2018 Reviews – Page 3 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Darkness Prequel Tour – A #CrimeFictionTreasureHunt #DarkOfNight #DarknessSeries by C. S. Duffy @CSDuffywriter

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in an extra special blog tour–a Glasgow set serial killer thrillers. Talk about your twists! This unique tour started a new chapter with each new book blogger in Claire’s prequel to the “Darkness” series as well as give you the opportunity to discover a new book blogger. The tour extended across two weeks and fourteen exclusive and independent bloggers.

The Dark of Night trilogy by CS Duffy are fast-paced thrillers! Each day you can read an excerpt in a serialized version of the prequel at a different blog. If you missed the start of the blog tour, take a look at the blog schedule (below) and begin with Chapter One at Chapter in My Life.

About the Books:

Last paragraph from Chapter 13 – A Knight’s Reads

Lorna opened her laptop and drummed her fingers on it, her heart hammering as she tried to think of the right search terms. Half an hour later, she had found the connection between Stuart Henderson and the murdered nurse. She just didn’t understand why the old lady had lied to her.

Dark of Night - reader quotes

Chapter 14:

‘I don’t resent any of the things that have been done to me,’ said Stuart Henderson with a deep, melancholic sigh. He peered at the camera from behind those odd wee glasses. For a moment, his bemused expression put her in mind of the time when answering machines first became common and her Granny would leave messages consisting of her bellowing at the top of her voice WILL YOU JUST TELL MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW THAT GRANNY STEWART PHONED. BYYEEEE!

Then Lorna remembered that he’d only been in prison for seven years, and had been some kind of a wonderkid developer before that. Stuart Henderson knew fine what a webcam was. But he wanted her to see him as a doddery wee man, she thought. Interesting.

‘You mean things that the police did to you?’ she asked.

‘The police, the courts, my lawyers. A lot of the papers said they were out to get me but I don’t think that was the case. I think they did their jobs as best they knew how. True, they could have done better.’ He shrugged, smiled at the camera, an endearing, don’t-you-worry-about-little-old-me smile that made Lorna’s skin crawl.

‘What do you think they could have done better?’ she asked.

Stuart laughed, a thin, reedy laugh that jangled Lorna’s nerves. Though she knew he was thousands of miles away under lock and key, an uneasy feeling kept prickling at the back of her neck. It took a superhuman effort not to run and double check that her doors were locked and that Stuart Henderson wasn’t hiding under her bed.

‘Well they could have caught the guy who actually did these reprehensible things,’ he sing-songed, as though talking to a baby. ‘Just an idea.’

‘What do you think he is like?’

‘Who?’

But a flicker of interest sparked into Stuart’s eyes.

‘The guy who actually did these reprehensible things.’

‘Oh aye, him. How should I know what he’s like?’

‘You told me earlier that nobody knows more about this case than you do. So you should have an idea of what the real killer is like.’

‘So I should,’ Stuart muttered, staring up at the ceiling. He had been brought in to some kind of interview room. Lorna could just about see the dark grey walls around the edges of the shot, and every time Stuart moved his hands she heard his shackles clink and clank. After months of emails back and forth with the prison authorities and Henderson’s legal team, Lorna had been thrilled to finally secure the interview. It had just been a few minutes, and she was fighting the urge not to slap her laptop shut so he couldn’t see her anymore.

He wasn’t what she had expected. Though she had seen plenty of pictures of him beforehand, it was still disconcerting to come face-to-face with someone who looked like any wee Glasgow guy, yet was also a monster. Lorna could have sat opposite Stuart Henderson on the subway, been cornered by him in a pub slurring rubbish chat up lines, bantered with him in a late night café as they waited for their kebabs, and she would never have known she was staring into void of humanity. He kept sniffing and she wanted to snap at him to get a hankie, then she remembered that he was chained to his chair so that he didn’t rip the face off any of the guards supervising him.

‘Maybe I was mistaken,’ she said lightly. ‘Thinking you knew all about it.’

‘What do you want to know about him?’ Stuart snapped, and Lorna jumped.

‘Where did he start?’

Stuart rolled his eyes like a sullen teenager. ‘All this is a matter of record.’

‘I don’t think so.’

Stuart stared at the camera. Though Lorna knew it wasn’t actual eye contact, that he couldn’t in fact even see her, she shivered.

‘I think he must have started before the crimes we know about,’ Lorna said softly. ‘Long before. Killers like him, the ones who are precise and exacting and get away with it for years like he did, they don’t just spring into being fully-formed. They’ve practiced, they’ve trained. They’ve worked their way up to it.’

Stuart nodded slowly. ‘You just might be onto something there.’

‘Tell me about his first crime.’

Stuart thought a long while. Lorna hardly dared breathe. Then he smiled.

‘He was only a wee boy,’ he grinned, as though about to spill a delicious secret.

If you want to read the entire Chapter 13, check out yesterday’s installment on A Knight’s Reads or read all chapters beginning with Sharon’s post at Chapter in My Life!

THE DARKNESS BUY LINKS:

UK Store:

Dark of Night: Episode One: http://amzn.eu/d/62DeGhx

Dark of Night: Episode Two: http://amzn.eu/d/9ftE9Wp

Dark of Night: Episode Three: http://amzn.eu/d/5AFct03

Just Before Dawn: Episode One: http://amzn.eu/d/5jJwPju

US Store:

Dark of Night: Episode One: http://a.co/d/3eh05dK

Dark of Night: Episode Two: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Night-Episode-CS-Duffy/dp/197351995X/

Dark of Night: Episode Three

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Night-Episode-CS-Duffy/dp/1982959916/

Published in September, 2018, Claire continues the suspense thriller storyline in Just Before Dawn Episode One, Darkness Book 4.

About The Author:

C.S. Duffy writes psychological suspense thrillers with a healthy dose of black humour. Her background is in film and TV. She has several projects in development in Sweden and the UK and her other writing has appeared in Elle Canada and The Guardian. She is the author of Life is Swede, a thriller that was originally written as a blog – leading several readers to contact Swedish news agencies asking them why they hadn’t reported the murder that features in the blog. She is the author of Dark of Night and Just Before Dawn, a thriller series set in Glasgow which was selected for a Spotlight slot at this year’s Bloody Scotland.

Find me at:
http://csduffy.com/
https://twitter.com/csduffywriter
https://www.instagram.com/csduffywriter/
https://www.instagram.com/writer.on.the.go/

What a brilliant and fun way to get to know and read her series and enjoy our fellow bloggers. This was engaging and entertaining, Claire, thank you!

A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

A Vintage Death (A Keepsake Cove Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (November 8, 2018)
Paperback: 264 pages
ISBN-10: 0738752274
ISBN-13: 978-0738752273
ASIN: B0795RTP2B

Book Blurb

As the new music box store owner and resident of Keepsake Cove, a quaint town full of collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Callie Reed is eager to get more involved in her community. She volunteers to plan the Fall street decorations and welcome a visiting author who’s come for a special book signing. But the celebratory mood is cut short when the local B&B owner is found dead, killed by a pair of vintage scissors.

Suspicion is cast on the victim’s estranged wife, Dorothy, who owns Keepsake Cove’s vintage sewing shop. Callie is sure Dorothy is innocent, and the visiting author agrees. Together, they begin their own investigation, only to discover that many people in Keepsake Cove have secrets. Secrets that are worth killing to keep quiet.

My Review

Callie Reed is trying to get involved in her small Maryland’s Eastern Shore community in which she inherited from her aunt Melody, the House of Melody, a music box shop, and the little cottage behind the shop. The Keepsake Cove Merchant’s Association has accepted her offer to plan and coordinate a special book signing, along with planning festive fall decorations to help draw in happy shoppers.

It is a quaint town center full of collectible shops, including Stitches Thru Time, a vintage sewing shop owned by Dorothy Ashby, and the Keepsake Cove Cafe the owner Brian. Brian is being groomed as a possible love interest after Callie’s disastrous ending to an affair which was finally ended by her moving away. The visiting author is an absolute delight and my favorite character of the book, being so well developed you wanted to take pictures, as well as Tabitha, Callie’s shop assistant, her right-hand person, and character in constant disguise. Too much fun and easy to imagine.

Shortly after Lyssa Hammond arrives to prepare for her book signing, however, the owner of the B&B is found murdered in an adjacent park. The victim is the estranged husband to Dorothy and appears to have died from being stabbed with a pair of vintage scissors–hers. Of course, everyone will look at Dorothy, but Callie is sure she couldn’t/wouldn’t have done it and the visiting author agrees.

Although this is the second in the series, the narrative has no problem as a standalone. These characters are strongly visualized and each unique. As I’ve always found with a cozy mystery, the well-plotted storyline engages the reader with red herrings and plot twists. I particularly loved the build-up to the book signing, the author’s unusual entrance, and the appearance of a successful event. Many hands and thoughtful persons worked together to create an enviable community event. Too bad it is marred by the discovery the following morning of a second murder, much in the same vicinity and in the same manner.

There is a supernatural or paranormal element to the narrative in a particular music box and the protagonist comes off as an effective and subtle woman sleuth with help from Lyssa. Ms. Hughes will have you suspecting a few support characters as well as townsfolk, but the conclusion settles all, even with a couple surprises.

I was given this ebook download for the book tour by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for all who enjoy a cozy mystery, women sleuths, and small-town drama and support.

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win (1) Print Copy – A Vintage Death (A Keepsake Cove Mystery) by Mary Ellen Hughes (U.S. Only) of this Rafflecopter giveaway

Mary Ellen Hughes - author

Mary Ellen Hughes is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries (Penguin), the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. A Fatal Collection is her debut with Midnight Ink. A Wisconsin native, she has lived most of her adult life in Maryland, where she’s set many of her stories. Visit her at www.MaryEllenHughes.com.

Author Links

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

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/mehughes13/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/mehughesauthor

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/402922.Mary_Ellen_Hughes

Purchase Links – Amazon B&N Midnight Ink

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

A VINTAGE DEATH TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 7 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

November 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

November 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 7 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

November 8 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST

November 8 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, Sissy, & Too! – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

November 9 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 9 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

November 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

November 9 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

November 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 10 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 10 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

November 10 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 11 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

November 11 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 11 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT*

November 12 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

November 12 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

November 12 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 13 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 13 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 13 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

November 14 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

November 14 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 14 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

November 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

November 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

November 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

November 16 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

November 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

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

Murder in Her Stocking by G. A. McKevett #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder in Her Stocking by G. A. McKevett on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Murder in Her Stocking (A Granny Reid Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (October 30, 2018)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496716264
ISBN-13: 978-1496716262
Digital ASIN: B079KTKPH2

As the Moonlight Magnolia Agency revisits old memories on Christmas Eve, Granny Reid takes the reins back thirty years to the 1980s—back when she went by Stella, everyone’s hair was bigger, and sweaters were colorful disasters. But murder never went out of style . .

Christmas has arrived in sleepy McGill, Georgia, but holiday cheer can’t keep temperamental Stella Reid from swinging a rolling pin at anyone who crosses her bad side—and this season, there are plenty. First an anonymous grinch vandalizes a celebrated nativity display. Far worse, the scandalous Prissy Carr is found dead in an alley behind a tavern. With police puzzled over the murder, Stella decides to stir the local gossip pot for clues on the culprit’s identity . . .

Turns out Prissy held a prominent spot on the naughty list, and suspects pile up like presents on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, the more progress Stella makes, the more fears she must confront. With a neighbor in peril and the futures of her beloved grandchildren at risk, Stella must somehow set everything straight and bring a cunning criminal to justice before December 25th . . .

My Review

Once again, my introduction to the author and a new series entry intended as a prequel to the well-established Savannah Reid series. As such, this functions well as a standalone, although it took me a few chapters to get into the unique writing style. Very folksy; had me thinking it was not so much a cozy as literary fiction and slow southern, small town, down-home style of McGill, Georgia, at that.

Not so sure it is as much mystery as it is the story of the Reid family. Strong characterizations–Granny is bigger than life. Bless her heart, Granny Reid, is the self-proclaimed caretaker of her seven grandchildren, her grand-angels. She pours her heart and soul into these kids. They come first. And Savannah (who will grow up to be second generation sleuth), the oldest at twelve, has had to grow up very quickly due to the fact that her absentee trucking father is on the road–most of the time. Their mother occupies her bar stool–daily–and almost exclusively. The home is not a home, it’s barely a house. But Granny has enough love for all of them and it’s only later that their mother casts a jealous eye toward her mother-in-law.

The story starts with Stella Reid (better known as Granny Reid) holding her great-grandchild at a Christmas gathering. She begins musing thirty years previous to more tumultuous times and a whole other Christmas. The artfully laid out plot is heavy with clichéd sayings and little glimmers of Granny’s wisdom bestowed with love and guidance to the little ones. Heaven knows they get none from their mother, Shirley.

“Shirley had yet to learn that control wasn’t power. Love was power.”

And the storyline is peppered with colloquialisms:

“Harder than a mustard bottle gets squeezed on the Fourth of July.”

“I’d rather chew bumblebees…”

“…feel like a rubber-nosed woodpecker in a petrified forest.”

“…she clams up tighter than a bullfrog’s keister in a bucket of ice water.”

These are good God-fearing righteous folk, trying to do good in this world.

There is a murder and Granny takes on some sleuthing, along with Sheriff Gilford, though I loved that the sleuthing doesn’t control the story–the Reid family does. And they have quite the story to tell and a lot of lessons to be learned along the way. I think my favorite was “…we treat people–“”I know. I know. According to who we are, not who they are.””

It’s a sweet story told in slow, cozy style and y’all better not expect a barn-burner. It is, however, well paced, keeping the reader engaged. There are good people in the world and people trying to do good. And even the antagonists can’t be bad all the time.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Recommended as a great Christmas season entry to your TBR. This narrative will captivate cozy readers, literary fiction readers, and those who enjoy the work of women sleuths.

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win one of (3) Print Copy Murder in Her Stocking (A Granny Reid Mystery) by G. A. McKevett – Hardcover (U.S. Only) in this Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

G.A. McKevett is the author of the acclaimed Savannah Reid mystery series. Also writing under the name Sonja Massie, she has authored over 60 books ranging from cozy mysteries to historical romances, to nonfiction works on the history of Ireland. Her earthy humor and fast-paced plots delight her fans, while critics applaud her offbeat characterizations and incisive observations on human nature. Irish by ancestry, she has lived in Toronto, Ireland, and Los Angeles, but now resides in New York.

Author Links

Website: www.SonjaMassie.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GAMcKevett

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwendolynnarden.mckevett

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xQwQKz

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play Book Depository

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

Tour Participants:

November 5 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

November 5 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

November 6 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

November 6 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

November 7 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT

November 7 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

November 7 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 8 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

November 9 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

November 9 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 10 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 10 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

November 10 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW,

November 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 11 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 12 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

November 12 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

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

House of Ashes by Loretta Marion #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for House of Ashes: A Haunted Bluffs Mystery by Loretta Marion on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win this super Giveaway!

Book Details

House of Ashes: A Haunted Bluffs Mystery
Supernatural Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Lane Books (November 13, 2018)
Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1683318439
ISBN-13: 978-1683318439

Book Blurb

A family patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.

Thirty-seven-year-old painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on whether it’s by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter―but now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations of her dream-weaving ex-husband.

Salvation seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the promise of companionship and much-needed help―until they vanish without a trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but determined to discover what’s happened to the young couple…even as digging into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own. Despite warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police―as well as an FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism―Cassie can’t help following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family’s dark curse destroys everything in its path?

My Review

Cassandra Mitchell is the great-granddaughter of Percy and Celeste Mitchell who built the gorgeous Battersea Bluffs mansion in Whale Rock, Massachusetts, Cape Cod where she now lives alone. She is 37 years old and tenaciously clings to the family Victorian despite its history, local folklore, and apparent supernatural experiences.

The author sets up a time warp storyline that begins with the events that set the stage for the tragic deaths of her great-grandparents. There is an apparent curse that has followed them from England and has followed generations of their male descendants. Cassie has weathered a disastrous marriage and impending divorce and her scoundrel ex pretty much spent every dime he could lay his hands on before he split. She is presently facing foreclosure and looking at the possibility of having to ask her older and geographically estranged sister for another loan. She refuses the idea of selling.

Not without some form of income, she does what she can to bring in food money though she inherited an artistic gift from her mother which she has been too depressed to exercise. Sinking deeper into the funk that has enveloped her in the situation, she meets a young couple, Ashley and Vince, on her property, accompanied by a German Shepherd, and impressed with them and taken by the moment invite them to stay with her for a while in exchange for their work on the carriage house.

Ms. Marion flips both chronological timelines as she brings in further details of Cassie’s family, both current and 80 years ago. Chapter headings clearly tell in which timeline the narrative is heading and it doesn’t take long to get into the rhythm. It is Cassie’s belief that her great-grandparents frequently visit her, signaling their presence by a distinctly pleasant odor, depending on the situation.

The couple suddenly disappears without explanation which sets off a chain of investigations that begins with local law enforcement and extends to the FBI. There is an attraction to the FBI agent, and Cassie appears to be in full rebound mode. The romance of Cassie and her suitors weaves in and out of the well-plotted story adding tension to the already increasing pressure to find the kids and confirm their well-being.

She is consumed with the problem of figuring out what happened to the kids after they’ve nearly completed the remodel of her carriage house and made a place in her heart. She flits between responsible and irresponsible as she gleans little clues to follow and discovers she didn’t know them, really at all. Not where they came from, not where they may have gone or what happened to them. Happy with having the couple around, they had created in her the urge to paint again and she is facing a large gallery showing by a friend and local art gallery owner who had previously handled some of her mother’s paintings.

I had a little difficulty getting into the well-developed protagonist’s shoes. She has that artist’s aura about her, tormented but talented. Headstrong and smart, she seemed to make less than informed decisions, while craftily planning her next move toward solving the mystery of the couple. The dog, Whistler, has become as much a part of her life as did his owners and she is happy to care for him, as he is now protecting her.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for any who enjoy a mystery, supernatural or paranormal qualities, thriller and suspense, and strong women sleuths.

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win (1) GRAND PRIZE – One $50 Barnes & Noble gift card Two signed hardcover copies of House of Ashes (one for the winner and one for a friend) Two signed paperback copies of The Fool’s Truth (one for the winner and one for a friend) Plus two book bags (one for the winner and one for the friend) (U.S. Only) in this Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Loretta Marion - author An author of fiction, Loretta Marion’s writing bridges the genres of mystery and suspense and women’s fiction, always with hints of romance and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological and paranormal. She creates strong but flawed and struggling characters as appealing as the rich atmospheric settings in which the stories take place.

Loretta is a true bibliophile and has loved reading and creating with words since she was a young girl. And that affection for the written word followed her like a shadow throughout her life as she put pen to paper crafting marketing and advertising copy, educational brochures and newsletters. But her passion for writing fiction evolved from the unlikely world of hospice. As a volunteer, she set out to establish a Legacy Story program to honor and preserve the rich heritage of the fascinating people who were soon to leave this world. The meaningful experience inspired her to create her own interesting characters and stories. Her debut novel, The Fool’s Truth, was a twisty and suspenseful mystery with whispers of romance. Her newest novel, HOUSE OF ASHES – A Haunted Bluffs Mystery, is the first in a series published by Crooked Lane Books.

Though born and raised in the Midwest, Loretta fell in love with New England and has made it the setting for much of her writing. When not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey, and their beloved Mr. Peabody, a sweet, devoted and amusing “Corgador” (Corgi-Labrador cross). (www.LorettaMarion.com)

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

Tour Participants:

November 1 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

November 1 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 2 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

November 2 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 3 – fundinmental – REVIEW

November 3 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 5 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 5 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

November 6 – Valerie’s Musings – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

November 7 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 9 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 9 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

November 10 – Curling Up by the Fire – REVIEW

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

Harvest of Secrets by Ellen Crosby – a #BookReview

Title: Harvest of Secrets (Wine Country Mysteries Book 9) by Ellen Crosby

Genre: Thriller & Suspense, Cozy, Mystery, Amateur Sleuths, Culinary

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: JUST RELEASED – November 6, 2018

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

352 pages

ASIN:B079DTGBD7

Title and Cover: Harvest of Secrets – Harvest of grapes and …

Book Blurb:

The search for the killer of an aristocratic French winemaker who was Lucie Montgomery’s first crush and the discovery of dark family secrets put Lucie on a collision course with a murderer.

It’s harvest season at Montgomery Estate Vineyard—the busiest time of year for winemakers in Atoka, Virginia. A skull is unearthed near Lucie Montgomery’s family cemetery, and the discovery of the bones coincides with the arrival of handsome, wealthy aristocrat Jean-Claude de Marignac. He’s come to be the head winemaker at neighboring La Vigne Cellars, but he’s no stranger to Lucie—he was her first crush twenty years ago when she spent a summer in France.

Not long after his arrival, Jean-Claude is found dead, and while there is no shortage of suspects who are angry or jealous of his ego and overbearing ways, suspicion falls on Miguel Otero, an immigrant worker at La Vigne, who recently quarreled with Jean-Claude. When Miguel disappears, Lucie receives an ultimatum from her own employees: prove Miguel’s innocence or none of the immigrant community will work for her during the harvest. As Lucie hunts for Jean-Claude’s killer and continues to search for the identity of the skeleton abandoned in the cemetery, she is blindsided by a decades-old secret that shatters everything she thought she knew about her family. Now facing a wrenching emotional choice, Lucie must decide whether it’s finally time to tell the truth and hurt those she loves the most, or keep silent and let past secrets remain dead and buried. Continue reading “Harvest of Secrets by Ellen Crosby – a #BookReview”

Thread Herrings by Lea Wait #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery) by Lea Wait on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (October 30, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 149671671X
ISBN-13: 978-1496716712
Digital ASIN: B079KSZ92D

Angie’s first auction may turn out to be her last—when she bids on a coat of arms that someone would literally kill to possess . . .

Tagging along to an estate sale with her fellow Needlepointer, antiques shop owner Sarah Byrne, Angie Curtis impulsively bids on a tattered embroidery of a coat of arms. When she gets her prize back home to Haven Harbor, she discovers a document from 1757 behind the framed needlework—a claim for a child from a foundling hospital. Intrigued, Angie is determined to find the common thread between the child and the coat of arms.

Accepting her reporter friend Clem Walker’s invitation to talk about her find on the local TV news, Angie makes an appeal to anyone who might have information. Instead, both women receive death threats. When Clem is found shot to death in a parking lot, Angie fears her own life may be in jeopardy. She has to unravel this historical mystery—or she may be the next one going, going . . . gone . . .

My Review

This was my introduction to Lea Wait’s series and my first experience with the author and I must say it was an incredible journey! Ms. Wait really knows her antiques, the business, needlepoint, embroidery, and the remarkable history behind samplers and mourning art. The beginning of each chapter included an amazing recounting of a coat of arms embroidery (usually by a child), also noting some familial information including birth and death dates. I had no idea there was such a wealth of antiques out there that lovingly represents beautifully detailed pictograph ancestral histories.

Haven Harbor, Maine, protagonist Angie Curtis is invited by her antique shop owner buddy, Sarah Byrne, to accompany her to an auction. It will be her first experience with an auction and the author does a fine job of detailing procedures, standards, and setting up Angie to view and possibly bid on embroideries that would be perfect for her own Mainely Needlepoint shop. During the preview, Angie spies an embroidered coat of arms that catches her fancy, though heaven knows it’s in sad shape and easily won. It’s when Angie gets her prize home and removes the frame that she discovers a billet (receipt) for Charles from the London Foundling Hospital in 1757 on a lovingly embroidered ribbon. The billet is meant to match with the other half at the hospital in order to reclaim the child.

Granted, this is the seventh in the series, though I read it as a standalone, story-driven plot. Angie has no doubt been described in minute detail in previous books, along with her boyfriend Patrick, friend Sarah, and the members of the Mainely Needlepoint group who help to provide historical and genealogical information, including Ruth and her grandmother (the latter of whom raised her). A former classmate, Clem Walker, is a TV personality who persuades her to appeal to the public for information regarding the mysterious child, Charles, since the embroidery offers no further hints to the child or family. Fascinated, Angie begins to research and investigate.

Unfortunately, it isn’t long before they both receive death threats and shortly Clem is murdered and her grandmother’s new hubby injured when he attempts to move her car. Angie is forced into hiding on the advice of Pete Lambert, Haven Harbor’s Police Chief and State Police Officer (Homicide) Ethan Trask. She takes her kitty and finds a semi-safe harbor with Patrick and his kitty while she continues to quietly push for new information.

I must admit to being fascinated myself with the historical aspect of the well-plotted storyline. So many ways to glean information, but I’d have never thought it could have been preserved in this exquisite manner. The antagonist is worked out through persistent and dogged analysis and is not entirely a surprise, however, the motive and conclusion comes off a tad weak. While the motive wouldn’t make sense to a normal person, this person is obviously not.

Certainly an opening that grabs the interest quickly and manages to weave informative and educational tidbits into an engaging and well-developed plot. The Maine winter descriptions, while brutal, certainly lent an ambiance to the storyline. Patrick as a character is not as strong as Angie, as he continues to appeal to her to leave the investigation to the police. I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I thoroughly enjoyed the well-researched history and heartily recommend to any who participates in needlework or crafting of any kind. (Though I still knit and crochet, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve done any needlepointing or embroidery!). Will also interest any who read cozy mysteries, suspense, and women sleuths. I’m looking forward to Book 8!

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win one of (3) Print Copies of Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery) by Lea Wait in this Rafflecopter giveaway.

About the Author

Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine. A fourth-generation antique dealer and the author of the Agatha-nominated Antique Print Mystery series, she loves all things antiques and Maine. She also writes historical novels for young people set in (where else?) nineteenth-century Maine. Visit her at leawait.com.

Follow Lea on Facebook and GoodReads

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:

November 1 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

November 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy -SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 2 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

November 2 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

November 3 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

November 3 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

November 3 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, EXCERPT

November 5 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 5 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 6 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

November 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 1 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

November 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy -SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 2 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

November 2 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

November 3 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

November 3 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

November 3 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, EXCERPT

November 5 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 5 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 6 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

November 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

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

Yeast of Eden by Sarah Fox – a #BookReview

Title: Yeast of Eden (A Pancake House Mystery Book 4) by Sarah Fox

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Suspense, Women Sleuths

Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Publication Date: October 30, 2018

ASIN: B079KV2WD3

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title and Cover: Yeast of Eden – Cute, compelling cozy cover

Book Blurb:

In USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox’s delicious new Pancake House Mystery, it’s up to Marley McKinney to discover the waffle truth behind a rival’s murder . . .

Winter has come to Wildwood Cove, and riding in on the chill is Wally Fowler. Although he’s been away for years, establishing his reputation as the self-proclaimed Waffle King, the wealthy blowhard has returned to the coastal community to make money, not friends—by pitting his hot and trendy Waffle Kingdom against Marley McKinney’s cozy pancake house, The Flip Side. Wally doesn’t see anything wrong in a little healthy competition, until he’s murdered in his own state-of-the art kitchen.

Marley isn’t surprised when the authorities sniff around The Flip Side for a motive, but it’s her best friend Lisa who gets grilled, given her sticky history with the victim. When a second murder rocks the town, it makes it harder than ever for Marley to clear Lisa’s name. Marley’s afraid that she’s next in line to die—and the way things are looking, the odds of surviving her investigation could be stacked against her. Continue reading “Yeast of Eden by Sarah Fox – a #BookReview”

A Different Kind of Reunion (A Gilda Greco Mystery) by Joanne Guidoccio #BlogTour #Spotlight #Giveaway

A Different Kind of Reunion by Joanne Guidoccio

I am so delighted today to provide a spotlight for you at my blog stop for A Different Kind of Reunion by Joanne Guidoccio on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win this unique Giveaway!

Book Details

A Different Kind of Reunion (A Gilda Greco Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (April 23, 2018)
Paperback: 236 pages
ISBN-10: 1509220380
ISBN-13: 978-1509220380
Digital ASIN: B07BSTTNS2

About the Book

While not usually a big deal, one overlooked email would haunt teacher Gilda Greco. Had she read it, former student Sarah McHenry might still be alive.

Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first cooperative and willing, their camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.

Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card in this unique Rafflecopter giveaway!

About the Author

Joanne Guidoccio - author In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.