Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries) by Jennifer S. Alderson #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour

Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – France
Traveling Life Press (May 31, 2023)
Approximately 250 Pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZPHKHGQ

Coming out of retirement can be deadly…

After tragedy struck three years earlier, art sleuth Carmen De Luca vowed to never work in the field again. But fifty is too young to fill her days with water aerobics and bingo, so when her former partner calls and begs for her help, Carmen gladly agrees.

Yet after their first assignment – the recovery of a rare medieval prayer book from an eccentric collector living in rural France – goes horribly wrong, Carmen ends up in the crosshairs of both the local police and a murderer!

With her target dead and the stolen book missing, she and her partner will have to pull out all of the stops to sleuth out the true killer’s identity – before their stay in France becomes permanent.

Introducing Carmen De Luca, an art sleuth with a nose for mystery and the job of locating valuable artwork stolen from museums around the world. If you love strong and resourceful heroines, puzzling mysteries, and a dash of art history, pick up Collecting Can Be Murder now!

These mysteries contain no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Following the death of her husband Carmen De Luca retired from being a fine arts and antique recovery specialist but lately her life has become stagnant so when her former partner, Lady Sophie asks her to help with a few cases Carmen quickly agrees.

The first assignment is in rural France and they are searching for a rare medieval prayer book that had disappeared several years ago and was recently purchased by a collector. Lady Sophia was able to get an invite to a party the man is hosting to show off a large collection of valuable books. Using the cover of being a reporter Carmen has persuaded the man to give her an interview but before it can be completed the collector is dead and Carmen was almost killed too. With a storm raging outside all the attendees of the party are forbidden to leave until the authorities arrive. This gives Carmen time to find the book to fulfill their quest and maybe even find the killer.

_____

What a great debut for this series!

I really like Carmen. She can think on her feet and strives to complete the mission. Lady Sophie wasn’t as open with Carmen as I thought she should be. Carmen takes a few wrong steps that wouldn’t have happened if Sophie had given her all the details and changes that had occurred since Carmen retired. Our victim was a dastardly character. He manipulated everyone with his money and his treasured books. The author did an excellent job fleshing out all the characters and gave enough of a backstory for each to understand their motives and situations.

The mystery was like a classic closed-room mystery. The killer had to be among the attendees of the party or part of the staff. A key piece of evidence reveals a twist but there are plenty more twists and turns following that. I had a great time trying to fit the clues together right along with Carmen.

I really enjoy getting to know about the different antique prayer books. The author’s descriptions really piqued my interest so I had to hit the internet to see them with my own eyes. I always enjoy learning new things when I am reading.

Collecting Can Be Murder was an interesting and entertaining cozy mystery. I am excited to see what Ms. Alderson has in store for her characters next. We do know where they are headed and I am sure it will be quite an adventure.Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Jennifer S. Alderson

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

For more information about the author and her upcoming novels, please visit http://www.JenniferSAlderson.com.

Author Links

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Instagram     BookBub    Goodreads 

Purchase Link

Amazon 

Great Escapes Praise for Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries)
by Jennifer S. Alderson

My rating for Collecting Can Be Murder by Jennifer S. Alderson is five stars. Ms. Alderson brings it with this new series. I hope that she allows Carmen to uncover her husband’s killer. I highly recommend Collecting Can Be Murder to all you cozy mystery fans.
~Baroness’ Book Trove

Collecting Can Be Murder has a whodunnit premise along the lines of Agatha Christie
~Novels Alive

Collecting Can Be Murder by Jennifer S. Alderson kicks off a brand new series with fascinating treasures, Alderson’s writing voice is always engaging and easy to read, and I’m already looking forward to where she takes Carmen’s character from here.
~Reading is my Superpower

Coming August 31, 2023

Coming February 29, 2024

Also by Jennifer S. Alderson

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 12 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 13 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
June 13 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
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June 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
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June 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 23 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
June 23 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
June 24 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
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June 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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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.”