Tuesday, April 18, 2017

COVER REVEAL: MRS. TEDESCO'S MISSING COOKBOOK: A Hannah and Tamar Mystery by Christa Nardi & Cassidy Salem

It is so exciting ...  the second in the Hannah and Tamar Mystery Series is available for pre-order!  Only one week until release!


A simple request opens up a savory mystery.
Hannah never imagined her high school service project with the elderly would draw her into another mystery. Mrs. Tedesco, a lonely widow who loves to bake, has just one simple request — that the teen retrieve her cookbook from her old house. Easier said than done. The house has been ransacked and the coveted cookbook is nowhere to be found. Eager to help the woman, Hannah and her sister, Tamar, are driven to locate the cookbook and uncover its secrets. But the teens aren’t the only ones seeking the cookbook’s hidden treasures, and the other side is playing for keeps.



Now available for pre-order at special price of just $0.99. Soon after release on April 25th the price will be going up! Click here to reserve your copy today. 

Prefer paperback? Mrs. Tedesco's Missing Cookbook is available in paperback here.


Saturday, April 15, 2017

Review: MRS. ODBODDY UNDERCOVER COURIER by Elaine Faber

Synopsis:
Asked to accompany Mrs. Roosevelt on her Pacific Island tour, Agnes and Katherine travel by train to Washington, D.C. Agnes carries a package for Colonel Farthingworth to President Roosevelt.

Convinced the package contains secret war documents, Agnes expects Nazi spies to try and derail her mission.

She meets Irving, whose wife mysteriously disappears from the train; Nanny, the unfeeling caregiver to little Madeline; two soldiers bound for training as Tuskegee airmen; and Charles, the shell-shocked veteran, who lends an unexpected helping hand. Who will Agnes trust? Who is the Nazi spy?

When enemy forces make a final attempt to steal the package in Washington, D.C., Agnes must accept her own vulnerability as a warrior on the home front.

Can Agnes overcome multiple obstacles, deliver the package to the President, and still meet Mrs. Roosevelt’s plane before she leaves for the Pacific Islands?

Mrs. Odboddy: Undercover Courier is a hysterical frolic on a train across the United States during WWII, as Agnes embarks on this critical mission.


Review:

Mrs. Odboddy is at it again, and still seeing Nazi's and spies everywhere. She isn't too sure who to trust and and Katherine isn't the only one who's wondering about her mental health. Katherine becomes a bit more of a believer when it appears someone is trying to steal the package though she really doesn't want Irving to be a spy. Charles comes to her rescue, the package is delivered but with an unexpected twist. 


As with the first in the series, there is a touch of nostalgia about WWII with growing concerns and a desire to get the boys home safely. This is a fun, quick read and Mrs. Odboddy carries the show. 

About the Author:

Elaine Faber's short stories are published in magazines and multiple anthologies. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association.

Black Cat's Legacy, Elaine's debut fantasy cat-mystery novel., is the first in a series of three Cat Mysteries involving Thumper, who solves mysteries with the aid of his ancestors' memories.

Elaine lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband. They share their home with four house cats, and usually more, counting those at the door night and morning looking for a hand-out.

Mrs. Odboddy - Hometown Patriot is the first in Elaine's WWII humorous mystery series. Mrs. Odboddy fights the war from the home front, seeing conspiracies and spies around every corner. When Mrs. Roosevelt comes to town to attend a funeral, Agnes Odboddy's fears become a reality and she must prove she is, indeed a hometown patriot.


AMAZON

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

NEW RELEASE & Review: REMNANTS (Brandon Fisher FBI Series) by Carolyn Arnold

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 11, 2017

Synopsis:

All that remains are whispers of the past…

When multiple body parts are recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law enforcement calls in FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team to investigate. But with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this isn’t proving to be an open-and-shut case.

With no quick means of identifying the deceased, building a profile of this serial killer is more challenging than usual. How are these targets being selected? Why are their limbs being severed and their bodies mutilated? And what is it about them that is triggering this person to murder?

The questions compound as the body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. But this is only the beginning, and these new leads draw the FBI into a creepy psychological nightmare. One thing is clear, though: The killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…


Review:

Brandon Fisher is an FBI agent in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. His job and that of his partners is to profile and pursue serial killers. In this, the 6th in the Brandon Fisher FBI Series, Savannah is the setting and the FBI is called in as bones surface, not just once, but multiple times. As Brandon and crew investigate, the reader gets glimpses of perspectives by the killer and victims. 

Emotionally charged, the story line is well-developed and fast-paced. Although part of a series, this can easily be read as a stand-alone.  If you're a fan of Criminal Minds and suspense/thrillers in general, you'll like this book though it may give you nightmares. 

About the Author:

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series--Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures--and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

http://carolynarnold.net

AMAZON

Friday, April 7, 2017

Blog Tour and Review: WHEN THE GRITS HIT THE FAN by Maddie Day

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington (March 28, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1617739293
E-Book ASIN: B01GBAIXGK
Synopsis

Despite the bitter winter in South Lick, Indiana, business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder rattles the small town, can Robbie defrost the motives of a cold-blooded killer?

Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University’s Sociology Department at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile. It’s all due to Professor Charles Stilton, who seems to thrive on heated exchanges with his peers and underlings, and tensions flare one night after he disrespects Robbie’s friend, graduate student Lou. So when Robbie and Lou go snowshoeing the next morning and find the contentious academic frozen under ice, police suspect Lou might have killed him after their public tiff. To prove her friend’s innocence, Robbie is absorbing local gossip about Professor Stilton’s past and developing her own thesis on the homicide—even if that means stirring up terrible danger for herself along the way . . .


Review

South Lick is small town with quirky and diverse characters and, of course, a murder. The relationship between the characters, especially Robbie and Lou and Robbie and Abe add the personal touch. There are a number of suspects, including Lou, and someone has invaded Robbie's space. 

There are twists and turns that keep the pace moving, romance, humor, and oh, yes, lots of food. Characters and plot are well-developed. This was my first visit to South Lick and the Country Store Mysteries, but I've added the first two in the series to the TBR list.

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

Maddie Day is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-nominated author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and three cats in Massachusetts.

As Edith Maxwell, she write the Local Foods Mysteries (Kensington Publishing) and the Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Midnight Ink).

You can find all Maddie’s/Edith’s identities at www.edithmaxwell.com. She blogs every week day with the other Wicked Cozy Authors at wickedcozyauthors.com. Look for her as Edith M. Maxwell and Maddie Day on Facebook and @edithmaxwell and @maddiedayauthor on Twitter.

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N
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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Review: THE BITTER TASTE OF BETRAYAL :An Angel Lake Mystery (Walking Calamity Cozy Mystery Book 2) by CeeCee James

Synopsis:

The only thing worse than a ship overrun with Elvis Impersonators is having to find the missing one. And the killer is out to find you.


When Elise Pepper decides to take a long overdue vacation, she discovers that her Caribbean cruise isn't going to be quite the relaxing trip she'd hoped for.

Instead of enjoying a quiet getaway, she finds herself in the middle of a theme party. Who knew there were so many Elvises and Marilyn Monroes in the world?
But when an Elvis goes missing and it turns out he was a wealthy philanthropist Elise is dragged into the mystery as the last person to see him.

As she tries to convince everybody of what she saw, her frustration turns to fear when she realizes that she's trapped on board with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence her.

So drop into the cozy cafe and have a doughnut and a sip of lemonade. See for yourself that living in the country isn't always about the quiet life but sometimes is filled with riveting suspense and deception with second guessing right to the end.

Review:

Elise needs some healing (from the ex) and her best friend Lavina has just the solution - a relaxing cruise in the Caribbean.  Only the cruise has a theme and isn't very quiet. Besides Elvis impersonators, there's the cabin steward and the deck hand, the Captain, and a general cast of questionable characters. When it looks like the wealthy Elvis who latched on to Elise maybe minutes before, has disappeared, Elise and Lavina try to sort out what's happening on this cruise. 

This was a fun read and the cruise setting was played well. The Elvis/Marilyn Monroe theme added to the story. This is the second in the Angel Lake Mystery Series: Walking Calamity Mysteries. It can easily be read as a stand-alone, but you might as well enjoy them all.


Sunday, April 2, 2017

Blog Tour & Review: DYING ON THE VINE by Maria Cooper


Dying on the Vine
by Marla Cooper
Dying on the Vine: A Mystery (Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries)
Series: Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries (Book 2)
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 4, 2017)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250072559
E-Book ASIN: B01L7BD9VM

Synopsis

When wedding planner Kelsey McKenna goes to the Wine Country Wedding Faire, the last thing she expects to do is take on new clients. After all, she’s just there to help out her friend Brody and maybe score some free cupcakes. But when a young couple in a pinch asks for her help, she just can’t say no.

There’s only one problem: they’d been working with Babs Norton, the self-proclaimed Queen of Wine Country Weddings—and things did not end well. Kelsey wants to make sure there are no hard feelings, but unfortunately she never gets the chance. When she goes to Babs’ office, she finds the wedding planner dead on the floor.


Babs’ high-strung assistant Stefan knows exactly who killed Babs: Kelsey. At least, that’s what he very publicly accuses her of at Babs’ funeral. When Kelsey decides to do a little sleuthing to clear her name, she uncovers a myriad of secrets and lies. And when a second wedding planner is attacked, Kelsey begins to wonder if she might be next.

Set against the stunning backdrop of California wine country, Marla Cooper’s Dying on the Vine is a mystery brimming with gossip, wine, and, of course…murder.


Review

The wine country is a great setting for a cozy mystery, and DYING ON THE VINE doesn't disappoint. Kelsey is a wedding planner but doesn't have access to the vineyard venue - that venue is tied up by Babs and her maybe partner Stefan Pierce. She has the opportunity though when one of Babs' clients decides to switch wedding planners just 4 weeks before the wedding. Stress on to get everything arranged, Kelsey ends up the one to find Babs' body. Brody and her other friends join in the sleuthing to clear Kelsey and make the wedding happen, not to mention the possibility of more vineyard weddings. Kelsey has a lot of suspects to choose from, including the temperamental vintner. 

This was a fun read over spring break - enough action, quick pace, yet light and easy to follow.  Some of the characters, like the vintner, are quirky, and the commentary on wedding planning and bridezillas add a touch of humor. This is the second in the series, but can easily be read as stand alone.

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

As a freelance writer, MARLA COOPER has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku. But it was while ghostwriting a nonfiction guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her current series starring destination wedding planner Kelsey McKenna. Originally hailing from Texas, Marla lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and her polydactyl tuxedo cat.

Author Links

Webpage – www.marla-cooper.com

Blog: www.chicksonthecase.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marla.Cooper.Author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kindacozy

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway