Book Review: MY SISTER'S GRAVE (Tracy Crosswhite Book 1) by Robert Dugoni

About the Book:

Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. 

Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers. When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. 

As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.

Review

This was an intriguing story, with conflict and tension around every corner. Tracy is determined to reopen the case surrounding her sister's disappearance. She's reviewed all the evidence and with so many inconsistencies, she believes the man was framed. She enlists the help of a high school friend, now an attorney, to help. The case is reopened and the tension only increases. 

Dugoni has weaved a tale that keeps you guessing and wondering who the bad guy is. The pace is steady and then picks up after all the other surprises and twists that pop up. The ending makes sense. This is the first in the Tracy Crosswhite and the first in this series of 10 I've read. I'm looking forward to the second and hoping to get to know Tracy better now that she has closure and can move forward.

AMAZON

The Tracy Crosswhite Series

My Sister's Grave

Her Final Breath

In the Clearing

The Trapped Girl

Close to Home

A Steep Price

A Cold Trail

In her Tracks

What She Found

One Last Kill

New Release: JEALOUSY, JITTERBUG & MURDER (A Stacie Maroni Mystery, Book 10)

About the Book: 

A bungled kidnapping, three young women - one killed, and a dance studio. 

When Stacie Maroni is mistakenly abducted, she fears for the life of the intended victim. The young woman, who worked at the same company as Stacie, soon turns up dead. With the kidnappers afraid Stacie can identify them, threats lurk around every corner. 

Add in the victim’s two friends and a tech company with a dance-oriented employee program. A quick lesson in the jitterbug provides more clues as Stacie navigates the twists and turns of the murder. 

New Release special price, this week only: $0.99 

AMAZON

Read an excerpt from Chapter 1:

Wherever I was, it was dark, cold, and damp, making my skin crawl and my head ache. That might work for mushrooms, not for me. I couldn’t see anything, but sensed someone had blindfolded me. When I tried to remove the blindfold, I realized my hands were tied and for some reason I couldn’t lift them to my face. 

I closed my eyes and visualized my day. It had been a workday and a busy one at that. With our relationship deepening, Detective Michael O’Hare and I traveled to New York to see my dad and his wife, get away from work, and go skiing. Unfortunately, that meant three days of work to catch up on. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

 I remembered talking to Rosie, my administrative assistant, as I left our area and the shock of the cold wind as I ventured outside. I could tell I still had on my puffy coat. I had only the vaguest memory of someone covering my nose and me fighting back. Obviously, I didn’t win that fight. My dog, Jasper, came to mind, and I hoped somebody figured out I was missing. 

A door slammed and I froze. 

Excerpt from Jealousy, Jitterbug & Murder. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.

Today only, the first in the Stacie Maroni Mysteries, Prestige, Privilege & Murder, is FREE!

Stacie Maroni Mysteries 

Prestige, Privilege & Murder  

Foundations, Funny Business & Murder Deception, Denial, & Murder  Connections, Conflict, & Murder 

Holidays, Hijinks & Murder  

Temptation, Trouble & Murder  

Keepsakes, Karma & Murder  

Marriage, Malice & Murder  

Bitterness, Betrayal & Murder  

Jealousy, Jitterbug & Murder 

About the Author

Christa Nardi is an avid reader with her love of mysteries beginning with Nancy Drew and other teen mysteries. She’s shifted to more contemporary mystery and crime authors over time, along with cozy and traditional mysteries. She especially enjoys cozy mysteries with less gore and no graphic violence. She is a member of Sisters in Crime. 

Christa supports animal rescue and other charities. When not reading or writing, Christa enjoys travel, playing with her dog, and spending time with her granddaughters. 

You can find Christa Nardi at: Amazon, Goodreads, X/Twitter, BookBub, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can contact her at cccnardi@gmail.com.  

Cozy Mystery FREE Book Blast 

Would you like a free cozy mystery or more? Here’s over 150 free cozies (at least in the US) for your reading pleasure, including Prestige, Privilege & Murder. One day only – today April 25th – a great opportunity to fill your eReader. 

Book Review: DEADLY GAMBLE - A World War II Mystery by Kate Parker

Deadly Gamble: A World War II Mystery Historical Cozy Mystery 

11th in Series 

Setting – Lisbon, Portugal in 1941 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press (April 16, 2024)

About the Book  

In 1940s Portugal, everyone is willing to trade secrets if the price is right. 

Britain stands alone against the forces of Nazi Germany. Livvy Redmond is a young newspaperwoman determined to serve Britain’s spymaster in the face of danger. When she arrives in neutral Lisbon, she discovers a city full of spies, refugees, and the secret police. 

At an elegant party to meet a double agent, Livvy witnesses him fall to his death from a balcony and must now determine what secrets he wanted to pass her. Further complicating matters, she must guard the man’s young daughter from sinister people trying to kidnap the girl. 

Gambling on the assistance of British embassy staff, Livvy commits to uncovering the truth while keeping the orphan safe. With spies and traitors lurking around every corner, Livvy must race against time to learn the secret someone has already killed to keep hidden – and is willing to murder again to protect. 

Book Review 

Livvy is doing her best to connect with the man who insists he has information the Allies will pay dearly for. She gets close enough to get his blood all over her, while the killer stole the ledger. With the man gone, Livvy realizes why he requested a woman to receive the information - his 4 year old daughter, Anna. Livvy arranges to take care of Anna, until someone can find her mother in England. 

This is a slice of what might have been happening as Portugal tried to remain neutral while Germany breathed down their throat. Stewart is a great help and Livvy figures out what Anna is singing - in English - and a disaster is averted. Only the Portuguese government wants someone to blame and Livvy (and Stewart) have to figure out the real killer, and fast, so Livvy can return home.

Historical fiction, murder, and lovely characters. Parker provides the backdrop and her characters are well-developed. For anyone who likes cozy mysteries or WW II fiction, will enjoy this book.

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. 

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Apple

About the Author 

Kate Parker grew up inside the Beltway, when DC was a sleepy southern city and you could walk along the sidewalk directly in front of the White House. Now you can’t get within a block of the White House, and it takes Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon to house even part of what the Old State, War and Navy building held. All this fed Kate’s love of history.

With retirement, Kate moved to North Carolina and took up writing historical mysteries. Now with a career spanning over a decade, Kate is a USA Today bestselling author and the Deadly Series is her longest-running series. She lives with her daughter and a 110-pound puppy. 

Author Links 

Website ~ Facebook

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: PERIL IN PINK (Hudson Valley B&B Mysteries) by Sydney Leigh

Peril in Pink (Hudson Valley B&B Mysteries) 

Cozy Mystery 

1st in Series 

Setting – Hudson Valley, New York 

Publisher: ‎Crooked Lane Books (March 19, 2024) 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning. 

Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery. 

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. 

As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect. 

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder. 

With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled. 

 

REVIEW

Jess, Kat, her brother Nate, and his wife Sara have their hands full with the grand opening of the Pearl B&B, decorated in pink. The Pearl is full and thaat should mean success and a celebration for Jess with a detective on the police force. Only, the man who broke her heart, Lars, volunteered to give a free concert as part of the opening. Hence, the place is packed and busy. 

Along with Lars and his step-father Bob, who nobody likes, two of the girls (now women) who picked on Jess in high school and made her life miserable arrive as well. Kit tries to help, Sara is a bit odd, and everyone is telling Jess not to fall for Lars again. Then Bob is killed and Lars is the primary suspect. Jess has mixed emotions but doesn't believe he's the killer. 

With all the conflict, the roadie, the sister-in-law, the bullies from high school, a second musician who actually does perform, and a myriad of other characters, there's something around every corner to keep the story going and keep the reader guessing as to the killer and the real motive is. Definitely a great start to a series, and a B&B should provide fertile ground for more to come.

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. 

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org ~ Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sydney Leigh spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes modern cozy mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021. She does a blog post once a month on The Stiletto Gang. 

Author Links 

Website ~ The Stiletto Gang ~ Facebook  

Twitter/X ~ GoodReads ~ Instagram    

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway