#blogtour – Page 4 – Rosepoint Publishing

Murder in Tranquility Park by J D Griffo #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder in Tranquility Park (A Ferrara Family Mystery-Book 2) by J D Griffo on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Murder in Tranquility Park (A Ferrara Family Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (March 26, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1496713966
ISBN-13: 978-1496713964
Digital ASIN: B07F5XG3CQ

Book Blurb

Alberta Scaglione and her twentysomething granddaughter, Jinx, love to spend time—and solve crime—together . . .

Ever since Alberta Scaglione inherited her spinster aunt’s Cape Cod cottage, she’s been enjoying the good life in Tranquility, New Jersey, with her black cat, Lola. But since things are mostly quiet in this town, she finds other things to do—like joining Jinx for morning jogs in Tranquility Park. She has to do something to stay healthy, as long as it doesn’t involve Jinx’s healthful tofu sausages and gluten-free pasta. But when they stumble across a treehouse hidden in the trees, and a dead body underneath it, they take a detour into solving a murder. Now the Ferrara ladies will have to exercise extreme caution to avoid a permanent decline in their health . . .

Includes Italian recipes from Alberta’s kitchen!

My Review

Cozy mystery with a slightly different premise in that it is not one female protagonist but a family combining skills from the 65-year-old grandmother, Alberta, to 25-year-old granddaughter Jinx. In between are a sister (ex-nun Helen) and sister-in-law (Joyce). Vinny, now police chief for whom Alberta babysat and Nola, Zinx’s roomy are also featured a second time. Yes, she is a recent transplant, which delightfully has put her in close proximity to family members in Tranquility, New Jersey. Jinx is working on becoming an investigative reporter for the local newspaper and has a boyfriend, Freddy.

Jinx has convinced Alberta that she needs some exercise to keep those old bones running smoothly and she and Gram begin by jogging very early in the morning only to discover a huge tree house neither had previously noticed in the small town park. On their way back they run to the tree house to further check it out and discover the body of well-known life-long occupant, Jonas.

The characters are very well developed (could function as a standalone) and each exhibit a whole host of personalities, from sweet and naive to biting but all work to create a well-paced narrative. Alberta is hardcore Sicilian Catholic and each chapter heading is infused with hints of the new chapter in beautiful Italian. Alberta is brought up old-school Victorian and is somewhat shocked from time to time with her sister’s and granddaughter’s view of sexuality invoking a smattering of easy religious thought. Dialogue often bordering on humorous with some innuendo is enough to be fun and keep things light, sometimes peppered with “Holy Marcello Mastroianni”–or enter your own Italian movie star…).

Lots of twists, turns, red herrings, but really you have your suspicions early on and it’s a matter of just enjoying how the author lays out the investigation, the role the sisters play, and mastering the shouting match when they all get together which brings to mind “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

It’s a fun, fast character-driven cozy mystery where the mystery is not forgotten and the family value theme recurs often. I had a small problem with the conclusion when Alberta and Jinx went off to confront their number one perp without back-up who at this point is a double murderer. A couple of last twists into the climax you didn’t see coming, so you can’t guess it all (and pushing disbelief with a gas pipe in a furnace room–uh, no…just, no).

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley for this blog tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Easy to push right through this one and look for another. Recommended for cozy mystery fans looking for a slightly different, but very pleasant character.

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win one of (3) Sets – Print Copies – Murder on Memory Lake and Murder in Tranquility Park (U.S. Only) Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

J D Griffo - author Italian by birth, Jersey by upbringing, J. D. Griffo is an award-winning playwright and author who has written ten novels, over twenty plays, and a handful of screenplays that have yet to see the light of day.

Griffo studied Journalism and Marketing at New York University, graduating magna cum laude many, many years ago, as well as Creative Writing at the New School and Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

And the J. D. stands for the author’s mother – Jean Dolores – who absolutely loved to read and tell stories.

Author Links

Website – https://michaelgriffo.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Michael2264

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/j.d.griffo/

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

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

Tour Participants:

April 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

April 2 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, RECIPE

April 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – I’m all About Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

April 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 6 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

April 7 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

April 7 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ – GUEST POST

April 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

April 8 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 8 – Books Direct – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 9 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

April 10 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST

April 10 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

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

Widow Creek by Sarah Margolis Pearce – a #BlogTour #BookReview

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Widow Creek by Sarah Margolis Pearce on Sage’s Blog Tours.

Book Details

Title: Widow Creek by Sarah Margolis Pearce

Genre: Historical Mystery, Historical Romances
Publisher: Lucky Bat Books

Print Length: 274 pages

Publish Date: October 7, 2018

ASIN: B07J4S5LRQ

ISBN-10: 1943588775
ISBN-13: 978-1943588770

Book Blurb

Widow Creek is an incredible story of bravery and adventure as a daring woman takes on the wild frontier of California by herself in 1849. In 2015, historical sleuths try to find a link between the riveting tale of this undaunted woman and three weather-worn boulders on a remote hillside below Hasten Peak. Hidden for nearly 170 years, Mariah’s journal is uncovered. From its pages, the story of Mariah begins to unfold about her days at Widow Creek and the adventure she was determined to take. Intrigued, the modern-day sleuths try to piece together what happened to her after the journal ends. Through the story, they come to know Mariah Hardwick Penngrove, who arrives in a wagon train in Remington River, California, in 1849 with grief and daring in her heart. Newly widowed, she lost a husband on the trail but developed a backbone. Refusing to return to the safety of her parents, she instead forges on to her goal of reaching “the beyond” described by Meriwether Lewis, holding tight to her mother’s copy of The Journals of Lewis and Clark, for comfort and inspiration. One look at Hasten Peak, snow-capped and dominating the landscape, tells Mariah she has found her “beyond.” However, Mariah’s notion of the wilderness and untouched horizons is turned upside down when she becomes embroiled in a land dispute between the bandit, Pajaro Mendonca, and Po Fong, Chinatown madam and leader of a notorious tong. Entrenched in a conflict she never wanted and in a wilderness unknown, Mariah finds that decisions are not so straightforward and trust is a shadowy business.

My Review

It’s that undeniable call to the west that Mariah Hardwick can no longer ignore when the opportunity arises for her to see “the Beyond.” What is beyond those fields she gazes at every day from their small piece of earth in St. Louis, Missouri. The siren call comes from unlikely suitor-then-husband Earl Penngrove, who succumbs to his own wretched scheme before the adventure west is half completed. She and her mother had long desired to see what lay beyond the horizon and often turned to the well-worn journal of Lewis and Clark for inspiration, to glean information, and to gain wisdom regarding their journey to the west coast.

Carefully keeping her own journal of the harsh trail with the wagon train they’ve set off on, she tells the tale of continuing without him, settling instead of San Francisco (the original destination), to that of Remington River in northern California where she meets the Old Mandarin…and Pajaro Mendonca.

The hills promised gold after discovery of the element in Sutter Creek near Coloma, California in 1848 and the territory was in a contentious battle between Californios (a Hispanic person who is genetically or culturally descended from the Spanish-speaking community) and land-grabbing newcomers. (California became a state in 1850.) The author has faithfully described the area’s majestic mountains, peaks, and rivers with powerful prose that includes the legend of Pajaro Mendonca, possibly said to be the origin of the tale of Zorro.

Mariah becomes entangled in the intrigue and conspiracies of land grants and titles and her journal ends.

In 2015, hikers discover three large inscribed stones. Pictures of the site are brought to the attention of those who are best equipped to search records, archives, and the history of the area and Mariah’s journal is discovered to be an integral part. Mariah’s unfolding story is mesmerizing, offering a brutal but triumphant tale to be pieced together closing the span of time.

It is somewhat of a romantic tale, although this is not a romance novel per se, but that of the beauty of the west, travel and destination, the land and the people that comprised early California. Mariah is an educated, first-person narrator with whom you quickly become invested. She is complex and naive but strong, intelligent, and beautifully independent. The passages from the Lewis and Clark journals lend such an eerie bite back, as both returned successfully, only to have Lewis die mysteriously three years later.

I was given this ebook download by the author and Sage’s Blog tours and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for those who enjoy a well-plotted, deeply absorbing and engaging historical action-adventure brought to life and time in the present and these opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

About the Author

Sarah Margolis Pearce - author

Sarah lives and works in San Francisco. Her writing has been published by online literary sites such as WritersType and Midlife Collage. As part of the 2013 San Francisco cast of Listen to Your Mother, she performed her hilarious, spoken word piece, Goodbye, Kimmie.

I have a special interest in the history of Northern California. Specifically, the mid-1800s shortly before California was granted statehood. My Remington River series [beginning with The Promise of Fate] is set in the Golden State around the time of the Gold Rush.

My writing is not limited to historical fiction. My favorite author is Flannery 0’Connor. My short stories have been compared to hers as I explore the strange situations simple folks get themselves into.

Visit my website: http://www.sarahmargolispearce.com

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please enjoy this beautifully crafted novel.

Thanks to Sage’s Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this historical mystery!

Reinventing Hillwilla by Melanie Forde – a #BookTour #BookReview #Irelandmonth

It’s March and I’m participating in the Reading Ireland Month for 2019, this beautiful literary fiction being the second. I will post a complete list of my reads for Reading Ireland on Sunday, March 10. Stay tuned!

I am absolutely delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Reinventing Hillwilla by Melanie Forde on Sage’s Blog Tours.

Book Details:

Title: Reinventing Hillwilla: A Novel by Melanie Forde

Genre: Literary Fiction, Romance, Animals

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

Print Length: 339 pages

Publication Date: November 4, 2018

ISBN-10:1730785492
ISBN-13:978-1730785498

ASIN: B07K6TQC3R

Source: Publisher and Sage’s Book Tours

Title and Cover: Reinventing Hillwilla – Cover depicts farm overseer, Ralph

Book Blurb:

Life on a llama farm, set in remote “Seneca County,” West Virginia, transitions from contented to chaotic in this final novel in the Hillwilla trilogy — all under the watchful eye of canine guardian Ralph. Five years after we first met northern urban transplant Beatrice Desmond, she is finally adapting to her mountain hollow among the wary “born-heres” and is more open to the blessings in her life. She has developed a rewarding mother-daughter relationship with troubled local teenager Clara Buckhalter and is inching toward marriage with dashing, but complicated entrepreneur Tanner Fordyce. Meanwhile, Clara sets off on a productive new path, one that would have been unthinkable had Beatrice never come into her life. All of that progress is suddenly jeopardized by Clara’s scheming mother Charyce. Ultimately, the upheaval touched off by Charyce’s schemes serves as the catalyst for new beginnings for the Seneca County misfits (even Ralph).

My Review:

Oh, Mercy! Sucked in immediately in the prologue when you realize you are reading the POV of an English setter, beloved dog, and pack leader of the llamas (Ralph’s Pack) gracing this farm, it’s impossible not to continue reading. Then I was devastated when I realized that Ralph had passed away. NOOO…

Still, protagonist Beatrice Desmond is such a powerful, torn, and emotive character that the pages turns themselves as you become totally lost in the hollow in Seneca County, West Virginia. There is a divide in West Virginia. Between the “born-heres” and the “come-heres.” Beatrice falls in the latter and tends her animals. Clara Buckhalter, at thirteen and a product of a destructive family life, connected however remotely to Beatrice, had come to live with Beatrice temporarily. As these things sometimes evolve, temporary becomes permanent with Beatrice taking full charge of loving mother duties, something Clara had not received from her own mother. Now Clara is at Beatrice’s alma mater on a scholarship. Beatrice is thrilled and proud, but lonely.

In the meantime, Beatrice continues to wrestle with the proposal of marriage from globe-trotting Tanner Fordyce, off on yet another mission while Beatrice works out of her home office telecommuting as a translator and editor. Unfortunately, her old boss is gone and the new one isn’t working out–for Beatrice. Tanner, like Beatrice, had experienced a less than stellar childhood of Irish roots, Beatrice’s family from Boston. Tanner often harkens to the ancient Irish endearment “mo mhuirnin” (my darling) when signing off on his long distance calls.

The author weaves in the artful and knowledgeable handling of the llamas as Beatrice begins to experience strange happenings around the farm. She desperately misses Ralph, who would have alerted her to anyone on her property, but she does take security measures.

Clara’s mother is written as a despot; beyond comprehension how she could treat her daughter as she does, and creates a tension building conflict when Clara is left on the farm alone. (Beatrice has had to leave temporarily.) Clara is young, naive, and sure her own mother could not willfully scheme against her or Beatrice, although it’s difficult to imagine how she could not knowing her mother’s past deeds. The character produces a glut of protracted revulsion and sets the reader on edge, anxious to perceive how the author will produce a satisfactory remedy. In the meantime, it’s easy to get incredibly angry with Clara for not understanding Beatrice is the “real” mother here, protecting her even against her wishes.

The well-paced, well-plotted story creates that bond with characters struggling through discordance with others, the loneliness, catastrophic illness, coming of age, long-distance romance, and the struggles of survival in harsh, bitter winter conditions. The dialogue is natural and believable, the characters fleshed so well, you cheer for the little triumphs and wish Clara were close enough to slap her up long-side the head. She’s eighteen now! Get a grip! And Ralph, even I missed him. Or maybe not–didn’t we see him–once or twice?

A unique story for me! The animals are sweet. Then the plummet and anger, followed by a glimmer of hope. Emotions pulling one way, then the other. And always, always, wondering when or how is she going to get another dog? (You can’t replace a Ralph. Hubby and I also had one–a yellow lab–too smart for us but we loved him.) The author has an intelligent, articulate writing style that pops with little glimmers of Irish humor. The satisfying conclusion closes the trilogy. This is the first I’d read of the trilogy, but had no problem reading as a standalone.

I was given this ebook download by the author through Sage’s Blog Tours for a read and review and absolutely loved the book! It’s an amazing read–totally recommended.

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

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, was also released in 2018.

One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for One Feta in the Grave (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery) by Tina Kashian on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter for your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

One Feta in the Grave (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington (February 26, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1496713516
ISBN-13: 978-1496713513
Digital ASIN: B07DBPQQFJ

Book Blurb

As summer comes to an end in her Jersey Shore town, Lucy Berberian continues to manage her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. The Kebab Kitchen also has a food tent at this year’s beach festival. But now a local businessman is under the boardwalk—dead by the sea …

With a sand castle contest and live music, Ocean Crest bids a bittersweet farewell to tourist season. Summer will return next year … but Archie Kincaid won’t. The full-of-himself store owner has been fatally shot, soon after a screaming match with Lucy’s best friend. Katie’s far from the only suspect, though, since Archie had some bitter rivals—as well as some relationships no one knew about. It’s up to Lucy to look into some seedy characters and solve the case before the wrong person gets skewered …

Recipes included!

My Review

Lucy Berberian, a successful Philadelphia attorney, has returned to Ocean Crest, New Jersey, to claim a managerial position with her family’s Mediterranean restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. Ocean Crest is gearing up for the annual beach festival which features beach-front tents of shore and water-related clothes, equipment, toys, gifts, and a sand sculpture contest. Lucy has organized the food and wine event involving her family’s restaurant, which features the specialty plates by their head chef, Azad Zakarian, an early boyfriend. Lucy’s best childhood buddy Katie is helping with judging duties and quickly confronts a problem with Archie Kincaid, owner of one of the gift shops, when he allows his nephew to enter the competition against the rules.

When Lucy takes a break with a walk on the beach, she discovers Archie’s body under the boardwalk. Archie was fairly new to the New Jersey shore village but not very well liked and had managed to alienate a number of neighboring merchants. Detective Clemmons, with whom Lucy has had previous run-ins, is on the investigation and not pleased to see that Lucy has discovered (yet another) body. Because Katie was observed in a second altercation with Archie, suspicions immediately begin with her. Officer Bill Watson, Katie’s hubby, cannot be on the case which might involve his wife and privately requests that Lucy keep her eyes and ears open to any clues that might help with the investigation. As it turns out, Archie had created more enemies than she’d initially realized.

Lucy has gotten reacquainted with Michael, who also has a small enterprise on the boardwalk renting bicycles and periodically invites her out for a ride on his Harley. Descriptions of the delights of the motorcycle rides definitely had my attention, as I could SOOO relate, although I rode my own, and also a top-rated bike, a Beemer. Dang, gave me such wonderful memories as I relived the thrill of twisting the throttle and feeling that power, smelling the countryside, and enjoying the freedom!

Okay–well, back to the book! All those names of Greek dishes had me mystified, fascinated, and interested in a taste session, as I do enjoy Mediterranean cuisine. Although this was the third in the series, I feel it could function as a standalone. The well-plotted book takes a while to look at each clue and then rehashes it and each one leading up to that point. I found Michael engaging, but didn’t get into the triangle thing with him, Lucy and Azad. (She definitely had the hots for Azad. I found him annoying.) Sub-characters I enjoyed were Katie (very down to earth), the gypsy, and the kitty, who, whether stray or not, knew how to survive just fine. The mystery itself took a back seat to the culture and the food, and the ease into the antagonist was not wholly unexpected and made the most sense.

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review for this book tour. Recommended for those who enjoy an easy, clean cozy mystery.

Giveaway

Don’t miss your chance to sign up for this Giveaway of (4) Winner’s Choice – Print or Digital Copy of One Feta in the Grave (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery) by Tina Kashian (Print U.S. Only) by clicking on the Rafflecopter giveaway link.

About the Author

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sand castles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit www.tinakashian.com and join her Newsletter to enter free contests to win books, get delicious recipes, and to learn when her books will be released.

Author Links

Website: tinakashian.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16902011.Tina_Kashian

Purchase Links

Amazon – iBooks – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Google Books

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

Tour Participants:

February 26 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

February 26 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 26 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW

February 27 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

February 27 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

February 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

March 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

March 1 – Christa Reads and Writes – GUEST POST

March 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

March 2 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

March 2 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

March 3 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 4 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

March 4 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

March 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 5 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

March 5 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 6 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 6 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

March 7 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

March 7 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

March 8 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

March 8 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

March 9 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 9 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

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

Justice Gone by N Lombardi Jr #BookBlitz

I am so delighted today to provide a book blitz for you at my blog stop for Justice Gone by N Lombardi Jr on Sage’s Blog Tours.

Book Details

Title: Justice Gone by N Lombardi, Jr

Genre: #Literature & Fiction, Crime, Thriller

Publisher: Roundfire Books

Print Length: 336 pages

Publication Date: February 22, 2019

ISBN-10:1785358766
ISBN-13:978-1785358760

ASIN: B07N175RZJ

Source: Author, Publisher, and NetGalley

Book Blurb

When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down. A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran’s counselor, is caught up in the chase. Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa’s patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers get there first, leading to Darfield’s dramatic capture. Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge? Justice Gone is the first in a series of psychological thrillers involving Dr Tessa Thorpe, wrapped in the divisive issues of modern American society including police brutality and disenfranchised returning war veterans. N Lombardi Jr. is the author of compelling and heartfelt novel The Plain of Jars.

About the Author

N Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian). In 1997, while visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.

Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc. http://plainofjars.net

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone, was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.

Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Sage's Blog Tours Thanks to Sage’s Book Tours for the opportunity to provide a book blitz page for this heart-pounding fiction novel based on a real tragedy. The book will definitely stir an emotional cauldron. I read it. It did.

The Gun Also Rises by Sherry Harris #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for The Gun Also Rises-A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #6 by Sherry Harris on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1496716965
ISBN-13: 978-1496716965
Digital ASIN: B07CWF942Q

Book Blurb

TO RECOVER A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT . . .

A wealthy widow has asked Sarah Winston to sell her massive collection of mysteries through her garage sale business. While sorting through piles of books stashed in the woman’s attic, Sarah is amazed to discover a case of lost Hemingway stories, stolen from a train in Paris back in 1922. How did they end up in Belle Winthrop Granville’s attic in Ellington, Massachusetts, almost one hundred years later?

WILL SARAH HAVE TO PAY WITH HER LIFE?

Before Sarah can get any answers, Belle is assaulted, the case is stolen, a maid is killed, and Sarah herself is dodging bullets. And when rumors spread that Belle has a limited edition of The Sun Also Rises in her house, Sarah is soon mixed up with a mobster, the fanatical League of Literary Treasure Hunters, and a hard-to-read rare book dealer. With someone willing to kill for the Hemingway, Sarah has to race to catch the culprit—or the bell may toll for her . . .

My Review

A garage sale mystery! That is definitely something new for me in the cozy genre, and is there any better premise for a bunch of bibliophiles than a storyline about books? Rare books, exceedingly rare books. One of which is by famous author Hemingway no less. This book spelled fun from the beginning! I really enjoyed the author’s writing style–just enough snark to keep it kicky but respectable.

There are several threads weaving in and through the main storyline. The first is that protagonist Sarah Winston is involved in a fundraiser to bring home a war dog that is vital to the mental health of a recently returned veteran suffering from PTSD. Also, Sarah is invited to set up, catalog, and sell a massive collection of books at Ms. Belle Winthrop Granville’s mansion. She is a widow who is clearing out and donating the entire library. There are real collector’s items in the main library downstairs, including first edition, leather-bound rare and semi-rare books. While sifting through the “lesser” books in the attic, however, decades of paperbacks including Nancy Drew and assorted mysteries, Sarah discovers a case of original manuscripts by Hemingway.

OMG! I could almost smell them! Like finding the dead sea scrolls…so excited–definitely brought me back to the discovery of all the manuscripts my grandfather left. The paper, yellowing and somewhat brittle, so fragile. But if that’s not enough, before she can settle down, the case is stolen and she’s off to recover it–but nearly gets taken out by a wayward branch–another of which killed the maid who grabbed the case.

Rumors are flying about a limited, signed edition of The Sun Also Rises after Sarah finds a receipt for the missing book also secreted in the attic. Move over, Sarah, I’ll help you look! But that sets off a league of crazed treasure hunters, media frenzy, a big guy who insists on following her, and visits to one of the local mob bosses. Sarah, through her friends and contacts with her ex, gains access to the local base as she continues to work both the fundraiser and deliver pointed questions to whoever might have a connection to the missing manuscripts.

Characters are fairly well fleshed, though perhaps not thoroughly as they might this being the sixth in the series. Even so, I’m liking Sarah. She really knows how to go about pursuing bargains! And Seth has really piqued my interest. I like the setting in Ellington MA, which gives me peaks into Boston. Secondary characters are engaging and meld a fine connection to the protagonist who has had to restart her life off the base. I also appreciated the inside scoop on the role of military wives, particularly those with a ranked spouse, something not previously contemplated. The well-plotted narrative moves at a good pace and keeps interest through to the conclusion. I’m hooked and looking forward to the next in this series!

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for the book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review, giving me a new series to follow. Recommended for any looking for a unique perspective into cozy mysteries with a sassy, independent, and capable protagonist as well as the inside scoop on garage sales, and our veterans.

Giveaway

Here is your chance to win one of (3) Print Copies of The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery) by Sherry Harris (U.S. Only) in this Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Sherry Harris - author Agatha Award-nominated author, Sherry Harris, started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.

Author Links

Webpage – https://sherryharrisauthor.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sherry.n.harris.1

Twitter – https://twitter.com/SHarrisAuthor

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6208827.Sherry_Harris

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

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

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

Tour Participants:

January 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 28 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW

January 29 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

January 29 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 30 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 31 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

January 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

February 1 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

February 1 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

February 2 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 2 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

February 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 3 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

February 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 3 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

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

Murder Wears a Little Black Dress by Debra Sennefelder #BlogTour #BookReview

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder Wears a Little Black Dress by Debra Sennefelder on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Book Details

Murder Wears a Little Black Dress (A Resale Boutique Mystery) Book 1
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Lyrical Underground (January 22, 2019)
Paperback: 200 pages
ISBN-10: 1516108965
ISBN-13: 978-1516108961
Digital ASIN: B07CR2CG63

Book Blurb

Manhattan fashionista Kelly Quinn thought she’d left her upstate New York town far behind . . . until the Seventh Avenue expat returns home to revamp her grandmother’s

consignment shop into an upscale boutique—and unwittingly sets a trend for murder . . .

After her rising career as a Manhattan buyer is derailed, Kelly has mixed feelings about relocating back to Lucky Cove, in spite of her big plans for the soon-to-be-renamed Curated by Kelly Resale Boutique. What’s left of her luck starts running out when a customer puts on a black lace dress that triggers visions of someone being murdered. As if the haunted “Murder Dress” isn’t enough to kill business, the psychic’s doppelganger cousin has just been found bludgeoned to death.

Was Maxine LeMoyne the real target or was it a case of mistaken murder? With some creepy pre-Halloween bargain hunters walking the night and Kelly suddenly a person of interest, a second murder rocks the close-knit town. Now Kelly could be the one who ends up talking to dead people when she’s stalked by a killer determined to take her out in high style . . .

My Review

Ah, I love actually getting in on Book 1 of a new series and one that promises a hint of paranormal with the cozy, girly stuff, even better. Kelly Quinn has been drummed out of her high-fashion, up and coming position in New York in humiliating circumstances about the time her grandmother passes away and leaves her the decades old and established resale/consignment shop in Lucky Cove.

True to cozy standards, Kelly fled her small town trials and tribulations for the bright lights and excitement of the fashion world only to find herself back home living above Granny’s shop, re-establishing all her previous contacts and relatives. She’s had devastating experiences that left her guilt ridden which she’ll now have to confront and finally come to terms with.

The twenty-six-year-old protagonist tries to bring some of that New York sophistication to her granny’s shop with a general do-over, creating a higher-level boutique experience catering to a younger crowd. She’s studied colors, arrangements, retail and now must concentrate on bringing an aging, dusty inventory current. The problem is that during an initial three-day event, the town psychic tries on a black lace dress that gives her the vision of a murder. And as it normally does in a small town. Word gets around. Especially after Kelly discovers the body of the psychic’s sister. This can’t be good for business!

There are a number of support characters to get to know in Book 1, not all of whom are well-fleshed, but exhibit engaging personalities, including Liv, Kelly’s bestie. Then there is Pepper, her grandmother’s contemporary, best friend, and co-worker who resists even the slightest change to the shop in which she’d worked so many years. Her uncle and aunt perform duties close to antagonists while twists and turns abound as Kelly is yanked first on one trail then another to discover the truth behind the “murder dress” and then proceeds to defend her own culpability in any crime. She has inherited a cat and confronts a cousin that is more hinder than help.

Kelly is ready to run away again, but fights the notion, and gets everyone’s opinion whether she should stay and battle it out or run. She is alternately at a loss while brain-storming new promotion ideas for the boutique. In the meantime, we are given the down-low on designer labels, accessories, and fashion trends. Prada would be proud! There are unanswered questions here–backstory on the estrangement of Kelly with her sister being one. The series has lots of room to grow and it’s fun to start at the beginning and see where this one will take you.

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley for the book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review.

About the Author

Debra Sennefelder and is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie and Billy. Find out more about her at her website, http://www.DebraSennefelder.com

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

Tour Participants:

January 21 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 21 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 22 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 23 – My Reading Journey – REVIEW

January 23 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

January 24 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

January 25 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 26 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 26 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 27 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

January 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

January 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 29 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

January 29 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 1 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 3 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

February 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

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

A Literal Mess by J C Kenney #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

I am super delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for A Literal Mess by J C Kenney on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Book Details

A Literal Mess (An Allie Cobb Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Lyrical Underground (January 8, 2019)
Print Length: 196 pages
ASIN: B07C6T6X41

Book Blurb

The first book in a new series featuring Allie Cobb brings the New York literary agent back to her Hoosier home town where a mysterious death keeps everyone on spoiler alert . . .

Allie Cobb left home for the literary circles of Manhattan to make her name out from under the shadow of her legendary father. Now his death brings her and her rescue cat Ursula back to the southern Indiana town of Rushing Creek, population: 3,216. But a tragic new chapter hits the presses when the body of her father’s hard-drinking, #1 bestselling client is found under the historic town bridge. The local police suspect foul play and their prime candidate for murder is the author’s daughter—Allie’s longtime friend.

Determined to clear her bestie, Allie goes into fact-checking amateur detective mode while trying to ignore the usual rumormongers. Those with means, motive, and opportunity include the vic’s ex-wife, his rejected girlfriend, the mayor, and a rival agent trying to mooch clients. With a rugged genealogist distracting her and the imminent Fall Festival about to send tourists descending on their once-peaceful hamlet, Allie needs to stay alive long enough to get a read on a killer ready to close the book on a new victim: Allie . . .

My Review

Yes! A cozy with a NYC literary agent as the protagonist, groomed as a solid book lover promoter by her beloved father! Her father, a literary agent and her mentor with a large contingent of strong clients, has passed away without Allie Cobb being able to return to Rushing Creek, Indiana prior to his passing. She is overwhelmed with emotion, fighting guilt at not being home in time, and nauseated at the thought of facing her siblings and mother who was in attendance those last painful months.

But he’d left her a powerful legacy, that love of books. Books, authors, their editors and agents. And it’s an intricate network of people with whom Allie must now work to help shut down her father’s agency, as she’d promised her mother. She is heartbroken, and the story begins with strong emotions, planting a sentimental tie between the characters who one by one gently intrude in the grieving process as they are fleshed. Her best friend, Sloane Winchester, lends her shoulder to cry on, but before Allie can get through the funeral for her own father, Sloane’s father is found–murdered.

First, you have to understand that it’s a small town in Indiana. A very small town. Anyone from a small town knows that everyone knows everyone and their business. The Police Chief happens to be her sister’s ex. Growing up, she was never terribly close to her older sister, Rachel, who now has twin boys and the boy’s father appeared to be a bully. Allie, however, has several things going for her. First, she has made a name for herself in the literary world of New York, can stand on her own, and she “short persons syndrome.” Oh, and also, she enjoys the fine art of kickboxing. Her sister’s ex doesn’t scare her. But she has promised Sloane she would help to solve her father’s murder and in for a penny, in for a pound. (Sorry, old clichés are a no-no, I’m aware of that, but couldn’t help myself.)

Whether this is a female protagonist that exhibits aggressive tendencies due to being crafted by a male author, or it’s a subtle expression of her implied New York background and stature, this little lady is no shrinking violet when facing the suspects on her list. She is an in your face, “did you kill Thornwell” kind of gal. She is purposeful and methodical as she works through the possible suspects and there are a few twists and red herrings, leaving no down time. Working with a Police Chief who is slightly beyond his element is pushing disbelief, but is explained plausibly. Then she goes back to her mother’s home and dissolves into her grief and doubt and leans heavily on Ursi, her kitty, for moral support. Both Ursula and Sammy, Brent’s golden retriever, add a welcoming and lightening animal contribution to the well-plotted storyline.

Loved the author’s characterization of the mid-west rural Indiana location and the people preparing for the “fall leaf peeping” festival, the chocolate shop, the winery. Allie feels that tug, the nostalgia for the community feeling (something she was missing in New York), and Brent, the shy guy in the library installing a genealogy center. The question is tearing at her, New York is waiting, but…

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for this blog tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read this debut from the author and the first in his series. It’s a thoroughly engaging beginning and I can’t wait to see where he takes these characters. Book 2 in the series, A Genuine Fix, is due to release on July, 2019. Recommended as a unique and enjoyable cozy platform, easy escapist fun.

Giveaway

Sign up for your chance to win this very special Amazon gift card in this Rafflecopter giveaway

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

About the Author

J.C. Kenney grew up in a household filled with books by legends Agatha Christie and Lilian Jackson Braun, among many others, so it was no surprise when he found himself writing mystery stories. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two sons, and a cat who is the inspiration for Ursula in the Allie Cobb Mysteries.