Trick or Deceit by Shelley Freydont - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Published: September 1, 2015

Number of pages: 304

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Celebration Bay Mystery #4

Synopsis:

This October in Celebration Bay, you can’t swing a black cat without hitting a haunted house. There are three finalists in the contest for the town’s official Haunted House, and ten thousand dollars will go to the winner, with the rest of the contributions and proceeds funding a new community center. Event coordinator Liv Montgomery has invited her friend Jonathan Preston, the debonair CEO of a philanthropic organization, hoping he will award a grant to the center.

But after the Museum of Yankee Horrors wins first place, the transformed Victorian boarding house is vandalized … and among scattered mannequins of Hester Prynne, Lizzie Borden, and the Headless Horseman, a real dead body is found—one of the contest judges. Now in addition to playing host to Jon, Liv has to play detective and coordinate the clues to unmask a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.

What did I think of this book:

I loved the Halloween theme of this book and what better time of year to start reading books like this. I hated that the Museum of Yankee Horror was vandalized and then a dead body was found in there as well how creepy. It is fun to go along with Liv as she is trying to find out who would kill one of the contest judges. It was enjoyable to visit this quaint little town again and hear what is going on with the characters. In my opinion the author did a good job of keeping you guessing on who was the person who did the killing. The author did a good job with descriptions and I felt as if I was visiting this town while walking along with Liv. Another good addition to a fun series. 

About the author:

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery Celebration Bay Mysteries, Foul Play at the Fair, Silent Knife,Independence Slay as well as the Kate MacDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mysteries, and the upcoming Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave (6/15)

As Shelley Noble, she is the NYTimes Best selling author of women’s fiction (Beach Colors, Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Whisper Beach as well as several novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves puzzles, light houses and antique carousels. She also loves to hear from readers.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.

For more about Shelley, please visit her website www.shelleyfreydont.com.

* Author Links
Website www.shelleyfreydont.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyFreydont
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Freydont/e/B001HCUVP4
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ShelleyFreydont

* Purchase Links
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B&N

Guest Post:

A Murder For the Holidays

When I was a kid we used to spend a week each summer in the Smoky Mountains. There was a little town there that was one big Christmas celebration. All year long. I thought it was the best place in the world.

I’ve had a fascination for holiday towns ever since. So when I started this new series I decided I would write about a town that celebrated every holiday. From the biggest ones like Halloween and the Fourth of July to the smaller ones like Arbor Day and St Patrick’s Day, to the little known ones. Have you heard of Wiggle Your Toes Day or Just Because Day?

A destination holiday town.

Holidays are a great time for fictional murders. So many fun things to do and see. No many festive murder weapons.

But murder is a serious business. And killing people isn’t nice at all. I don’t like to make light of murder but I do like to juxtapose them with a time and place of celebration.

In Celebration Bay, murders have occurred at a Harvest Festival, A Pilgrim Dinner, Christmas, the Fourth of July and during fishing season.

Hmm. Halloween seems like a perfect holiday for a murder mystery. Plenty of red herrings with all the ghoulish costumes: headless horsemen, Freddie Kruegers, grim reapers. And places and events. Haunted houses, haunted hayrides, carnivals and parties.

That’s a lot of competing venues. So for Trick or Deceit, I decided that I was going to set the investigation against a haunted house contest. The most outstanding entrant would receive ten thousand dollars and would be declared the Official Haunted House of Celebration Bay. But is it a motive for murder?

I decided to throw in a Zombie parade just because I like Zombies.

Suddenly I had many great places to commit a murder. So great I was tempted to have more than one. But I stifled myself and chose the one place I liked better than the rest.

Where would you commit a fictional murder on Halloween?

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants:

September 1 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review, Guest Post

September 2 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Interview

September 3 – Laura’s Interests – Review

September 4 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

September 5 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

September 6 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post

September 7 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too ! – Review

September 8 – View from the Birdhouse – Review

September 9 – Brooke Blogs – Review

September 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview