Longing is Violet Dusk: A Hazel Dean Mystery by Josalyn McAllister #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour

Longing is Violet Dusk: A Hazel Dean Mystery
by Josalyn McAllister

About Longing is Violet Dusk

Longing is Violet Dusk: A Hazel Dean Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Georgia
Eburnean Books (September 27, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8987053201
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BDD6J18R

After a stressful foray into crime fighting, Hazel Dean is relieved to resume normality, taking care of her family and book shop–until her ability to see emotions in color pulls her into another crisis.

One night at book club, Hazel sees a swirl of jarring purple, blue and black encompass a young mother. Realizing that the woman might be in trouble, Hazel recommends a book that she hopes will provide some comfort and guidance.

To her horror, the young mother goes missing the following week. Hazel feels responsible and becomes obsessed with finding her. But the search isn’t the only thing Hazel is juggling. She’s also trying to help the missing woman’s children, evade a young reporter, and deal with the sudden reappearance of an old high school flame.

With all of Hazel’s efforts, can the missing woman be found before it’s too late?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Hazel Dean has a special gift. She can see people’s emotions in living colors and she uses the ability to find them the perfect book at her bookstore. During book club, she sees a rash of purple, blue and black surrounding a young mother. She then gives the woman a book she believes will help her but a few days later the woman goes missing in the forest. Hazel is beside herself with worry that the book she gave her may have led to her disappearance. She soon feels an overwhelming need to find her and get her back to her family.

While the search continues Hazel finds out her old high school boyfriend is back in town because of his parent’s failing health. His brother has also returned, and he just happens to be the missing woman’s high school boyfriend. Could he have something to do with why the woman went missing? Hazel hopes to put all the colorful clues together to find out.

Hazel Dean is an interesting protagonist. Most people would be overwhelmed by a “gift” like hers but after all these years I suppose it is just normal for her. I do like the way she uses it to match people to a certain book but this time we saw the heaviness it puts on her when she may have made a mistake. Her husband, Jason is just one of the small group that knows about her abilities. He is very understanding, but with an old boyfriend back in town who appears to have desires to rekindle his relationship with Hazel, he is a little tested. Plus one of their teenage sons suddenly has a girlfriend and the other is crushing on a reporter. Hazel is just not ready for that. So on top of Hazel’s colorful emotions, they still deal with realistic family issues.

Nina had some issues that she thought could be helped by some time alone, but when she didn’t come home on time her husband alerted the authorities. It was great the way the town came together to help search for her. Nina had been attending the book club at Books and Chocolate for years, so that is how she knew Hazel. I was a little surprised at how enmeshed Hazel became in the search and the aftermath. She really felt responsible. Her Uncle John, the police captain, really leaned on her too in a way that was definitely not the norm but that did not deter from my enjoyment of the series.

Ms. McAllister has written a complicated mystery and it flows at a brisk pace with some extraordinary twists including some after it seemed the case was solved. There were some moments when one character or another raised my hackles but I never expected the book to end the way it did. Again, like with Guilt is Midnight Blue, this story evoked a lot of emotions in me. I would have loved to see what colors appeared around me as I was reading.

Longing is Violet Dusk is a great addition to this series but I do recommend reading Guilt is Midnight Blue to meet the core characters from the start. I am excited for this series to continue.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Josalyn McAllister

Josalyn McAllister is a cozy fiction author whose most recent works include Love Over Easy and Guilt is Midnight Blue. Josalyn started writing character descriptions at the tender age of seven, inspired by the works of LM Montgomery. In her teenage years, she moved on to Newsies fan fiction. Inspired by National Novel Writing Month, she wrote her first novel about a child she mentored in college. She has never stopped writing. Josalyn taught middle school history before deciding she would rather spend time with her own children than other peoples. A restless soul, she has moved all over the country and collected an eclectic array of hobbies. Her writing has a relatable quality that will charm and entertain you.

Author Links

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Purchase Links

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Great Escapes Praise for Longing is Violet Dusk: A Hazel Dean Mystery
by Josalyn McAllister

This is a cozy mystery that stays within the formula while also managing to stand out!
~Reading is my Superpower

Enjoyable read as it all plays out. Makes a great choice for cozy fans looking for an FMC that is a little different than the norm. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 STARS
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
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November 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
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November 18 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT
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November 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
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November 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
November 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 27 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

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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.”