Book Reviews, Book Tours, Book Recommendations & Giveaways too!
On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
One for the Books (A Library Lover’s Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Berkley: (September 1, 2020)
Hardcover : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 059310174X
ISBN-13 : 978-0593101742
Mass Market Paperback : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593101758
ISBN-13 : 978-0593101759
Kindle ASIN : B082H2D2LP
Wedding bells are ringing in the latest page-turning Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Word to the Wise
Love is in the air in Briar Creek as library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan are finally tying the knot. The entire town is excited for the happy day, and Lindsey and Sully’s plan for a small wedding evaporates as more and more people insist upon attending the event of the year.
When Lindsey and her crafternoon pals head out to Bell Island to see if it can accommodate the ever-expanding guest list, they are horrified to discover a body washed up on the rocky shore. Even worse, Lindsey recognizes the man as the justice of the peace who was supposed to officiate her wedding ceremony. When it becomes clear he was murdered, Lindsey can’t help but wonder if it had to do with the wedding. Now she has to book it to solve the mystery before it ends her happily ever after before it’s even begun…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Briar Creek is getting ready for the wedding of library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan. Sully and Lindsey are surprised at the number of people planning to attend because they had planned to have just a small wedding with family and a few friends. So Sully, Lindsey, Violet, and Nancy head over to Bell Island to meet with Sully’s parents to work out the logistics of holding a much larger winter wedding than originally planned. His parents are not worried at all that the guest list has tripled. But then they find a body washed up on the shore. The dead body of the man who was supposed to officiate their wedding and a long-time friend of Sully. It isn’t long before they realize his death was no accident, Steve Briggs was murdered.
Can Sully and Lindsey get married with a murderer on the loose? Can they find a new officiant with such short notice? With Lindsey and Sully get their happily ever after? Not leaving anything to chance Lindsey knows she has a mystery to solve before she walks down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.
The big day is almost here. A day fans of this series have been waiting for. We also knew it would be easy sailing leading up to Sully and Lindsey’s nuptials and author Jenn McKinlay did not disappoint.
Lindsey Norris has grown by leaps and bounds since this series began. In One for the Books
The supporting cast has continued to grow and develop as well. Heck, “the lemon” Mrs. Cole is running for mayor. Beth, Lindsey’s matron of honor, and her husband Aidan are having a baby. Paula comes up with a perfect wedding favor for the crafternooners to make. Violet and Nancy are the calm in the storm helping all the wedding plans fall into place. Almost everyone in Briar Creek is engaged and invested in this wedding taking place. I really enjoy the closeness of this community.
Ms. McKinlay has plotted out quite a mystery for her characters. Tons of twists served up plenty of suspects. There were a couple of unexpected turns when a secret is revealed but quickly they were understood. Soon thereafter, the pages were turning at breakneck speed as the quest for the real killer came more into focus, someone I had earlier discarded. My stars! The reveal and the aftermath had me practically falling off the edge of my seat. Any questions I had were fully answered by the end of the story.
Then it was time for a wedding the author didn’t shortchange her readers one bit. The mother/daughter time, the father/daughter time, the beautiful wedding venue that family and friends created, the not-so-surprising officiant, the music, the happiness for all who attended, Heathcliff being a part of the ceremony, the beaming couple, everything was perfectly described to put readers right in the moment.
The theme of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
One for the Books
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About Jenn McKinlay
Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
Library Lover’s Mysteries
Cupcake Bakery Mysteries
The Hat Shop Mysteries
Also by Jenn McKinlay
Coming May 16, 2023
I am giving away 1 Kindle Copy!
The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page.
Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads
for 3 Bonus Entries.
Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.
If you share the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
The Contest Will End on mARCH 24, 2023, at 11:59 PM CST
The winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
The Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
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 pleased to shine the Spotlight on A Deadly Combo
A Deadly Combo: A Rocky Nelson Boxing Mystery
Traditional/Cozy Blend
1st in Series
Setting – California
River Rock Press (March 1, 2023)
Number of Pages: 270
What do boxing and vintage trailers have in common? Rocky Nelson.
Meet Raquel Nelson (AKA Rocky), a retired single woman with an attitude. In Rocky’s opinion, independent ruffians, relentless heat, wildfires, and unhealthy AQI are all part of living in the Sierra Foothills of California.
Sisters Rocky and Bridget are enjoying each other’s company at a vintage trailerfest until they stumble over a corpse. The dead guy is none other than the local trailer restorer and Bridget was overheard threatening to kill him. Mounting evidence leads police to focus on Bridget as a person of interest. Desperate to prove her sister innocent of murder, Rocky dons her own deerstalker cap and goes sleuthing. Rocky knows a little about the job requirements, having caught her sister’s last husband in an illicit affair. Detective Thompson is on the case and isn’t happy about Rocky poking around, and lets her know in no uncertain terms. But Rocky is tenacious if not stubborn. Combined with a 78-year-old father who insists on assisting, Rocky uses her courage and skills from boxing lessons to protect her family and keep from becoming the killer’s next victim.
This is the first book in The Rocky Nelson Boxing Mystery Series – a perfect series for lovers of small town mysteries with a cozy-noir feel featuring boxing and an amateur sleuth who will stop at nothing to save the lives of those she loves.
Author Karen A. Phillips lives in Northern California and writes humorous, fun, action-packed mysteries. She has several short stories published in various anthologies. Her characters are engaging and fearless. “A Deadly Combo” is her first full-length novel. In real life, Karen takes boxing lessons but would hesitate if she had to punch anyone in the face. Let’s face it. Karen wouldn’t last one round in the ring.
Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo –
TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops.
March 1 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 1 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 2 – Mythical Books – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 2 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 7 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – ebook addicts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 8 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
March 10 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
A PURR Before DYING: A Nick and Nora Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Beyond The Page (February 21, 2023)
Paperback : 237 pages
ISBN-10 : 1960511025
ISBN-13 : 978-1960511027
Kindle ASIN : B0BTQLD278
No one’s who they seem in the thrilling new Nick and Nora Mystery, and someone’s playing the part of a clever killer . . .
When a nighttime soap opera comes to town to film an episode, no one’s more excited than Nora Charles, who’s landed the contract for catering the shoot. But if she thought the show’s plotlines were full of drama and intrigue, that’s nothing compared to what she witnesses among the cast and crew, who are sneaking off for secret liaisons one minute and at each other’s throats the next. It’s all a titillating behind-the-scenes look for Nora—until she stumbles across the body of the show’s slain director.
It’s not long before the local authorities finger the brother of Nora’s good friend for the evil deed, and it’s up to Nora and her sidekick Nick to get him off the hook. As she begins to sort out the cast’s romantic entanglements and professional rivalries looking for a motive, she also discovers that the victim was involved in the mysterious death of the show’s previous director.
And then another member of the crew is found murdered, and Nora knows she’ll have to act fast to figure out who’s playing the part of the killer before she’s cast in the role of the next victim . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Nick and Nora are back again. Will they be able to use his Scrabble tiles to spell out a killer this time?
The cast and crew of the nighttime soap opera All the Days of Tomorrow have come to Cruz, California for two weeks to film an episode, and Nora’s sandwich shop Hot Bread has been awarded the catering contract. She soon finds out the soap opera playing out in real life was more interesting than the one being filmed. That was made clear when she trips over the dead body of the show’s director and she learns the previous director died not long ago in a freak “accident”.
While the police question everyone involved with the show they put Nora’s friend Chantel’s brother Remi at the top of their suspect list. Remi has nothing to do with the soap and has remained frustratingly silent about the whole thing. So Nora decides she and Nick will have to again get involved and try to find the real killer. Good thing she had all that training and now has her P.I. license. But she barely gets her investigation started when another crew member is killed. She realizes she needs to work fast or she could be written out of the production permanently.
Will Nora catch a killer? Will Nick get his closeup? Will the soap survive? Will Nick and Nora survive?
I love old movies and I can remember first watching The Thin Man
The mystery has an overabundance of suspects including the whole cast and crew of the soap, Chantel’s brother Remi, and who knows who else could have wandered into Sweeney Park. Nora and Nick had their work cut out for them. The author plotted out everything so well. I kept changing my mind about who committed the crimes until a certain character drew my attention. Then I discarded them too thinking I just couldn’t be right. I was shocked as I kept reading only to see I had been on the right track after all. The reveal was excellent, Nora got into some scary but good trouble, and Nick, oh Nick. What a fabulous feline he is!
A Purr Before Dying
Just a note, this book can be read all on its own but I encourage you to read the whole series for maximum enjoyment.
Now I just need to decide which Thin Man movie to watch this weekend.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing. They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.” Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, was just released from Beyond the Page. There is also a new series, Tiffany Austin Food Blogger, coming out in April.
You can cat-ch up with them at ROCCO’s blog or her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Blog Website Facebook Twitter: @RoccoBlogger
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Apple – Google Play – Kobo – Smashwords
Related Media
These movies are also available on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, YouTube, and other free and cable channels.
Great Escape Praise for A Purr Before Dying
A fabulous addition to the fun cozy mystery series. It can be read on its own but it is so much better if you have read them in order. T.C. LoTempio creates a story that you won’t want to put down.
~Books A Plenty Book Reviews
I hope we get more adventures and mysteries with Nora and Nick. There’s so much intrigue in each book with some hints at a potential romance. I know I’m in for hours of enjoyment when I see a new Nick and Nora book out.
~Socrates’ Book Reviews
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
February 27 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 28 – I’m Into Books – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
March 1 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 2 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 3 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 4 – Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 7 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 7 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 8 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 9 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
March 10 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
It is my pleasure to share with you my thoughts about The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo by Carrie Doyle today.
The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo:
A Tropical Island Cozy Mystery
(Trouble in Paradise!)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Caribbean Island
Poisoned Pen Press (January 31, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1728232392
ISBN-13 : 978-1728232393
Kindle ASIN : B0BB8SFS8Y
Sometimes you have to rock the boat to catch a killer!
On the tropical island of Paraiso, Plum Lockhart has a new zest for life. Her villa rental company is growing like a weed, she’s solved a couple of pesky murders, and things with her long-time crush are finally starting to heat up.
Plum does sometimes miss her sparkly life in the Big Apple, so she’s thrilled when she gets an invite to dinner on the yacht, where she can mingle with famous singers, up-and-coming stars, society swans, and billionaires. After a few hours on the boat, Plum is less than impressed with the celebrity set and when a server tries to pull her aside to confide a secret, she wonders what else may be lurking beneath the surface.
Two days later, one of the servers from the yacht—a girl with a dragonfruit tattoo—washes up dead, and Plum’s sweet bit of paradise quickly goes sour. As the ship prepares to set sail across the Caribbean, Plum hops onboard to investigate the case, undercover. But the best-laid plans turn deadly as it becomes clear that everyone on the boat has a motive and Plum must sleuth out the killer before she becomes the next victim…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We are back on the island of Paraiso and Plum Lockhart is thrilled with the way her villa rental company thriving. She is also happy with the direction her relationship with a certain Security Director is moving.
At a party hosted by one of the island’s elite residents Plum runs into a friend from her magazine days, Ellen Katz. She is on vacation with her Hollywood producer husband. They have been yachting around the world with famous rapper/talent manager Robert Campbell and his other guests. Ellen invites Plum to come out to the yacht where there is always a party going on. Plum does join the party for a few hours and is surprised when one of the servers tries to share a secret with her. Before the two can meet privately Plum is headed back to the island.
When that server’s dead body washes up onshore two days later Plum wishes she had known what the girl wanted to tell her. In a real twist, Police Captain Diaz asks Plum to go undercover on the yacht to uncover the killer. She vows to do her best but she soon learns the server wasn’t the only one with a secret. Everyone on board could have done the deed. And asking the right questions to the wrong people could make Plum the next victim to wash up on shore.
Plum spends a lot of time away from her business in this third Trouble in Paradise Mystery
Readers are introduced to Plum’s friend Ellen, her husband Joel, their host Robert Campbell, and all his guests and crew on the yacht including a young actress, India Collins, and R&B pop singer Nachelle Brown. A surprise guest shows up later in the voyage. All the characters are complex and interesting. They all make perfect suspects.
The mystery is complicated with plenty of twists and turns. I thought that while it would never happen in real life Plum going undercover on the yacht was pretty entertaining. I loved Agatha Christie-esque reveal. The subplots were very well written and placed within the story. Plus the surprise yacht guest was hilarious. There are other humorous moments as well.
Of course, the setting on Paraiso is delightful. My happy place is on a beach with my feet in the sand. I would mind traveling the seas on a yacht either, but I am faced with caviar dreams on a hamburger budget. That is why I enjoy escaping into stories like these.
The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Carrie Doyle is the best-selling author of multiple novels and screenplays that span many genres, ranging from cozy mysteries to chick lit to comedies to Young Adult.
A born and bred New Yorker, Carrie has spent most of her life in Manhattan, with the exception of a six-year stint in Europe (Russia; France; England) and five years in Los Angeles. A former Editor-in-Chief of the Russian edition of Marie Claire, Carrie has written dozens of articles for various magazines, including countless celebrity profiles. She is also a screenwriter, and her movie Intern (co-written with Jill Kargman) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Carrie has three books that will be published in 2021: Death on Bull Path
Carrie currently splits her time between New York and Long Island, with her husband and two teenage sons.
Website
Also by Carrie Doyle
Thanks to the publisher I have 1 copy to give away!
The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page.
Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads
for 3 Bonus Entries.
Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.
If you share the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
The Contest Will End March 22, 2023, at 11:59 PM CST
The Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
The Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
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.
