Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Blog Tour and Review: PAWPRINTS AND PREDICAMENTS (A Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery) by Bethany Blake



Pawprints & Predicaments (A Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington (February 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496707420
Digital ASIN: B071SK3VF9


About the Book 

The Tail Waggin’ Winterfest is the highlight of the season in the famously pet-friendly Pocono Mountains town of Sylvan Creek. But despite attractions like an ice sculpture display, a dogsled race, and gourmet hot chocolate, Daphne Templeton finds herself annoyed by TV producer Lauren Savidge, who’s filming the festivities. She’s critical, controlling, and as chilly as the January air. Daphne would like to tell her to go jump in a lake—and as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what they’re both going to do . . .  It’s the first-ever polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, and Daphne and Lauren are among the eighty or so people who charge into the frigid water to raise funds for animals in need. Daphne makes it back to shore—with the help of a mysterious St. Bernard—but Lauren is dragged out stone cold dead. Now, with her trusty basset hound Socrates at her side, Daphne intends to assist Detective Jonathan Black in his investigation—whether he wants her to or not . . .
Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

Review

Everyone in the small town of Sylvan Creek is excited that their pet-friendly town was chosen for a television show. Between the not so accidental death of a member of the tv crew, Daphne’s near drowning, the tv producer dying in the freezing lake, the excitement turns to tension. As the resident amateur sleuth, Daphne is going to help the detective figure this out and that she does. There are many interesting characters, suspects, and recipes for dog treats.

This is the third in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series. It follows DEATH BY CHOCOLATE LAB and DIAL MEOW FOR MURDER. This is my first visit to Sylvan Creek. Although part of a series, PAWPRINTS AND PREDICAMENTS can easily be read as a stand alone. Animal lovers will enjoy this book and others in the series.

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

Bethany 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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants
February 21 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
February 21 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 21 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
February 21 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf - SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
February 22 – Valerie's Musings - REVIEW, INTERVIEW
February 23 – Teresa Trent Author Blog - CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 23 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
February 24 – The Montana Bookaholic - CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 24 – Readeropolis – INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews - REVIEW
February 25 – Laura's Interests - REVIEW
February 26 – Varietats – REVIEW
February 26 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews - CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 26 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
February 27 – The Power of Words - REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 27 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
February 28 – Mysteries with Character - INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
February 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 28 - Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
March 1 – A Blue Million Books - CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 1 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
March 2 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW
March 2 – A Cozy Experience – GUEST POST
March 3 – Book Babble – REVIEW
March 3 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
March 4 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
March 4 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
March 5 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
March 6 – Bibliophile Reviews - REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 6 – Reading Authors - REVIEW

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Review: CAST FOR MURDER by Jeanne Quigley

Synopsis

Former soap opera actress Veronica Walsh is recovering from her first holiday season in the retail world when she is pulled from retirement to star in a community production of Blithe Spirit. Delighted to play the part of a medium, Veronica must soon also assume the role of amateur sleuth when she finds the play’s director shot dead behind the theater.

Teaming with stage manager Sophie Morrissey, Veronica’s hunt for clues to the murder of Gigi Swanson leads her to a cast of colorful behind-the-scenes characters and a stunning Act Three finale. Will it be a triumph for Veronica, or will the curtain close on more than her career?

Review

Veronica agrees to participate in Blithe Spirit to help out the community.  Gigi and others had been insistent that her fame would ensure success, only then Gigi is murdered.  The cast decide to continue the production in Gigi's honor - unbeknownst to them there were undercurrents of tension over the use of the facility and the cost of supporting the theater group. 

The quirky characters are just what you'd expect in the cast of characters. With each turn, there's a new twist. A fun read. This is the third in the Veronica Walsh series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.


Follow Jeanne Quigley

Monday, February 19, 2018

Cover Reveal: DEAD AS A DOORNAIL : A Kenni Lowry Mystery by Tonya Kappes

Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone. And doesn’t our Sheriff Kenni Lowry know that? Well, she knows a lot of things. 
Lucy Lowell takes great pride in writing negative reviews in the local newspaper for anything that does not go her way. When Lucy is found dead, it appears to be from natural causes. 
But Sheriff Kenni Lowry knows there is more to it because the ghost of her grandfather, the ex-sheriff, is standing over the body.
His presence can only mean one thing: Murder! 
Since Kenni’s relationship with Deputy Finn Vincent has heated up, Kenni is having trouble conducting the investigation without Finn questioning her every move. 
Can Kenni unravel the mystery on her own or will she have to tell Finn the real reason she knows it was murder—the ghost of her poppa?
It’s blowin’ up a storm and only Kenni knows how it’ll end.

Ready…..








Set…..










Reveal!!










Dead as a Doornail by Tonya Kappes
will be available May 15 from Henery Press!

It is Available for Pre-Order :
Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Goodreads

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Book Review: A VIEW TO A CHILL - A Cherry Tucker Mystery and Maizie Albright Star Detective novella by Larissa Reinhart

Synopsis

In this Rashomon-style Christmas mystery, while Cherry Tucker suffers from flu-induced visions of murder, Maizie Albright's on the hunt for a missing granddaughter whose criminal stockings have long been filled with coal.

When Halo's most notorious artist, Cherry Tucker, thinks she sees a crime through her bedroom window, her feverish claims are ignored by her family. Trapped in bed, influenza is the least of her problems. Deputy Luke Harper can't be found. She can't tell fevered dream from reality. And a very bad Santa knows Cherry's spotted his Christmas killing. It's going to take a Christmas miracle for Cherry to recover.

Meanwhile, ex-celebrity and #WannabeDetective Maizie Albright's determined to help an elderly woman find her missing granddaughter despite her private investigator boss (and not-so-secret crush) Wyatt Nash's claims that the grandmother's annual plea is nothing but a dangerously wild goose chase. This holiday, Maizie's search takes her away from her family and Nash to Halo, Georgia, where a storm threatens her nerves and her quest. When a deviant Santa learns Maizie's looking for the granddaughter, he put Maizie on his naughty list. This Santa may get his holly jollies from murder.


Review

I'm finally catching up on the rest of the holiday mysteries and romances I purchased, and glad I didn't miss this one. Cherry Tucker is an artist and not always taken seriously anyway. When in the middle of a blizzard, feverish and delirious, it is no surprise that the locals don't take her report of a murder seriously. Her sister decides to stay with her and tries to keep her from getting any more upset. In the meantime, the ex-actress who played a detective is training to be the real thing and ends up involved as well.  

A quick read, but it has laughs and reflections on life and the holidays. Cherry hates the holidays and her sister tries to decorate with not much help or enthusiasm. Well-written.  Although pulling the main characters from two series, this is easily read as a stand alone mystery.  Enjoyed it.


Books in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series:
QUICK SKETCH (novella in HEARTACHE MOTEL)
PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (#1)
STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (#2)
HIJACK IN ABSTRACT (#3)
DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (#4)
THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE (#5)
THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE (novella)
A COMPOSITION IN MURDER (#6)
A VIEW TO A CHILL (novella)


Books in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series:
15 MINUTES
16 MILLIMETERS
A VIEW TO A CHILL (novella)
    

Great news! A View to Chill is on sale for $0.99 through the end of February!  Some other cozy mysteries are on sale this week, so happy reading:


Thursday, February 1, 2018

Blog tour: GUEST POST by Cindy Brown, author of THE PHANTOM OF OZ


Today it's my pleasure to have Cindy Brown, author of  THE PHANTOM OF OZ, as my guest:

“I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do.”

Do you? I can’t make up my mind. In that way, I’m a little like Ivy (my actor/PI protagonist) in this early scene from the book. She’s in the dressing room, talking to her cast mates: 

“Do you believe in ghosts?” I asked. 


“Sure,” said Victoria. “Don’t you?” 


Every so often, my actor and detective personas bumped up against each other. This was one of those times. As an actor, I was properly superstitious. I said, “Break a leg” instead of “Good luck,” didn’t whistle backstage, and never ever said “Macbeth” in a theater. As a detective, I knew intellectually that superstition had no place in the world of logic and deduction. Still...



“I’ve noticed that you check to make sure the ghost light is on every night,” said Jessica, our Twelfth Night’s Maria.



“That’s just for safety,” I said. The ghost light is an old theater tradition, a light that’s left burning through the night to keep people from falling over the set and/or the theater ghosts from causing too much mischief. The one at our theater, like many others, was a bare bulb on a stand we placed in the middle of the stage before we left for the night. 


I’ve included a pic of the ghost light at Phoenix’s Orpheum Theatre, which was the inspiration for the theater in this book.


“I was once pushed down the stairs by the ghost at Phoenix Theater,” said Victoria. “Sprained my ankle right before an audition.” 

That happened to me. I was on crutches for the audition. I got the part anyway ☺.

I suspected it was less the ghost and more the four-inch heels that Victoria always wore but kept my mouth shut. After all, if there were any ghosts around, I didn’t want to tick them off. 
I wasn’t wearing four-inch heels. Heels, but just two-and-a-half inches, I swear.

I’ve included a couple of other mysterious things that have happened to me over the years: swinging chains, the sudden smell of perfume, my dog barking at unseen people…I was also influenced by the tale of the ghost who haunts the Hotel San Carlos, where I once had a flower shop. The story goes that twenty-two year-old Leone Jensen moved to Phoenix to marry her bellboy boyfriend. When he dumped her, she dressed in a white evening gown (some say “wedding gown”) and threw herself off the roof. She supposedly haunts the hotel to this day, turning on televisions, flickering the lights, and even appearing at the foot of guests’ beds, still wearing her white gown. I never saw Leone, but several of the spooky instances I write about occurred at the hotel. Still, I can’t decide if I believe in ghosts. I guess all I can say is “there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy” (thank you Shakespeare, for always having the right words).

Do you believe?

Thanks Cindy, now let's talk about THE PHANTOM OF OZ...

       SYNOPSIS 
Creepy munchkins. A mysterious phantom. And a real Wicked Witch. Are you ready for it?
Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows has been hired to uncover the cause of the creepy accidents that plague the roadshow The Wizard: A Space OZpera and find out who dropped a chandelier on the Wicked Witch of the East.
Was it the ghost who haunts the Grand Phoenician Theatre? A “wicked witch” in the cast? Or is it someone—or something—more sinister?
It’s Ivy’s most personal case so far.
Her best friend Candy, who’s touring with the show, is caught in a downward spiral of self-destruction, and is in more danger than she knows.
To save her friend and the show, Ivy must answer even tougher questions: Do spirits really exist? What is real beauty? What does friendship mean?
Ivy needs to learn the answers, and fast—before Candy reaches the point of no return.
Books in the Ivy Meadows Humorous Mystery Series:

MACDEATH (#1)
THE SOUND OF MURDER (#2)
OLIVER TWISTED (#3)
IVY GET YOUR GUN (#4)
The Phantom of Oz (#5)

About the Author


Cindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s lucky enough to have garnered several awards (including 3rd place in the 2013 international Words With Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!) and is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop. Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.

Author Links

Website & Blog: www.cindybrownwriter.com

Twitter handle: @friendlybrown

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cindy-Brown-author/288210721356802?ref=hl

Purchase Links

AMAZONB&N kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Participants

January 30 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW

January 30 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

January 31 – Valerie's Musings – INTERVIEW

February 1 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW

February 1 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

February 1 – Christa Reads and Writes – GUEST POST

February 2 – The Layaway Dragon – REVIEW

February 2 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 4 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

February 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – Because I said so - Adventures in Parenting - REVIEW

February 5 – Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW

February 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT