May 2, 2018

A Shot in the Dark by Cleo Coyle - Review and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cozy Mystery 17th in Series 
Setting - New York 
Berkley Prime Crime (April 17, 2018) 
Hardcover: 352 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-0451488848 
Digital ASIN: B07465ZYKT
  

Book description
A new smartphone dating game turns the Village Blend into a hookup hot spot, until one dark night, when a gunshot leaves a dead body behind and the landmark coffeehouse becomes the center of a whole new scene--a crime scene.

As Village Blend manager Clare Cosi attempts to finalize a date for her wedding, her ex-husband becomes addicted to making dates through smartphone swipes. Clare has mixed feelings about these quickie matchups happening in her coffeehouse. Even her octogenarian employer is selecting suitors by screenshot! But business is booming, and Clare works hard to keep the espresso shots flowing. Then one dark night, another kind of shot leaves a dead body for her to find.

The corpse is a successful entrepreneur who became notorious for his "hit it and quit it" behavior: prowling for women on dating apps, then devastating his conquests with morning-after insults. Though the NYPD quickly arrests one of his recent victims, Clare finds reason to believe she's been framed.

Now, with the help of her ex and crew of quirky baristas, Clare starts "swiping" through suspects in her own shop, determined to find the real killer before another shot rings out.

Includes a bang-up menu of tempting recipes.

Meet the author - Cleo Coyle
CLEO COYLE is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. CLEO COYLE grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After earning scholarships to study writing at Carnegie Mellon and American Universities, she began her career as a cub reporter for The New York Times. Now an author of popular fiction and New York Times bestselling media tie-in writer, Cleo lives and works in New York City, where she collaborates with her husband (also a bestselling author) to pen the Coffeehouse Mysteries for Penguin. Together Cleo and her husband also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries under the name Alice Kimberly. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Cleo and Marc are bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, and MGM. In their spare time, they cook like crazy and drink a lot of java. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.

Author Links Visit Cleo online: www.coffeehousemystery.com 
Friend Cleo on Facebook:www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle 
Follow Cleo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cleocoyle/ 


My thoughts
I though this was another hit by the team of Cleo Coyle. Each time I open a book by them it is like catching up with old friends. The characters always reach out to me. Although I was not so sure about some of the news ones added and with good reason since one of them ended up being not so nice. I agreed with Clare I do not like the swipe of an app to find a date. That just seem like trouble waiting to happen and of course it did. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing in this book. I would pick someone I thought committed the crime the oops not it. It took me several guesses and the author revealing the killer before I realized who it was. I also liked that there was not only mystery but a bit of romance and a little humor in this story. Great job Cleo - I look forward to the next one. 

Giveaway
Tour Participants 
April 23 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW 
April 24 – The Power of Words – REVIEW 
April 25 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW 
April 26 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW * 
April 27 – Varietats – REVIEW 
April 28 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW 
April 29 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
April 30 – Ms. Cat's Honest World – REVIEW 
May 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
May 2 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW *
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May 1, 2018

The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J Duncan - Spotlight and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cozy Mystery 9th in Series 
Minotaur Books (April 24, 2018) 
Hardcover: 288 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1250101495 
Digital ASIN: B0763SLW6M
  

Book description
The latest book in an award-winning mystery series, celebrated for its small-town charm and picturesque Welsh setting and starring amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan.

The competition is friendly and just a little fierce at the annual Llanelen agricultural show as town and country folk gather for the outdoor judging of farm animals and indoor judging of cakes, pies, pastries, chutneys, jams and jellies, along with vegetables, fruit and flowers. But this year, there’s a new show category: murder.

Local artist, Spa owner, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan agrees to help with the intake of the domestic arts entries and to judge the children’s pet competition on show day. When the president of the Welsh Women's Guild isn’t on hand to see her granddaughter and pet pug win a prize, the family becomes concerned. When a carrot cake entered in the competition goes missing, something is clearly amiss.

A black Labrador Retriever belonging to the agricultural show’s president discovers the body of the missing woman under the baked goods table. A newcomer to town, a transgender woman, is suspected, but amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan believes her to be innocent. She sets out to find the real killer, but when a second body is discovered days later, the case is thrown into confusion, and Penny knows it’s up to her to figure out what happened—and why.

Meet the author - Elizabeth J. Duncan
Elizabeth J Duncan is the author of two mystery series – Shakespeare in the Catskills and the Penny Brannigan mystery series set in North Wales. She is a two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada’s best light mystery and lives in Toronto. 

Author Links www.elizabethjduncan.com 

Purchase Links Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play BookBub 



TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
April 18 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY 
April 19 – Carole's Book Corner – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
April 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
April 20 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
April 21 - The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
April 21 - StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
April 22 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
April 23 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
April 24 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
April 25 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
April 26 – Mysteries with Character – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
April 27 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
April 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
April 29 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
April 30 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST 
May 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
May 1 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY



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April 30, 2018

Cake & Punishment by Maymee Bell - Spotlight and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cake and Punishment: A Southern Cake Baker Mystery 
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series 
Setting - Kentucky 
Crooked Lane Books (May 8, 2018) 
Hardcover 257 Pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1683315711 
Digital ASIN: B075QJM2W8
 

Book description
In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder. Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not there a minute before she’s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte’s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile’s body is discovered, sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by. With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it’s not Emile’s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile’s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him?

Meet the author - Maymee Bell
Maymee Bell is the pen name of USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes. She lives in Kentucky with her family and her two schnauzers. She likes strong coffee, slow-country days, and fresh-baked cookies - but she like telling stores best of all. This is her first SOUTHERN BAKER MYSTERY. 

Visit Tonya: Facebook at Author Tonya Kappes, https://www.facebook.com/authortonyakappes Kappes Krew Street Team https://www.facebook.com/groups/208579765929709/ 
Website tonyakappes.com 

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo 

Giveaway

Tour Participants 
April 25 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
April 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
April 26 – Babs Book Bistro - SPOTLIGHT 
 26 – Bibliophile Reviews - REVIEW 
April 27 – The Book Diva's Reads - CHARACTER GUEST POST 
April 28 – Ms. Cat's Honest World – REVIEW 
April 28 – MJB Reviewers - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 29 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
April 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW 
April 30 – A Holland Reads - SPOTLIGHT 
May 1 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW 
May 1 – Mysteries with Character - AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
May 2 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW 
May 2 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
May 3 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW 
May 3 – Valerie's Musings – GUEST POST 
May 4 – The Power of Words – REVIEW 
May 4 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
May 5 – Varietats - REVIEW 
May 6 – Brooke Blogs - SPOTLIGHT 
May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW 
May 7 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST 
May 8 – The Montana Bookaholic - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST 
May 8 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – RECIPE POST 
May 9 – Moonlight Rendezvous - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST 
May 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book - REVIEW, GUEST POST 
May 10 – That's What She's Reading - REVIEW, GUEST POST 
May 10 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW 
May 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, RECIPE POST 
May 11 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW  
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April 26, 2018

Blame it on Scotland by Patience Griffin - Review

I  received this book free from the author. All opinions are my own

Book details
Series: Kilts and Quilts (Book 7)
Paperback: 330 pages
Publisher: Kilts & Quilts Publishing (April 1, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1732068402
ISBN-13: 978-1732068407

Book description
From the author of It Happened in Scotland—a charming new romance set in the magical Scottish Highlands.

The quilters of Gandiegow expand more than their quilting enterprise into the village of Whussendale. They bring along a heavy dose of good-hearted meddling, too. What’s the outcome? Love will never be the same…

When Tuck MacBride, Gandiegow’s favorite scapegoat, is blamed for a fisherman’s tragic accident, Tuck takes on extra work to secretly funnel his earnings to the maimed fisherman’s family. Haunted by the mistaken turn of events, Tuck is working night and day. Even so he can’t stop thinking about the new lass who has just arrived in town.

Ryn Breckenridge has no one left in the world. To fulfill her mother’s last request, Ryn travels to Scotland to return a quilt to her long lost cousin. Hoping to rebuild family ties, Ryn volunteers to help her cousin at the upcoming quilt retreat. But there is more than quilting on Ryn’s mind. The irresistible Tuck MacBride is proving to be a dangerous distraction.

Ryn’s past is riddled with bad boys like Tuck, who have left her alone and broken. She vows to stay away, but can’t help taking a closer look when she realizes there is more to Tuck than meets the eye. Both of their pasts contain shattered promises, but Scotland is known to bring reluctant hearts together. Will the two of them be willing to cross the deep chasm between them and find love? If they do, they will only have Scotland to blame…

Meet the author - Patience Griffin
Award-winning author Patience Griffin has been writing and sewing her whole life but didn’t discover her love of quilting until her late thirties. She decided the best way to acquire her first quilt was to make one for herself. At nearly the same time, she started commuting three and half hours a day for her dream engineering job. To pass the time on the long drive, she got hooked on audiobooks—especially books with love stories. Within a couple of years, she was writing stories of her own. It was no surprise to her family and friends when she combined her love of quilting, her small town roots, and her obsession with Scottish romances into novels. She has gained some recognition with her September 11th Story Quilt which has toured the country as the property of the Pentagon. Her first book, To Scotland with Love, received a Publishers Weekly *starred reviewed, won the New England Readers’ Choice award and Golden Quill for best first book and was also a double RITA® finalist. Patience’s Kilts and Quilts series takes place in small town Scotland and set around a group of quilters. She loves to write about home, heart, and community.

My thoughts
Another hit by Patience. This book grabbed me from the first page and I am still thinking about it after I am done with it. Tuck really found a place in my heart after reading this book. I know we got to know him a little in the last book but we now know him even better. My heart went out to Ryn as we got to know her. Then you have the horrible accident to John which made you feel for him and his family but it just seemed like Tuck could not shake his bad luck. Of course Deydie was her good ole' self keeping everyone in line. It was nice to catch up with all the old friends from the previous books. This book was well worth the read. 
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April 21, 2018

Winning Miss Winthrop by Carolyn Miller - Review

I have received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own

Book details
Series: Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope (Book 1)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825445337
ISBN-13: 978-0825445330

Book description
Years ago, the man who stole Catherine Winthrop's heart rejected her--and she's never recovered from the grief. Now tragedy has brought him back into her life. This time it isn't her heart he's taking, it’s her home and her family's good name.

Jonathan Carlew's serious demeanor and connection to trade, not to mention the rumors surrounding his birth, have kept him from being a favorite of the ladies, or their parents. Now, suddenly landed and titled, he finds himself with plenty of prospects. But his demanding society responsibilities keep pressing him into service to the one woman who captured his heart long ago--and then ran off with it.

These two broken hearts must decide whether their painful past and bitter present will be all they can share, or if forgiveness can provide a path to freedom for the future.

Set in the sumptuous salons of Bath, Regency England's royal breeding ground for gossip, Winning Miss Winthrop is the first volume in the Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series. Fans of the wholesome and richly drawn first series won't want to miss this new set of characters--or appearances by their old favorites.

Meet the author - Carolyn Miller
A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn's novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favorite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges we all face at different times.

My thoughts
This was a great start to this series. I have enjoyed each of this authors books as she has a way of taking you to a different place and time. Each of the characters are well developed and likeable in their own way. I like how the author sets each scene and does well with the descriptions so you can feel like you are a part of the story. I also like how she incorporated a few characters from the first series into this one. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. 
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Murder at the Mushroom Festival - Spotlight and Giveaway

Book details
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series 
Lyrical Underground (April 17, 2018) 
Paperback: 176 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1516104239 
Digital ASIN: B07465HNVP
  

Book description
There’s a corpse among the chanterelles!

Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast manager Kelly Jackson is hosting a cooking class during the Week of the Mushroom festival to attract guests, not drama. But soon after she finishes foraging for an edible mushroom species on sacred Native American land, a local newspaper reporter gets shot dead at the same site. With suspicions spreading like fungi in the quaint Northern Californian community over the culprit’s identity, Kelly and a savvy gang of sleuthing seniors known as the “Silver Sentinels” must uncover the truth about the secluded property before a tricky killer prepares another lethal surprise . . .

Meet the author - Janet Finsilver
Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet majored in English and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. She loves animals and has two dogs–Kylie and Ellie. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. MURDER AT REDWOOD COVE, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Her second book, MURDER AT THE MANSION, was released on June 7, 2016. Book 3, MURDER AT THE FORTUNE TELLER'S TABLE was released on March 14, 2017.

Author Links Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/janetfinsilverauthor/?fref=ts 

 Purchase Links Amazon B&N Kobo Google+ BookBub 

Giveaway
TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
April 16 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW 
April 18 – Babs Book Bistro - SPOTLIGHT 
April 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
April 19 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
April 20 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 21 – A Holland Reads - SPOTLIGHT 
April 22 – Community Bookstop – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 23 – The Power of Words – REVIEW 
April 24 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
April 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy - GUEST POST 
April 25 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST 
April 26 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT 
April 27 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
April 28 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
April 29 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW 
April 30 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
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April 18, 2018

A Hole in One by Judy Penz Sheluk - Spotlight and Giveaway

Book details
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series 
Barking Rain Press (March 6, 2018) 
Paperback: 178 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1941295731 
Digital ASIN: B079VJLVQ4
  

Book description
Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

Meet the author - Judy Penz Sheluk
Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE and A HOLE IN ONE) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC). Judy’s short crime fiction appears is several collections. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario. Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.

Author Links Website http://www.judypenzsheluk.com Facebook https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/?business_id=736294013145101 


Giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
April 17 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 
April 18 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT 
April 19 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 20 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT 
April 21 – T's Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 22 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT 
April 23 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 24 – cherylbbookblog – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 24 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 25 – Books Direct – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 26 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW 
April 27 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
April 28 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
April 29 – Laura's Interests – SPOTLIGHT 
April 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
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