box arrives at each of their houses, and they’re invited to attend a virtual school. More than just being online, they’ll be able to create an avatar of themselves and interact with their friends and other classmates in real time using VR headsets.

For each of them, that presents an opportunity to become someone they’re not, or someone they haven’t been. For Bradley, it’s a chance to come out of a self-imposed shell. Edelle hopes everyone will see her for who she really is, not just for how she looks. Hunter is looking forward to pretending he’s still the person he was last year. Jasper wants to get over past assumptions. And for Keiko, it’ll allow her to disappear into the crowd.

For all of them, it’s a chance to see just how much they’ve assumed about each other in the past and maybe an opportunity to become friends.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * BAM * Deseret Books * Bookshop * IndieBound * Walmart

 

 

Praise

 

“Amid a pandemic…Students attend classes via virtual reality and interact with one another by creating avatars…or disguises. When a gaming tournament forces [a] trio to work together they make surprising discoveries about themselves and each other. The protagonists’ evolving views of friendship and self-acceptance will resonate with readers who struggle to be-or to find-themselves. Warmly supportive parents are a welcome bonus. A timely, feel-good tale of learning to accept oneself and others.” —Kirkus

 

“Engaging novel…three adolescents attend an experimental virtual junior high school. The program has fascinating aspects, like team video game tournaments and replicated classrooms and gymnasiums. Concepts of individuality and peer perceptions are handled with humor and compassion. Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter evolve through their virtual interactions, learning emotional and social lessons that resonate in real life. Beyond its wondrous simulations, at the heartfelt core of Virtually Me is the awkward, funny, and incomparable essence of being truly human.” —Foreword Reviews

 

 

Review

 

I love when middle-grade books share a life lesson but aren’t overt about it.

This book focuses on three teens – Hunter, Bradley, and Edelle. It is the height of the pandemic, and they are attending a virtual school. While other issues brought them to the virtual school besides the pandemic, it was a chance for them to start over again. It takes time for them to learn the lessons they are meant to learn, but I enjoyed watching them grow and appreciate life in a whole new way.

These three attended school together before the virtual school, but not all knew who the other was. Part of it is due to the names they gave themself in the virtual school; it was also how their avatar was displayed. Edelle’s mom would not approve of an avatar that wasn’t “plain” since she wanted Edelle to learn that life is more than how you look. Bradley loves K-Pop and went wild with pink hair and some cool dance moves. Hunter was the only one that didn’t try to hide who he was via his avatar. However, because everyone knew who he was and how he acted outside of the virtual school, that had some repercussions for him down the road.

Jasper is a somewhat main character, but none of the chapters are from his point of view. However, he is integral in forming cohesiveness between friends and is just friendly to everyone. We learn more towards the end about Jasper, which is part of what brings everyone together.

This book addresses themes such as bullying, selfishness, image, and self-awareness. Each of the characters, even outside of the main three, contributes to a well-told story that anyone who reads it will walk away with some new perspectives.

We give this book 5 paws up! Wonderful read for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

CHAD MORRIS loves the VR set he got for Christmas and is much better at it than he is at video games, but that’s still not saying much. Still, he would love to try to keep his balance on Skatecoaster, laugh like crazy in The Furriest, and punch light blasts at alien bugs in Infestation ExtermiNation. He occasionally dances in public, and he’s pretty terrible at social media.

SHELLY BROWN went to junior high in a regular ol’ building (boring) and has never transformed into a round fuzzy animal. But she has been listening to K-pop since before BTS’s first album and feels a deep affection for well-made falafel pitas. She’s an aunt to some incredible young people, a substitute teacher, and a wannabe Kyoshi warrior.

As a married couple, Chad and Shelly both love writing books and hanging out with each other and their five kids. They’re grateful they get to spend time with students in assemblies across the nation talking about topics from kindness to writing.

 

Chad’s Website * Chad’s Twitter * Shelly’s Website * Shelly’s Twitter

 

 

Synopsis

 

Someone is operating the largest stock market insider trading scheme in the history of the United States. The perpetrator of the scheme has hidden their identity through elusive actions. However, the perpetrator may not have planned on a brilliant FBI forensic accountant, Dr. Kimberly King, leading the investigation to uncover their identity and to put them out of business and into jail.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

 

 

Review

 

I loved this book! It helps that I used to work in the securities industry and understood a lot of what was happening regarding the stock trades and the investigation into insider trading.

This book is told from several different viewpoints. We have Harley Ross, a busboy that is receiving letters with stock picks, an unknown person collecting checks and flying to the Caymans, and the FBI perspective. I really enjoyed the various perspectives because they added depth to the story and added complexity when sorting out the details in my mind and trying to uncover the mystery person. I will say that the truth was never on my radar until closer to the very end.

Dr. Kimberly King, the new employee in the fraud division of the FBI, is a smart woman and loves digging into mysteries, much like her hero, Nancy Drew. I could relate to her love for mysteries and solving puzzles. She is also a very likable character and is able to make friends wherever she goes. Considering her background, she is very down-to-earth and approachable. I’d like to think that we would be friends and bond over mysteries, forensic accounting, and consignment shops.

I don’t know if this will be a series, but I think it would be fun to follow K.K. during her journey with the FBI and the different fraud cases that they investigate.

I will admit that I might have stayed up just a little too late finishing this book. But it was worth it for the journey!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Peter Davidson is the author or co-author of thirty-one books published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Perigee/Putnam Publishers, Haworth Press, Sweet Memories Publishing, and Northwestern Publishing.  His works include fiction, nonfiction, college textbooks, and children’s picture books.

For more than two decades, Davidson was one of America’s most active writer’s seminar presenters, having presented 637 one-day seminars in a 15-state area from Minnesota to Tennessee and Colorado to Illinois.  Davidson has owned small businesses, including a professional recording studio, has sold real estate, and taught business courses in a community college.  Whatever else was going on in his life, Davidson kept on writing.

 

 Twitter * LinkedIn * Goodreads

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

The coming-of-age story follows Gwyn Madison, the summer after her high school graduation, as she grapples with her fast-approaching future. She’ll have to face more than she bargained for with her Aunt Delia, the family matriarch, who holds the purse strings and the final word. In the meantime, Gwyn stumbles upon a tightly held family secret. Could a mysterious letter provide Gwyn the leverage she desires? Will it only bring more family division? Or, maybe, the past was never meant to stay buried after all. Whispering Through Water navigates family dynamics, young love, and female autonomy with a little 1990s nostalgia.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Review

 

I enjoyed this book and the journey back to the 1990s when we weren’t tied to cell phones or computers.

“I wanted nothing more than for Aunt Delia to understand that my choice to leave was not a rejection of my family. She tried to protect me from acting on the same fierce independence that I admired in her. My aunt, the one person I was terrified to confront, was the one who I most wanted to hear me.”

Gwyn is a senior in high school, living in a small town with her mother, aunt, and uncle. She has not had a carefree childhood, but it wasn’t bad. Then one day, she stumbles across a letter to her aunt that references someone getting married. This piques her interest, and she sets off on a quest to figure out who this person is and why someone is telling her aunt. There are a lot of secrets that will be revealed, and not just ones about her aunt. Turns out several people have not shared their whole story.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic. Not that it was perfect, but you could see the love they had for each other despite her Aunt Delia’s rules. Gwyn is mature for her age, and I appreciated how much she wanted to follow her dream of attending an art school and not abandoning it when the rug is pulled out from under her regarding funding. I also enjoyed watching her fall in love with an unlikely guy, one that she met trying to uncover the mystery of her aunt. His family was so welcoming and treated her like she was part of the family. Maybe they were psychic!

I found this book very engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down. This coming-of-age story might resonate with many readers. It is also a mystery and a love story too. It has a little bit of everything for everyone.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler was raised in West Point, a small town in the Tidewater region of Virginia. From the moment she submitted her first short story to a young author’s contest in second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to be a writer. Her love of writing led her to earn a BA in English and an MEd in English education. She spent several years as a high school teacher, during which she also developed a passion for mental health advocacy. Rebecca completed an MA in professional counseling and now works in the school-based mental health field and as a college adjunct psychology instructor. Rebecca also teaches yoga for the young and the young at heart, and she likes to infuse yoga and breathwork in her counseling practice wherever she can.

She believes the most valuable use of her time is teaching youth how to love and care for each other and the world around them. Her stories share her focus on positive relationships and a love of nature. Rebecca now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and two spoiled Siamese cats.

Whispering Through Water is her first YA novel and second book. Her picture book When Daddy Shows Me the Sky was released November 2021.

 

Website * Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Austen Keller was living her dream. She landed a career-defining job which moved her and her husband to Paris. <Swoon!> Shortly thereafter, she was divorced. This wasn’t the plan. Yet there she was—pushing 40 and starting over.

A decade after she’d last been single, Austen enters the dating scene playing by a new set of rules in a different language, culture, and lingerie standards. She experiences every type of miserable first date imaginable and lives to tell the tales of Pierre the Mansplainer, Simon the Snoozer, Emile the Over-Sharer, Guillaume of the Gym Shorts, and many more. On most dates, she struggles to get past one glass of Bordeaux without wanting to bolt. Even worse, no one chases after her when she runs. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that whoever said French men were romantic deserves a swift kick in the pants.

A rewarding and high-powered career.

Fabulous female friendships.

True love. <Umm?>

Austen continues to ask herself: Is “having it all” too much to ask?

A genuine and tragically hilarious novel about an ex-pat woman’s journey of self-discovery through a string of disastrous dates, relationships forged in a deep cultural divide, world travels, and wine. A lot of wine.

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

Review

 

I have to start off by saying I LOVE the title of this book! That is a question I ask often…it could make or break going to an event!

Austen is my kind of gal, and I think we would be good friends. She is strong, confident, and knows what she wants from life. Well, most of the time. She seems to be chasing love or an idea of what love should be like. This is a detriment in a way because she looks at things unrealistically, but it makes for good fodder when telling dating stories, which we are privy to via her blog stories. Men are the same no matter what country you are in; you will have some winners and some losers.

There is a lot of flirting, witty repartee, interesting travels, and soul searching. I enjoyed the various locations and the interesting characters. I liked how there was a close-knit group that spans the globe. I was jealous that they could drop and take a trip at almost the drop of a hat. But that is the difference between European and American outlooks when it comes to vacation.

This was a fairly quick read for me, and I look forward to future adventures from this author.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Whitney Cubbison is an American living in Paris since 2009. She grew up in Texas and California and graduated from UCLA with a degree in French. She started her career in Communications working for high-tech PR agencies in San Francisco and eventually joined Microsoft, where she worked for sixteen years, thirteen of which from the Paris office. During that time, she held various international roles that encompassed public relations, employee communications, executive speechwriting, and social media.

She left Microsoft in July 2022 to focus on completing her first novel, Will There Be Wine? The story, while fiction, is deeply inspired by Whitney’s own experiences as an ex-pat divorcée living in Paris and trying to navigate the cultural minefield of dating in a foreign country.

DatingDisasters.Paris is the URL of a “dates-gone-wrong” blog written by the book’s main character, Austen Keller, and also happens to be Whitney’s author website.

When she’s not writing, Whitney can be found sitting in Parisian cafés and restaurants with her friends, drinking wine.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram

 

 

Synopsis

 

Can a wrong be rectified in death?

Eight months ago, Simone experienced her first spectral encounter. It awakened a dormant second sight and opened a chasm to the afterlife. Now, another spirit from 1917 New Orleans has wandered through that passage, haunting her with an intoxicating jasmine fragrance and wicked antics.

To escape this mysterious ghost, Simone jumps at a seven-day complimentary Mardi Gras hotel package, unaware there might be an ancestral power behind her decision, an identity she grapples with. Is the ghost’s name Bleu?

She’s a lady of the night who lived a dangerous life in the infamous Storyville. A place lined with mansion-like brothels on the edge of the French Quarter run by unscrupulous madams and frequented by dangerous criminals. WWI is on the horizon, jazz music is burgeoning, and Bleu’s life unravels.

Visions of her past and horrific death beset Simone as she explores present-day New Orleans with her three roommates.

But why are the images fragmented? Has Bleu forgotten what happened the stormy night she died? Can Simone uncover Bleu’s murderer and reunite her with her loved ones before it’s too late?

 

 

Amazon * Other Retailers

 

 

Review

 

Possessions, ghosts, spirits, and a 103 year old mystery bring together a cast of characters that will intrigue and possibly horrify you.

This is the second in the Simone Doucet series. Simone has Creole blood and discovered in the first book that she could communicate with her ancestors and uncover the mystery of why they perished. While the first book was tame, this one is a bit more dangerous because it isn’t just Simone’s body that the ghosts inhabit, they take over several of her friend’s bodies, and it creates quite an incident.

In the first book, we get the full story of her ancestor, but in this novel, it is told in bits and pieces until near the end. I’m not sure which way I prefer, but I know that the little dribs and drabs sprinkled throughout the first half of the book only piqued my interest in who was trying to communicate with Simone and why. I did find it interesting that the ghosts were able to track her to New York, where she lived, and were not bound to the area where they died. But this is what brings her to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, well, partially, anyway.

Outside of trying to decipher what the ghosts are trying to tell her, Simone is connecting with other family members that she never knew about before. She is connecting with them in an unusual way, but it brings an added dimension to the story. We all have skeletons in our closets; we just may not know about all of them. But Bleu wants her help in solving her murder and reconnecting her with those that were important to her 103 years ago.

I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the ghosts. I am not sure why Simone tried to keep it a secret from her roommates, but they figured it out pretty quickly. This was actually a good thing because they could watch out for her and make sure she was ok if a ghost inhabited her body.

There is even a little romance in this book between Simone and her roommate Mitchell. She keeps him at bay until she realizes that he can adapt to her gift.

This book is set in early 2020, and Covid is just beginning, so there are several references to the virus. I think that helps bring it closer to home in a way. It is something that is happening in the world and in the book.

If you like mysteries and paranormal facets, you just might enjoy this book. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later. As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

 

Website * Next Chapter Publishing * Facebook

 

Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

She escaped servitude for a worse fate. Now she wants everyone to know what happened.

Travel writer Simone Doucet is searching for a meaningful life, but she hasn’t found a purpose yet. But after she accepts an assignment that takes her to Magnolia Sunrise – a historical bed-and-breakfast on the bluffs of Natchez, Mississippi – strange events begin to take place.

Frightful images of a young slave girl, Delphine, haunt her nights. The first night at the B&B, Simone is transported to 1863 antebellum Natchez. Through spectral eyes, Simone sees Delphine’s history, the horrors she witnessed and was subjected to.

Delphine wants everyone to know what happened to her, and she won’t stop haunting Simone until she tells her story. But why has Delphine chosen Simone, and will this awakening bring new purpose to her life or open up more untold mysteries to be discovered?

 

 

Amazon * Other Retailers

 

 

Review

 

This is a twisty tail, set in the mid to late 1800s, brings in the horror of slavery and what they were forced to endure. But it is also a tale of hope that one woman’s story will not be forgotten.

While not a long story, it still packs a punch, and it reminded me of what slaves had to endure during that time. While we can’t change the past, we can learn from it and recognize that some were not kind to their slaves/servants, as depicted in this story.

I found myself engaged in this story as I watched Simone deal with some cryptic dreams, and by the end, all questions were answered. I loved the trip to Natchez, and the description of the area was beautiful and horrifying, especially when it came to the Devil’s Punchbowl area. So much death and destruction during the civil war. The story is told from Simone’s POV and also from Delphine’s, a slave girl from the past that sought a better life for herself and her family.

While most of the story is heavy with what Delphine goes through, there is hope at the end for better times.

I’m excited that this is a series, and I already have the second book queued up and ready to read.

If you are looking for a different point of view on the civil war, I suggest picking up this book. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later. As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

 

Website * Next Chapter Publishing * Facebook

Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

Moving is Murder: A Salem Falls B&B Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Middle Age is Murder Cozy Mysteries)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting –  Fictional town of Salem Falls
Independently Published (December 25, 2022)

 

Synopsis

 

A new hometown. A murdered aunt. Mysterious talking animals. Divorce just turned interesting.

Ellie Byrne’s pending divorce from her cheating husband threatens to leave her broke and homeless. But when she inherits a bed and breakfast in the unique town of Salem Falls, her prayers may be answered.

That is, until she finds out her aunt didn’t just die on the property, she was murdered. And shortly after Ellie arrives, she finds herself the target of threatening messages and hostile attitudes from almost everyone in town. And after someone chucks a rock through her window, she begins to fear for her life.

Can Ellie discover which one of them offed her aunt? Or will the bed and breakfast she’d hoped would provide a fresh start put her in the grave?

If you love middle-aged heroines, talking pets, and quirky small town settings, you’ll love book 1 in this charming paranormal women’s fiction cozy mystery series.

 

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

This new cozy series really pulled me in and kept me guessing until the end.

I really liked Ellie’s character. Part of it is probably her age, she is around 50, but the other part is that she realized that she needed a change from the disaster of her life and her soon to be ex-husband. She was lucky that an aunt remembered her and the good times they had when she was young and left her entire estate to Ellie. This came at an opportune time, but not everything is as they think. Aunt Susie was murdered, but they don’t know who, how, or why. Then, Ellie is threatened, and this makes her even more determined to figure out who is behind everything. And as it is with most cozies, she tends to put herself in harm’s way when trying to uncover the truth.

I loved the paranormal side of this book. While we don’t really how HOW it happened, Ellie is able to talk to Cleo and Lola, her new pets. Apparently, this was something they could do with her aunt as well. Perhaps it is an inherited trait? Cleo and Lola make the book very interesting with their personalities. Cleo is very bossy, which isn’t too surprising since she is a cat. Lola is laid back and likes to bark at everything, and I do mean everything.

I also liked Ellie’s friend, Mia, from her old town. Mia comes to town to help Ellie, but there is more to the story that we don’t find out until near the end of the book. I suspected the truth long before it was revealed.

The mystery was engaging. There are many suspects but only one killer. I never guessed who it was until right before it was revealed, and I mean right before…like sentences!

This is going to be a fun series in this small northeastern town. I can’t wait to visit again and see what the gang is up to.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Award-winning author Nellie H. Steele writes in as many genres as she reads.

Addicted to books since she could read, Nellie escaped to fictional worlds like the ones created by Carolyn Keene or Victoria Holt long before she decided to put pen to paper and create her own realities.

When she’s not spinning a cozy mystery tale, building a new realm in a contemporary fantasy, or writing another action-adventure car chase, you can find her shuffling through her Noah’s Ark of rescue animals or enjoying a hot cuppa (that’s tea for most Americans.)

 

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Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A device that can save a life is also one that can end it

 

Kadence, a new type of implanted defibrillator, misfires in a patient visiting University Hospital for a routine medical procedure—causing the heart rhythm problem it’s meant to correct. Dr. Kate Downey, an experienced anesthesiologist, resuscitates the patient, but she grows concerned for a loved one who recently received the same device—her beloved Great-Aunt Irm.

When a second device misfires, Kate turns to Nikki Yarborough, her friend and Aunt Irm’s cardiologist. Though Nikki helps protect Kate’s aunt, she is prevented from alerting other patients by the corporate greed of her department chairman. As the inventor of the device and part owner of MDI, the company he formed to commercialize it, he claims that the device misfires are due to a soon-to-be-corrected software bug. Kate learns his claim is false.

The misfires continue as Christian O’Donnell, a friend and lawyer, comes to town to facilitate the sale of MDI. Kate and Nikki are drawn into a race to find the source of the malfunctions, but threats to Nikki and a mysterious murder complicate their progress. Are the seemingly random shocks misfires, or are they attacks?

A jaw-dropping twist causes her to rethink everything she once thought she knew, but Kate will stop at nothing to protect her aunt and the other patients whose life-saving devices could turn on them at any moment.

 

 

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Review

 

This is the follow-up book to Fatal Intent featuring Kate Downey. While this book can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the first book to understand more about Kate’s background and the relationships between various characters.

I really enjoyed this story and the twists and turns that threw Kate and the others into turmoil. I was intrigued by the storyline and the AICD devices (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator ) that were causing issues and killing people. This is something you could imagine seeing in the headlines of the daily paper or on the news. While I am not a medical professional, I felt like the details were accurate to real life, and since the author is a physician, you would hope so!

The pace doesn’t stop in this book. There are times that it slows down, but otherwise, it is fast-moving and kept me on edge, but in a good way. I liked the interactions between Kate and Christian. Her aunt is a crack-up and wants to jump into solving the mystery with both feet. I have to say that Aunt Irm’s intuition seems to be spot on, but I won’t say in regards to what because that could spoil part of the story.

I started suspecting one major plot twist, but not until close to the end. Something just didn’t seem to add up, but I couldn’t put my finger on anything specific.

I hope that we see more in this series from the author. I remember thinking after I read the first book hoping there would be a second. It took a few years, but well worth the wait.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

“You aren’t gonna let me die this time, are ya, Doc?”

Oh boy.

So started my Wednesday, with about the worst line any anesthesiologist can hear from a patient in preoperative holding.

“This time?” the nurse said.

“Last time my heart decided to dance a little jig instead of pumpin’ my blood.”

Sitting close beside Mr. Abrams, his wife squeezed her eyes closed. “Abe, tell Dr. Downey the whole story.”

“I read about it in your chart last night,” I said. “Last time they tried to fix your hernia, your heart needed a jump start.” To the nurse I added, “V fib,” a chaotic heart rhythm that usually requires electrical shock to convert back to a normal rhythm. “It happened when they were putting you to sleep and they canceled the case.” Instead of a hernia operation, Mr. Abrams ended up with a very different procedure that day—placement of an automated internal cardioverter defibrillator, or AICD. A device implanted in his chest to detect and treat the problem should it recur.

“Your AICD hasn’t fired, right?” The device had been checked by cardiology the day before.

“Right. Rosie watches it like a hawk huntin’ a rodent.” He nodded to his wife, who slipped her phone under the book in her lap.

“I completely understand,” I said to her, nodding at the hidden phone. “My aunt has the same AICD, and I can’t stop checking the app either.” Maybe a downside of the novel AICD, the Kadence communicated through the patient’s phone to the cloud, where I could view status reports on my beloved Aunt Irm’s heart. “I don’t expect any problems this time, but we’re ready if your heart decides on another jig.”

“Dr. Downey, I need to ask a favor.” Mrs. Abrams didn’t look at me, or at anyone. She gripped her paperback as if it would fly open.

“Call me Kate.”

“Come on, Rosie, let the doc do her job,” Mr. Abrams said.

She ignored him. “Dr. Yarborough is his cardiologist. She said if he could keep his phone during the operation, she would be able to watch his AICD.”

I generally like to honor requests. This one required a caveat. “I’ll make a deal with you. We’ll keep the phone close for Dr. Yarborough as long as you promise not to watch the app.”

Her sparse gray eyebrows drew together.

“During surgery, there’s electrical noise that can confuse the AICD. I don’t know what it might report and I don’t want you frightened.” Sometimes we turn off AICDs during surgery, but this operation was far enough away from the device implanted near his left shoulder that the noise shouldn’t cause a problem. What she might see on the app, though, I couldn’t predict.

She nodded uncertainly.

Eric, the anesthesia resident assigned to work with me on the case, arrived with a small syringe of a sedative. “What do you think about some happy juice?”

“I think my wife needs it more than me,” Mr. Abrams said.

Her lipstick appeared to redden as her face paled.

“Unfortunately, it goes in the IV,” Eric said with a kind smile for her. “We’ll take good care of him.”

“You’ll watch his blood sugar,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Eric unlocked the bed.

“And be careful with his AICD.”

“We will.” He unhooked the IV bag from the ceiling-mounted pole and attached it to one on the stretcher.

Tears dampened her eyes as Mrs. Abrams stood and leaned down to kiss her husband’s cheek.

“I’m gonna be fine, Rosie. Don’t you worry. I’ll be huntin’ by the weekend, and we can try out that new squirrel recipe before our anniversary.”

“We are not serving squirrel stew for our fiftieth anniversary,” she said.

Eric and I exchanged a smile.

“Oh now, you wait and see.” Mr. Abrams patted his wife’s hand.

“What’s squirrel taste like?” Eric pushed the bed from the wall.

“Tastes like chicken.” Mr. Abrams laughed loudly. “No, just kiddin’ with ya . . .” As they turned the corner, the voices faded. I stayed behind to reassure Mrs. Abrams.

“I can’t lose him.” Eyes squeezed shut, a sob escaped.

I wrapped an arm around her ample shoulders and waited. I knew that feeling; had lived that feeling; had lost.

“I’m sorry.” She dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

“No need to apologize. Last time scared you. Tell you what, once he’s asleep, I’ll give you a call and let you know it went fine.”

That calmed her. We walked together to the main doors, where I directed her to the waiting room. I turned the opposite direction to not let her husband of fifty years die during a hernia operation. No pressure there.

In the OR, we helped Mr. Abrams move to the operating table. After applying monitors and going through our safety checks, Eric held the clear plastic mask over his face and said, “Pick out a good dream.”

“Oh, I got one.” He winked at me. “I’ll try to behave this time, Doc.”

“I’d appreciate that.” I maintained eye contact and held his hand as I injected the drugs to put him off to sleep. Despite having induced anesthesia thousands of times, I always experience a tense few moments between the time the patient stops breathing and when the breathing tube is confirmed in the windpipe. During those couple of minutes, if we couldn’t breathe for him, there’s a real, if remote, chance the patient could die. Not a failure to save, but, in essence, a kill. Anesthesia is unique in that. We take people who are breathing fine, mess it up, then fix it, so the surgeon can correct the real problem.

When Mr. Abrams’ induction proceeded without incident, I felt an extra sense of relief and was happy to share that with his wife. The operation, too, went well, and an hour later, he awoke from anesthesia, gave a sleepy smile, and said, “How’d it go, Doc?”

“Fine. No more hernia. Are you in any pain?”

He shook his head. “Nope, you done good.”

 

 

About the Author

 

Tammy Euliano writes medical thrillers. She’s inspired by her day job as a physician, researcher and medical educator. She is a tenured professor at the University of Florida, where she’s been honored with numerous teaching awards, nearly 100,000 views of her YouTube teaching videos, and was featured in a calendar of women inventors (copies available wherever you buy your out-of-date calendars).

When she’s not writing or at the hospital, she enjoys traveling with her family, playing sports, cheering on the Gators, and entertaining her two wonderful dogs.

 

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