Rosepoint Publishing

Murder She Uncovered by Peg Cochran #BlogTour #BookReview

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder She Uncovered by Peg Cochran on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Murder She Uncovered

Book Details

Murder, She Uncovered (Murder, She Reported Series)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Alibi (May 28, 2019)
Print Length ~230 Pages
Digital ASIN: B07H1X2RT9

Book Blurb

An intrepid 1930s Manhattan socialite uncovers deadly secrets during an assignment to the Hamptons in this riveting historical cozy mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Westhampton, 1938. To the dismay of her well-to-do family, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is quickly establishing herself as a seasoned photographer over at the Daily Trumpet. Growing more confident in her decision to pursue a career, Elizabeth is thrilled when she and her reporter sidekick, Ralph Kaminsky, are sent to Long Island to cover the story of a young maid found dead in one of the glamourous summer homes in the devastating aftermath of the Great New England Hurricane—also known as the Long Island Express.

At first it’s assumed that the young woman was caught in the terrible storm, but when a suspicious wound is found on the side of her head, the police suspect murder. The maid’s death becomes even more tragic when it’s discovered she was pregnant, and with Elizabeth and Kaminsky at the scene of the crime, the Daily Trumpet scoops all the other papers in town.

The young woman’s boyfriend emerges as the likeliest suspect. But as Elizabeth follows the story, she begins to wonder whether someone in the household of the maid’s employers might be responsible—someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth about the baby’s paternity hidden. . . .

My Review

How fun is that? A historical cozy mystery! And you know what? I really enjoyed it! This is book 2 of the Murder, She Reported series, but I had no problem reading as a standalone as the characters come alive from page one eighty-one years ago–back in 1938–actually.

Elizabeth Adams is seeking some independence from her well-to-do Manhattan lifestyle and went to work for a local newspaper. When she had the chance, she immediately jumped into the realm of the journalist photographer for her seasoned reporter partner, Ralph Kaminsky. He’s become a great mentor and it’s been a learning curve but one she accepts with enthusiasm.

Following a hurricane on Long Island, she and her partner are sent to cover the mysterious death of a young maid of one of the resident’s wealthy homeowners. While there was certainly death and destruction due to the hurricane, the young woman exhibits a wound that would not have been caused by the deadly storm. Unfortunately, the young woman is also found to have been pregnant.

The character of Kaminsky does indeed sound right out of the 30s, chain smoker, and is sweating getting the next scoop to keep his job. Elizabeth (Biz) exhibits all the characteristics (though I wouldn’t know from experience) of the wealthy class who survived the Great Depression and is used to the finer things. It also means she’s a bit on the naive side, innocent to the world out there, and even worse–working in a male-dominated world. (HORRORS!) She is also learning to navigate the good-ole-boy network and is keen on making her mark. Of course, that just wasn’t done then–she should be reeling in a fiancé by now, planning parties, shopping for the latest fashions, and keeping to her station in life; not hob-nobbing with the rabble.

Being back in the 30s is an examination of our recent history, the mores then dividing class, and a country confronting issues never dreamed about ten years previous–trousers on a woman?? It’s a fun romp in the time and tide of the country when censorship was definitely more lax and women were just awakening to the opportunities that extended beyond the kitchen and babies. Elizabeth is a great character, still dodging her family and their judgment but discovering she is capable and can decide for herself whether or not the (wealthy) man groomed for her would be her choice (or not). And that was my only niggle–the comfort in her lifestyle, money, meals, and domestic help. It’s still too easy for her to slip back into that monied zone.

I was given this download by the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. This cozy is a different and thoroughly enjoyable experience and I’m looking forward to seeing more in this series. Recommended for those who read cozies, but would prefer one with a unique premise in a different time and culture.

Mystery writing lets Peg Cochran indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). As a kid, she read the entire set of children’s encyclopedias her parents gave her and has been known to read the dictionary. She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books’ stats on Amazon.

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan with her husband and Westhighland white terrier, Reg. She is the author of the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London), the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, the Cranberry Cove series, and the Farmer’s Daughter series.

Author Links:

Website – http://www.pegcochran.com/

Newsletter Sign Up – http://www.pegcochran.com/newsletter-signup.html

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pegcochran

Twitter – https://twitter.com/@pegcochran

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5352603.Peg_Cochran

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peg-cochran

Purchase Links:

Amazon B&N Kobo

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants:

May 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 28 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

May 29 – ❧Defining Ways❧ – SPOTLIGHT

May 29 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

May 29 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

May 30 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

May 30 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

May 31 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

May 31 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

June 1 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST

June 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

June 3 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

June 3 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 4 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

June 4 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 5 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

June 5 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 5 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ – SPOTLIGHT

June 6 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

June 6 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

June 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 8 – Kelly P’s Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 9 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

June 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!

Pysanky Promise by Cathy Witbeck #BookReview #readingroom

Five Stars

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Pysanky Promise: A Children’s picture book about pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) by Cathy Witbeck in the Reading Room at Sage’s Blog Tours.

Book Details:

Title: Pysanky Promise by Cathy Witbeck

Publisher: Calico Barn Books

Publication Date: November 15, 2018

Print Length: 34 pages

ISBN-10:1732262624
ISBN-13:978-1732262621
ASIN: B07KLWM3HX

Book Blurb:

When a young girl learns that her grandmother’s hands have grown too shaky to make pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), she learns the art herself, hoping to heal her grandmother’s heart. The book explains the method for making pysanky, as well as a bit about the history, symbolism, and tradition behind the craft.

My Review:

Aww, such a beautiful little book, geared for the Easter child in all of us sure to span all ages and cultures alike. This little book takes the art of creating Ukrainian Easter eggs and weaves it seamlessly into family tradition, history, and the construction process (and the process does take time).

“The world pysanky is related to the word ‘pysaty’, which means ‘to write.’ Pysanky are egg with a message written on them…People have been making pysanky for many years. Before Christianity, people believed the egg was a source of power…”

The designs are fabulous, but more than that–the designs, the borders, the colors all mean something and “each color has more than one meaning.”

White-purity — Yellow-kindness, happiness — Orange-strength, endurance — Green-spring, hope — Blue-sky, good health — Red-love, passion — Black-eternity

And some designs: Diamond-knowledge, Fish – a symbol of Christianity, Flower – beauty and wisdom, Star – beauty and perfection

I wish you could see these brilliant colors and breathtaking designs–and you can get a glimpse of the promise at the author’s website or find her book at most retail book outlets including Overdrive.

Sage's Blog Tours I’m thinking many of these design and color meanings are common to many more cultures and it was certainly fun to be reminded of their translations again. Thanks to Sage’s Reading Room for the opportunity to read and review this beautifully illustrated children’s book! Also recommended for anyone who enjoys learning new cultural ideas and their origins.

About The Author: Cathy Witbeck is an author/illustrator, a Ukrainian Easter egg instructor, a mom to five, wife to one, and a voracious reader of pretty much everything, especially picture books.

Raised on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada, she grew up surrounded by siblings, cows, and barn cats. Understandably, her website is http://www.calicobarnbooks.com.

Cathy was once asked by the American Egg Board to make a pysanka for The White House (yes, that White House) to represent the state of Utah for the Decorated Egg Event. Sadly, the event was canceled before she could attend the swanky reception that had been planned. A tragedy of epic proportions.

Cathy Witbeck es autora / ilustradora, instructora de huevos de Pascua de Ucrania, madre de cinco hijos, esposa de uno y voraz lectora de casi todo, especialmente de libros ilustrados.

Nacida en un rancho en el sur de Alberta, Canadá, creció rodeada de hermanos, vacas y gatos de granero. Comprensiblemente, su sitio web es http://www.calicobarnbooks.com.

Una vez, la American Egg Board le pidió a Cathy que hiciera un pysanka para que la Casa Blanca (sí, esa Casa Blanca) representara al estado de Utah para el Evento del huevo decorado. Lamentablemente, el evento se canceló antes de que ella pudiera asistir a la elegante recepción que se había planeado. Una tragedia de proporciones épicas.

Rosepoint Publishing – May Recap – #rosepointpub

Rosepoint Reviews-May Recap

NO! Just when I thought we’d seen the last of the white stuff, looking out my kitchen window this morning, I see fluffy little white balls landing on the roof next door and a check of my backyard saw equal measures of white decorating the green. Snow? (Not that it couldn’t happen!) But no…cotton blowing in the wind from the cottonwood trees that line the back road and surround the ponds which are prolific here in the rust belt. If not natural, the ponds are man-made. (All the better to hatch mosquitoes and while not Texas size, certainly hungry enough to really be a nuisance.) I think I’ve actually witnessed them licking the “Off” off! Like the over-priced tick medication bought from the vet to prevent ticks on the dog that still comes home with busy little black dots looking for a way through that heavy Bichon fur coat to find a permanent home (and some did).

Important to become a nose breather this time of year, as opening your mouth to take a nice deep breath may result in ingesting nature’s air balls. I mention this just so you understand how heroic my forthcoming flower, veggie, and fairy garden is. With all the rain we’ve had, the soil is so saturated it’s difficult to plant anything other than water lilies. Ah, well, life in NWI (northwest Indiana).

SO enough with the excuses, I did read and review some books and plugged several in I hadn’t previously scheduled. My woeful tally for the month of May–eight. (Goodreads link on the book covers. My review links below.)

Like Lions by Brian Panowich

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott

The Night Window by Dean Koontz

The Lost Road to Key West by Michael Reisig

The Going Back Portal by Connie Lacy

Decanted Truths by Melanie Forde

Impeccable Petunia by Katie Christine

The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger

My Goodreads Challenge is at 82/200–hoping by the end of June will represent half-way through the challenge. The Alphabet Challenge is stalled–same old letters (anyone have a V, X, Y, or Z they can recommend?) and the NetGalley Challenge is not quite halfway. Several of the above were author requests.

June promises to be an eclectic mix of genres that includes a children’s book from Sage’s Reading Room, cozy mystery and historical fiction book tours from Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, more author requests (and a short series) as well as independent choices from NetGalley. I’m always looking for recommendations for suspense-thrillers! (Especially with titles starting with the above noted V, X, Y, or Z letters!) Never a shortage of book choices through these links! AND, I’ve requested several audiobooks from my local library (waiting lists), 2019 releases, and will be looking for your suggestions there as well. I’m thinking if I can’t read while gardening, I can certainly listen!

Having problems with the WP format again! It has reverted to the old, old format, or the choice of block. I no longer see the link for the one I was using and this one is AWFUL. Being forced to upgrade–gotta be…

As always, please share with me your ideas for great reads and thank you so much for taking the time to note your likes and comments to my posts and reviews. They are SOOO appreciated!

The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger – a #BookReview

Title: The Star and the Shamrock

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction

ASIN: B07SFGLDJH

Print Length: 288 pages

Publication Date: May 28, 2019

Source: Direct Author Request

Title Link: The Star and the Shamrock

Book Blurb:

Ariella Bannon has no choice: she must put her precious children, Liesl and Erich, on that train or allow them to become prey for the Nazis.

Berlin 1939.

When her husband doesn’t come home one day, Ariella realises that the only way she can ensure her children’s safety is to avail of the Kindertransport, but can she bear to let them go?

A thousand miles away, Elizabeth Klein has closed herself off from the world. Losing her husband on the last day of the Great War, and her child months later, she cannot, will not, love again. It hurts too much.

But she is all Liesl and Erich Bannon have.

Thrown together in the wild countryside of Northern Ireland, Elizabeth and the Bannon children discover that life in the country is anything but tranquil. Danger and intrigue lurk everywhere, and some people are not what they seem.

My Review:

It is a testament to just how well the author spins a story as each has such charm, is independent, and brings to the forefront information you may never have been aware of that spans humanity with a direct impact.

In The Star and the Shamrock, we are privy to the story of Elizabeth Klein, living in London, who defied her Catholic mother to marry a Jewish man who was shortly killed in the Great War. With her grief, she also lost their child shortly thereafter. It is to the credit of a sympathetic nun that it was recommended she get her teaching credential. She never returned to the beautiful Irish countryside of Northern Ireland or to her mother or the home she grew up in.

Living in London with everyone facing yet another war, she receives a plea from a distant cousin’s wife in Europe, begging her to receive their two children. Ariella Bannon’s husband disappeared after coming to the aid of a Jewish woman and she realized will likely never come home. She is desperate to get her children to safety and successfully navigated the channels to get her children on the Kindertransport–but hopes a relative can receive them.

It is not long after they are safely delivered to her home in London that the city is being bombed, including her home and the school where she taught. Her mother had passed away the previous year, leaving her childhood home her own recourse and it is in Ballycregggan, County Down, where she opens her spacious and comfortable childhood home to Liesl and Erich Bannon. Elizabeth shortly realizes there is a “farm” where many other Jewish Kindertransport children have been sent and they have need of a teacher. It is there she meets many support characters, all of whom are well-fleshed and most sympathetic. She also meets Daniel Lieber, a mechanical engineer, also a Jewish refugee, taking on odd mechanical jobs at the school to help keep it running.

The well-plotted storyline takes on a number of issues, particularly describing a war-time existence, suspicion, love and support or distrust. Elizabeth is thrilled to be a “mother” and does an admirable job at the Farm, gradually learning that children are underestimated in their understanding of a situation. It’s a dark time in our history, but love trumps race or language barriers and there are times when people rally together for the good of all.

As always, Ms. Grainger plucks at your heartstrings with lovingly developed opposing characters, believable dialogue, and tension that pulls you toward what could be a tragic conclusion or the happy ever after. Still, this is war–and you never know.

I was allowed an advance reader copy by the author for a read and review and was absolutely delighted to be counted among those so privileged. How do people survive in these circumstances? The human spirit is amazing! Recommended for any who enjoy good literary fiction, historical fiction, and those behind the front line war scenes that should also be acknowledged for their heroics.

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS.

WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

Hello and thanks for taking time out to check out my page. If you’re wondering what you’re getting with my books then think of the late great Maeve Binchy but sometimes with a historical twist. I was born in Cork, Ireland in 1971 and I come from a large family of storytellers, so much so that we had to have ‘The Talking Spoon’, only the person holding the spoon could talk!

I have worked as a history lecturer at University, a teacher of English, History and Drama in secondary school, a playwright, and a tour guide of my beloved Ireland. I am married to the lovely Diarmuid and we have four children. We live in a 150 year old stone cottage in Mid-Cork with my family and the world’s smallest dog, a chi-chon called Scrappy-Do.

My experiences leading groups, mainly from the United States, led me to write my first novel, ‘The Tour’….The sequel to The Tour, called Safe at the Edge of the World, follows Conor O’Shea once again as he takes another motley crew on a tour of Ireland…The third Tour book in that series is called The Story of Grenville King and in it Conor gets an opportunity to renovate and run an old castle as a five star resort, but something isn’t quite right, and the castle has many secrets…The fourth Conor O’Shea book is called The Homecoming of Bubbles O’Leary and features a group of friends taking their friend Bubbles home to Ireland from New York, on last time.

My first World War 2 novel, ‘So Much Owed’ is a family saga based in Ireland following the Buckley family of Dunderrig House…The history of the period was my academic specialty so I’m delighted to be able to use it in a work of fiction. I released a second WW2 book, called ‘What Once Was True’ earlier this year and so far people seem to really like it.

Shadow of a Century, is set in New York in 2015 as well as in Dublin during the events of Easter Week 1916…The story features three very strong women, united through a battered old flag. Its essentially a love story, but with a bit of intrigue thrown in for good measure.

Under Heaven’s Shining Stars, was published in 2016 and is set in my home city of Cork.

My next book, What Once Was True, tells the story of a big old house in Co Waterford during WW2. Two families live there, the impoverished Keneficks who own it and the hard-working Murphys who work for them. Life has remained unchanged for centuries but when war comes, it means everything changes and people have to question what once was true. This book was selected by Bookbub readers as in the top 19 Historical Fiction books of 2018. The sequel to this, Return to Robinswood, continues the story.

Many of the people who have reviewed my books have said that you get to know the characters and really become attached to them, that’s wonderful for me to hear because that’s how I feel about them too. I grew up on Maeve Binchy and Deirdre Purcell and I aspired to being like them. If you buy one of my books I’m very grateful and I really hope you enjoy it. If you do, or even if you don’t, please take the time to post a review. Writing is a source of constant contentment to me and I am so fortunate to have the time and the inclination to do it, but to read a review written by a reader really does make my day. {Note: Bio truncated in the interest of space. See her full bio here.]

Preview – The Star and the Shamrock – by Jean Grainger

The USA Today Bestselling Irish author Jean Grainger is releasing her new book this week and you won’t want to miss it!

Book Blurb

Ariella Bannon has no choice: she must put her precious children, Liesl and Erich, on that train or allow them to become prey for the Nazis.

Berlin 1939.

When her husband doesn’t come home one day, Ariella realises that the only way she can ensure her children’s safety is to avail of the Kindertransport, but can she bear to let them go?

A thousand miles away, Elizabeth Klein has closed herself off from the world. Losing her husband on the last day of the Great War, and her child months later, she cannot, will not, love again. It hurts too much.

But she is all Liesl and Erich Bannon have.

Thrown together in the wild countryside of Northern Ireland, Elizabeth and the Bannon children discover that life in the country is anything but tranquil. Danger and intrigue lurk everywhere, and some people are not what they seem.

From the streets of wartime Berlin, to the bombed out city of Liverpool, and finally resting in the lush valleys of the Ards Penisula, The Star and The Shamrock from USA Today bestselling author Jean Grainger, is unputdownable.

Prologue

Belfast, 1938

The gloomy interior of the bar, with its dark wood booths and frosted glass, suited the meeting perfectly. Though there were a handful of other customers, it was impossible to see them clearly. Outside on Donegal Square, people went about their business, oblivious to the tall man who entered the pub just after lunchtime. Luckily, the barman was distracted with a drunk female customer and served him absentmindedly. He took his drink, sat at the back in a booth as arranged and waited. His contact was late. He checked his watch once more, deciding to give the person ten more minutes. After that, he’d have to assume something had gone wrong.
He had no idea who he was meeting; it was safer that way, everything on a need-to-know basis. He felt a frisson of excitement – it felt good to actually be doing something, and he was ideally placed to make this work. The idea was his and he was proud of it. That should make those in control sit up and take notice.
War was surely now inevitable, no matter what bit of paper old Chamberlain brought back from Munich. If the Brits believed the peace in our time that he promised was on the cards, they’d believe anything. He smiled.
He tried to focus on the newspaper he’d carried in with him, but his mind wandered into the realm of conjecture once more, as it had ever since he’d had the call. If Germany could be given whatever assistance they needed to subjugate Great Britain – and his position within the IRA meant they could offer that and more – then the Germans would have to make good on their promise. A United Ireland at last. It was all he wanted.
He checked his watch again. Five minutes more, that was all he would stay. It was too dangerous otherwise.
His eyes scanned the racing pages, unseeing. Then a ping as the pub door opened. Someone entered, got a drink and approached his seat. He didn’t look up until he heard the agreed-upon code phrase. He raised his eyes, and their gazes met.
He did a double take. Whatever or whomever he was expecting, it wasn’t this.

Stay tuned for my review and all the book details and links of The Star and the Shamrock!

Blog author

Impeccable Petunia by Katie Christine – a #BookReview

Title: Impeccable Petunia: Part II The Two Tails by Katie Christine

Genre: Fantasy, Animal Tales, Mothers and Children’s Fiction

ISBN-10:1719822859
ISBN-13:978-1719822855
ASIN:B07HFCL9RG

Print Length: 145 pages

Publication Date: September 8, 2018

Source: Direct Author Request

Title Link: Impeccable Petunia

Book Blurb:

As The Two Tails opens, the flock confronts a spiral of death and disappearance. Ensnared by a rapacious raccoon and desperate for a way out, Petunia, the backyard chicken, must throw herself at the mercy of the dark, open road with little more than gumption, a pair of useless wings, and a dubious companion as her guide.

My Review:

Let me begin by explaining that this is a two-part story with Impeccable Petunia: Part I, Claws, Paws, Feathers, and Jaws being novella size, part II more than double that. The request from the author and the blurb had me intrigued–the protagonist is a chicken??!–and it was illustrated. I really liked the covers and it didn’t sound like it was that long, perfect for me to fit in between some of the longer books I was scheduling. I had intended to skim through Part I so I’d be knowledgeable about Part II, but it didn’t happen and would probably have served up a better appreciation for Part II.

Petunia is not your average chicken for sure! Since I raised chickens (both Rhode Island Reds and Black Barred), I have an affinity for our feathered fowl. Huge difference between those two breeds, both serving the purpose of meat and (brown) eggs. Unfortunately, chickens have personalities and it’s all too easy to name them–i.e., Petunia. But I have no knowledge of Orpington’s, Arauncana’s, or Wyandottes, although they all appear to be easy-going backyard chickens. They do, however, need protection from predators.

In this installment, Petunia has apparently been taken inside the human’s house to recover from a predator assault where she’d just like to stay. The narrative introduces many support characters, including cats, a raccoon, and a dog. But it is Max the cat that Petunia determines she must rescue after he is taken away. While she is away, the pecking order disintegrates, and factions split. Samantha has long wanted to take control of the coop and she is pushing her agenda right up until the foxes (absent the cat) begin coming around to raid the coop.

The gossip, bickering, back-biting (tee hee), and rivalries push and pull until Winchester the raccoon makes a deal to help defend the chicken yard. Amazing how well-fleshed the persona of these individual chickens, let alone the sneaky, low-down agenda of the raccoon. The author did an amazing job of anthropomorphizing the characters so that even facial expressions, wing nuances, or tail flickers were easily pictured. The author obviously knows chickens and other domestic animals.

While I marveled at the imagination and creativity that went into the well-developed storyline, I was not able to really get into the pecking order squabble with the hens, the constant fear in which they lived, fighting to keep from being carried off in the jaws of a fox. The tale turns dark, sad, heavy. Petunia returns and the conclusion resolves most issues but remains a tension-filled setting. Petunia returns to tend her garden, Winchester to his prize–but not for long. There are illustrations, but viewed on my cell phone were small, dark, and difficult to see.

I received this ebook download from the author in return for a review and these are my honest opinions. I do not feel it is a children’s story with an almost noir feeling, more an adult tale and I’m sure there is an appropriate target for the book. Recommended for anthropomorphic fantasy-loving readers. You won’t believe the world of chickens!

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five of Five Stars

The Author: [Katie Christine] From a young age Katie’s parents instilled in her a love of animals and art. She has many fond childhood memories of long summer afternoons spent curled up in a quiet corner of the local library. She lives outside Seattle, Washington with her husband/illustrator, Jonathan Edward, their Super-Sheltie, Niles and cats, Frankenstein and Penelope.

Katie Christine holds degrees from UCLA and USC, enjoys the outdoors, gardening, reading, and discovering new music.

Decanted Truths by Melanie Forde – a #BookReview

5 Stars –

Title: Decanted Truths: An Irish-American Novel by Melanie Forde

Genre: Literary Fiction, British and Irish Literature

Publisher: D Street Books, a division of Mountain Lake Press

ISBN-10:1730785867
ISBN-13:978-1730785863

ASIN: B07K6VM2Q1

Print Length: 333 pages

Publication Date: November 8, 2018

Source: Direct Author Request

Title Link: Decanted Truths

Book Blurb:

For Irish immigrant families like the Harrigans and Gavagans, struggle has been the name of the game since they arrived in Boston in the nineteenth century. For twice-orphaned Leah Gavagan, who comes of age in the Depression, the struggle is compounded by bizarre visions that disrupt her daily life — and sometimes come true. She has difficulty fitting in with her surroundings: whether the lace-curtain Dorchester apartment overseen by her judgmental Aunt Margaret or the wild Manomet bluff shared with her no-nonsense Aunt Theo and brain-damaged Uncle Liam. A death in the family disrupts the tepid life path chosen for Leah and sets her on a journey of discovery. That journey goes back to the misadventures shaping the earlier generation, eager to prove its hard-won American credentials in the Alaskan gold rush, the Spanish-American War, and The Great War. She learns of the secrets that have bound Theo and Margaret together. Ultimately, Leah learns she is not who she thought she was. Her new truth both blinds and dazzles her, much like the Waterford decanter at the center of her oldest dreams — an artifact linking three Irish-American families stumbling after the American Dream.

My Review:

Amazing study of two Irish families as they assimilate into America early nineteenth century and specifically Leah Gavagan, deftly kept within the “family” another who struggled so greatly after the fall of the status of the Harrigans. Leah has “visions” as if her life isn’t difficult enough that sets her apart from her peers and creates some problems within her own circle–the one she thought was hers.

It is Margaret, pseudo-matriarch of the Harrigan family who, upon her death, leaves shocking personal family background that causes such an upheaval in Leah. The narrative swings back to an earlier time to young Margaret, setting the picture of the struggles, with her failures, deceits, and ultimate betrayal. Dissecting the Irish psyche in the process, the proud, staunch definition of who they are, not so much a race, but more a mind-set and characterization or designation of how they became that distinct class of people. “…forgiveness does not come easily to the Irish race.”

“Perception competes with reality in any immigrant’s assessment of life in America.”

There are a number of support characters that are alternately brought into sharp focus, accounting for the dynamic throughout the well-crafted storyline–more of a biography–such a deep but lovingly complex understanding of the people from past generations–the history of a family. Into the family, a Waterford decanter is bestowed by the boy who immigrated to America in the bowels of the ship. The decanter, zealously protected and handed down, has become a symbol for the family of their final acceptance of each other and their adopted land, as well as a symbol of the truths that are eventually exposed.

While the novel begins rather slowly, pulling all the characters into the center of attention, the author creates a literary novel of intelligence, the meaning of family, and the imprint each evokes in our lives. It is a unique gift, an unusual examination of people, and a share of the commonality in us all.

I received this ebook download from the author in hopes of an honest opinion and I appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended to any who enjoy a deep study into beautifully written literary prose.

The Author: For most of her writing career, Melanie Forde ghosted on international security issues. She published her first novel, Hillwilla, in 2014, followed by On the Hillwilla Road in 2015. Her West Virginia trilogy culminates in Reinventing Hillwilla, 2018. Twenty years in the making, her Irish-American family saga, Decanted Truths (Note: Currently available on NetGalley), was also released in 2018.

Murder by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge #BookTour #Spotlight #Giveaway

I am delighted today to provide a spotlight for you at my blog stop for Murder by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Murder by the Sea

Murder by the Sea (A By the Sea Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington Publishing Corporation (May 21, 2019)
Paperback: 204 pages
ISBN-10: 1516105257
ISBN-13: 978-1516105250
Digital ASIN: B07GV1CM3G

When a murderer crashes a masquerade ball, it’s up to Liz to unmask the killer..

It’s been quite a year for novelist Liz Holt. She’s overcome a lot and is finally feeling at peace with her new life at her family’s hotel, the Indialantic by the Sea, on the beautiful barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida. She’s exactly where she needs to be to ring in the New Year at the Florida Writes Literary Masquerade Ball.

But when her ex-boyfriend surprises her at the ball, she can’t disguise her anger, and the two engage in a very public argument. Naturally, after her ex is found dead on the hotel grounds, shot through the heart, Liz tops the suspect list. With the help of family and friends, she needs to clear her name before the real killer waltzes away scot-free . . .

Recipes included!

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win (1) Copy – Murder by the Sea (A By the Sea Mystery) by Kathleen Bridge – U.S. Only in this Rafflecopter giveaway

Kathleen Bridge started her writing career working at the State News, the student newspaper of Michigan State University. She is an antiques dealer on Long Island and the author and photographer of an antique reference guide, Lithographed Paper Toys, Books, and Games.