Tag: e-book

Review – Mission to Murder by Lynn Cahoon

Posted on By Dollycas 2 Comments on Review – Mission to Murder by Lynn Cahoon

The Great Escapes Book Tour for this book starts July 31.

I loved Guidebook to Murder and couldn’t wait to read this one.

Be sure to check out the tour and enter the giveaways!!

Mission To Murder (eBook)
Mission to Murder
A Tourist Trap Mystery
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington Trade (July 1, 2014)
Paperback: 238 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1601833051
E-Book File Size: 1196 KB
Publisher: eKensington (July 31, 2014)
ASIN: B00IO3QR98
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In the California coastal town of South Cove, history is one of its many tourist attractions, until it becomes deadly. Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Thomas, the obnoxious owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Thomas is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name.

But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Jill is a fabulous character. And yes, she let Craig Thomas have it, but it was with words, no foul play here. But she doesn’t have an alibi and she and the mayor do not see eye to eye, in fact he would like to see her in jail. Thankfully she is now dating Detective Greg King and he knows she didn’t do it. Now if he could just figure out to keep Jill from investigating on her own and let him catch the killer. But us fans of cozy mysteries know that is just not going to happen.

Lynn Cahoon has given us another wonderful story. The owner of the antique store next to Coffee, Books and More, Josh and junk dealer Ray are the quirky and creepy characters respectively. I love Aunt Jackie and even Esmeralda with her “woo-woo” predictions.  But my favorite character in this story was cop/barista Toby. He works for both Jill and Greg and is a great friend to both of them. The customers like him and  so do I.

The setting is also special. South Cove sounds like a wonderful place to visit and The Castle sounds like a fantastic tourist attraction.

Cahoon takes the characters in this town and creates a story full of mystery, romance and humor. This is a perfect book to add to your Summer Reading list. Fun and entertaining with just a few hold your breath moments.

a perfect escape5 STARFISH

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

 

To find out more about Lynn Cahoon and her books visit her blog 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.”

Reviews 2014, You Read How Many Books Challenge

Review/Giveaway – My Bloody Valentine – Short Story Collection

Posted on By Dollycas 14 Comments on Review/Giveaway – My Bloody Valentine – Short Story Collection

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

bloody valentine
My Bloody Valentine – Short Story Collection
Romantic Suspense
Publisher: The Story Vault (February 9, 2014)
E-Book File Size: 529 KB
ASIN: B00ICNBDP8
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MY BLOODY VALENTINE
Curl up with this delightfully dangerous collection of short stories, aimed at making the heart grow colder.

Love sometimes requires restraints…. In Tiffinie Helmer’s “Heartless,” Roxie Scott moonlights as a dominatrix, trying to survive the financial cost of her divorce, until her clients start turning up dead.

A mystery turns personal in Alex Bledsoe’s “Tantrabobus,” when Professor Tanna Tully of “the Firefly Witch” series, leads a team of graduate students in paranormal studies to investigate the ghost of a woman who burned to death on her wedding day.

A jilted mistress is after revenge In V.R. Barkowski’s “Just a Lie,” and a Homicide Inspector must choose between revealing a truth that will destroy lives or ignoring the savage fury of a woman scorned.

Can an immortal blood drinker find redemption? In Erica Hayes’ “Unforgiven,” Lisette, who long ago learned the price of pleasure, meets an ancient enemy, a dark prince and lover who rekindles her forbidden thirst for power — and blood.

CIA operative and bioterrorism expert Mackenzie Conley comes face to face with a madman obsessed with possessing her in Lizbeth Lipperman’s SWEEPERS: A Kiss To Die For, but soon discovers escaping from her mountain prison is the least of her worries.

A broken heart leads to rebellion in Charlie Holmberg’s “Salt and Water,” in which a beautiful slave is tortured to make her cry tears that possess healing powers. Her keeper’s generosity may be the key to her escape, but even the soft-hearted slaver has secrets to hide.

When two worlds collide, chaos is inevitable, in Coreene Callahan’s “Fury of Fate,” in which Sasha Cooper embarks on a night of passion with a complete stranger who turns out to be a Dragonkind warrior. Her dream-come-true may turn out to be her worst nightmare.

Sherry Papers knows that love hurts, in S.G. Redling’s “The True Love of Sherry Papers,” and she isn’t afraid to prove it. But when the love of her life forgets that important fact, she’ll stop at nothing to remind him.

For more information about the individual authors, please see the links below.
Tiffinie Helmer: http://www.tiffiniehelmer.com/
Alex Bledsoe: http://alexbledsoe.com/
V.R. Barkowski: http://www.vrbarkowski.com/VR_Barkowski/Author_VR_Barkowski.html
Erica Hayes: http://www.ericahayes.net/
Lizbeth Lipperman: http://lizlipperman.com/
Charlie Holmberg: http://myselfaswritten.blogspot.com/
Coreene Callahan: http://www.coreenecallahan.com/
S.G. Redling: http://www.amazon.com/S.G.-Redling/e/B007F37JR2

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I was excited to get this because Lizbeth Lipperman is one of my favorite authors and her short story, Sweepers, was excellent but I want more. I want to know how MacKenzie deals with the trauma she has endured. I hope there is continuing story in the works.

I also really enjoyed  Heartless by Tiffany Helmer. Roxie was quite a character and meeting up again with her crush from high school made for a very interesting story.

Some of the other stories were just not “my cup of tea”. Vampires and Dragonkind warriors are not my thing. But I found six of the eight stories enjoyable.

just you and a friend4 STARFISH

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Now in a quick Valentine’s Giveaway I will give 1 person
a gift of this collection of short stories from Amazon.
Just leave a comment below telling me if you have special plans
with your Sweetheart today.
I will choose the winner tomorrow.
Be sure to leave your email address!!

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.”

E-Book Challenge, Giveaways, Reviews 2014, You Read How Many Books Challenge

Murderous Matrimony Virtual Book Tour Stop!! (Giveaway too!)

Posted on By Dollycas 27 Comments on Murderous Matrimony Virtual Book Tour Stop!! (Giveaway too!)

great escape tour banner large MURDEROUS MATRIMONY640

The Murderous Matrimony Book Tour stops here today!!

I have been looking forward to this book since
I finished reading Perilous Pranks back in August.

Murderous Matrimony book cover
Murderous Matrimony
(Renaissance Faire Mystery)
6th in the Series
Cozy Mystery
Self Published
E-Book File Size: 367 KB
Print Length: 206 pages
ASIN: B00GOA74N6
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In just 2 weeks Jessie Morton and Chase Manhattan will become man and wife in one of the biggest Adventureland events ever. That is if Jessie can get Wanda’s ghost to behave and leaver her alone, get pass the fact that Chase’s family thinks she is all wrong for him and solve a murder or two. Maybe she and chase should just elope.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love these books. I have never been to an actual Renaissance Faire but because of these books I hope to attend one in the future. What a great ESCAPE from reality! Where else can you see Kings, Queens, Lords, Ladies, madmen, fairies, mermaids, dragons, Robin Hood and hundreds of people in full costume walking about enjoying the fantasy of it all? Plus the food, don’t forget the food.

Joyce and Jim Lavene take us there and they add the suspense of a murder or two in each installment. The descriptions are so vivid. I can see Sherwood Forest, the castle, the dungeon, the streets, the shoppes and every colorful character. Their words paint beautiful pictures in my mind. Even the curmudgeonly outsiders who enter the village who don’t believe. It is usually the outside police that come in to assist Chase but this time it includes Chase’s family as well.

 This story has a great mystery with plenty of suspects to keep us guessing – Fabulous characters including a ghost – Takes place in a fantastic setting. I love reading stories that leave me smiling at the end with a few giggles throughout and anxious for the next book.

You just can’t go wrong with a Joyce and Jim Lavene mystery. (Or a J.J. Cook or an Ellie Grant, yep, that’s them too!) While I would recommend reading the series from the start the authors do a wonderful job making each book read well all on its own. Congrats Joyce and Jim and thank you for inviting me to the spectacular wedding!!

a perfect escape5 STARFISH

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

clip_image001MurderousMatrimony_JimLavene-biopic
About the authors:
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, best-selling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.joyceandjimlavene.com.
Plus
Website: http://www.renaissancefairemysteries.com/
Blog: www.romanceofmystery.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
Twitter: @authorjlavene
Amazon : amazon.com/author/jlavene


Giveaway: The authors are giving away to one winner a copy of each of the 5 print books in the Ren Faire mystery series as well as the E- novella, Perilous Pranks. and an E- copy of Murderous Matrimony.

The entire collection, for now, of our Ren Faire Mysteries. Plus a Ren Faire Mystery tote bag to hold all of them.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.”

Giveaways, Great Escapes Book Tours, Reviews 2013, Virtual Book Tour

Review: Relatively Dead by Sheila Connolly

Posted on By Dollycas 3 Comments on Review: Relatively Dead by Sheila Connolly

relatively dead
Relatively Dead
Historical Mystery
Published by Beyond the Page (May 16, 2013)
E-Book File Size: 497 KB
Print Length: 211 pages
ASIN: B00CUEGU4E
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Abby Kimball moved to New England with her boyfriend when he accepted a new job. He made a good salary which gave her some time to settle in and decide whether to return to teaching or take some of her other experience and try something new. Boyfriend Brad spent a lot of time working or hanging out with his other coworkers that left Abby with a lot of alone time on her hands.

Abby decides to take a tour of historic homes in the area where she meets Ned. He was the docent for the last home on the tour. He also was a witness to a very strange experience she had in the house. As she entered one of the rooms she saw a family scene but it wasn’t a recreation using actors it was a haunting vision of a family who had lived in the house nearly a century ago. Having never had anything like that happen before she was positive something was very wrong with her. Thankfully Ned was helpful and encouraging and open to what she described to him. He even offered to help her investigate the vision and why she was seeing it in the first place. Abby leery at first eventually decides to spend her free time exploring and she finds out these visions may be connected to her own past.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
If you are familiar with Sheila Connolly or her books at all you know history is a major theme that runs trough her stories and that she is very interested in genealogy. That is what first drew me to this story but she is also a fantastic storyteller and that is what kept me reading.

I struggled a bit with Abby and Brad’s relationship at first but things started to click into place there for me rather quickly. As an avid mystery reader I kept waiting for Ned to show his ulterior motives and be the bad guy. Ned does have secrets but in a whole different direction than I originally thought.

What I really enjoyed was the process Abby followed to dig in to the local history and the visions she continued to have and the emotions she felt. People are investigating into exploring their family trees and history right now. With so much information being made available on the internet and the several websites created to help people connect the story is very current. Granted not everyone has visions like Abby but it is not beyond the realm of possibility. I have decided to keep an open mind on anything of that nature. My parents have both passed away and while I have never “seen” them or any of my other relatives there are times I just “feel” their presence. I think it would be cool to have way to really connect with them and learn more of my family history to pass on to my kids.

I thought this was a very original story tying a little paranormal activity into a different type of mystery with a bit of romance thrown in too. Connolly’s  writing is very descriptive and I love it.  

It was a nice, light,  easy read and a perfect book for me to curl up with on a dark rainy evening.

a perfect escape

5 STARFISH

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

 To find out more about Sheila Connolly visit her webpage here.

~I had received a copy of this book from NetGalley but when I went to read it the file would load on my Kindle correctly so I purchased a new copy from Amazon.

Reviews 2013
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza WacekGet Your Copy Today!
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