Blog Tour and Review: SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY (Lily Adler Mystery #2) by Katharine Schellman

About the Book

Regency widow Lily Adler didn't expect to find a corpse when visiting a family friend. Now it's up to her to discover the killer in the charming second installment in the Lily Adler mysteries.

Regency widow Lily Adler has finally settled into her new London life when her semi-estranged father arrives unexpectedly, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Hounded by his disapproval, Lily is drawn into spending time with Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend. Lily barely knows Lady Wyatt. But she and her husband, Sir Charles, seem as happy as any newly married couple until the morning Lily arrives to find the house in an uproar and Sir Charles dead. 

All signs indicate that he tripped and struck his head late at night. But when Bow Street constable Simon Page is called to the scene, he suspects foul play. And it isn't long before Lily stumbles on evidence that Sir Charles was, indeed, murdered. 

Mr. Page was there when Lily caught her first murderer, and he trusts her insight into the world of London's upper class. With the help of Captain Jack Hartley, they piece together the reasons that Sir Charles's family might have wanted him dead. But anyone who might have profited from the old man's death seems to have an alibi... until Lily receives a mysterious summons to speak with one of the Wyatts' maids, only to find the young woman dead when she arrives. 

Mr. Page believes the surviving family members are hiding the key to the death of both Sir Charles and the maid. To uncover the truth, Lily must convince the father who doesn't trust or respect her to help catch his friend's killer before anyone else in the Wyatt household dies. 

Praise for Silence in the Library: 

“Schellman’s gracefully written whodunit is equally a tale of 19th-century female empowerment and societal conventions…More than a clever murder puzzle, this is an immersion in a bygone era.” —Kirkus Reviews 

“The fast-paced, engrossing story has a climactic confrontation worthy of Rex Stout or Agatha Christie.” —Library Journal, starred review ** 

Book Details

Historical Mystery Published by: Crooked Lane Books 

Publication Date: July 13th 2021 

Number of Pages: 352 

ISBN: 1643857045 (ISBN13: 9781643857046) 

Series: Lily Adler Mystery #2 | The Lily Adler series are stand alone mysteries but even more fabulous if read in sequence 

Purchase Links: Amazon     Barnes & Noble     BookShop    Goodreads 

Review

Lily is a tenacious sleuth and with Captain Hartley by her side, she is invincible. Even when it comes to her father. When Sir Charles is murdered, Lady Wyatt is the obvious suspect and the son and his cousin have no doubts she's guilty. Lily isn't as sure and pursues clues and connections. 

This is a well-written, historical cosy with deference to males on matters of the world. Only Mr. Page has no problem listening to Lily and that encourages her to help Lady Wyatt even when her doubts grow. Aside from the murders and attitudes of Sir Charles' son and his cousin, there's the tension between Lily and her father, his disapproval of her behavior and of Captain Hartley evident. The pace is steady and kept me engaged to the very end. If you like historical fiction that captures the plight of women, you'l enjoy this story. It is the second in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone.  

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.

Author Bio

Katharine Schellman is a former actor, one-time political consultant, and currently the author of the Lily Adler Mysteries. A graduate of the College of William & Mary, Katharine currently lives and writes in the mountains of Virginia in the company of her family and the many houseplants she keeps accidentally murdering. 

Find her online

katharineschellman.com  

Goodreads  

BookBub @KatharineSchellman  

Instagram - @katharinewrites 

Twitter - @katharinewrites  

Facebook - @katharineschellman 

GIVEAWAY 

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Heather Redmond. There will be 1 winner of one (1) BookShop.org Gift Card (U.S. ONLY). The giveaway runs July 12 through August 8, 2021. Void where prohibited. 

 

Blog tour and Review: FOUR CUTS TOO MANY - A Sarah Blair Mystery by Debra H. Goldstein

About the Book

Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama 

Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister’s restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life’s finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she’s considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah’s more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal. 

Although she wouldn’t mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef’s position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah’s business rival—and her late ex-husband’s lover. But Grace’s future lands in hot water when the school’s director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend’s name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer . . . 

Includes quick and easy recipes! 

Review

When it comes down to it, not many people were fond of Dr. Martin, the victim. Sarah wants to believe Grace is innocent and works to sort out other possibilities with Rahrah, Fluffy, and her twin sister, Emily.  The most obvious motive is with the least likable character, Jane, who is trying to save her business by establishing a partnership with the college and Dr. Martin is the only one admitting he's not in favor. As Sarah finds out more, though, Jane is not the only one and the suspect list grows. 

There are positive relationships, conflicts, twists and turns, and a surprise reveal of the killer. I really liked the relationship of Wanda with Kait and the way Kait's mild dementia was handled. The jello activity was very creative.

The pace was steady and kept my interest. This is the fourth in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone. As always, I recommend you start at the beginning, though. If you like the others in the series, you are sure to enjoy this one. 

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. 

About the Author

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, One Taste Too Many). She also authored Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories have been named Agatha, Anthony, Derringer finalists. Debra serves on the national boards of Mystery Writers of America and is president of SEMWA. She previously was on Sisters in Crime’s national board and president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter. 

Find out more about Debra and sign up for her newsletter at https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com. 

Follow her on Twitter (@DebraHGoldstein), Bookbub, and Facebook 

Purchase Links

 

Amazon   B&N   Kobo   Google Play  IndieBound 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog post & Review: ONE TASTE TOO MANY : A Sarah Blair Mystery by Debra H. Goldstein

SYNOPSIS

For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

Includes quick and easy recipes!

REVIEW:

Sarah's had a a lot of bumps in her life thus far and is starting over, back with her twin, Emily. She can't seem to escape her past and Emily becomes the suspect to Sarah's ex-husband's poisoning. There's lots of small town interactions and conflicts, some within the swanky restaurant where Emily is moving up. Sarah's doing her best to use her new investigative skills to help out her sister, both to prove her innocence and on stage. 

Emily and Sarah are twins, yet their personalities complement each other in many ways. Both are likeable in their own way; you can't help but pull for Sarah's new life to be successful, as well as Emily's. There are any number of suspects and some are being eliminated but then something else happens. In the end the silent and not so silent partners and connections come out with an unexpected killer. The story was well-written and enjoyable to read. This is the first in a new series and I look forward to reading more about Sarah.


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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Judge Debra H. Goldstein’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series debuts from Kensington Press debuts with One Taste Too Many. She also is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery and the 2012 IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Besides novels, Debra writes short stories. Her short story, The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017) is an Agatha Award Short Story Nominee. In addition to being the Sisters in Crime Guppy President, Debra serves on the national Sisters in Crime board and is Vice-President of the Southeast Region of Mystery Writers of America.

Website http://www.debrahgoldstein.com 

Blog http://www.debrahgoldstein.com/blog

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/

Twitter @DebraHGoldstein 

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-h-goldstein-72473a11/

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906340.Debra_H_Goldstein

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
December 3 – Book Babble – REVIEW
December 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW, GUEST POST
December 5 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf - CHARACTER GUEST POS
December 6 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 6 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW
December 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
December 7 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 8 – Here's How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 9 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 10 – StoreyBook Reviews - REVIEW
December 10 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 –A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 12 – Moonlight Rendezvous - REVIEW, GUEST POST
December 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GUEST POST
December 13 – MJB Reviewers - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 13 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
December 14 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
December 14 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
December 15 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – REVIEW
December 15 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW
December 16 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
December 16 – Bibliophile Reviews - REVIEW, GUEST POST

Review: SHARPE TURN : Maycroft Mystery Series Book 4 by Lisa B. Thomas

Synopsis:

SHE WANTS TO WRITE A MYSTERY. INSTEAD SHE’S EMBROILED IN ONE.
When a famous author agrees to teach a writing course at the library, amateur sleuth Deena Sharpe eagerly signs up. But on the second day of class, the author’s wife dies in a car crash, and the police suspect foul play. Is it a hoax to teach his students about plotting a murder mystery? Not likely.
Deena dives into the investigation when a friend is accused of the crime. With her brother’s help, she must clear their friend’s name and stay out of trouble with the town’s newest detective. As if that weren’t enough, it’s her husband’s birthday and her pushy mother-in-law is coming to town. What’s a Southern gal to do?

Sharpe Turn is Book 3 in the Maycroft Mystery Series. If you like a savvy sleuth and a twisty plot, this clean whodunit may be your new favorite cozy mystery.

Review:

Deena is once again involved in a murder mystery, this time of a famous mystery writer. Everyone is excited he's going to teach a class, including the librarian. When his wife dies in a suspicious wreck, her friend is a suspect. Even her brother ventures outside his comfort range to help. Deena's husband Gary is away at a conference and there's a new detective on the case - and not one she particularly has had good interactions with before. Amidst all the mystery, the crisis facing Deena is making Gary's birthday cake to impress his mother that she really can cook. 

This is the fourth in the Maycroft Mystery Series, a fun series. Each can be read as a stand alone mystery with characters re-occurring across books. I've managed to read them out of order without any problems. This is also a clean read, so if you like your mystery without the gore and graphic descriptions, you won't be offended by this one, or the others in the series. 

AMAZON BUY LINK for Sharpe Turn

The Maycroft Mystery Series

Sharpe Shooter #1

Sharpe Edge #2

Sharpe Mind #3

Sharpe Turn #4

Sharpe Point #5

Sharpe Cookie #6

Get Sharpe #7

Blog Tour & Review: MARGARITAS AND MURDER : A Sunny Truly Mystery by CeCe Osgood

Margaritas & Murder September 10th - 17th, 2016

Margaritas & Murder By CeCe Osgood 
Genre: Cozy Mystery 
Release Date: September 9th 2016

Synopsis

Stephanie Plum meets Bridget Jones in this hilarious yet suspenseful cozy mystery featuring Sunny Truly, a brand-new apprentice private investigator in Austin, Texas. 

When a long ago childhood friend is found dangling in a tree—with a dead man in her apartment—Sunny is hired to prove the friend innocent of murder. Frumpy, earnest and stubborn, Sunny goes undercover as a glam-girl to ferret out suspects at the club where her friend worked. With the aid of her wise-cracking boss, Cleve Haylock, and swoon-worthy police detective John Rock, Sunny uncovers an ugly secret with deadly consequences. Will Sunny be the next victim? 

Review

This is the first book in the Sunny Truly series released on September 9, 2016. Sunny Truly is an apprentice PI with Haylock Investigations.  Cleve has taken her under his wing much to the dismay of his assistant. It is a small group that focuses more on alleged infidelities than murder, but when childhood friend Joyce is found dangling from a tree, is in a coma, and the prime suspect for the murdered man in her apartment, Sunny manages to get Cleve's son to agree to investigate and clear Joyce.

Despite her name, Sunny Truly is not ditzy. She follows leads, asks questions, and finds out more than is safe for her to know, both with Joyce's case and the alleged cheating wife case she's been assigned. As expected, Detective Rock isn't pleased with her involvement, concerned for her safety. Osgood created characters who have some depth - you like the ones you're supposed to like, and as with Sunny, you wonder who can be trusted.

This was an easy read. The plot moves along nicely with the necessary twists. The end has some surprises...  I'm glad to see this is a series - I'll be looking for the next Sunny Truly mystery.

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.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS        AmazonUK

Guest Post by CeCe Osgood

Author CeCe Osgood Invites You To Austin, Texas – the setting of her new book

Hi. I’m CeCe Osgood, and I love humor, romance and mystery. That’s why I’m writing a chick lit cozy mystery series.

In the first book of the series, MARGARITAS & MURDER, Sunny Truly discovers her soon to be ex-husband has ruined her teaching career by posting to YouTube a (semi- naughty) video taken during their honeymoon.

Upon divorcing her skunk of a husband, Sunny returns to her home town, Austin, and is hired by Haylock Investigations and stumbles into new career as a private investigator. Soon she is smack dab in the middle of a murder case involving a childhood friend, good ol’ rich Texas boys, high-maintenance wives and flirtatious cops.

I decided to set the mystery series in Austin where I lived for many years. Back then, Austin was a sleepy little college town. And its claim to fame was the imposing pink granite Texas Capitol building which was modeled on U.S. capitol in Washington D.C.  The only hi-rise buildings in the city used to be the state capitol and the Tower for the University of Texas at Austin.

But that’s not how it is these days. Austin is considered one of the top three fastest growing cities in the U.S. One reason is the fast-growing tech industry which has made the city a Tech Hub like Silicon Valley.

Another element is the increasing population since many students attending the University like living in Austin so much they don’t move away when they graduate. 

One major attraction is the city’s recreational lifestyle. Bikers, hikers, joggers and walkers are devoted to the hike and bike trail that meanders along Lady Bird Lake (which used to be known as Town Lake).  Back in the 1970s, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson’s wife, Lady Bird, concentrated her attention on beautifying parks, especially the one which now bears her name. 

Nine bridges span the lake and one, the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, houses a colony of bats estimated to be over a million.  It’s quite a sight to see the bats swirling around as they leave home on a summer night (especially when they’re wearing itty bitty cowboy boots … just kidding). 

Music is another reason for the city’s popularity. SXSW (South By Southwest) is the film and music festival that has was created Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. Award-winning filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen, started out in Austin with their debut movie BLOOD SIMPLE. 

Austin also claims filmmaker Richard Linklater whose directing debut was the 1991 indie movie SLACKER, which was inspired by Austin’s past hippie culture and the grad student misfits who stuck around the city instead of actually graduating from UT and moving on. The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991.

Another Linklater movie, DAZED AND CONFUSED, kick-started the career of (alright, alright, alright) Texan Matthew McConaughey.

Also in that movie was a Texas bit player (Girl in the Blue Pickup) who later in her career uttered the unforgettable line, “You had me at hello” to Tom Cruise in JERRY MCGUIRE. But she most famous and beloved as the ditzy and wonderful Bridget Jones, Renee Zellweger.  Ah, the circle comes around and we’re back to chick lit! Yay! 

I hope you’ll enjoy my SUNNY TRULY chick lit cozy mystery series. The first one is MARGARITAS & MURDER. 

Next up for series is MERLOT & MURDER: The Sunny Truly Mystery Series – Book 2 

About the Author: CeCe Osgood

CeCe Osgood lives in Texas after many years in LA working in the film industry. Her writing career includes magazine articles and screenplays as well as being a freelance story analyst (main client HBO). She also has had two screenplays optioned. Being a novelist has been her lifelong dream, and now it’s becoming her reality. She loves red wine and hates pretzels.

CeCe’s first novel, THE DIVORCED NOT DEAD WORKSHOP, a chick-lit romantic comedy about a dating workshop during a cruise to Cabo was awarded a Crowned Heart for Excellence by InD’tale magazine.

Find her here:

www.ceceosgood.weebly.com 

Facebook 

Twitter 

GoodReads 

Amazon Author Page 

Check out all the stops on the Tour:

Sept 10th

Enrayn - Book Review Hello...Chick Lit - Book Promo Post

Sept 11th

Cafinated Reads - Book Excerpt Gin, books and blankets... - Book Reivew/Author Q&A

Sept 12th

Steamy Book Momma - Book Promo Post Writing Pearls - Book Review Novelgossip - Book Review/Excerpt

Sept 13th

Judging More Than Just The Cover - Author Q&A Sylv all about books and films - Book Promo Post Christa Reads and Writes - Book Review/Guest Post

Sept 14th

Cynful Books To Read - Author Guest Post/Promo Post He Said Books or Me - Book Review/Excerpt

Sept 15th

Grass Monster - Amazon/GoodReads Book Review One More Chapter - Book Review

Sept 16th

BookLoverWormBlog - Book Review Turning Another Page - Book Review/Author Q&A

Sept 17th

JenaBooks - Book Review/Excerpt Book Lover in Florida - Book Review/Excerpt

Tour arranged by:

REVIEW: Murder Among Friends (Book 2 Off the Beaten Path Mystery Series) by Steve Demaree

Synopsis (from Amazon)

Thirteen people grow up in a small town and are friends in high school. After graduation, some of them leave town and head off in different directions. But ten years later, one of those thirteen is murdered, and every few weeks another one of the thirteen is either found murdered or is missing. Who is responsible? One of those thirteen, or someone else?

Review

A variation on Agatha Christie, people who were high school friends are dying one by one, and the picture from Jennifer's 13th birthday party of her and her friends is showing up. Only, as oft is the case, all but four have moved out of the small town, scattered and no one is making the connection.  Only one detective - my favorite character - keeps going back to Jennifer's hometown, convinced there must be a reason for the photo to be left behind. There are many twists and turns and possible suspects and motives. Mixed in there is some nostalgia surrounding the drive-in and amusement park that provided fun and entertainment, previously owned by Jennifer's parents. The pace is steady and the story interesting. This is a clean read and appropriate for young adults as well as other mystery lovers.

This is the second in the series, but easily can be read as a stand-alone.  The others in the series include: MURDER IN THE DARK (BOOK 1), A BRIDGE TO MURDER (BOOK 3), and A SMOKY MOUNTAIN MYSTERY (BOOK 4).

AMAZON

Review: MAIN STREET MURDER by Linda Crowder

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

Accidental detectives Jake and Emma Rand are back in their second adventure. Spring is coming to their home in the shadow of Casper Mountain and Emma can't wait to see tulips and daffodils crowd out the snow that has covered her flower beds all winter. Then the May Day Blizzard hits, trapping the citizens of Casper, Wyoming in their homes, closing roads and shutting down highways out of town.

When murder strikes in spite of the snow, Detective Matt Joyner of the Casper Police Department quickly turns up the heat on his prime suspect - Emma's friend, Kristy Castle! As Casper celebrates the annual Summer Solstice Parade and Rodeo, Jake and Emma fight to prove Kristy's innocence. She's hiding a terrible secret, but is she a killer? A great read for fans of Cozy Mysteries!

Review:

Jake and Emma don't have to go far to find this dead body but how and why did it get there? And in the middle of a blizzard no less! The investigation in this small Wyoming town of course centers on Emma's friend, and even Emma has to wonder what Kristy is hiding. The consideration of others - friends or not - as a the possible murderer - puts a strain on the parade and rodeo preparations.  

The plot is well-developed and easy to follow, with a twist at the end. Jake and Emma have a healthy relationship and are both likable.  This is the second in the series, but easily can be read as a stand alone. Hopefully by the time I read the first one, TOO CUTE TO KILL, the third will be waiting...

AMAZON