Fractured Truth by Susan Furlong – a #BookReview

Fractured Truth by Susan Furlong

My First #fivestar Read of the Year

Title: Fractured Truth (A Bone Gap Travellers Novel Book 2)

Genre: Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Animals

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: December 18, 2018

Print Length: 288 pages

  • ISBN-10:1496711696
  • ISBN-13:978-1496711694
  • ASIN: B07BVDNVC9

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title and Cover: Fractured Truth – February snow in the mountains

Book Blurb:

When the mutilated remains of a young woman are found in an Appalachian Mountain cave, newly sworn-in deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan is forced to track down a killer driven by twisted motives . . .  

Not long after donning the uniform of the McCreary County Sheriff’s department in Bone Gap, Tennessee, ex-Marine Brynn Callahan faces her first official homicide. On a cold February morning, a lone cross-country skier stumbles across the mutilated body of a young woman. Sent to investigate, Brynn is shocked when she recognizes the victim as a fellow Traveller, Maura Keene.

Maura held a solid standing both within the Travellers’ insular community and among the settled townspeople—a fact that makes her murder all the more disturbing to Brynn, who also straddles the two worlds.  After her trained K-9, Wilco, digs up human bones, and then a scrap of paper scrawled with arcane Latin phrases is uncovered, Brynn finds evidence leading her to question those closest to her—and closing the case becomes a deeply personal matter.

While trying to suppress local superstitions and prejudices, Brynn discovers that Maura was keeping a dangerous secret. And as the bones Wilco found are analyzed by forensics, Brynn harbors the troubling suspicion that she knows who they belong to. Still struggling with PTSD, Brynn must put her career on the line and her life at risk to find justice for a woman not unlike herself—haunted by her past, and caught in a vicious cycle she may never
escape . . .
  Continue reading “Fractured Truth by Susan Furlong – a #BookReview”

To Fetch A Thief by Teresa Inge, Heather Weidner, Jayne Ormerod, and Rosemary Shomaker #BlogTour #Spotlight

Welcome to the spotlight at my blog stop for To Fetch A Thief by Teresa Inge, Heather Weidner, Jayne Ormerod, and Rosemary Shomaker on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

To Fetch a Thief by Teresa Inge, Heather Weidner, Jayne Ormerod, and Rosemary Shomaker

Book Details

To Fetch A Thief
Cozy Mystery Anthology
Light, humorous, dog-themed mysteries.
Bay Breeze Publishing, LLC (November 8, 2018)
• Number of Pages 274  

Book Blurb 

To Fetch a Thief by Teresa Inge, Heather Weidner, Jayne Ormerod, and Rosemary ShomakerTo Fetch a Thief, the first Mutt Mysteries collection, features four novellas that have gone to the dogs. In this howlingly good read, canine companions help their owners solve crimes and right wrongs. These sleuths may be furry and low to the ground, but their keen senses are on high alert when it comes to sniffing out clues and digging up the truth. Make no bones about it, these pup heroes will steal your heart as they conquer ruff villains.

Add to Goodreads

About the Author (s)

Teresa Inge - authorTeresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn’t carry a rod like her idol, but she hotrods. She is president of Sister’s in Crime Mystery by the Sea Chapter and author of short mysteries in Virginia is for Mysteries and 50 Shades of Cabernet.

Website: www.teresainge.com
Connect with Teresa on Facebook, and Twitter

Heather Weidner - authorHeather Weidner, a member of SinC – Central Virginia and Guppies, is the author of the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, Secret Lives and Private Eyes and The Tulip Shirt Murders. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series and 50 Shades of Cabernet. Heather lives in Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers, Disney and Riley. She’s been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. Some of her life experience comes from being a technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, IT manager, and cop’s kid. She blogs at Pens, Paws, and Claws.

Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com

Pens, Paws, and Claws Website and Blog: http://penspawsandclaws.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/

Jayne Ormerod - authorJayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne is the author of the Blonds at the Beach Mysteries, The Blond Leading the Blond, and Blond Luck. She has contributed seven short mysteries to various anthologies to include joining with the other To Fetch a Thief authors in Virginia is for Mysteries, Volumes I and II, and 50 Shades of Cabernet.

Website: www.JayneOrmerod.com

Blog: www.JayneOrmerod.blogspot.com

Rosemary Shomaker - authorRosemary Shomaker writes about the unexpected in everyday life. She’s the woman you don’t notice in the grocery store or at church but whom you do notice at estate sales and wandering vacant lots. In all these places she’s collecting story ideas. Rosemary writes women’s fiction, paranormal, and mystery short stories, and she’s taking her first steps toward longer fiction, so stay tuned. She’s an urban planner by education, a government policy analyst by trade, and a fiction writer at heart. Rosemary credits Sisters in Crime with developing her craft and applauds the organization’s mission of promoting the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers.

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121853.Rosemary_Shomaker

More Links:

Website: http://muttmysteries.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuttMysteries

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuttMysteries1

Amazon: Purchase Link

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

Tour Participants:

December 10 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST

December 10 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 11 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

December 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 13 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

December 13 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 14 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

December 15 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 15 – Varietats – REVIEW

December 16 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT

December 16 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST

December 17 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

December 17 – The Book’s the Thing – GUEST POST

December 18 – Rosepoint Publishing – SPOTLIGHT

December 18 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

December 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

December 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE – DOG TREAT

December 20 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – GUEST POST

December 20 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW

December 20 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 21 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 21 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 21 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW Great Escapes Book Tours 

Thank you to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to present this spotlight!

 

 

Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey – a #BookReview

Chasing the Blue Sky by Will LowreyTitle: Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey

Genre: Animal Care and Pets, Animal Rights, Dogs

Publisher: Lomack Publishing

Publication Date: November 3, 2018

  • ISBN-10:173293990X
  • ISBN-13:978-1732939905
  • ASIN: B07K5MM6WJ
  • Print Length: 191 pages
  • Source: Author Request

Title and Cover: Chasing the Blue SkyImmensely appealing cover instantly tells the story

Book Blurb:

In the sweltering heat of a Clay County summer, a chained dog gives birth to a spirited, black puppy named Toby. Taken from his mother’s side at just a few weeks old, Toby soon wins the love of an adoring family. But just as quickly, he finds himself struggling to survive in the unforgiving world of the county animal shelter.

But he’s not alone – a motley cast of homeless dogs and a devoted pair of shelter workers will give anything to make sure Toby makes it out alive.

Chasing the Blue Sky is the compelling, emotional story of one dog’s journey to find his place in the great big world.    Continue reading “Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey – a #BookReview”

Tandem Demise by Duffy Brown – #BookReview

Tandem Demise by Duffy Brown

Tandem Demise: A Cycle Path Mystery (Book 3)

Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Women Sleuths

  • ISBN-10:1729374786
  • ISBN-13:978-1729374788
  • ASIN: B07JRB373X
  • 298 pages
  • Date Published: October 27, 2018

My Review:

Not a problem that this is book 3 of the Cycle Path series, as Tandem Demise can work just fine as a standalone. There is enough here to check off the list of most everyone reading a cozy and Ms. Brown knows just the right pace to lead you along!

Evie Bloomfield must be the most inept bicycle rider ever that owns a bicycle rental shop, Rudy’s Rides, on the touristy island of Mackinac Island, Michigan. But you have to give it to her–she decorates and names each bike such that they take on a personality. It’s the perfect place to have a bicycle rental shop–there are no cars allowed. There are, however, plenty of horses. The description of the island already has me planning a trip in the summer (as it definitely wouldn’t appeal as a winter-time destination).

Evie is apparently a single thirty-something who is eyeing Nate Sutter, the police chief and transplanted Detroit cop. Her best buddy is Fiona, a newspaper editor. There is a wealth of well-developed support characters, including Evie’s mother and Cal, her ex-Marine shop assistant. The names of the local shops are quaint and the island inviting. She has two kitties, Bambino and Cleveland. There is a wedding planner running interference and a couple of casualties and Evie discovers both.

The author leads with snarky, snappy dialogue and the pace and never slows the narrative. The well-plotted storyline runs into twists and becomes apparent that there is a more complex story here than immediately apparent. Packed with a LOL sense of humor, the mystery carefully weaves in and out of island exposé. You may guess the antagonist correctly prior to conclusion, but the exciting reveal held one final little twist you didn’t see coming. The only problem I had was the number of edit misses.

I was given this ebook download by the author through BookFunnel for a spotlight that I’ve previously published on this blog and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to read and review. Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. Fun and fast. Not my first Duffy Brown book and I look forward to many more!

Add to Goodreads

Book Blurb:

After solving two murders, bike shop owner Evie Bloomfield thought life on Mackinac Island would settle into boredom until she finds out Nate Sutter, island police chief and once-upon-a-time under cover cop is on the run. Some badass guys from Nate’s Detroit days think he stole money from them in a champagne smuggling operation and now they’re headed to the island to get their loot. Evie is determined to help Nate because he’s a good cop, Nate is determined to keep interfering Evie and island locals out of harms way, and the crooks are determined to get their money.
To add to the island’s problems there’s a dead guy on the dock and the new wedding planner is more interested in playing bedroom bingo than ordering bridal bouquets.
With the help of Fiona, Evie’s BFF and local newspaper editor, Evie is determined to prove Nate innocent, figure out how champagne smuggling, bodies on the dock and a bad wedding planner are tied together and not wind up taking a long walk off a short pier herself. 

Rosepoint Publishing:  Four point Five of Five Stars 4.5 of five stars

About The Author:

Duffy Brown - authorDuffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, her license plate is Sherlok and she conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Duffy’s national bestselling Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.

Author Links:

Website – http://www.duffybrown.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com

©2018 V Williams V Williams

 

A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake #BookTour #BookReview

A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Book Details

A Midwinter’s Tail (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (November 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496717333
ISBN-13: 978-1496717337
Digital ASIN: B07B7C8XQY
 

Book Blurb

To bark or not to bark . . .

Professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton loves the holidays in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. And nothing gets her into the spirit more than the town’s annual Bark the Halls Ball. The whole community will be there to wag their tails, especially this year’s special guest—Celeste “CeeCee” French, founder of a national chain of pet care franchises, who’s returning home to announce plans for a bright new flagship store.

But not everyone’s celebrating CeeCee’s homecoming. Daphne’s friend Moxie Bloom, owner of Spa and Paw, a unique salon for people and their pets, has plenty to growl about. So when CeeCee is found face down under Sylvan Creek’s town Christmas tree, stabbed with a distinctive pair of professional-grade pet shears, suspicion lands squarely on Moxie. Despite Daphne’s promises to Detective Jonathan Black, she quickly reprises her role as amateur sleuth. Ably assisted by her basset hound sidekick, Socrates, she must hurry to prove her friend’s innocence before a killer barks again . . .

Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

My Review

A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany BlakeIt’s Christmas time in beautiful Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania and pet sitter Daphne Templeton is gearing up by providing lots and lots of treats for the community yearly event Bark the Halls Ball. She will be taking her basset hound Socrates and accompanied by BFF Moxie and possible romantic interest Detective Jonathan Black. It is a very pet-friendly town and she is a proud owner of storefront Lucky Paws Pet Sitting Service and Flour Power. She also has a surly black Persian named Tinkleston, whom she calls Tink.

At the annual showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a successful local graduate, CeeCee French, comes back to town to make the announcement that she will open a large outlet of her pet supply franchise in town. The announcement is shocking and not met with a lot of excitement and she is later found murdered and left under the town Christmas tree. As the owner of the Spa and Paw, it is Moxie who is the first person of interest and as the well-plotted and even paced story is laid out, several others later as well all with equally plausible motives.

This is an amazingly well projected anthropomorphic narrative with Daphne frequently speaking to her animals and their obvious telegraphed responses. I’ve often looked at my own Bichon Frise and thought I knew looking into those eyes just what she was thinking and sure I knew her response as well. We’ve often commented, she may not speak English, but she certainly has no problem communicating. In this case, Daphne certainly had a dog whispering touch with those animals left in her care.

I enjoyed the well-developed characters and although this is apparently the fourth in the series had no problem following the protagonist or the support characters. Also noted the many cliffhanging chapter endings, necessitating the reader jump to the next chapter. I did, however, have a small problem with Moxie and Sebastian, her white rat allowed a bit too much freedom. Additionally, I am not usually a fan of romantic tension in a well-executed mystery.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for a book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review what appears to be a delightful cozy mystery series with some engaging characters. Recommended for the younger set who enjoy a cozy mystery they’ll have to work to solve and then may not guess correctly.

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Bethany Blake - authorBethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.

Author Links 

Webpage  BookBub    Twitter    Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon  B&N  Kobo    Google Play   IndieBound   BookBub  

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

Tour Participants

November 26 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

November 26 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 27 – Here’s How It Happened – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

November 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST

November 28 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 28 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

November 29 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

November 29 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 29 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

November 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

November 30 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE, GIVEAWAY

November 30 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

December 1 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

December 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 2 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

December 2 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

December 3 – Carla Loves to Read  – REVIEW

December 3 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 4 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

December 4 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

December 4 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 5 – Melina’ Book Blog – REVIEW

December 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 5 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW Great Escapes Book Tours

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

©2018 V Williams V Williams

Book Beginnings and The Friday 56–HELLO Friday!

Book Beginnings-Friday 56

In October I began participating in Book Beginnings who is hosted by Gillian at Rose City Readers. Every Friday you have the opportunity to share the first sentence of the book you are currently reading. Include the title of the book and the author’s name. You may wish to share your impression of the book to date as well. Also please share your post with Mister Linky on her blog site. This week I am spotlighting The Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake.

“The weather outside was beyond frightful, with near-blizzard conditions pummeling the quaint, pet-friendly town of Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania, and burying the surrounding Pocono Mountains under a thick blanket of fine, icy snow.”

(Because there is a natural tie-in to The Friday 56, it is common to combine the two.)

The only rules are for participation in The Friday 56 is to grab a book, any book or the one you are #currentlyreading, turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader, and find a sentence (or a few, but don’t spoil it!), post it, and then add your post URL to the Linky on the host site Freda’s Voice – there yah go! How’s that for easy!

Preview-Friday 56

Friday 56:

“As Fidelia drove away, and I helped Snowdrop and Socrates into the truck on a dark and gloomy evening, I hoped that my afterlife–at least as portrayed on a high school stage–would be downright dull.

“Yet, deep in my heart, I doubted that would be the case.”

Add to Goodreads

So what am I thinking?

I’m a sucker for doggy or kitty related cozy mysteries, no surprise I’m sure to anyone who noticed my last Book Beginnings/Friday 56 was The Long Paws of the Law. I am enjoying The Midwinter’s Tail so far and will be posting my review here on the book tour scheduled for Sunday, December 2, 2018.

In the meantime, curl up with your little fur buddy and read!

©2018 V Williams V Williams

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn #BlogTour #BookReview

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn on release day for the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Book Details 

The Body in the Attic (River Bluffs #1)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Lyrical Underground (November 27, 2018)
Paperback: 218 pages
ISBN-10: 1516108396
ISBN-13: 978-1516108398
Digital Print Length: 280 pages
ASIN: B07B741L6N

Book Blurb

Welcome to River Bluffs, Indiana, a cozy small town populated with charming homes, close-knit families, and the occasional deadly secret . . .

House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage—a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes . . .

Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda—and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms—and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good . . .

My Review

The Body in the Attic by Judi LynnWhat a delightfully different premise for a cozy mystery! A house flipper–and a female at that–and I can testify to having been involved in that activity and confronted just exactly the scenario described in walking through the house shortly after closing the auction. It has “good bones” and they will be only be doing cosmetic work. This is the home of the former fiancé of her Aunt Lynda, who disappeared before she and Cal married, never to be heard from again. Devastated, he never married.

Jasmine (Jazzi) and her cousin Jerod have done this before. It’s not their first rodeo, although thank goodness they made money on one of them and seem to have the cash to finish the job (and then some!). Jerod is a solid family man with two little ones at home. I loved his character! He is knowledgeable, capable, level-headed, and “two years older” than Jazzi. Jazzi, as the protagonist, may be around 25 and has a strong family network. There are several engaging support characters, including the 6’5″ Viking god, Ansel. He is a “construction” contractor. On their walk-through inspection, the trunk in the attic is found to contain a skeleton.

The location of River Bluffs, Indiana, sounded ideal, except for the humidity which is painted in vivid sweat-producing detail. I learned to love the town and quickly wondered if it’d make a beautiful little Sunday ride. The author writes with a keen sense of humor, and the well-plotted storyline folds out in a steady, even pace.

The protagonist, however, while interested in the question of her Aunt Lynda, can’t get me completely invested, and doesn’t appear to go sleuthing as much as she works with Ansel and Jerod in the rehab of their project. But Jazzi seems to have some kind of rapport with the detective who begins to invite her along on his investigation and little by little whittle at the mystery. The “cosmetic” work begins with a sledgehammer and appears to require no permits. The investigation ramps up when they find a second body out back of much more recent origin.

The narrative begins with a hook and engages interest through to the conclusion. The writing style is easy, fast, the dialogue natural, and I appreciated the affection intonated between family members, including the protagonist and her sister. The antagonist becomes a bit obvious and perhaps too soon. There is a romantic tic that interrupts the mystery and seemed a bit fast although is explained in plausible terms.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Good start for a new series! I’ll be interested in the next entry to the series and be looking for a more complete fleshing of Jazzi next installment as well as further exploration of Ansel, without the romance. Recommended for any who enjoy a cozy with a different premise.

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Judi Lynn - authorJudi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters.  She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

Readers can visit her website at www.judithpostswritingmusings.com and her blog writingmusings.com.

Purchase Links

Amazon    B&N    Kobo

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

Tour Participants:

November 26 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 26 – The Montana Bookaholic  – REVIEW

November 27 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

November 27 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 27 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 28 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

November 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

November 29 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

November 30 – Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 30 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

December 1 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 3 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

December 4 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 5 – The Avid Reader  REVIEW

December 5 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT Great Escapes Book Tours

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

©2018 V Williams V Williams

Murder at Harbor Village by G. P. Gardner #BlogTour #BookReview

Murder at Harbor Village by G P Gardner

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Murder at Harbor Village by G. P. Gardner on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Book Details  

Murder at Harbor Village (A Down by the Bay Mystery, Book 1)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Lyrical Underground (November 13, 2018)
Paperback: 216 pages
ISBN-10: 1516109007
ISBN-13: 978-1516109005
Digital ASIN: B079WM9X29

Book Blurb

Young retiree Cleo Mack is trading in academia for a second act in Harbor Village, a community for active seniors in coastal Alabama. But someone in this picture-perfect coastal town is burning the candle at both ends . . .

It’s love at first sight when Cleo arrives in Fairhope, Alabama, after taking early retirement from her longtime position as professor of social work. Touted as “the nicest town in the world,” Fairhope is home to an eclectic community of retirees. Harbor Village boasts classes in painting, pottery, and photography, not to mention being a buyer’s market for husbands. It seems an ideal place to make new friends and rediscover life. Until a dead body is found in the pool.

When the victim turns out to be the unpopular director of senior living, Cleo is named acting director. Now she must rely on her well-honed people skills to uncover a killer in a place where short-term memory isn’t what it used to be, and age is just a number. And if Cleo keeps snooping around, her number may soon be up . . .

My Review

Murder at Harbor Village by G. P. GardnerSo nice to have a protagonist of (almost) retirement age, albeit a social work professional at an Atlanta university, who is offered an incentive for early retirement. Cleo Mack is weighing possibilities when she discovers Fairhope, a beautiful iconic Alabama coastal town, and is almost immediately drawn in by friendly local Nita Bergen, a resident at Harbor Village, touted as an active senior community with an ideal mix of activities, services, and opportunities for meeting and engaging with others of the same generation.

In short order Cleo is sold and finds herself clearing her desk at the university, arranging for an estate sale of her belongings, and accepting Apartment No. 8 keys at Harbor Village along with a promised part-time position as Resident Services Manager, as she’ll still be juggling finances. But it seems even before she can fully settle into her cozy little apartment, the corporate bigwig, Lee, whom she met just briefly, is discovered in the pool. Jaime, the curt Director of Assisted Living, was showing her around when Lee made sure she met the new assistant. Lee appears to have drowned but is quickly determined to have been murdered.

Jaime is immediately “kicked upstairs” and is out of there leaving Cleo thrust into the unlikely position of Executive Administrator in Jaime’s place. It doesn’t take long before Cleo begins to dissect the situation, discovering there were a lot of problems just under the surface of what appeared an idyllic situation. Along with realizing the enormity of her employment situation, she is dealing with the apartment cat who has decided it was time he came home and inspected the new occupant, along with complex discrepancies that include missing rental deposits and painkiller meds in the skilled nursing section of the community.

Dealing with her daughter and her ex, Travis McKenzie, Cleo discovers a shocker, that he is part owner of the complex (as well as others under the same umbrella) and Lee was his new bride. Lee used to drop in the complex on an infrequent basis and was universally disliked by everyone. There is a whole host of interesting and colorful support characters (including Nita’s husband), and I loved the author’s sense of humor in naming them…Patti (Wagon), Police Chief Boozer. There is no confusion with characters. The discovery of the calico provided a sub-plot in learning the name of the feline who turned out to have a perfectly charming name as well.

The well-plotted storyline goes into some detail with outlining a schedule for running the community, discoveries such as the number of units and those rented legitimately, all the employees and their roles, the layout of the different resident and support buildings, and the services provided (or lacked) that needed to be addressed. The logistical plan for fact-finding worked seamlessly into the subtle search for the antagonist, although the who was not really a surprise. The conclusion was weaved in a restrained and delicate delivery.

I received this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. This is a debut in a new series and sets a promising stage for some delightful retirement community adventures. I’m interested in seeing these characters grow (particularly Patti). Recommended for those who enjoy a cozy mystery, beautiful geographic setting, and cantankerous and quirky characters.

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About the Author

G P Gardner - authorBorn and raised in Alabama, G. P. Gardner earned BS and MA degrees in Psychology from the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL) and an MBA from Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL). She also attended the University of Georgia (Athens, GA), where she studied biopsychology and primatology. But her heart belongs to Talladega College—an HBCU and the first educational institution in Alabama to admit students without regard to race—where she taught business. Her writing life began with short stories, some of which were published in regional literary journals and some of which won prizes. She enjoys the classic mystery writers as well as contemporary whodunits but reads widely. She is a knitter and once owned a knit shop in Fairhope, AL. She studied mystery writing with Terry Cline, another Fairhope resident. Murder in Harbor Village is the first in her series about social worker Cleo Mack. You can visit her at gpgardner.com.

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

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

Tour Participants:

November 13 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

November 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 14 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 14 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews -SPOTLIGHT

November 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews  REVIEW

November 15 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT  

November 16 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 16 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

November 16 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 17 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

November 17 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 18 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 18 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT

November 19 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

November 19 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

November 19 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST Great Escapes Book Tours 

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

©2018 V Williams V Williams

 

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