Monday, January 18, 2016

Blog tour and Review: GUNFIGHT AT GRACE GULCH (A Dressed for Death Mystery Book 1) by Darlene Franklin


Forget Me Not Romances
A Division of Winged Publications (February 28, 2015)
Paperback: 216 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1508946991
E-Book B00U4XPROW
Synopsis
The feud between the Graces and the Gaynors is still going strong more than a century after its inception in the 1891 Oklahoma land run. Newspaper editor Penn Hardy is murdered during the reenactment of the most famous gunfight in the history of Grace Gulch, Oklahoma. Cici Wilde, owner of a vintage clothing store, feels compelled to investigate when police suspect people close to her. She soon discovers her talent for sleuthing equals her flare for wearing period clothing. Theater director Audie Howe never expected the reenactment to end in a real murder. He cares too much for the future of the Magda Grace Mallory Theater – and the charming Cici Wilde – to let her face danger alone. Cici and Audie take a dangerous gamble to nail the killer – and lay their lives on the line.


Review
Historical re-enactment of a feud between two families turns deadly during the shoot-out. Cici's involvement starts out as the vendor for the costumes, but she is determined to solve the crime when her sister Dina or special friend Cord are the prime suspects. Audie gets involved, hoping to win Cici's heart.

Readers who enjoy historical contexts will enjoy this cozy mystery. Not only does the mystery have a historical bent, but Franklin supplements the story line with letters from the 1890s to help set the stage and provide the "history" for this community and the feud. This book will also appeal to those who like a Christian theme.

This is the first of three in the Dressed for Death Series. The other two are A STRING OF MURDERS and PAINT ME A MURDER.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

About the Author
Best-selling author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over forty books and has written more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont.


Author Links
http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/https://www.facebook.com/darlene.franklin.3
www.darlenefranklinwrites.com
@darlenefranklin


Purchase Links
Amazon

A Book Excerpt

The gigantic black hands on the town clock atop our municipal building inched toward twelve o’clock. Audie put a cell phone to his ear.

Cord and Penn, reprising their roles as Bob Grace and Dick Gaynor, burst through the saloon doors, shouting insults.

My heart stuttered a bit, worried for Cord. Penn sounded really angry.

“You can’t get away with it. You’re a scoundrel and a cheat.” Penn’s face was set into deep lines, hatred aging him prematurely.

“I’m not a cheat. I arrived first, fair and square. You have to accept it.”

Tension twisted my shoulders. I held my breath.

“That’s what you think!” Penn pulled out a Colt and fired.

A flash of light—popping sounds—two men fell to the ground.

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