Tag: Susan Furlong

#Review / #Giveaway – War and Peach by Susan Furlong

Posted on By Dollycas 6 Comments on #Review / #Giveaway – War and Peach by Susan Furlong

War and Peach
(A Georgia Peach Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Georgia
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (February 7, 2017)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425278963
Kindle ASIN: B01FEY5EIY

 

 

The author of Rest in Peach serves up another bite of Southern charm in the latest Georgia Peach mystery.
 
Nola Mae Harper is too busy restocking the jars of preserves and chutney flying off the shelves of her shop, Peachy Keen, to keep up with all the gossip about the upcoming mayoral election, but she does know the debate is sure to be a real barn burner.

Local farmer Clem Rogers claims he has a bombshell that could take small business owner Margie Price out of the running. But before Clem can reveal his juicy secret at the debate, his actual barn goes up in flames—with him inside of it. The town casts its vote against Margie, but Nola isn’t convinced the hardworking woman is capable of murder. Now to clear Margie’s name Nola will have to work fast under pressure, before Margie gets taken in by the fuzz…

INCLUDES RECIPES!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Politics can get heated but in Cays Mill, Georgia it gets burning hot when one of the mayoral candidates is killed when barn becomes an inferno. The deceased, Clem Rogers may have had some dirt on his opponent but Nola Mae has a hard time believing Margie Price would have killed him to shut him up. The sheriff has set her sights on the Harper family, of course, specifically Nola’s dad, which takes a toll on him. Nola sets her mind on some other suspects but finds herself in a bit of hot water as she gets close to solving the case.

 Full of Southern charm, I love jumping right into these stories.

Southern Girl Secret #104 – Don’t be one of those women who follows her heart and forgets to take her brain with her.

Nola’s ex is back in town investing the murder for Margie and the makes her current beau a little nervous, but every good cozy needs a little bit of romantic tension.

Southern Girl Secret #057 – Strong Southern gals are made up of ninety percent good-heartedness and 10 perfect badass.

Nola needs to break out that badass percentage near the end and it was AWESOME!

All these characters are entertaining. When the Harper’s rally together with their friends no one can hold them back. They are all so real and genuine and want the best for each other and the town. The dialogue rings true and if they were real they would be people I would want in my daily life.

The author has the recipe for another peachy keen mystery. Twists and turns and an ending I sure didn’t see coming at all.

Being the 3rd book in a series I get nervous that this will be my last visit to Cays Mill. I hope not, I would love to see the series continue, these are wonderful characters, but the author has left us in a good place either way.

All this reading about peaches has me craving them so I may be trying the recipes in the back of the book very soon.

This was another perfectly peachy read from Ms. Furlong. I am delighted to recommend it to all cozy lovers.

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About Susan Furlong

During her writing career, Susan has worked as an academic writer, freelance writer and novelist. Currently she’s busy working on The Georgia Peach Mysteries. (Berkley Prime Crime/July 2015) She also writes under the pen name Lucy Arlington. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.susanfurlong.com


Thanks to the publisher I have 1 copy to giveaway!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US 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 Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Click the Like Button at the top of this post for a Bonus Entry.

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 publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End March 7, 2017 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

Click Here For Entry Form

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.”

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Flashback Friday – Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong #Review / #Giveaway

Posted on By Dollycas 1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong #Review / #Giveaway


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.


Rest in Peach
(A Georgia Peach Mystery)
by Susan Furlong
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Georgia
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (April 5, 2016)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425278567
Kindle ASIN: B011IVWSEA
Shop Indie Bookstores

 

Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong – The annual Peach Cotillion, Cays Mill, Georgia’s biggest event, is fast approaching and Nola Mae Harper is just as excited as the rest of the town—even though she’s busy juggling both the cotillion dinner and the grand opening of her new shop, Peachy Keen. But she never expected that plans for the cotillion would end up in the pits because of the cutthroat competition between local debutantes.

When Vivien Crenshaw, insufferable church organist and despised mother of the town’s spoiled-rotten Peach Queen, is stabbed to death, the police turn to Nola’s friend Ginny as prime suspect. Apparently the two had fought over a one-of-a-kind cotillion gown. As Nola steps in to prove Ginny’s innocence she soon finds herself picking through a bushel of suspects, twice as many motives, and at the mercy of a killer all too keen on killing again.

INCLUDES RECIPES!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I am not from the south and have never attended a cotillion, but from everything I have seen and read I know the debs and especially their mothers can be pretty cutthroat. So when one of the mothers was found dead, stabbed in the throat with a sewing shears, I must say I wasn’t surprised. Beyond that this story was full of surprises.

Our victim, Vivien Crenshaw, mother of debutante Tara, gets into a spat with Nola’s friend Ginny over a dress. Seems the owner of the dress shop made a huge mistake and Ginny’s daughter, Emily and spoiled brat Tara ordered the same dress. Vivien feels the dress belongs to her daughter and that Emily can choose a new dress. Ginny is not backing down but Emily and Nola convince her to just let it go. The argument happened in front of a store full of people and Ginny did threaten Vivian so when she is found dead Ginny is targeted as the prime suspect faster than you can slice a peach. Nola has her new shop, Peachy Keen opening soon and has so much left to do but she has to set this half baked idea that her friend is a murderer to rest as quickly as possible even if it means putting herself in danger.

Susan Furlong has written another strong story. She has captured the craziness that surrounds a cotillion from the dresses to the dinners and the dances in such a fun way. Each chapter even starts with a debutante rule.

Debutante Rule #032: Like a magnolia tree, a debutante’s outward beauty reflects her strong inner  roots…and that’s why we never leave the house without makeup on. 

Debutante Rule #067: A debutante is like a tea bag. Ya never know how strong she is until she is sitting in hot water.

Main character, Nola Mae Harper, continues to grow and evolve. She has decided to stay in Cays Mill and help her family’s peach business grow by opening up her own little store to sell products made with peaches from their orchard. She already has an online presence and some local customers. She is hoping the tourists will become more than just one time buyers. While she does have a plan for the business her own personal life is not so smooth. I love some romantic drama.

The murder mystery was top shelf. So many suspects and a few secrets make this a mystery I could really sink my teeth into. I was right there to the end with Nola trying to figure out whodunit.

The entire book is full of Southern charm and laced with humor. It was a “perfectly peachy” read. I am excited for book #3, War and Peach, set for delivery February 7.

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About Susan Furlong

During her writing career, Susan has worked as an academic writer, freelance writer and novelist. Currently she’s busy working on The Georgia Peach Mysteries. (Berkley Prime Crime/July 2015) She also writes under the pen name Lucy Arlington. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.susanfurlong.com


I am giving away my review copy!
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 Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Click the Like Button at the top of this post for a Bonus Entry.

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 publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End January 27, 2017 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

Click Here For Entry Form

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.”

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Special Guest – Susan Furlong – Author of Peaches and Scream – Review – Giveaway

Posted on By Dollycas 36 Comments on Special Guest – Susan Furlong – Author of Peaches and Scream – Review – Giveaway

special guest blueIt is just so peachy to have Susan Furlong drop by for a visit today!

Peaches and Scream came out on July 7, the first book in the Georgia Peach Mystery Series!
Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and let’s enjoy our visit!

SweetTeasusan furlongWho would be so wicked as to take a bucolic, friendly village, full of charm and quaint shops, and throw in one senseless murder after another? (Think Norman Rockwell meets Ted Bundy.) Well, that’s exactly what cozy mystery writers do. They create an idyllic setting—perhaps a quaint English hamlet, or a southern town nestled in the Appalachian hills—introduce you to a whole host of friendly, likeable town folk and then start killing them off, one by one.

Seems a little demented, huh? Well, not really. First, I’m a small town girl, so setting a mystery in a small town comes naturally to me. And before you jump to all sorts of conclusions about personal vendettas I might be plotting against my own neighbors, let me explain several reasons why a small town makes the perfect setting for a cozy mystery:

• For starters, everyone knows everyone. This makes for plethora of unique dynamics—vicious gossip and hidden secrets—and a lot of fun, familiar interaction between characters.

• Familiarity between characters also creates plenty of personal motivations for murder—greed, jealousy, love affairs gone bad … the possibilities are endless.
• Furthermore, a small town lends itself to a tightly plotted mystery. With limited suspects and a somewhat isolated setting, the reader can easily follow along as the sleuth tracks down the killer.

• And what could be more fun than roaming along with the protagonist through tree-lined streets, in and out of quaint shops, bookstores, lively pubs, flower shops, and restaurants serving delectable local foods… all while tension builds as both reader and sleuth strive to restore justice to a once quiet, peaceful setting.

With my peaches and screamown small town background, I understand the limitations as well as the wonderful possibilities of such a setting. Which is why I injected all sorts of those emotions and characteristics in my latest cozy mystery, Peaches and Scream, where the fictional town of Cays Mill, Georgia, is home to a wide cast of vivid, quirky and endearing characters. People who share not only a past checkered with family feuds and sinister secrets, but a sense of community pride and a commitment to neighbors. That’s why when a murderer strikes in Cays Mill, the stakes are high. Because in a small town, chances are, a friend or neighbor you think you know all-too-well is either the victim … or the murderer.

About Susan Furlong

During her writing career, Susan has worked as an academic writer, freelance writer and novelist. Currently she’s busy working on The Georgia Peach Mysteries. (Berkley Prime Crime/July 2015) She also writes under the pen name Lucy Arlington. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.susanfurlong.com

peaches and screamPeaches and Scream
(A Georgia Peach Mystery)
Brand New Series
Cozy Mystery
Setting – Georgia
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (July 7, 2015)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Erica LeBarre
Cover Design by Sarah Oberrender
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425278383
E-Book ASIN: B00Q5DLWSU
goodreads-badge-add-plusShop Indie Bookstores

 

In the first Georgia Peach Mystery, when murder threatens her family’s orchard, Nola Harper is ready to pick out the killer and preserve the farm’s reputation…

To help run the family peach farm during her parents’ absence, Nola Harper returns to her childhood home of Cays Mill, Georgia, and soon discovers that things back at the farm aren’t exactly peachy. A poor harvest and rising costs are threatening to ruin the Harper’s livelihood, and small-town gossip is spreading like blight thanks to Nola’s juicy reputation as a wild teenager way back when. But Nola really finds herself in the pits when she stumbles upon a local businessman murdered among the peach trees.

With suspicions and family tensions heating up faster than a cobbler in the oven, this sweet Georgia peach will have to prune through a list of murder suspects—before she too becomes ripe for the killer’s picking…

INCLUDES RECIPES

Dollycas’s Thoughts
We meet the Harper Family in this first Georgia Peach Mystery. Nola Harper left town several years ago and has a very rewarding job helping people in underdeveloped countries. She doesn’t return home very often but her parents have won an exciting trip and have asked her to come home and watch over the family business while they are away. Her brother Ray is a successful lawyer and just doesn’t have the time and her sister is due to have her 3rd child very soon and can’t take care of things on the farm. When she finds out that her parents have been hiding their financial troubles she decides to figure out a way to save the family’s legacy.

As if things weren’t bad enough the morning after Nola’s parents leave she finds the body of a local business man in the orchard. Things are definitely not peachy at the Harper’s homestead. When she finds out her brother-in-law is the main suspect Nola knows she has her hands full. Can she solve a murder and get the farm moving in the right direction before her parents get back? She has to try!

This is an awesome debut. This bushel of characters is diverse and interesting. Seeing Nola reconnect with all the people from her past was fun to read. I truly enjoyed that her best friends in high school quickly become her best friends again. One may like to be a little more than friends but we will have to wait and see. I also enjoyed the way Nola didn’t just barge into the investigation. The sheriff is more than happy to let her brother-in-law rot in jail so Nola just does a little poking around and keeps her ears open. She is new to sleuthing so she does take some things a bit too far but somebody has to find the real killer.

In addition to this fine mystery each chapter starts with a Georgia Belle Fact – “#027 – In the South, we greet one another with bits of juicy gossip, not some ol’ boring Yankee salutation.” There are yummy recipes too!

Susan is off to a delicious start with this series! Cozy lovers you will love this story and all its Southern charm!

a perfect escape5 STARFISH

Dollycas
Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the people at Penguin I have 2 copies to give away!
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 Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Following the new Google+ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Fan Page
will earn you 3 Bonus Entries.

Leave a comment for Susan for 5 Bonus Entries.

Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End July 30, 2015 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

Click Here For Entry Form

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.”

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