Allison Fennimore has tried to put her life in Lavitte behind her. Sixteen years ago her father was accused of killing two teenagers. He committed suicide in jail. Now Allison’s brother reaches out from rehab to beg her to dig into her father’s conviction. She knows she will not be welcomed with open arms in Lavitte bit agrees to review the case. Once she starts digging she can’t stop. One lie leads to another and then a key source of information turns up dead and the revelations start to get ugly. Alison may wish she never started down this path but she can’t stop until she knows the truth.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
When I read the Ibsen quote at the start of the book,It was then that I began to look into the seams of your doctrine. I wanted only to pick at a single knot; but when I had got that undone, the whole thing Raveled out, I knew I was headed for a suspenseful journey.
This small town is an epitome of everything that go can wrong when secrets roll out of control. Allison’s quest for the truth puts herself in danger along with those that try to help help her. All the secrets and lies are Raveled together and as she works to untangle them she starts to wish she never would have opened this can of worms.
Anne McAneny brings a unique writing style to this complex mystery. She has a very descriptive way of telling a story that gives readers a vivid picture of time and place. It could be a very dark tale but she drops little tidbits of humor in the dialogue and characterization that refreshes the scenes.
I enjoyed my first McAneny experience. This is an author I will be watching.
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About This Author
As often as possible, Anne McAneny uses her writing as an excuse not to cook dinner. Her children learned the words bland and flavorless as soon as they graduated from Cheerios, so they were thrilled when Anne decided to follow her passion and write.
Anne also got certified as a Personal Trainer recently, but is not actually training anyone in a personal manner. No dummy, however, she knows that exercise serves as a perfectly valid reason to avoid that pesky dinner thing. Anne lives in Virginia with her husband and three hungry boys, a well-fed cat, and a newly adopted puggle whose energy dwarfs hers. When she’s not at her laptop, you will find her on her bike, pounding the pavement, or eating Goobers in front of the TV—but rarely in the kitchen. To read more of Anne’s slightly askew thoughts, check out her blog at www.AnneMcAneny.blogspot.com. Follow her on:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I am thrilled today to welcome Elizabeth Craig to Escape With Dollycas. Her Southern Quilting Mysteries are so much fun!
Hi Elizabeth!
Hi Everyone!
Writing the South?
You’ve Got Heaps of Material
By Elizabeth S. Craig
Why do I pick Southern settings for my books? Well, for one thing, it’s the only area of the world that I can write about with any degree of authority. As a lifelong Southerner, and an observer of all the South’s fun and foibles, it’s only natural I’d pick the settings I do.
For another—let’s face it. There’s just a lot of material to write about here. Everyone has at least one relative who’s a little bit batty (I claim several), there are family secrets, gossip, interesting diction choices, and quite-involved traditions and customs.
In many ways, the South is very old-fashioned. Most ladies of a particular age still adhere to the no-white-shoes-after-Labor Day rule. Even if you don’t wear pantyhose to work, you should wear it to church and funerals. And nobody wears white at weddings but the bride (wearing black at weddings is considered bad luck.) Take down the Christmas tree by New Year’s Day or else you’re cursed with bad luck for the year. Actually, there are a whole bunch of traditions related to luck and superstition. Eating black-eyed peas at New Year’s is another (this is one you should do, instead of avoid.)
Am I the only one here who was threatened with charm school when I used bad manners as a child? Children are cajoled and scolded into good behavior with plenty of ma’ams and sirs thrown in for good measure—and charm school is still around. Except now I think they call it etiquette class or something. Which doesn’t have the same appeal, to me, somehow.
So for this new book, Knot What It Seams, I figured I’d have to include a smattering of Southern funeral tradition. It might also be tradition where you live, and if it is, I’d love to hear it…or how your traditions differ. Although I only touched on this in the new book, most of my books include Southern funerals. They’re just so distinctive and such occasions for both grief and celebration that it’s tough to leave them out.
Funerals here in the South are occasions for food. Food is considered an amazing balm for the troubled spirit, here. The interesting thing is how heavy the food typically is—you’d think we’d all be a lot more health-conscious since we’ve got funerals on the brain. But there are no antioxidant super foods to be found after Southern funerals. There are plenty of casseroles, brought over by your neighbors, coworkers, church friends, family, and friends—thoughtfully put in throwaway containers with reheating instructions on them. My character in the new books, Meadow, mentions “a cornucopia of lovingly donated casseroles.”
And there will be ham. If you’ve lost a loved one here, the church ladies will descend upon your house with fiercely tender efficiency. They’ll organize the food, freezing some and putting others in the fridge. After your funeral when everyone drops by your house to be fed (does this happen elsewhere, too?), the church ladies will command your kitchen for you, shooing you out gently but firmly as they create a buffet line and serve plates of food to your grieving guests. Eventually, a party-like atmosphere may commence (particularly if the deceased was of an advanced age and the death was not an especially tragic occurrence.) It will be the first time many have seen their cousins and great aunts for years and they can’t resist the temptation to celebrate, despite their grief. Besides, Me-maw would have celebrated, too.
What about where you live? Have you got special customs related to weddings or funerals? What are they like?
~Elizabeth
Thank you so much Elizabeth for visiting today. Ham and church ladies run rampant here after funerals here in Wisconsin too:)
About This Author
Elizabeth’s latest book is Knot What it Seams, which released February 5.Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently.
Facebook: Riley Adams Author and Elizabeth Spann Craig Author.
Knot What It Seams:
A Southern Quilting Mystery 2nd in Series Cozy Mystery Obsidian (February 5, 2013) Published by New American Library A Division of The Penguin Group Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0451239617 E-Book File Size: 716 KB ASIN: B0099CURF8
When former folk art curator Beatrice Coleman retired to Dappled Hills, North Carolina, for peace and quiet and quilting, she never expected that murder would disturb the peace…
Meadow Downey is on a quest to recruit new members for the Village Quilters Guild. She sets her sights on Jo Paxton, mail carrier, quilter, and judge for many of the nearby quilting contests. She is a much better quilter than mail carrier but all that mail gives her just enough information to cause trouble wherever she goes. Beatrice wonders if Jo is the right fit for the close knit Village Quilters. Before she can voice her concerns to Meadow Jo is killed in a car accident. Evidence shows that Jo’s crash was no accident – someone tampered with her vehicle. Meadow is sure someone is out to kill off the members of her guild. It is time for Beatrice to piece together some clues and pin down the killer before another quilter’s life is cut short.
Dollycas’s Thoughts Never a dull moment in Dappled Hills. Thankfully Police Chief Downey can filter his wife’s comical hysteria and has an open enough mind to listen to Beatrice’s theories.
Beatrice has quickly made herself at home in her new town and is even learning to quilt. Meadow and Ramsey are the perfect couple. She is absolutely as crazy as the quilts she creates and always up to something. Ramsey is calm, cool and collected, and reads poetry to relax after a hard day of fighting crime. Miss Sissy is my absolute favorite character. She is off beat and unpredictable and I love her. Jo was a fabulous character as well. A true troublemaker. Too bad she had to die.
Craig’s whodunit was full of misdirection and curves with bits of humor sewn right in. There is a true Southern feel to the characters and events. More like Southern chaos instead of Southern charm. A fun and entertaining story. These are characters I can’t wait to visit again.
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Would you like to win a copy of this wonderful book?
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Every Trick in the Book
(A Novel Idea Mystery) 2nd In Series Cozy Mystery A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery The Berkley Publishing Group (February 5, 2013) Published by The Penguin Group Cover Illustration by Julia Green Cover Design by Lesley Worrell Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425251676 E-Book File Size: 680 KB ASIN: B0095ZMFW2
You have heard it said that all of us has a twin somewhere out there. What would you do if you came face to face with yours? and then they end up murdered! at an event you have helped organize!!
That’s what happens to Lila Wilkens in this second installment of the Novel Idea Mysteries. She has helped organize the Book and Author Festival and she was hoping to discover some talented new authors but she never imagined there would be one dead body and then another. Lila finds herself hunting down another killer and the clues that bring everything together are found in a very familiar place for this new literary agent. Can she catch the culprit before she is written out of the story?
Dollycas’s Thoughts There is so much to love about this story!
A behind the scenes glimpse at book publishing from the agents point of view set in an enchanting place. Inspiration Valley, North Carolina – sounds like a perfect escape for me. I would never want to come back. Lila’s job would delight me as well.
The author has her hands full because she is not only writing the plot and sub-plots, she also has to come up with snippets of manuscripts and proposals for stories so that Lila can do her job. She does this with a precision that makes them all blend together and flow seamlessly for the reader. A lot happens in this story but it happens so naturally that before you know it you are on the last page and sad to have the story end.
The characters are superb and Lila’s new hire could prove to very interesting in the next editions. The rest of the agents at Novel Idea Literary are starting to gel. Lila’s son Trey’s path is changing. Lila is getting settled in her cottage after a little moving day drama and her relationship with Sean, the policeman, is moving forward even as he wishes she would just stay out of his cases.
I am excited for the next story, Books, Cooks and Crooks to be released in December. I am sure Lila will find “in the soup” again and I will devour every word.
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About This Author
Lucy Arlington is the nom de plume for the writing team of Ellery Adams and Sylvia May, two friends who collaborated on an idea that became A Novel Idea Mystery Series. Both are authors in their own right; Ellery writes cozy mysteries and Sylvia women’s fiction.
Ellery Adams currently writes the Books by the Bay Mysteries and the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries. To learn more about Ellery and her books, visit her website at www.elleryadamsmysteries.com.
Sylvia May’s first novel, The Unraveling of Abby Settel, received an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Reader Views Literary Awards. To learn more about Sylvia and her novel, visit her website at www.sylviamay.com.
I want to thank the authors and the people at Berkley Prime Crime! Escape With Dollycas Into A New Book is quoted on the Praise page for Every Trick In The Book. Thank you so much!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Playing With Poison A Cue Ball Mystery First in Series Cozy Mystery Self Published (October 31, 2012) Paperback: 250 pages ISBN-13: 978-1480092686 E-Book File Size: 428 KB ASIN: B009D99R0I
Jessie Hewitt is a pool shark that usually can run the table and knows where the balls will fall. She had no idea that a body would fall on her couch or that a cop would show up in her kitchen and accuse her of murder. How is she going to get out of this mess?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Best first line ever: “Going bra shopping at age fifty-two gives new meaning to the phrase fallen woman,” I announced as I gazed at my reflection.
I knew I was going to like Jessie right away! She is smart and fun and I would love to hang out with her and shoot a little pool. She is also a romance novelist and her work as Adelé Nightingale is steamy but told to us readers in the most hilarious way. Her agent Louise is “fantastical”! These characters are a hoot!! and their dialogue is at times side splitting.
A good plot, a fun setting and engaging characters come together to make the a lighthearted cozy that will put a smile on your face. A very entertaining debut! I am looking forward to Double Shot and Three Odd Balls.
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent
About This Author
Cindy Blackburn has a confession to make-she does not play pool. It’s that whole eye-hand coordination thing. What Cindy does do well is school. So when she’s not writing silly stories she’s teaching serious history. European history is her favorite subject, and the ancient stuff is best of all. The deader the better! A native Vermonter who hates cold weather, Cindy divides her time between the south and the north. During the school year you’ll find her in South Carolina, but come summer she’ll be on the porch of her lakeside shack in Vermont. Cindy has a fat cat named Betty and a cute husband named John. Both are extremely lovable. When Cindy isn’t writing or grading papers, she likes to take long walks or paddle her kayak around the lake. Her favorite travel destinations are all in Europe, her favorite TV show is NCIS, her favorite color is orange, and her favorite authors (if she must choose) are Joan Hess and Spencer Quinn. Cindy dislikes vacuuming, traffic, and lima beans.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction….
Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she’s made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds–has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can’t hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life. And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina’s Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs.
Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he’s hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he’s ever cared about.
Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity. Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs?
Five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.*
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Reading this book in December warmed me right up. While pretty predictable it is well written with engaging characters set in one of my favorite places in the United States.
The surprise element was the addition of Maryn. At first she really didn’t fit in with the story but Andrews made it work. Like the rest of the woman she was at a crossroads in her life – a dangerous one. Since I usually read mysteries I enjoyed this character being inserted into the group of life long friends.
Friendship, romance, humor with a bit of mystery makes this an entertaining beach read at any time of year. You really can’t go wrong with a Mary Kay Andrews novel.
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues. A former journalist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit www.marykayandrews.com//
Emilie’s Christmas Love Contemporary Romance E-Book Self Published File Size: 399 KB ASIN: B00A6VHADI
Emilie and her aunt live in a huge house and have plenty of money. She is a teacher that works with at-risk youth. The one thing Emilie wants more than anything is to adopt a child. But it is so hard for a single woman to adopt. She thought her dreams were about to come true but yet again she is denied because the person giving the child up will only allow a two parent household to adopt the child.
Nick is a mechanic and he has taken in his niece and nephew after his sister’s tragic death. He promised her he would give her children the one thing she and Nick didn’t have: two parents.
Nick and Emilie meet when he tows her car. She soon learns that he is the man offering the little girl for adoption. He doesn’t know she is the rich woman wanting to adopt his niece. When she finds out they need a place to stay over the holidays she invites them to stay with her. She hopes to convince him she is the perfect person to adopt his niece and his nephew as well.
Neither of them expected what happened next.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Cozy mystery authors Jim and Joyce Lavene bring us a wonderful Christmas love story.
Emilie’s heart had been broken before by a man who couldn’t deal with her disability. She just was so afraid to open herself up to that kind of pain again. She knew she could make a good home for a child on her own and that was what she planned to do. Then Nick entered her life and as she tried to prove to him she didn’t need a man in her life they just kept getting closer and closer. It was so easy to connect with these characters.
The Lavene’s have written a captivating love story that will pull at your heartstrings. It unfolds at a perfect pace with the expected misunderstandings and drama but there is humor and more depth than usually found in romance novel today. Emilie’s work just with Adam – striving to get to the bottom of his behavior. She is a very special teacher.
If you are looking for a book to curl up with this holiday season this is one I highly recommend!
The Buzzard Table
(A Deborah Knott Mystery) 18th in Series Mystery Grand Central Publishing (November 20, 2012) Hachette Book Group Hardcover: 320 pages ISBN-13: 978-0446555821
Maron’s two series’ collide again just like they did in Three-Day Town, the last book in this series. This time New York police detective Sigrid Harald travels to Cotton Grove with her award-winning photographer mother, Anne Lattimore Harald, to visit Sigrid’s ailing grandmother. They get together with Judge Deborah Knot and her husband, Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Bryant for dinner at Mrs. Lattimore’s Victorian home. This is where they meet Mrs. Lattimore’s long lost nephew, Martin Crawford, an ornithologist researching a book on Southern vultures. Anne is charmed by her newly found cousin but something makes her believe they have met before.
When a string of suspicious murders hit the county Deborah, Dwight, and Sigrid once again work together to catch a killer, uncovering long-buried family secrets along the way.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am a long time fan of Margaret Maron. She plots a mystery masterfully. She keeps the reader engaged from the first word until the last. I love the way she has blended both of her protagonists in these last two stories.
These characters are still fresh and evolving even as we finish this 18th book. Dwight has some things in his past that he has not shared with Deborah that will see the light of day in future editions and in this story had him facing some tough decisions. Deborah’s relationship with Cal took a turn that made this reader actually shed a tear. Sigrid’s connection to Colleton County gives her reason to visit and help Dwight and Deborah in the future now that her series has ended. Cameo or surprised appearances are always nice.
The buzzard theme was a little strange at first and I probably learned much more about turkey vultures than I ever wanted to, but true to Maron’s style she brings it all together in a way her readers will love.
This book could be read as a stand alone but this series is best when you start at the beginning. Deborah has a huge family and without the background from previous novels it can be hard to keep them all straight. You will also see the way family is really the tie that binds all of these wonderful books together.
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Check out Margaret Maron’s website to find out more about this wonderful author here.
The publisher sent me a digital copy of Te Buzzard Table so I am unable to give my review copy away but I am giving away my gently read hardcover copy of
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Written in Stone
(A Books by the Bay Mystery) 4th in Series Cozy Mystery A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery The Berkley Publishing Group (November 6, 2012) A Division of The Penguin Group Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425251737 Cover Illustration by Kimberly Schamber Cover Design by Rita Frangie
Olivia Limoges has been summoned to see Munin Cooper, known as the witch of Oyster Bay. Munin tells Olivia that death is coming. Neither woman realized that is was Munin’s death that was imminent. When her body is found Olivia instincts tell her there is something more sinister than a mystical force at work.
Finding Munin’s killer takes top priority for Olivia even though she needs to be getting ready for the Coastal Carolina Food Festival. Munin had given Olivia a memory jar that she had made and Olivia knows that if she can just figure out what the keepsakes mean she will be able to identify the killer. She enlists the help of the Bayside Book Writers to help her solve the pottery puzzle and help her to catch the culprit before he claims another victim.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Ellery Adams just keeps topping herself. Each book is better than the last. This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year.
One of the mysteries of this series has been the star character herself and we are finally really getting into the heart of her life in this installment. Plus the character is evolving and moving forward in the most wonderful ways.
In this story we also learn about the Lumbee Indian Tribe. The Lumbee are one of eight state-recognized Native American tribes in North Carolina. The author took the history of this tribe and wove it right into Olivia’s world. I really love the way she does this because added to the enjoyment of the story we get a little education as well. The memory jug with the keepsake clues added that additional element every great mystery needs. The puzzle to figure out, not just trying to pick up clues from what the characters say or remembering something at at that climatic moment.
To fully appreciate this story it is necessary to read all of the books in order. Only then can the reader enjoy the growth of all the characters.
Kudos Ellery!!! Bring on Poisoned Prose!! I can’t wait!!
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To find out more about Ellery Adams visit her webpage here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Today I get to welcome back one of my favorite guests. It is always a treat when he or one of his alter egos stops by for a visit. Today he is sharing some surprising information about this wonderful series. The life of an author is never dull. I will let him tell you all about it.
Hi Casey!
Hi Everyone!
Talking about A Grid for Murder by Casey Mayes (aka Tim Myers)
It might interest you to know that A Grid for Murder( along with its predecessors, A Deadly Row and A Killer Column, in the puzzle mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime) began life as a very different thing entirely. The series itself was originally based on a brand new popular puzzle-making technique, with my plots woven directly into my own puzzles and their included solutions, structured in a very specific way to mesh puzzle with mystery.
And then, out of nowhere, a mere handful of months before the first book in the series was set to be released, my publisher received a letter from the puzzle’s creator, demanding that we ‘cease and desist’ from publishing the entire mystery series! I was understandably troubled by the news, since I’d even learned how to create the puzzles myself, and had included several in each book.
There was no time for disappointment, though. I had to come up with an entirely new theme for the series, create new puzzles of my very own, and restructure three novels that had already been written, all in a very limited amount of time!
After much toil at the computer and more than a few sleepless nights, I finally had something I was proud of to replace my former submissions. It was interesting to me, in retrospect, that the reworking of the stories gave me new opportunities to choose other directions for the novels to take than I had picked before, and I did my best to restructure them in a way that seemed fresh and alive. They were accepted, each in their own right, and published right on schedule. Looking back now, the roadblock wasn’t quite as dire as I’d originally believed, and I feel the books are , in their own way, stronger than they were before.
There are a few interesting things about this book in particular. I chose Asheville as a setting for this novel in order to revisit a city I love that’s close enough to be an easy drive from where I currently live. It didn’t hurt that I had family nearby as well. The site of the murder occurs in a restaurant near Pack Square downtown, and the obelisk shown in the background of the cover is a monument dedicated to former NC Governor Zebulon Vance.
This series itself offered several firsts for me. It was the first time I chose real places for my books (Charlotte, Raleigh, and Asheville NC) which was quite a challenge, and I blended cozy with police procedural, with Savannah creating her puzzles, and her husband, Zach, a former cop, solving crime right alongside her. I also added several subplots to each of the books to add some depth, and tried to make each ending a bit more suspenseful than is my norm. I hope my readers have enjoyed this foray into a different style of storytelling. I know I have!
Finally, I added a succinct section at the end of each of Savannah’s puzzles called snippets. They offer a brief glimpse of how she views the world, and they were some of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever written.
~Casey
It is so interesting to know the stories behind the stories. This series has been quite an adventure for the author and wonderful escapes for the readers. Casey/Tim you know the door id always open! I hope you will come back again soon!!!
p.s. Savannah’s snippet in this edition touched my heart. Unbelievable how perfect it was for something my family is struggling with right now.
About This Author
Tim Myers has been writing mysteries since 1992. He is the Agatha Award nominated author of over 30 novels with Penguin/Berkley/Prime Crime, Penguin/NAL/Signet, St Martin’s Press/Minotaur, and Kensington. He is a New York Times bestselling author under one of his pseudonyms, and ten of his novels have been IMBA National Bestsellers, landing as high as #2. Tim has written under his own name, as well as Elizabeth Bright, Chris Cavender, Casey Mayes, and others.
His first story, My Late Aunt Hattie, was an 800 word short-short that combined elements of comedy, mystery, and the supernatural. It was published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and went on to be included in The Haunted Hour anthology. The author has also had stories included in the Mystery Writers of America Anthology A Hot and Sultry Night for Crime, as well as the hardcover anthology Murder Most Crafty. He is also the author of over 80 short stories, and has been nominated three times for the Derringer Award for Excellence is short mystery fiction.
A Grid for Murder
(A Mystery by the Numbers) 3rd Book in Series Cozy Mystery A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery The Berkley Publishing Group (October 2, 2012) Published by The Penguin Group Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425251645 Cover Illustration by Sawsan Chalabi Cover Design by Rita Frangie
Savannah Stone makes her living creating puzzles for logic lovers but her life hardly follows a logical course. Who could have dreamed that Joanne Clayton would get a job for a local newspapers creating puzzles? A newspaper that has repeatedly turned down Savannah’s work. Joanna Clayton knows nothing about making puzzles, all she knows how to do is spread gossip. There is no way this makes any sense but Savannah heard it directly from Joanne herself. Right there at the Cafe Noir. Savannah just wanted to have a little lunch alone, by herself, but Joanne barreled right up and sat right down at her table and took complete joy in telling Savannah her news. Thankfully a phone call from her husband Zach allowed her to make a hasty but graceful exit.
The real bad news arrived later when Zach calls Savannah to tell her Joanne is dead. She had been poisoned. Retired police chief Zach has been asked to assist in the investigation. Will the police think “puzzle envy” is a strong enough motive for murder? Savannah decides to do a little assisting in the investigation herself to find out which of Joanne’s many enemies may have wanted to get rid of the prospective puzzle maker permanently.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love the dynamic duo of Zach and Savannah. Think cozy mystery with a bit of police procedural added to the mix. While Zach follows the clues with Captain North, Savannah tries to logically sort through the facts and rumor. Together they seem to come to the correct solution albeit just not at the time. Savannah is a woman who will follow the lead, put herself in danger and scare her husband to death. These two even add to my gray hair and I love it.
This third Mystery By The Numbers has the twists and the turns, a little southern charm and humor, fantastic characters in a beautiful setting, but it may have you rethinking that tea you love to drink.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Swapping Paint
(Stock Car Racing Mysteries) Book 1 Published by Midnight Ink (May 7, 2007) An Imprint of Llewellyn Publications Cover Design by Kevin R. Brown 288 pages ISBN-13: 978-0738710204
Glad Wycznewski lives for three things: NASCAR, cold beer and his passionate wife Ruby. Glad is a retired cop from Chicago and Ruby has left her job as a beautician so that they can follow the racing circuit in their RV. The newlyweds, married last year at the racetrack in Somona, have just arrived in North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600. The track is just down the road from Ruby’s hometown.They are excited because Ruby’s brother, Bobby, a rookie driver, may be one of the lucky 43 racing in the 600.
The race week excitement hits the wall when another rookie driver is found dead and Bobby becomes the number one suspect. Glad wants to stay out of the locals way but Ruby has other ideas. She is determined to track down the real killer. They throw caution to the wind and shift their investigation into overdrive so they can put the murderer behind bars before the checkered flag waves.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am a huge NASCAR fan and this series had been on my wish list for way too long. There was no Cup race last Sunday so I spent my time reading this book instead of watching a race. I loved this book and it is going on my keeper shelf.
Glad and Ruby make an awesome team. Ruby is sassy, stubborn and her mouth has no filter. These traits can all mean trouble when investigating a murder. Thankfully Glad is smart with wonderful detective skills and very patient. They are perfectly suited for each other even if they are a generation apart in age. They clearly adore each other and their dialogue is funny and natural.
Other than the main characters I would have to say Ruby’s dad, Zeke, was my favorite character in this story. Zeke’s only love besides his family is fast cars. He has worked for almost every race car driver in the business. That was until he broke his back 5 years ago. He is now confined to a wheelchair and doesn’t even go to the races anymore. Like me he is worried about how people will treat him in his disabled state. I hope he realizes like I did that the those that care about you, won’t care about the chair, and those that treat you differently weren’t your friends in the first place. I really identified with this character.
Jim and Joyce Lavene are wonderful writers. This is just one of their mystery series. I have enjoyed everything I have read that they have written and plan to read them all. I hope you will join me! Their current mystery series’ are the Missing Pieces Mysteries and the Renaissance Faire Mysteries. Both series have new installments coming soon.
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About These Authors
Jim and Joyce will be Guest Posting Here on September 19!!
Check out the webpage for a complete list of books here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
, I figured I’d have to include a smattering of Southern funeral tradition. It might also be tradition where you live, and if it is, I’d love to hear it…or how your traditions differ. Although I only touched on this in the new book, most of my books include Southern funerals. They’re just so distinctive and such occasions for both grief and celebration that it’s tough to leave them out.
and 
.
( along with its predecessors, 
and 
in the puzzle mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime) began life as a very different thing entirely. The series itself was originally based on a brand new popular puzzle-making technique, with my plots woven directly into my own puzzles and their included solutions, structured in a very specific way to mesh puzzle with mystery.
are the Missing Pieces Mysteries and the Renaissance Faire Mysteries. Both series have new installments coming soon.