#bookpost – Page 102 – Rosepoint Publishing

Snowed Under (A Maggie McDonald Mystery Book 6) by Mary Feliz – a #BookReview – #cozymystery

Happy Release Day!

Book Blurb:

When professional organizer Maggie McDonald finds a body in a snowdrift outside her friend’s ski cabin, she must plow through the clues to find a cold-blooded killer . . .

Lake Tahoe in February is beautiful, but Maggie can’t see a thing as she drives through a blinding blizzard with her friend Tess Olmos and their dogs, golden retriever Belle and German shepherd Mozart.Maggie has offered her professional decluttering skills to help Tess tidy up her late husband’s cabin in preparation to sell. She also plans to get in some skiing when her husband Max and their boys join them later in the week.

What she doesn’t plan on is finding a boot in a snowdrift attached to a corpse. The frozen stiff turns out to be Tess’s neighbor, Dev Bailey, who disappeared two months ago. His widow Leslie expresses grief, but Maggie can’t help but wonder if it’s a snow job. As more suspects start to pile up, things go downhill fast, and Maggie must keep her cool to solve the murder before the killer takes a powder . .

My Review:

My first experience with the author and the series included dogs (and if you follow my blog, you know I can’t resist a book with doggy characters) and gorgeous Lake Tahoe–such a soft spot in my heart for Lake Tahoe–so many happy memories there. But winter in Tahoe? Oh yes, can be extremely treacherous.

This entry to the series has protagonist Maggie making a trip to Tahoe with her good friend Tess Olmos in February as Maggie will take on years of accumulation in Tess’s family cabin in preparation for a future sale to finance Tess’s son’s college expenses and her change of profession. Maggie is a professional organizer and this will be a getaway trip for her with her family following later for a ski vacation. Should be perfect! But, oops! The weather can turn on a dime in the High Sierras. The blizzard from hell hits them on their way over Donner Summit (no doubt you’ve heard that well-know story before–the Donner Party?) and it’s all they can do to make it to the cabin safely.

Leaving the car where it doesn’t belong in the turnaround, the first trip out of the cabin in the morning to trek back to the car has Maggie discovering a DB (that’s dead body in cop-speak). Unfortunately, the husband of one of Tess’s neighbors took his dog out just after Christmas and never returned. It sends Tess reeling as she lost her husband just 18 months previous and is part of the reason she’s selling. Between the weather and the unnerving discovery, organizing, cleaning, and clearing gets put on the back burner.

Maggie begins to meet the neighbors from the cul-de-sac snoop to the family of the deceased, all just struggling to survive the latest spate of storms crippling the mountains and their lives. The conditions are extreme, between the loss of power and heat, high winds, and plummeting temperatures, everyone hunkers down. Descriptions of the mountains and hillside homes create an appropriate frigid scene. Maggie’s dog, Belle, and Tess’s dog, Mozart, along with neighbors dogs lend added dimension to the cozy, if not freezing atmosphere.

Perhaps this is one of those series in which you should have started with Book 1. I found myself lost, especially in the first third of the book understanding the characters. There seemed contradictions in description, causing a stumble, awkward scenes, and dialogue. Maggie begins her surreptitious interviews of the neighbors and discovers there may have been more than one possible suspect. Chief Quinn Petit seems to welcome the help even as the plot takes some twists which will have you suspending disbelief. Visit from friends back home (under extreme conditions?) and a sudden introduction to the perp in the conclusion was rather contrived and somewhat a disappointment for me.

I received this digital download from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read for a review. If you’ve followed the series, you may very well appreciate this entry, enjoy the cozy mystery.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Animal Mysteries
Publisher: Lyrical Press

ISBN-10:1516105311
ISBN-13:978-1516105311
ASIN: B07WBY669T

Print Length: 227 pages
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Snowed Under

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Three-point Five of Five Stars

The Author: Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead, but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust. Her first book, ADDRESS TO DIE FOR, received a Kirkus Star and was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews. Suspense Magazine selected CLIFF HANGER as a Best Book of 2019. A Certified California Naturalist, Mary enjoys sharing the beauty of her state’s natural world with readers.

Act of Deception: A Medical Thriller (A Doc Brady Mystery Book 2) by John Bishop MD – a #BookReview – #Medical Fiction

Medical malpractice lawsuits–Big, Big Bucks

Book Blurb:

Is it medical malpractice, or is the attorney just another ambulance chaser?

It’s 1995, and Houston orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jim Bob Brady has been sued for medical malpractice; a mysterious infection caused a knee replacement to end up as an amputation. Donovan Shaw, a ruthless plaintiff’s attorney, has taken the case and doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that he and Brady share a number of friends. “It’s not personal!” Shaw says. But it feels personal—especially when Shaw threatens, “I will do anything, and I mean anything, to win the case, even if I have to destroy you and that pretty wife of yours. I will stop at nothing. You remember that!”

And Brady isn’t the only one in his practice being sued. How is Shaw getting his inside information? Can the patients afford to say no to filing lawsuits, even if the claims aren’t valid? Through a series of twists and turns, and with the support of his wife Mary Louise and their professional investigator son J. J, Brady once again doggedly goes into “sleuth mode” to get to the truth of the matter—even after his life is put in jeopardy. Will he survive, only to find himself at the mercy of the wild and wooly Houston court system? Is this whole mess his fault? Or is there an act of deception involved?

My Review:

Dr James Robert Brady, Jim Bob to you Southerners, is a valued orthopedic Houston surgeon with a reputation for excellent work when he discovers himself being sued by one of his patients. William (Billy) Jones had his right leg amputated above the knee after a deadly infection sets in five months following Dr Brady’s original knee replacement. He’d previously had infections that Dr Brady treated with apparent success and is shocked to see him back with further complications.

The storyline examines the murky world of malpractice lawsuits, the difference between barratry and solicitation, ambulance chasers sometimes involved, and the insurance company’s role in the escalating problems of insurance coverage and medical-legal support.

Feeling with absolute certainty that he did everything according to the book and as his colleagues concurred at the time, he now seems to be faced with the uphill battle of proving his lack of culpability in the tragic resulting surgery to Mr. Jones. Not that he’s being hung out to dry all by his lonesome, but everyone soon begins to advocate his settling. Just make it go away.

Nope!

Won’t do it.

Something is off.

Brady’s reputation has taken years to build. This would destroy him. Moreover, with the hospital facing increasing expenses and several other doctors facing lawsuits, their group and his affiliated hospital are facing a crisis. They go to trial.

Plaintiff’s lawyer is a sleaze, the kind of attorney who gives the profession a bad rap. But he’s good. He’s very, very good. Moreover, his investigator is a despot. He is bad news; very, very bad. Dr. Brady collaborates with his sleuthing son, engages any help he can find, and desperately searches for the missing connection.

The author introduces a number of well-fleshed support characters, both protagonists and antagonists. Jim Bob is well-developed, also a musician of some note, given dimensions in his personal as well as professional life. An unexpected twist occurs which momentarily knocks the plot off the rails, but much occurs off-stage and quickly brings you back up to speed. It is a well-paced and plotted story into the reveal, which hands the reader one last little twist.

There are sufficient medical explanations and terminology to convince the reader of the expertise of the author and between that and the insight into the world of medical insurance and malpractice lawsuits, quite the eye-opener. I liked the way the courtroom scenes unfolded (loved the judge!) and the doctor’s theory advanced into the satisfying conclusion.

I received this digital download from the publisher and NetGalley in the expectation of an honest review and appreciated the opportunity to read Book 2 of the series. I’ll be interested to see what develops in Book 3. Recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Medical Fiction, Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Mantid Press

ISBN-10:1734251123
ISBN-13:978-1734251128
ASIN: B087HHY69X

Print Length: 276 pages
Publication Date: June 10, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Act of Deception (on Pre-Order Now at)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: [John Bishop MD] Lost for over 20 years, Act of Murder is the first rediscovered novel in a new medical thriller series set in the changing environment of medicine in the mid-1990s. Bishop’s sense of humor and surprising wit create a story of medical miscreants capable of murder, mayhem, and greed. His 30 years as a practicing orthopedic surgeon give the reader a unique glimpse into the medical world with all its problems, intricacies and complexities, while at the same time revealing the compassion and dedication of most health care professionals.

The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot by Tony Morgan – a #BookReview – #HistoricalFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

The gripping new historical novel set in atmospheric Tudor York.
Winner of the Coffee Pot Book Club Highly Recommended award – “A heartbreaking book that grabs you from the first page and does not let you go until the last full-stop. I cannot praise this book enough. It was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. This is an example of Historical Fiction at its most exquisite.”

When Margaret Clitherow is arrested for illegally harbouring Catholic priests, her friends, led by a youthful Guy Fawkes, face a race against time to save her from the gallows. As events unfold, their lives, and our history, change forever.

What events could persuade a happily married woman to become a martyr or transform a young man into a terrorist?

Guy Fawkes didn’t set out to be an explosive expert, nor Mistress Margaret Clitherow a martyr. Nor did either begin life as a Catholic, but life, experience, and events have a way of unfolding an inexorable path down which we seem to be drawn. This storyline doesn’t focus on Guy Fawkes and his later exploits that eventually got him caught but it is while he is being tortured that he reverts to the narration of his life to divert himself from the pain to the path that diverged with Mistress Clitherow.

In Tudor York, England is in the midst of a major change of reigning churches and seeing a dissolution from the Roman Catholic Church and the Papists. It has now become a treasonable offense to remain Catholic and suddenly those who practice the “old religion” must do so in privacy, careful not to reveal their true allegiance. AND, anyone caught harboring a priest or the religious were quickly brought up on the same stiff penalties as those caught performing Mass.

In a well-researched and plotted account of the story of St. Margaret Clitherow, the author weaves a plausible account of young Guy being expelled from school for fighting with the town bully and the discovery of his mother sneaking out to Mass held in a deeply secreted space under and behind the residence of Margaret Clitherow. She has a reputation for kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity. Her husband is the neighborhood butcher, a Protestant, and elevated in social standing. But one night, after Guy accompanies his mother to Mass, the house is raided and one of the two priests is caught. Not long after, Mistress Clitherow is also arrested.

The trial being a sham, not difficult to imagine she’ll be sentenced to death. The form of her punishment, however, is said to be shaped by how she’ll plea. And she does not. Will not. She is caught between a rock and a hard place. Anything she admits to would only trickle down and cause untold suffering to not only her family but many others as well. In addition, she will not denounce her Catholic faith, revert to the Church of England. She appears to have no equitable way to save her own life and resolutely resigns herself to a death she didn’t realize would be quite such a horrendous, hideous, extremely torturous way to die. Still, she has no real choice. It seems beyond reason that humans could devise such a brutal execution.

The author has done a tremendous job of bringing a stinging history to light and creating a plausible explanation for her sacrifice as well as the lasting effects her death and the later death of Guy’s own family has on the course his life will take. Fawkes’s life left an indelible mark in the history of England as well.

If I had any quibbles, it was the subtle changes of Guy’s retrospective to his current circumstances on the rack. Utterly engaging tale of suspicion, betrayal, brutality, survival, and faith. Deeply emotional and sympathetic characters, barbaric instruments, descriptions of Tudor streets vibrant with the sounds and fetid smells of crowded city life. Thoroughly entertaining, captivating prose.

“Abundance of knowledge does not teach men to be wise.”

“Mistress Clitherow…she’s a pearl inside this monstrous oyster.”

We received this digital download from the author in the expectation of a review and these are our own opinions. Wholly recommended.

This author opened my eyes to the reason for western migration to the Americas in the 17^th century. The Reformation period developed large schisms within the European countries. The Church of England was replacing the Roman Catholic Church and it became a treasonable offense to remain Catholic. Trials were held throughout Great Britain for those who practiced the old faith or harbored priests. Priests that did not renounce their faith were subjected to terrible pain and ultimately killed.

Mistress Margaret Clitherow is one of these unfortunates. She resided in York and was held in great esteem by the local populace. However, she was caught attending clandestine Catholic masses. It would have been easy to save her own life, simply renounce her faith and embrace the Protestant Church of England. For a staunch catholic this would mean saving her life but going to hell. She is a young and affable lady caught in a martyr’s quandary. She will not give up her faith.

The main character, young Guy Fawkes, is determined to save her. He and a local priest as well as a Protestant minister set out to accomplish that task. The fervor within the area is to trap and bring to justice those who have not renounced their faith.

Some of the methods for punishing the holdouts are particularly gruesome.

Priests who are caught were usually hung, drawn and quartered. The spectacle was available for the entertainment of the population. Trying to rescue those who practiced the faith was also a treasonable event.

This book is well written and mesmerizing in the telling. I wondered how Martin Luther and the others who began the Reformation must have felt. The tithes received by the church would be kept in the countries who altered their faith. The faithful paid the ultimate price for the changes to the faith and the dissolution of the Roman Catholic faith in the various countries.

I highly recommend this book to those who cherish their faith and embrace the sacrifice made by those who suffered the ultimate for their beliefs. This author captures the sentiment of the period in the telling. 5 stars CE Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller
ASIN: B0852P7RPV
Print Length: 237 pages
Publication Date: March 1, 2020
Source: Direct Author Request
Title Link(s): The Pearl of York [Amazon]

The Author: [Goodreads] Tony Morgan is a Welsh author living in Yorkshire in the UK, near to the birth place of Guy Fawkes.

His books have been described as a perfect read for lovers of the works of C.J. Sansom and S. J. Parris and anyone interested in how historic events have shaped our own times.

In addition to writing novels, Tony gives history on topics such as Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot and the life of Margaret Clitherow.

[Find Tony Morgan on his website here.]

The Thorny Rose Mysteries by Lauren Carr – #Audiobook Tour – #Giveaway

Yahoo! I get to present Spotlights, Excerpts, and a Giveaway for IRead Book Tours.

“The plot was original, fresh and fast-paced in spite of the
“traditional elements” employed which can normally be found in any other
thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its
unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot
would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense
twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the
writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for
is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts,
the book would have been one serious read.” – Reviewer: Book and Ink

Join us for this tour from May 4 to Jun 5, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: Kill and Run by Lauren Carr

Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series (Volume 1)

Category: Adult fiction, 422 pages

Genre: Murder Mystery

Publisher: Acorn Book Services

Release date: September, 2015

Format available for review: audible (download code), ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF)

Tour dates: May 4 to Jun 5, 2020

Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

Book Description:

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered
in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers
together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton,
USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims,
then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the
victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron
Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a
Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night
shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in
Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift
through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the
Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning
killer?

Buy the Book:

Audible ~Amazon

Add to Goodreads

“Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their
lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the
answers are found, it left me wanting more.” – Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental

Book Description:After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton
are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in
their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle
of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep
secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out
at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her
latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may
have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the
winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims,
Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker,
a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a
community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an
end to the Thorny Rose couple?

Buy the Book:

Audible ~
Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to
escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and
love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into
the wee hours.” Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn

Book Description:

Beware: Perfection has a dark side!Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night.
The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a
couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned
by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and
business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose
detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to
discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

Buy the Book:

Audible ~ Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Enjoy this latest Thorny Rose Mystery! Coming soon to Audible!

“Wow – this is one INCREDIBLE novel that I could not put down.
It had me on the edge of my seat and I can honestly say that I never
saw the end coming. It was full of suspense, action but also humour
(done in a way that only Lauren can accomplish).” – 5-Star Review of THE NUTCRACKER CONSPIRACY by Working Mommy Journal

Book Details:Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy (A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr

Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Acorn Book Services

Release date: January 30, 2020

Format available for review: audible (download code), mobi, epub, PDF

Tour dates: May 4 to Jun 5, 2020

Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries,
so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on
stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some
mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

Book Description:Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.

Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.

“She was number twelve,” Dean says.

“Twelve?” Murphy asks.

“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”

Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:

“13”

Buy the Book:

Amazon.com ~ Audible (coming soon!)

BookBub ~ Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across
three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include
mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.

A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Webs ite ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Tour Schedule:

May 4 – Hall Ways Blog – series spotlight / giveaway

May 4 – She Just Loves Books – series spotlight / giveaway

May 4 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – series spotlight / giveaway

May 4 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway

May 4 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of Kill and Run

May 5 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder

May 6 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway

May 6 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection

May 7 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

May 8 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway

May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

May 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway

May 11 – Merlot Et mots –series spotlight / giveaway

May 12 – Laura’s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway

May 12 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway

May 13 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway

May 13 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway

May 13 – Lamon Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

May 14 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway

May 15 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – series spotlight

May 19 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

May 19 – Rosepoint Publishing – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway

May 20 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway

May 20 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway

May 20 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway

May 21 – Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection

May 21 – La libreria di Beppe – series spotlight / giveaway

May 22 – fundinmental – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway

May 25 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of Murder By Perfection / giveaway

May 25 – T’s Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway

May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway

May 27 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway

May 27 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway

May 27 – Books for Books – series spotlight

May 28 – Bookish Quest – series spotlight / author interview/ giveaway

May 29 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – series spotlight / guest post

Jun 1 – Thoughts in Progress – series spotlight / giveaway

Jun 2 – Svetlana’s reads and views – series spotlight

Jun 2 – Kristin’s Novel Café – series spotlight

Jun 3 – Buried Under Books – series spotlight / giveaway

Jun 3 – Blooming with Books – series spotlight / giveaway

Jun 4 – Rosepoint Publishing – series spotlight / giveaway

Jun 4 –Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Jun 5 – The avid reader – series spotlight/giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Attic (A Magical Misfits Mystery Book 1) by Lina Hansen – a #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Sometimes all it takes is murder to discover who you truly are.
Grammar school teacher Myrtle Coldron has no patience to spare for Aunt Eve’s Wiccan shenanigans. Myrtle ignores auntie’s frantic plea for help—only to learn she has crashed from the attic to her death. The circumstances are suspicious; murder is on the cards. Riddled with guilt, Myrtle returns to the Witch’s Retreat, Eve’s beloved Bed and Breakfast, to sleuth for the truth.

No such luck.

The sleepy, historic village sheltering the B+B also hides a mystery. Soon enough, Myrtle is besieged by a zany posse of suspects, nightly visitors in the attic, threatening notes—and a zombie primula with a mind of its own.

Somebody is out to get her, and it will take all her skills—including those she doesn’t care for—to keep Myrtle alive.

My Review:

Myrtle Coldron has to return to Avebury and her aunt’s B&B when she is notified of the former Wiccan’s passing. Her aunt had tried to call for her help, but Myrtle wouldn’t return the call. The local police close the case marking the death accidental but now her death appears to be very suspicious, she feels even worse and vows to learn the truth.

Her aunt’s B&B called the Witch’s Retreat has only a few guests at the moment and she has the aid of Eve Coldron’s housekeepers-pseudo managers to keep things in order. The aunt had taken her in after the tragic death of her parents. Her cousin, Daisy, Eve’s heir apparent, is not the most reliable and Myrtle will stay to help make arrangements and coordinate with the attorney.

Unfortunately, her aunt bequeaths the B&B to Myrtle leaving her cousin only a stipend and a place to live. Strange things begin to happen and begin to escalate. The two male guests seem at odds with each other. Avebury is an interesting setting, ancient (with an aura even we felt when we visited–also a cold, rainy day). The weather coming out of a long winter is still wet, dreary, and cold lending a dismal atmosphere.

The subject of witches, druids, and the mystery of the stones have enjoyed quite a bit of research and lends entertaining threads. The staff (sisters), local residents, and a coordinating officer introduce several support characters. Myrtle is not fully developed, though we know she is an unmarried educator. She undertakes a search to discover her aunt’s artifacts and in the process begins to discover much more about her aunt–and herself–than she ever imagined.

Although well-plotted, the pacing, particularly at the beginning, is rather slow as it establishes the scene, B&B descriptions, and characters. I enjoyed the writing style infused with self-talk and some humorous observations. The author allows the tension to build as additional quirky happenings send Myrtle scrambling to protect herself and reveal the who and why. The climax comes unexpectedly revealing the one you might not have suspected. While there are a couple unexplained threads, the conclusion leaves a couple doors open for a storyline to explore in Book 2.

I was offered the digital download in the hope of a review and feel it’s a good start to a promising series. If you enjoy a magical aspect in your reads or witchy stories, you’ll appreciate this narrative of the discovery of powers.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Amateur Sleuths, Witch & Wizard Mysteries
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust

ISBN-10:1942856512
ISBN-13:978-1942856511
ASIN: B085KPYKPT

Print Length: 280 pages
Publication Date: July 1, 2020
Source: Direct Author Request
Title Link(s): In My Attic (Amazon)

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: LINA HANSEN has been a freelance travel journalist, teacher, bellydancer, postal clerk and science communication specialist stranded in the space sector. Numbed by factoid technical texts, she set out to write the stories she loves to read– cozy and romantic mysteries with a dollop of humour and a magical twist. After living and working in the UK, Lina, her husband, and their feline companion now share a home in the foothills of Castle Frankenstein. Lina is a double Watty Award Winner, Featured Author, and a Wattpad Star. In My Attic is the first of the Magical Misfits series of mysteries.

Contact Ms. Hansen at http://linahansenauthor.com/contact/ or @lhansenauthor

Rosepoint Reviews May Recap–Hello June!

Rosepoint Reviews - May Recap

My claim to fame in May will be that I mastered the instructions for creating a mask out of one of the CE’s pair of cotton socks. No sewing, no pipe cleaners, no rubber string around the ears. There are apparently a number of different and unique varieties of no-sew masks and at least I can breathe with this one (which probably tells me how effective it is). I do not have, however, any denim or canvas, in my remnant box supposedly the most effective DIY mask material. Perhaps you’ve created your own designer mask and if it’s a no-sew version, I’m always open to suggestions.

May is normally the month here in NWI where we sun-starved and chilly folks are ready to grab the shovel and seeds. But it’s been a very slow spring and we’ve literally gone from jackets to tank tops in a couple days–and back again. I did get some seeds in and for Mother’s Day treated to our local nurseries that have opened in limited capacity, so what didn’t manage to cling to the soil that last rain deluge was augmented with a few 2″ starts. Since putting Handsome Husband on a vegetarian diet, we are eating a LOT of veggies and salads around here.

I’ll be happy with fifteen reviews in May, four of which were contributed by that Vicarious Blogger, the CE. You’d think all that help would free me up for more reading, but nay. I spent the time trying to save the garden–several times–hence the time to listen to those audiobooks!

Sucker Punch: Getting Killed Can Be the Least of Your Problems by Jim Carroll

Forgiveness Falls by Kate James
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen (Audiobook-5 Stars!)
Out of the Red and Into the Black by Shane S Ahalt Sr (A CE Review)
The Secret of Bones by Kylie Logan
Sucker Punch by Jim Carroll (A CE 5-star review)
Curse of the Ninth by Ruthie Marlenée (Author Request Literary Historical)
What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark
Murder by Perfection by Lauren Carr (Audiobook Blog Tour)
Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Audiobook)
Bones of the Innocent by John A Connell (A CE 5-star Review)
An Unequal Defense by Chad Zunker
Kelegeen by Eileen O’Finlan (Literary Historical)
Bossypants by Tina Fey (Audiobook–loved it–5 stars)
Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth (Blog Tour and Giveaway)
Departure by Joseph Reid (A CE Review)

Not all procured from NetGalley, the audiobooks from my local lending library, except the one for the blog tour.

Progress on the challenges: Audiobooks, NetGalley, Historical, and Goodreads–two books behind schedule at 68 of 170. 40%. I’ll have to talk to the man about stepping up his pace! To follow my progress, click on the Reading Challenges page.

Such a dark, tragic period in our country right now and around the world. I hope that wherever you are, you continue to stay safe in the face of CoVid19 and are finding creative ways to cope. Working in my garden(s) and your likes and comments always make my day. And always, thank you new followers!

Stay safe!

Stay Smart, Safe, Home

Departure (Seth Walker Book 3) by Joseph Reid – A #BookReview by the CE

Air marshal Seth Walker is called in to investigate the disappearance of an electrical engineer at SFO.

Book Blurb:

The Amazon Charts bestselling series continues as air marshal Seth Walker hunts a potential terrorist who could hold the key to the darkest chapter of his own past.

When an electrical engineer from one of America’s premier tech companies disappears inside the San Francisco International Airport before an overseas flight, air marshal Seth Walker is called in to investigate. With the clock ticking down and questions multiplying at every turn, Walker can’t afford to fail: the lives of all two hundred thousand passengers inside SFO may hang in the balance.

As he races through crowded concourses, desperately searching for clues, Walker can sense this is no routine missing-persons case. But as he digs ever deeper into the young man’s background, the tangle of contradictions he finds is confounding. Is the engineer the victim of a crime…or the perpetrator of one?

As the case forces Walker to confront his own demons and the reason he fled his former life in industry, finding this man may mean exposing his own darkest secret.

His Review:

Air Marshal Seth is landing at LAX, returning from an assignment, when he is intercepted to follow another case. Riding on a plane with a thoroughly obnoxious passenger is not unheard of. However, this fellow makes himself a real mean and classic drunk. You know, the kind you wished there were emergency exits for!

He left the electronics industry due to the suicide of his boss which has left him with remaining questions. But industrial espionage will be the primary focus of this book. Would a foreign power really try to capture and steal the technology developed in this country? As you read you be the judge. A major support character is Melissa Cooke, Special Agent for the F.B.I.

The object of the diversion is a young Arab immigrant named Anah El Amin. Remarkably, throughout the book, he stays one step ahead of Seth and Melissa at the airport in San Francisco.

I enjoyed the story and the plot but found the various treks through the terminals at SFO just a little slow at times. My thoughts developed a parallel plot. Why can’t they simply have a cadre of people looking at all the surveillance footage and see where El Amin is currently located rather than looking at past footage and then trying to keep up with his progress?

Amin escapes with his Chinese co-conspirator in a small jet. They head to another US destination and our two agents are able to commandeer a plane to follow them. They arrive at the new destination at about the same time.

CE Williams I found the resourcefulness of both the two conspirators and the two agents entertaining. There was a lot of action and the storyline is well-paced. The climax was a surprise. A new series and author for me, I read as a standalone. We received the digital download from NetGalley in exchange for a read and review and these are my honest opinions. Recommended. C.E. Williams

Book Details:

Genre: Military Thrillers, Technothrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

ISBN-10:1542041813
ISBN-13:978-1542041812

ASIN: B07S6MWR88
Print Length: 322 pages
Publication Date: August 11, 2020
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Departure (Amazon)

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: Joseph Reid is the author of the bestselling Seth Walker series, featuring the air marshal-turned-investigator who solves crimes in and around aviation.
The son of a navy helicopter pilot, Reid chased great white sharks as a marine biologist before becoming a patent lawyer who litigates multi-million-dollar cases for high-tech companies. He has flown millions of miles on commercial aircraft and has spent countless hours in airports around the world. A graduate of Duke University and the University of Notre Dame, he lives in San Diego with his wife and children. [Find Mr. Reid at his website here.]

Bossypants by Tina Fey – An #Audiobook Review Narrated by the Author

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Before Liz Lemon, before “Weekend Update”, before “Sarah Palin”, Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both of those dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey’s story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon – from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we’ve all suspected: you’re no one until someone calls you bossy.

Includes special, never-before-solicited opinions on breastfeeding, princesses, Photoshop, the electoral process, and Italian rum cake!

My Review:

If you’ve ever wondered if an author can read his/her own book and do it any justice, I urge you to give this audiobook a listen. Even if you’ve read her book–give the audiobook a listen. She so totally nails the pacing, the insinuations, the whispered asides, and the timbre, you can’t help but hang on every word. There were times I shared chapters with the CE and he laughed along with me.

A memoir? Nah. Autobiography? No–it is categorized as Comedy and Humor Essays and I’d say there were enough of both that you don’t really need a memoir, per se. Why not just enjoy the humorous aspects of her memories, giving you a personal glimpse to the woman inside Tina Fey. What you get is what you see? Perhaps more than you realized. She is enormously talented and she doesn’t take a lot of nonsense from anyone–hence the title.

Still, you are given vignettes into her childhood, adolescence, and the road to success through her experience with Second City, stint in SNL, and now 30 Rock. To be fair–no–30 Rock is not a show I watch, but then I don’t watch much on TV anymore, period. I specifically enjoyed the chapters on her dad, “That’s Don Fey,” as well as “My Honeymoon,” “The Secrets of Mommy’s Beauty,” “Amazing, Gorgeous, and Not Like That.” But “Kotex Classic” has to be a classic. Did I forget to mention her experience with the “Teat Nazis?” (Her attempt at breastfeeding didn’t go all that well.) Gees, I laughed at so many of her observations!

“Gay people don’t actually try to convert people. That’s Jehovah’s Witnesses you’re thinking of.”

Her intro to writing for SNL was a hoot, her role gradually evolving into performing (memorably as Sarah Palin) as well. It certainly makes those “stars” human, the actors, her fellow writers, and directors, with special love notes to Amy Poehler.

While the audiobook that Amy Poehler narrated was classed Biographies of Women and Humor Essays, I found little to confirm those categories, whereas I felt Fey’s Humor Essays were just that–one right after the other. I was quite surprised to read some of the reviews on Goodreads that didn’t appreciate either. Do both Poehler and Fey tend to get a bit profane? Yup. And there are no subjects taboo. (I suspect their lives have been greatly more exposed to the baser part of life than I.)

I received this audiobook download from my local library audiobook selection delivered through Overdrive. THANK YOU! You looking for a humorous oasis in this pandemic cloud? I suggest this just might give you that respite.

Book Details:

Genre: Comedy, Humor Essays
Publisher: Hachette Audio
ASIN: B004V6APR2
Listening Length: 5 hrs 31 mins
Narrator: Tina Fey
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Source: Local (Audiobook Selections) Library
Title Link: Bossypants

Tina Fey - actress, author — SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — NBC Late Night — Pictured: Featured Player and Head Writer Tina Fey — NBC Photo: Mary Ellen Matthews

The Author: [from Goodreads] Elizabeth Stamatina “Tina” Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer. She has received seven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Writers Guild of America Awards. She was singled out as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008 by the Associated Press, who gave her their AP Entertainer of the Year award.

After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1992, Fey moved to Chicago to take classes at the improvisational comedy group The Second City, where she became a featured player in 1994. Three years later, Fey became a writer for the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). She was promoted to the position of head writer in 1999. The following year, Fey was added to the cast of SNL. During her time there, she was co-anchor of the show’s Weekend Update segment. After leaving SNL in 2006, she created the television series called 30 Rock, a situation comedy loosely based on her experiences at SNL. In the series, Fey portrays the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy series.

In 2004, Fey made her film debut as writer and co-star of the teen comedy Mean Girls. In 2008, she starred in the comedy film Baby Mama, alongside Amy Poehler. In 2009, Fey won an Emmy Award for her satirical portrayal of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a guest appearance on SNL.

[Note: Tina Fey is married to Jeff Richmond. Fey is currently the “creator and star of 30 Rock. They met while working at The Second City and dated for seven years before marrying in a Greek Orthodox ceremony on June 3, 2001. They have two daughters.”]