Christa Nardi's Blog, page 86
January 20, 2014
Review: No One Lives Twice : A Lexi Carmichael Mystery (Julie Moffett)
Book Review: No One Lives Twice (A Lexi Carmichael Mystery)
Synopsis (from Amazon):
I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.
Until today, that is, when two gun-toting thugs popped up in my life and my best friend disappeared. So, I've enlisted the help of the Zimmerman twins—the reclusive architects of America's most sensitive electronic networks—to help me navigate a bewildering maze of leads to find her.
Along the way, my path collides with a sexy government agent and a rich, handsome lawyer, both of whom seem to have the hots for me. Hacking, espionage, sexy spy-men—it's a geek girl's dream come true. If it weren't for those gun-toting thugs...
Review:This was a fun read and Lexi is a great character. She works for NSA, a secret that is not so secret since almost everyone in her suburb seems to work there. But she isn't the usual type one thinks of when envisioning someone at NSA - she is a computer geek. Lexi is held at gunpoint, kidnapped, her apartment trashed, her privacy invaded despite new security, and then befriended by the person who asked Lexi's BFF to translate a document. It all comes together with twists and turns, a chuckle or two, and lots of possibilities. This is the first in the series and I will definitely read the other three already published: No One to Trust, No Money Down, No Place Like Rome. All are now on my TBR list. Hmmm... maybe an interview with Julie Moffett is in order!
Amazon
Synopsis (from Amazon):
I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.
Until today, that is, when two gun-toting thugs popped up in my life and my best friend disappeared. So, I've enlisted the help of the Zimmerman twins—the reclusive architects of America's most sensitive electronic networks—to help me navigate a bewildering maze of leads to find her.Along the way, my path collides with a sexy government agent and a rich, handsome lawyer, both of whom seem to have the hots for me. Hacking, espionage, sexy spy-men—it's a geek girl's dream come true. If it weren't for those gun-toting thugs...
Review:This was a fun read and Lexi is a great character. She works for NSA, a secret that is not so secret since almost everyone in her suburb seems to work there. But she isn't the usual type one thinks of when envisioning someone at NSA - she is a computer geek. Lexi is held at gunpoint, kidnapped, her apartment trashed, her privacy invaded despite new security, and then befriended by the person who asked Lexi's BFF to translate a document. It all comes together with twists and turns, a chuckle or two, and lots of possibilities. This is the first in the series and I will definitely read the other three already published: No One to Trust, No Money Down, No Place Like Rome. All are now on my TBR list. Hmmm... maybe an interview with Julie Moffett is in order!
Amazon
January 13, 2014
Blog Tour: Passage of Crime - R Michael Phillips
First stop on the Blog Tour and it's a pleasure to have R. Michael Phillips for a guest post!
What’s in a name?
By: R. Michael Phillips
You would think naming a character would be relatively easy task. We are surrounded by names of all sorts–heavy in regional or foreign origin; plain as the nose on your face; barely pronounceable; etc. So, what’s the big deal? The big deal is you most certainly want your character to be memorable to your readers and, perhaps, beyond. Maybe it’s the Dickensian spirit in me, but I believe the mere utterance of a name should conjure up a visual of the character it relates to, or at least give the reader a glimpse into what is to come. This is never more important than with supporting/tertiary characters.
When I do the character mapping for a supporting character in a book the last thing I pen is the name. I’ve found this to be the easiest way. Done right, the name almost presents itself. In Along Came A Fifer I had a tertiary character that, though only briefly presented in the book, had an important roll in establishing the character/motives of two of the main characters through sub-text. For this, his character description was of the utmost importance, and from there his name. He’s only briefly included in three chapters, but is mentioned by name throughout the book. For that reason he needed to carry his character along with him. This is where the right name comes in.
In my mapping of this character he is described as such:
He was a vile little man, devoid of friend and conscience. He was just short of five feet, but every inch meaner and lazier than the one below it. His character was as crooked as his smile, but he was well known in the London underworld as a source of information. Anyone wishing to extract that information from him did so with contempt and then made every effort to leave behind any recollection of the transaction. To say he read the daily papers is an understatement. He dissected them, line-by-line and word-by-word. He could read an obscure article in the classifieds relating to a grieving woman’s attempt to locate a lost article, and by the time he was done he would know who had nicked it and how much they had gotten for it. Anyone else of questionable character would parlay this kind of knowledge into a handsome income, but to him, the gathering of information was nothing more than a hobby that filled his otherwise empty afternoons.
Women found him most unnerving, cringing at the sight of his lascivious glare and fending off his endless advances. They certainly wouldn’t have him over for high tea, but if someone nicked their silver tea service it’s a good bet he’d know where to take the fairy cakes. He very rarely left his flat in the church building, so a person would have no other choice but to inquire for him there. To anyone outside the murky puddle of villains he associated with he was just a rambling fool of little or no social value.
So, what would you name this character in keeping with the description above? It took about an hour of perusing the digital thesaurus, but I came up with what I thought best framed this vile little man–Maunder. First name? Last Name? It didn’t much matter, in the book he is just Maunder.
maun·der [mawn-der] verb (used without object) 1. to talk in a rambling, foolish, or meaningless way. 2. to move, go, or act in an aimless, confused manner: He maundered through life without a single ambition. Origin: 1615–25; origin uncertain
In the first book he’s there and then gone, but Along Came A Fifer is part of the Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series. Developing tertiary characters like this allows me to call on them again in future books to fulfill similar rolls.
Not all are this difficult to establish. In Rook, Rhyme and Sinker an old friend of Ernie’s gets himself into a bit of a jam. He’s a pick pocket/confidence man like Ernie, but still on the wrong side of the law. I called him Simon Railes. His street name is “Slippery”, Slippery Railes. That name came to me while listening to a weather report and the reason for the local train delays due to a surprise snowstorm. It isn’t hard to imagine his place among the characters. He’s returning in a new story, but that’s a post for another day.
Review of Passage of Crime:
A British background, a serial killer reminiscent of Jack the Ripper who returns after 8 years, the stubborn Inspector who is sure he knows who the Slasher is but doesn't have the evidence despite the help of the well-known man's valet, and the well to do Patterson who provided Ernie the opportunity for a new start make for a great cast of characters. Amidst all the upper crust, Ernie makes his way and sets out to help the Inspector catch the Slasher, for a change on the other side of the constabulary. He enlists some old friends (and their friends) that add just a bit more color to the characters. Not to be forgotten, Phillips includes a touch of romance - for Patterson and for Ernie. The story has all the required elements and the ending is a logical conclusion to the facts presented. This is the third in the series; the range of characters lends itself to a continuing series.
About the Author:Michael is a classically trained artist who has been painting for over 25 years. By combining his creative talents with a passion for mysteries he conceived the fictional world of the East London Adventurers Club, home to The Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series. Michael has completed 3 books in the series and has plans for at least five additional books following the adventurers of London’s most remarkable pickpocket. Michael is a proud member of the Crime Writer’s Association and Mystery Writers Of America. His short story “Oranges and Lemons” was recently published in Suspense Magazine, January 2011
Passage Of Crime
(The Ernie Bisquets Mysteries) (Volume 3)
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Locked Door (August 2, 2013)
Paperback: 284 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0615854922
E-Book File Size: 433 KB
ASIN: B00DZ81AEY
Author Links
web- www.eastlondonadventurersclub.comblog- http://rmichael-fifer.blogspot.com
GoodReads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2995205.R_Michael_Phillips
Purchase Links
Amazon
B & NBe sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour!
January 15 – Psychotic State Book Reviews
January 16 – Kelly P’s Blog
January 17 – readalot blog
January 18 – A Blue Million Books
January 20 – Thoughts in Progress
January 22 – Books-n-Kisses
January 23 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading
January 24 – Latte Da!
January 25 – dru’s book musing
Follow This Link for GiveAway!
January 11, 2014
Blog Tour: Playing with Fire by J J Cook
Synopsis:
Welcome to Sweet Pepper, Tennessee. Nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains, it''s home to the hottest and sweetest peppers int he world - as well as at least one ghost and a hotbed of secrets...
GETTING WARMER
Fire Chief Stella Griffin is working to solve the mysterious death of her predecessor, Eric Gamlyn - who also haunts her cabin. Yet the more she learns, the more burning questions she must answer. Just as Stella thinks she has a lead from Deputy Chum, someone snuffs her hopes - and the lawman.
Adding fuel to the fire, Stella's parents soon arrive - with her ex-boyfriend - hoping to persuade her to return to Chicago. Now Stella is torn between the life she left behind and uncovering what happened to her ghostly friend. But she's better think fast of more than her investigation could go up in flames...Review:
Small town politics, family legacy, ex-boyfriend, strong female, missing $30 million, and the ghost of the murdered fire chief. Stella has successfully re-established the volunteer fire brigade; the job she went to Sweet Pepper to do is done, but she is still there. Her parents and some in Sweet Pepper start asking her when she is going back to Chicago, including the ghost of Eric Gamlyn. Until there's a fire in the fire house he built, everyone thought he died in the line of duty, but his bones are found in the walls of the fire house that hasn't been used for many years and it is now known that he was murdered. He continues to haunt his house - the same one Stella is staying in, but only she can see and talk to him. Who killed Eric? Who is buried in Eric's coffin? Who killed Deputy Chum? What was the role of Ben Carson, Stella's grandfather, in all this? Where does Stella want to live - Sweet Pepper or Chicago? Lots of twists and turns with many likable and unique characters and relationships (including the one between Stella and Eric). The way it ends suggests another one coming.... That Old Flame of Mine is the first in the series and there is a novella, Hero's Journey, that I may have to read in the meantime.
About J.J. Cook:
J.J. Cook’s first mystery, That Old Flame of Mine, became an instant bestseller in 2013. Playing with Fire is the second book in that series. They write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as Joyce and Jim Lavene, 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.www.jjcook.net
@authorjlavene
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17938369-playing-with-fire?ac=1
https://www.facebook.com/authorsj.j.cook?ref=hl
Purchase Links
Amazon
Book World B&NCLICK HERE TO ENTER GIVE AWAY!
January 10, 2014
Exciting Times!
Next week I will be the guest author on Evey's Writers Blog (www.evelyncullet.com/blog)! Do stop by and visit any time next week (1/13-19)... You'll get to learn a little more about me, about Murder at Cold Creek College, and you get an excerpt! Evey's Writers Blog has been hosting various authors since 2012, so you might find some other posts of interest as well.
In the meantime, I am still working on the next one in the series... managed to add about 2000 words last week, but have written myself into a puzzle and need to find my way out. Hmmm! Then my computer decided to turn that scary shade of blue -- now typing on a new one, and that has further hampered the writing efforts...
The next week is busy, with the guest post on Evey's Writers Blog and two blog tour stops:
Sunday January 12th: Playing with Fire (J J Cook)
Tuesday January 14th: Passage of Crime (R Michael Phillips)
Exciting times for sure!
In the meantime, I am still working on the next one in the series... managed to add about 2000 words last week, but have written myself into a puzzle and need to find my way out. Hmmm! Then my computer decided to turn that scary shade of blue -- now typing on a new one, and that has further hampered the writing efforts...
The next week is busy, with the guest post on Evey's Writers Blog and two blog tour stops:
Sunday January 12th: Playing with Fire (J J Cook)
Tuesday January 14th: Passage of Crime (R Michael Phillips)
Exciting times for sure!
January 6, 2014
Review: The Root of All Trouble: A Nina Quinn Mystery by Heather Webber
Synopsis:
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS...
When a spring storm rolls through Freedom, Ohio, landscape designer Nina Quinn expects to get her hands dirty with the mess left behind.
But after high winds uproot a tree, revealing the corpse of a man inside its rotted hollow, Nina quickly realizes that cleaning up after Mother Nature’s fury is the least of her worries.
It soon becomes clear that there is no lack of suspects in the man’s untimely death. As a shady contractor and philanderer, he’d angered a lot of people before he disappeared, including some of Nina’s closest friends.
With the help of her police detective ex-husband, a mysterious coroner’s investigator, her formerly-felonious employees and her zany neighbors, Nina sets out to uncover a killer...before another victim ends up planted six feet under.
Review:
All the work set to go on the next makeover is put on hold following a storm and a dead body is found when cleaning up an uprooted tree. It seems that the murder is solved until a second person is murdered and others injured. Nina, along with her husband and her cousin, Ana, investigate to find the real murderer. Nina is smart and likable amateur sleuth. The relationships between the characters are believable with conflicts and secrets. Nina seems to think there is something very familiar about the coroner, yet another mystery that she has to figure out as well.
Although this is the latest in the series, it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. Webber spins a good tale with strong and interesting characters so I strongly recommend you start at the beginning (A Hoe Lot of Trouble) and read the others in the series first.
Other titles in the Nina Quinn Mystery Series:
A Hoe Lot of Trouble
Trouble in Spades
Digging up Trouble
Trouble in Bloom
Weeding out Trouble
Trouble Under the Tree
About the Author:
Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than a dozen mystery novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She's a total homebody who loves to be close to her family, read, watch reality TV (especially cooking competition shows), drink too much coffee, crochet, bake (mostly cookies), and occasionally leave the house to travel to the beautiful mountains in the northeast. Heather grew up in a suburb of Boston, but currently she lives in the Cincinnati area with her family and is hard at work on her next book. www.heatherwebber.com | www.heatherblakebooks.com
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS...
When a spring storm rolls through Freedom, Ohio, landscape designer Nina Quinn expects to get her hands dirty with the mess left behind.
But after high winds uproot a tree, revealing the corpse of a man inside its rotted hollow, Nina quickly realizes that cleaning up after Mother Nature’s fury is the least of her worries.
It soon becomes clear that there is no lack of suspects in the man’s untimely death. As a shady contractor and philanderer, he’d angered a lot of people before he disappeared, including some of Nina’s closest friends.
With the help of her police detective ex-husband, a mysterious coroner’s investigator, her formerly-felonious employees and her zany neighbors, Nina sets out to uncover a killer...before another victim ends up planted six feet under.
Review:All the work set to go on the next makeover is put on hold following a storm and a dead body is found when cleaning up an uprooted tree. It seems that the murder is solved until a second person is murdered and others injured. Nina, along with her husband and her cousin, Ana, investigate to find the real murderer. Nina is smart and likable amateur sleuth. The relationships between the characters are believable with conflicts and secrets. Nina seems to think there is something very familiar about the coroner, yet another mystery that she has to figure out as well.
Although this is the latest in the series, it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. Webber spins a good tale with strong and interesting characters so I strongly recommend you start at the beginning (A Hoe Lot of Trouble) and read the others in the series first.
Other titles in the Nina Quinn Mystery Series:
A Hoe Lot of Trouble
Trouble in Spades
Digging up Trouble
Trouble in Bloom
Weeding out Trouble
Trouble Under the Tree
About the Author:
Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than a dozen mystery novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She's a total homebody who loves to be close to her family, read, watch reality TV (especially cooking competition shows), drink too much coffee, crochet, bake (mostly cookies), and occasionally leave the house to travel to the beautiful mountains in the northeast. Heather grew up in a suburb of Boston, but currently she lives in the Cincinnati area with her family and is hard at work on her next book. www.heatherwebber.com | www.heatherblakebooks.com
December 31, 2013
Catching up! and Looking back!
Whew! Sorry to have been absent for most of the last few weeks but with the holidays, what can I say other than Buon Natale! and Buon Anno! As I look back over the past year, I am pretty amazed (and, yes, proud) that I was able to get the editing, beta reviews, and release done for Murder at Cold Creek College. Sales are fairly steady and I'm pleased with the responses and reviews after only 2 months. I have to admit I really enjoyed creating Sheridan, Kim, Brett and all, though as the story unfolded, they seemed to take over. My sense is that the same will happen with Murder at Cold Creek Arboretum. With the first few chapters and about 25,000 words, drafted, Sheridan continues as the reluctant sleuth. Now that Kim isn't a suspect, she is a more than willing 'side kick', still full of energy.
On the reading side, I am still very much enjoying my kindle and reading a range of cozy mystery and romance. It has been fun to interact, at least 'virtually' with other writers and readers. I have to admit I am not quite sure what "New Age" or "Contemporary Romance" actually are, but maybe I will figure out as I read some of them. My "to be read" list is pretty steep on the kindle and I have a stack of the "real" books besides. Unfortunately, I also have a number of them yet to write reviews on.
So other than the usual eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, what are my New Year's resolutions or goals?
Increase marketing for Murder at Cold Creek CollegeFinish Murder at Cold Creek Arboretum so it can be released in 2014Make a dent in the "to be read" pile and the "to be reviewed" pileContinue to participate in blog tours, maybe even schedule oneSpeaking of Blog Tours, be sure to stop by for these already scheduled stops:1/12/14 Playing with Fire by J.J. Cook1/14/14 Passage of Crime (The Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series) including Guest Post by R. Michael Phillips2/6/14 Spider Catchers by Marilynn LarewAnd do have a happy and healthy New Year 2014!!!
On the reading side, I am still very much enjoying my kindle and reading a range of cozy mystery and romance. It has been fun to interact, at least 'virtually' with other writers and readers. I have to admit I am not quite sure what "New Age" or "Contemporary Romance" actually are, but maybe I will figure out as I read some of them. My "to be read" list is pretty steep on the kindle and I have a stack of the "real" books besides. Unfortunately, I also have a number of them yet to write reviews on.
So other than the usual eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, what are my New Year's resolutions or goals?
Increase marketing for Murder at Cold Creek CollegeFinish Murder at Cold Creek Arboretum so it can be released in 2014Make a dent in the "to be read" pile and the "to be reviewed" pileContinue to participate in blog tours, maybe even schedule oneSpeaking of Blog Tours, be sure to stop by for these already scheduled stops:1/12/14 Playing with Fire by J.J. Cook1/14/14 Passage of Crime (The Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series) including Guest Post by R. Michael Phillips2/6/14 Spider Catchers by Marilynn LarewAnd do have a happy and healthy New Year 2014!!!
December 27, 2013
Book Review: Louisiana Longshot : A Miss Fortune Mystery (#1) by Jana DeLeon
Synopsis: It was a hell of a longshot... CIA Assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever--in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.
Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.
Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.
Review: Although it is hard to imagine Fortune as a CIA assassin, it is obvious that she doesn't quite fit in the Louisiana Bayou when she goes after what she thinks is a frog, but is really an alligator. She definitely doesn't fit the image of Sandy Sue, beauty queen librarian. Even the innocent looking, hard as nails, old ladies, Gerta and Ida Belle can figure that out. More importantly, Fortune can't just wait for Deputy LeBlanc to solve who the bone belongs to and who did the murder. Of course, only just arrived in Sinful, she doesn't know anyone or the history, including Sandy Sue's aunt whose house she is supposed to be packing up. This is a fun read with some twists that leave you guessing. I'm looking forward to Lethal Bayou Beauty and Swamp Sniper.
Purchase at Amazon
Product Details
File Size: 2784 KB
Print Length: 250 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 147813223X
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Jana DeLeon (December 17, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B008E9VENQ
Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.
Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.Review: Although it is hard to imagine Fortune as a CIA assassin, it is obvious that she doesn't quite fit in the Louisiana Bayou when she goes after what she thinks is a frog, but is really an alligator. She definitely doesn't fit the image of Sandy Sue, beauty queen librarian. Even the innocent looking, hard as nails, old ladies, Gerta and Ida Belle can figure that out. More importantly, Fortune can't just wait for Deputy LeBlanc to solve who the bone belongs to and who did the murder. Of course, only just arrived in Sinful, she doesn't know anyone or the history, including Sandy Sue's aunt whose house she is supposed to be packing up. This is a fun read with some twists that leave you guessing. I'm looking forward to Lethal Bayou Beauty and Swamp Sniper.
Purchase at Amazon
Product Details
File Size: 2784 KB
Print Length: 250 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 147813223X
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Jana DeLeon (December 17, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B008E9VENQ
Book Review: Claus of Death: A Myrtle Crumb Mystery by Gayle Trent
Synopsis: Myrtle Crumb, the sassy, sixty-something sleuth from BETWEEN A CLUTCH AND A HARD PLACE and WHEN GOOD BRAS GO BAD, is suspicious when the mall Santa is found dead "on the throne"--the Santa Land throne, that is. The police are saying it was suicide, but Myrtle knows no self-respecting Santa Claus would let himself die in front of the children! She goes undercover to investigate the suicide and uncovers more than she bargained for! Review: At times it is hard to remember that Myrtle is sixty-something, and it is no wonder that her daughter is worried when she gets a job as Mrs. Claus to the new Santa. Her excuse is to support her granddaughter whose gotten a job wrapping presents. But Myrtle starts to ask questions and plays her part well. This is a fun, fast paced novella. Myrtle is likable, caring, and includes not only a touch of the holiday season, but portrays older adults as multi-dimensional, even with a bit of romance. I have the other two on my kindle and now know what to read when I want something on the shorter side.
To purchase from Amazon
Of note, Gayle Trent is also the author of the Daphne Martin Cake Mysteries - I may have to check them out!
December 15, 2013
Blog Tour: Sketcher in the Rye - Sharon Pape
Synopsis
In her new job as a private eye, former police sketch artist Rory McCain has a spirited partner: Old West marshal Zeke Drummond. He may be a ghost, but when these two combine their skills, they reap justice…
Trouble has sprouted at Harper Farms. Top secret info has been leaked to the competition, and now there’s serious sabotage cropping up. So the farm’s beleaguered owner, Gil Harper, has called on Rory to dig up some dirt. But what Rory discovers raises a new field of questions…Someone shucked Harper’s accountant and left his body in the farm’s corn maze. While Gil is quick to hire Rory to solve now not one but two crimes, the sketching sleuth isn’t so sure why the farmer wants her to focus her attention on his own family.
Regardless, Rory and Zeke will need to put their hands to the plow and solve this case before someone else is planted six feet under…
Review
Not quite so simple as solving a murder, but also how the murder relates to, if it does, with the sabotage of the company. Did Matthew get too close to identifying the person trying to break Gil's business? Which of his children resented Matthew and their father enough? And then there's the whole issue of Zeke not particularly thrilled with pediatrician Aaron romancing Rory... and Eloise's visions, family history, and let's not forget Hobo's infatuation with a pig! Rory's previous skills as a sketch artist come in to play as well. There are multiple twists and turns, likeable and unique characters, and Pape keeps you guessing until the end on all counts - murder, sabotage, and what's really bugging Zeke. This is the fourth in the Portrait of Crime Series and will be released December 17th!!! There's no need to read the prior three - it can stand alone - but you might want to start with the first one in the series, Sketch me if You Can!
From Sharon’s Webpage:
I started writing stories as soon as I learned how to put letters together to form words. From that day forward, writing has been a part of my life whether it was my first attempt at a novel in seventh grade or the little plays I wrote for my friends to perform for neighbors and family. After college, when I was busy teaching French and Spanish to high school students, I was also writing poetry — some of it in French.
After several years, I left teaching to be a full time mom, and when my two children started school, I went back to writing. To my delight I found that the muse was still there, still waiting patiently for me to come around. My first novel, Ghostfire, was published at that time. It went on to be condensed in Redbook magazine (the first paperback original the magazine had ever condensed.) Then came The God Children and The Portal. Redbook also published my first short story, which was subsequently sold to several foreign magazines. With two great kids, a golden retriever and a loving, supportive husband (whom I’d met at the beach when I was fourteen — but that’s a story for another day), I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be in my life. But fate had another plan for me, and it went by the name of “breast cancer.”Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was that the cancer was discovered at such an early stage, but at the time it was all very overwhelming. Once I was back on my feet, I wanted to help other women who were newly diagnosed, worried and afraid. I became a Reach to Recovery volunteer for the American Cancer Society and went on to run the program for Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. A number of years later, with the help of my surgical oncologist and two other volunteers, I started Lean On Me, a nonprofit organization that provides peer support and information to breast cancer patients. When Lean On Me celebrated its tenth anniversary it no longer required as much of my time, and I once again found myself free to pursue my first love — writing.
Find out more about Sharon and her books here: http://www.sharonpape.com/index.html
Purchase Link at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sketcher-Rye-InterMix-Portrait-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00AVA4NH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384291943&sr=1-1&keywords=sketcher+in+the+rye
Puchase Link B&N: http://www.amazon.com/Sketcher-Rye-InterMix-Portrait-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00AVA4NH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384291943&sr=1-1&keywords=sketcher+in+the+rye
December 9, 2013
Busy, Busy, Busy...
As you can likely relate, with Thanksgiving coming so late, it seems like the holidays are coming a break neck speed. For those academics like Sheriden and her friends at Cold Creek College, this is also the crunch time for exams and papers, and holiday parties galore. It gets to be hard to find time to read or write...
At least one reviewer asked about a sequel... and yes, there will be a sequel - Murder at Cold Creek Arboretum. Although I haven't had a lot of time to write in the past week or so, the first three chapters are drafted. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2:
“I sure did. I have no clue why he didn’t just say it was murder to begin with. Justin Blake was shot in the head, up close and personal. When I let him know that I was a bit perturbed, he tried to explain it by saying that Justin had also been beat up, so it wasn’t really clear if he died from the beating or the bullet wound.” Brett sighed again and shook his head.
I waited a few minutes, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “Has he made an arrest yet, then?”
Brett stood up and made faces like he was ready to explode. His response dripped with sarcasm as he stated, “Well, you know, it usually is the person who finds the body, you know…”
I jumped up and yelled, “What?”
Brett snickered and said, “Yup, Officer Matthews couldn’t get Johnson to say much when he drove him to his car yesterday, but noticed Johnson seemed a bit tense and kept looking at him ‘sideways’. The Chief was waiting on some information on Johnson before arresting him. It seems that Clive Johnson was arrested for assault about 10 years go. Somehow he got off with probation. The Chief is trying to get more information.”
“But that’s ridiculous. Just because he happened to find the body? What about Nick? Is he an accomplice then?” I shouted.
Brett just sighed, shook his head, and finished his beer. “How about we eat whatever you brought home and then I’ll tell you about the rest of my day?”
Hopefully that peaked your interest a least a little... In the meantime, the review schedule for the next couple of weeks includes: Sketcher in the Rye (A Portrait in Crime Series) by Sharon Pape (blog tour on 12/15/13) Claus of Death: A Myrtle Crumb Mystery by Gayle Trent Neighbors and More: High rise Series by Mona Risk
.In the meantime, if you are looking for holiday themed stories, check out Janet Rudolph's blog:http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com... -- it is pretty impressive list even with just authors A-D!
At least one reviewer asked about a sequel... and yes, there will be a sequel - Murder at Cold Creek Arboretum. Although I haven't had a lot of time to write in the past week or so, the first three chapters are drafted. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2:
“I sure did. I have no clue why he didn’t just say it was murder to begin with. Justin Blake was shot in the head, up close and personal. When I let him know that I was a bit perturbed, he tried to explain it by saying that Justin had also been beat up, so it wasn’t really clear if he died from the beating or the bullet wound.” Brett sighed again and shook his head.
I waited a few minutes, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “Has he made an arrest yet, then?”
Brett stood up and made faces like he was ready to explode. His response dripped with sarcasm as he stated, “Well, you know, it usually is the person who finds the body, you know…”
I jumped up and yelled, “What?”
Brett snickered and said, “Yup, Officer Matthews couldn’t get Johnson to say much when he drove him to his car yesterday, but noticed Johnson seemed a bit tense and kept looking at him ‘sideways’. The Chief was waiting on some information on Johnson before arresting him. It seems that Clive Johnson was arrested for assault about 10 years go. Somehow he got off with probation. The Chief is trying to get more information.”
“But that’s ridiculous. Just because he happened to find the body? What about Nick? Is he an accomplice then?” I shouted.
Brett just sighed, shook his head, and finished his beer. “How about we eat whatever you brought home and then I’ll tell you about the rest of my day?”
Hopefully that peaked your interest a least a little... In the meantime, the review schedule for the next couple of weeks includes: Sketcher in the Rye (A Portrait in Crime Series) by Sharon Pape (blog tour on 12/15/13) Claus of Death: A Myrtle Crumb Mystery by Gayle Trent Neighbors and More: High rise Series by Mona Risk
.In the meantime, if you are looking for holiday themed stories, check out Janet Rudolph's blog:http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com... -- it is pretty impressive list even with just authors A-D!
