Christa Nardi's Blog, page 62
July 26, 2016
Book Review: THE DEEP END (The Country Club Murders Book 1) by Julie Mulhern
Synopsis
Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.
It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.
As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?
Review
The context is the high society country club set where appearance is everything and in the 1970s divorce is not considered acceptable and neither is a wife earning more money than her husband. Ellison's art and Grace are the plusses in her life - only her hobby is making more money than her husband. That and his interest in kinky sex spell doom for the marriage. Ellison is biding her time until Grace finishes high school to end her marriage. Her mother is domineering and Ellison's never stood up to her, until she becomes a suspect in the murder of her husband's latest mistress. She gains more strength in self-preservation as the body count rises.
Ellison stands up for herself and makes the decision for divorce. When her mother accepts that decision, it is time to match her up with the perfect man, attorney Hunter Platt. Hunter jumps right in, a bit bossy to say the least. In the meantime, Detective Jones is doing his best to get Ellison to tell her what she knows. The country club set have a lot of secrets but are also quick to speculate, stare, and may be a bit afraid of what Ellison knows.
This is the first in the Country Club Murders. I look forward to reading GUARANTEED TO BLEED and CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE to see more of Ellison - a 70s woman coming into her own. I'm hoping to see more of Detective Jones as well!
AMAZON
Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.
It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.
As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?
Review
The context is the high society country club set where appearance is everything and in the 1970s divorce is not considered acceptable and neither is a wife earning more money than her husband. Ellison's art and Grace are the plusses in her life - only her hobby is making more money than her husband. That and his interest in kinky sex spell doom for the marriage. Ellison is biding her time until Grace finishes high school to end her marriage. Her mother is domineering and Ellison's never stood up to her, until she becomes a suspect in the murder of her husband's latest mistress. She gains more strength in self-preservation as the body count rises.
Ellison stands up for herself and makes the decision for divorce. When her mother accepts that decision, it is time to match her up with the perfect man, attorney Hunter Platt. Hunter jumps right in, a bit bossy to say the least. In the meantime, Detective Jones is doing his best to get Ellison to tell her what she knows. The country club set have a lot of secrets but are also quick to speculate, stare, and may be a bit afraid of what Ellison knows.
This is the first in the Country Club Murders. I look forward to reading GUARANTEED TO BLEED and CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE to see more of Ellison - a 70s woman coming into her own. I'm hoping to see more of Detective Jones as well!
AMAZON
July 22, 2016
Book Review: TAPAS, CARROT CAKE AND A CORPSE (A Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery, Culinary Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Sherri Bryan
Synopsis
Small-town murder was never so calculated.
On a peaceful morning in an English coastal town, a handsome stranger meets a gruesome end.
As café-bar owner Charlotte Denver takes up the challenge to help find the killer before they strike again, she uncovers a shocking plot that rocks a close-knit community to its core.
There's amateur sleuthing, engaging characters, and recipes to try for yourself in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the feel-good Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Series.
Please Note; This book is written in British English and contains no strong profanity, sex or graphic violence.
Review
Charlotte's cafe-bar is the go to place for folks in this small English town, including the handsome, charming stranger who she finds dead. Nathan Costello tells Charlotte more than once to stay out of the investigation, but she happens on bits of information and follows the leads, always letting him know after the fact.
As most small towns, there are interesting residents. My favorite was Tom Potts, and his dog of course. This was a fun read, with an easy pace and hints of romance; the characters are engaging and the ending makes sense. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series:
HAMBURGERS, HOMICIDE AND A HONEYMOONFUDGE CAKE, FELONY AND A FUNERALSPARE RIBS, SECRETS AND A SCANDAL
You can find all of these at SHERRI BRYAN'S AUTHOR PAGE
Small-town murder was never so calculated.
On a peaceful morning in an English coastal town, a handsome stranger meets a gruesome end.
As café-bar owner Charlotte Denver takes up the challenge to help find the killer before they strike again, she uncovers a shocking plot that rocks a close-knit community to its core.
There's amateur sleuthing, engaging characters, and recipes to try for yourself in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the feel-good Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Series.
Please Note; This book is written in British English and contains no strong profanity, sex or graphic violence.
Review
Charlotte's cafe-bar is the go to place for folks in this small English town, including the handsome, charming stranger who she finds dead. Nathan Costello tells Charlotte more than once to stay out of the investigation, but she happens on bits of information and follows the leads, always letting him know after the fact.
As most small towns, there are interesting residents. My favorite was Tom Potts, and his dog of course. This was a fun read, with an easy pace and hints of romance; the characters are engaging and the ending makes sense. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series:
HAMBURGERS, HOMICIDE AND A HONEYMOONFUDGE CAKE, FELONY AND A FUNERALSPARE RIBS, SECRETS AND A SCANDAL
You can find all of these at SHERRI BRYAN'S AUTHOR PAGE
July 18, 2016
Book Review: A FLAIR FOR CHARDONNAY by Deborah Garner
Synopsis
When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer learns the owner of Cioccolato, her favorite chocolate shop, is in trouble, she heads for the California wine country with a tote-bagged Yorkie and a slew of questions. The fourth generation Tremiato Winery promises answers, but not before a dead body turns up at the vintners’ scheduled Harvest Festival.
All four Tremiato siblings have possible motives, as well as a few peripheral acquaintances, but only one could be the guilty party. As Sadie juggles truffles, tips and turmoil, she’ll need to sort the grapes from the wrath in order to find the identity of the killer.
Review
Sadie Kramer owns a boutique, next door to a chocolatier, Mateo. She is worried about Mateo – it’s obvious something is wrong – so she takes a trip to his family owned Tremiato Winery. She stays at the B&B associated with the winery and tries to find out what’s going on in Mateo’s family.
Mateo is the only family member not part of the winery and estranged as a result; they don't even carry his famous chocolates. But someone’s trying to buy the winery and that is creating conflict all around as Mateo is part owner. It gets more interesting when there’s a murder on the premises. After consulting with Coco, her Yorkie in her tote bag, Sadie decides to figure out who committed murder and only hopes it's not one of Mateo's family members.
The pace is steady, the characters interesting and unique. In particular, the character of Sadie is well-developed and likable, along with Coco. Although not key to this story line, it is easy to see how Sadie's shop "Flair" will lend itself to a new cozy mystery series. I look forward to reading more of Sadie's stories.
AMAZON
When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer learns the owner of Cioccolato, her favorite chocolate shop, is in trouble, she heads for the California wine country with a tote-bagged Yorkie and a slew of questions. The fourth generation Tremiato Winery promises answers, but not before a dead body turns up at the vintners’ scheduled Harvest Festival.
All four Tremiato siblings have possible motives, as well as a few peripheral acquaintances, but only one could be the guilty party. As Sadie juggles truffles, tips and turmoil, she’ll need to sort the grapes from the wrath in order to find the identity of the killer.
Review
Sadie Kramer owns a boutique, next door to a chocolatier, Mateo. She is worried about Mateo – it’s obvious something is wrong – so she takes a trip to his family owned Tremiato Winery. She stays at the B&B associated with the winery and tries to find out what’s going on in Mateo’s family.
Mateo is the only family member not part of the winery and estranged as a result; they don't even carry his famous chocolates. But someone’s trying to buy the winery and that is creating conflict all around as Mateo is part owner. It gets more interesting when there’s a murder on the premises. After consulting with Coco, her Yorkie in her tote bag, Sadie decides to figure out who committed murder and only hopes it's not one of Mateo's family members.
The pace is steady, the characters interesting and unique. In particular, the character of Sadie is well-developed and likable, along with Coco. Although not key to this story line, it is easy to see how Sadie's shop "Flair" will lend itself to a new cozy mystery series. I look forward to reading more of Sadie's stories.
AMAZON
July 14, 2016
SPOTLIGHT: CANDIDATE FOR MURDER by Lauren Carr
Book Description:It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is not a pretty one. In recent years, the small resort town has become divided between the local year-round residents who have enjoyed their rural way of life and the city dwellers moving into their mansions, taking over the town council, and proceeding to turn Deep Creek Lake into a closed gate community—complete with a host of regulations for everything from speed limits to clothes lines.
When the political parties force-feed two unsavory mayoral nominees on the town residents, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement—by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to run as mayor of Spencer!
What starts out as a joke turns into a disaster when overnight Gnarly becomes the front runner—at which point his political enemies take a page straight out of Politics 101. What do you do when you’re behind in a race? Dig up dirt on the front runner, of course.
Seemingly, someone is not content to rest with simply embarrassing the front runner by publicizing his dishonorable discharge from the United States Army, but to throw in a murder for good measure. With murder on the ballot, Mac Faraday and the gang—including old friends from past cases—dive in to clear Gnarly’s name, catch a killer, and save Spencer!
Author's Bio:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Buy Link AMAZON
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 13, 2016
Blog Tour: NUN BUT THE BRAVE (A Giulia Driscoll Mystery) by Alice Loweecey
Nun But The Brave
Cozy Mystery3rd in SeriesPublisher: Henery Press (July 12, 2016)Paperback: 292 pagesISBN-13: 978-1635110494E-Book ASIN: B01E5YNFLC
SynopsisGiulia Driscoll’s sister-in-law barges into Driscoll Investigations and promptly passes out from OD’ing on an unknown drug. Two OD’d teenagers are found dead in the park and behind a convenience store. DI’s new client insists her missing twin sister is not dead and enlists Giulia as the “Missing Person Whisperer.” Hooray for steady work?
The missing sister’s trail leads to married, pregnant, ex-nun Giulia’s first experience with online dating sites, to the delight of her husband and employees. Those dates lead her to local Doomsday Preppers. They grow their own everything, and that everything may be connected to the drugs, her sister-in-law, and the missing twin. These Preppers are about to learn the true meaning of doom.
Review
This installment of the Giulia Driscoll Humorous Mysteries is every bit as entertaining as NUN TOO SOON, the first in the series. Giulia is making a name for herself as able to find missing persons, but her real interest his finding out how her sister-in-law ended up almost dying from an overdose. Of course that means dealing with her brother who has yet to forgive her for leaving the convent. As Giulia tries to find a missing sister and solve the riddle behind her sister-in-law's problems, there are just too many similarities that pop up, not the least of which are found on dating sites. Well-written with enough action and humor to keep it going, Loweecey has done it again. Although this is the second in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
Books in the Giulia Driscoll Humorous Mystery Series:
CHANGING HABITS
(prequel short story)NUN TOO SOON
(#1)SECOND TO NUN
(#2)NUN BUT THE BRAVE
(#3)THE CLOCK STRIKES NUN (#4) May 2017
About the Author
Baker of brownies and tormenter of characters, Alice Loweecey recently celebrated her thirtieth year outside the convent. She grew up watching Hammer Horror and Scooby-Doo Mysteries, which might explain a whole lot. When she’s not creating trouble for Giulia Falcone-Driscoll, she can be found growing her own vegetables (in summer) and cooking with them (the rest of the year).Author Links:
Website: www.aliceloweecey.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.loweecey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceLoweecey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4166880.Alice_Loweecey
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 10, 2016
Blog Tour: MURDER UNDER THE COVERED BRIDGE (A Bucket List Mystery) by Elizabeth Perona
Murder Under the Covered Bridge(A Bucket List Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in SeriesPaperback: 312 pagesPublisher: Midnight Ink (July 8, 2016)
Synopsis
Working on a television taping to promote the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the ladies decide to use their access to the Roseville Bridge to cross an item off Charlotte's bucket list: #39) Be a Sexy Calendar Girl. But the photo shoot is interrupted by gunshots and Francine's cousin William stumbling down the riverbank followed by a man with a gun. William sustains life-threatening injuries, but is it homicide?
Francine and Charlotte go into detective mode to uncover the secret William knew about the shooter. Their success, however, depends on surviving two arson events, a séance, a shortage of Mary Ruth's wildly popular corn fritter donuts, memory-challenged nursing home residents, and a killer who refuses to go up in flames.
Review
This is a fun and entertaining light mystery featuring mature adults (being closer than I'd like to their age, I'm avoiding the "senior" word here) and their 60 item bucket lists as well as a hidden agenda or two. Although humor lightens the mood, there is the matter of William's murder and no shortage of frightening events that seem too convenient to not be related. Francine and Charlotte and the other ladies manage to bake up a storm, make corn fritter donuts and unearth family history in short order.
This is the second in the series, but the first I've read. It can easily be read as a stand alone. That said, the references to MURDER ON THE BUCKET LIST have put that one on my TBR list as well as any others Perona may write in the future.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
About The AuthorsElizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and Liz Dombrosky. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series, the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy(with Paul Skorich), and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder andHoosier Hoops & Hijinks.
Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.
Liz Dombrosky graduated from Ball State University in the Honors College with a degree in teaching. She is currently a stay-at-home mom. Murder on the Bucket List
was her first novel.Author Links
Webpage –Tony www.tonyperona.com
Webpage – Elizabeth www.elizabethperona.com,
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorelizabethperona/timeline
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 6, 2016
Book Blast: BRING YOUR OWN BAKER by D E Haggerty
Bring Your Own Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 2)
Cozy Mystery Self Published Print
Length: 166 pages
Publication Date: June 20, 2016
ASIN: B01FJVGWXI
Synopsis
Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal, Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation of Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur, or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations?
Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.
Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.Author Links: Website: http://www.dehaggerty.com Blog: http://www.dehaggerty.wordpress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty Twitter: https://twitter.com/denaehaggerty Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DEHaggerty/posts Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/denahaggerty/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210211.D_E_Haggerty Buy links: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TRXQ0R Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/636073 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bring-your-own-baker-de-haggerty/1123795411?ean=2940153018690 Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bring-your-own-baker
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July 3, 2016
Book Review: CAPPUCCINOS, CUPCAKES, AND A CORPSE (A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery, Book 1) by Harper Lin
Synopsis
Francesca Amaro moves back to her hometown of Cape Bay, Massachusetts, and takes over the family business, Antonia’s Italian Café. She spends her days making delicious artisan cappuccinos, until she stumbles upon her neighbor’s dead body. When the police discover Mr. Cardosi was poisoned, Francesca becomes a suspect.
The victim’s son, Matty, happens to be Francesca’s old high school friend. Together, they uncover the secrets of the locals in order to find the killer in their idyllic beach town.
Includes two special cupcake recipes!
Review
Francesca returns home, grieving for her mother and reunited with her grandmother. Life returns to what it was before she left the small town for New York and the pressures of the big city with the other cafe workers providing friendship and support. Then she discovers the body of her old friend's father as she takes a short cut walking home one day. When the cause of death is determined to be homicide, she becomes involved with the investigation as a possible suspect. She learns the problems with investigating a murder including uncovering histories of neighbors that are less than positive.
The story is evenly paced and best exemplifies the positives of small town friendships and supports. Francesca's relationships are all positive and she is a likable character. Her involvement in the investigation is less credible, but she acknowledges her lack of experience and skill. The ending is somewhat sudden but acceptable. This is the first of the Cape Bay Cafe Mysteries with at least two others available already. Recipes are included as well as detailed descriptions of Francesca's drawings on the cappuccinos.
The Cape Bay Cafe Mysteries
Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (Book 1) AMAZON
Tea, Tiramisu, and Tough Guys (Book 2)
Margaritas, Marzipan, and Murder (Book 3)
Francesca Amaro moves back to her hometown of Cape Bay, Massachusetts, and takes over the family business, Antonia’s Italian Café. She spends her days making delicious artisan cappuccinos, until she stumbles upon her neighbor’s dead body. When the police discover Mr. Cardosi was poisoned, Francesca becomes a suspect.
The victim’s son, Matty, happens to be Francesca’s old high school friend. Together, they uncover the secrets of the locals in order to find the killer in their idyllic beach town.
Includes two special cupcake recipes!
Review
Francesca returns home, grieving for her mother and reunited with her grandmother. Life returns to what it was before she left the small town for New York and the pressures of the big city with the other cafe workers providing friendship and support. Then she discovers the body of her old friend's father as she takes a short cut walking home one day. When the cause of death is determined to be homicide, she becomes involved with the investigation as a possible suspect. She learns the problems with investigating a murder including uncovering histories of neighbors that are less than positive.
The story is evenly paced and best exemplifies the positives of small town friendships and supports. Francesca's relationships are all positive and she is a likable character. Her involvement in the investigation is less credible, but she acknowledges her lack of experience and skill. The ending is somewhat sudden but acceptable. This is the first of the Cape Bay Cafe Mysteries with at least two others available already. Recipes are included as well as detailed descriptions of Francesca's drawings on the cappuccinos.
The Cape Bay Cafe Mysteries
Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (Book 1) AMAZON
Tea, Tiramisu, and Tough Guys (Book 2)
Margaritas, Marzipan, and Murder (Book 3)
June 27, 2016
Book Review: MURDER UNCORKED (Wine Lover's MysterySeries #1) by Michele Scott
About a month ago, I posted a review of MURDER BY THE GLASS, the second in the Wine Lover's Mystery series. As indicated, I liked it enough to back up to the beginning of the series and find out how Nikki got her job at Malveaux Wineries... so here's MURDER UNCORKED:
SYNOPSIS
Nikki Sands was like every other aspiring actress—waiting tables between jobs. But Nikki had taken serving wines to heart. She knew enough to impress Napa Valley’s golden boy, Derek Malveaux, who offered her a job at his vineyard. And though Nikki may have left her dreams of stardom behind, the world of wine is ripe with intrigue—and the seeds of sleuthing are planted…
Nikki has just set foot on Napa Valley’s rich soil when she realizes her new job may not be as safe as she thought. First off, Derek Malveaux is disconcertingly sexy. Second, his top winemaker is dead in the bushes outside Nikki’s cottage. It doesn’t take a connoisseur of foul play to know something’s taken a terrible turn…
REVIEW
Nikki doesn't exactly like her job as a waitress but the bills need to be paid. She's also not stupid and isn't quite sure Derek Malveaux is being completely honest when he offers her a job and a weekend to try it out at his winery. But bills need to be paid. She didn't count on the dead body or her reactions to Derek. She isn't sure who to trust or not, particularly when it comes to some of Derek's family members.
This first book details not only the murder mystery - it provides some background on the step brother and his partner, the step-mother and others without being tedious. The plot is well-developed with enough, but not too many suspects. Guess I have a few more books to add to the TBR list...
The Wine Lover's Mystery Series
MURDER UNCORKED AMAZONMURDER BY THE GLASSSILENCED BY SIRAHA VINTAGE MURDERCORKED BY CABERNETA TOAST TO MURDERA KILLER MARGARITA
MICHELE SCOTT'S AMAZON PAGE WITH LINKS TO ALL THE BOOKS:MICHELE'S AUTHOR PAGE
SYNOPSIS
Nikki Sands was like every other aspiring actress—waiting tables between jobs. But Nikki had taken serving wines to heart. She knew enough to impress Napa Valley’s golden boy, Derek Malveaux, who offered her a job at his vineyard. And though Nikki may have left her dreams of stardom behind, the world of wine is ripe with intrigue—and the seeds of sleuthing are planted…
Nikki has just set foot on Napa Valley’s rich soil when she realizes her new job may not be as safe as she thought. First off, Derek Malveaux is disconcertingly sexy. Second, his top winemaker is dead in the bushes outside Nikki’s cottage. It doesn’t take a connoisseur of foul play to know something’s taken a terrible turn…
REVIEWNikki doesn't exactly like her job as a waitress but the bills need to be paid. She's also not stupid and isn't quite sure Derek Malveaux is being completely honest when he offers her a job and a weekend to try it out at his winery. But bills need to be paid. She didn't count on the dead body or her reactions to Derek. She isn't sure who to trust or not, particularly when it comes to some of Derek's family members.
This first book details not only the murder mystery - it provides some background on the step brother and his partner, the step-mother and others without being tedious. The plot is well-developed with enough, but not too many suspects. Guess I have a few more books to add to the TBR list...
The Wine Lover's Mystery Series
MURDER UNCORKED AMAZONMURDER BY THE GLASSSILENCED BY SIRAHA VINTAGE MURDERCORKED BY CABERNETA TOAST TO MURDERA KILLER MARGARITA
MICHELE SCOTT'S AMAZON PAGE WITH LINKS TO ALL THE BOOKS:MICHELE'S AUTHOR PAGE
June 23, 2016
Blog Tour: OLIVER TWISTED (An Ivy Meadows Humorous Mystery Series) by Cindy Brown
Oliver Twisted(An Ivy Meadows Mystery Book 3)
Paperback: 280 pagesPublisher: Henery Press (June 21, 2016)ISBN-13: 978-1635110418E-Book ASIN: B01DAPK14Q
SynopsisOrphans. Thieves. Murder. And an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet!
When Ivy Meadows lands a gig with the book-themed cruise line Get Lit!, she thinks she’s died and gone to Broadway. Not only has she snagged a starring role in a musical production of Oliver Twist, she’s making bank helping her PI uncle investigate a string of onboard thefts, all while sailing to Hawaii on the S.S. David Copperfield.
But Ivy is cruising for disaster. Her acting contract somehow skipped the part about aerial dancing forty feet above the stage, her uncle Bob is seriously sidetracked by a suspicious blonde, and—oh yeah—there’s a corpse in her closet.
Forget catching crooks. Ivy’s going to have a Dickens of a time just surviving.
Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth books, book club recommendations, humorous murder mysteries, private investigator mystery series.
Books in the Ivy Meadows Humorous Mystery Series:• MACDEATH
(#1)• THE SOUND OF MURDER
(#2)• OLIVER TWISTED
(#3)Review
Ivy and her uncle go undercover to catch thieves. Ivy's an actress so performing Nance in the director's version of Oliver Twist on a ship with everything Dickens themed should be easy. But Ivy's barely got her feet wet and she discovers a dead body in her closet. More annoying is that her uncle is distracted by Bette but her uncle doesn't want to hear suspicions about the lady. The bigger problem is that the more Ivy finds out the less she trusts anyone, especially after the second body.
Between Ivy's fears, the not-quite Dickens aspects, and Oliver, Brown threads in humor along with the tension of determining if the deaths - either or both - are murder and somehow related to the thefts. The pace of the story is good and the antics of the orphans and Oliver as well as the adult characters make this an enjoyable read. Although this is the third in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
About the Author
Cindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s lucky enough to have garnered several awards (including 3rd place in the 2013 international Words With Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!) and is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop. Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.
Author LinksWebsite & Blog: www.cindybrownwriter.com
Twitter handle: @friendlybrown
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cindy-Brown-author/288210721356802?ref=hl
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