Tag Archives: cozy mystery

Giveaway – A Parfait Crime by Maya Corrigan @dollycas

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A Parfait Crime (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
by Maya Corrigan

About A Parfait Crime


A Parfait Crime (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting – Chesapeake Bay
Kensington Cozies (October 24, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496734599
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496734594
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BT8P2FYK

A granddaughter-grandfather sleuthing duo take on a perplexing new case in the latest culinary cozy mystery, sure to appeal to fans of Diane Mott, Joanne Fluke, and Katherine Hall Page.

At the site of a fatal blaze, Val’s boyfriend, a firefighter trainee, is shocked to learn the victim is known to him, a woman named Jane who belonged to the local Agatha Christie book club—and was rehearsing alongside Val’s grandfather for an upcoming Christie play being staged for charity. Just as shocking are the skeletal remains of a man found in the freezer. Who is he and who put him on ice?

After Val is chosen to replace Jane in the play, the cast gathers at their house to get to work—and enjoy Grandad’s five-ingredient parfaits—but all anyone can focus on is the bizarre real-life mystery. When it’s revealed that Jane’s death was due to something other than smoke inhalation, Val and Grandad try to retrace her final days. As they dig into her past life, their inquiry leads them to a fancy new spa in town—where they discover that Jane wasn’t the only one who had a skeleton in the cooler . . .

Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!

About Maya Corrigan

Maya (Mary Ann) Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manager  Val and her live-wire grandfather solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes. In the 9th book of the series, A Parfait Crime, Val and Granddad rehearse an Agatha Christie play with a cast that includes murder suspects. A Virginia resident, Maya has taught college courses in writing, detective fiction, and literature.  When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Visit her website — https://mayacorrigan.com — for book news, easy recipes, and mystery history and trivia.

Author Links 

Purchase Links – Kensington Paperback  – Kensington E-Book – Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

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Giveaway – Death By Theft by Abigail Keam @dollycas

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Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
by Abigail Keam

About Death by Theft


Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
Cozy Mystery
19th in Series
Setting – Kentucky
Worker Bee Press (October 30, 2023)
Number of Pages ~200
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVJSY15M

MY REVIEW

I do enjoy a good cozy mystery now and then and have read some of Abigail Keam’s work. I enjoyed her writing, so when I saw Death By Theft, about a foal being stolen, I wanted to check it out for myself.

I really liked Asa, a complicated character that doesn’t seek out danger, but can be counted on to find out answers, especially when her family and friends have a problem. Josiah is a bit on the nosy side and dead bodies seem to appear whenever she is around.

I’ve mentioned the characters that stood out to me, but there are plenty more that have their place, adding depth to the story. After all, the more, the merrier, right?

Are the theft of the foal and the murder of Juan Gomez connected? Seems logical to me that they would be. But why? As the mystery unfolds, we have enough suspects to muddy the waters and things are not always as they appear to be.

When the Last Chance Mote in Key Largo is mentioned, I do remember a trip I took there, in The Mermaid’s Carol…and I enjoyed it very much. It is a magical place where you can relax and rejuvenate. Asa and her mother need it, after solving the mystery of the theft of the foal and the death of Juan Gomez.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Josiah is happy for her pals Lady Elsmere and Shaneika Mary Todd when broodmare Jean Harlow gives birth to a male foal sired by Comanche. The owners of both horses have high hopes the foal will become a stakes winner—maybe even win the Kentucky Derby. The foal has a broad chest, indicating significant lung capacity—important for winning races, but just like his daddy, the foal is ebony with a bad attitude.

Josiah and Shaneika visit dam Jean Harlow early one morning and are shocked to find the prized foal is missing. They frantically search Lady Elsmere’s and Josiah’s farms without success. It’s urgent they find the foal fast as he is not yet weaned and is too young to be separated from his mother. Who would snatch the feisty foal from his mother’s care? And equally important, why?

Death By A HoneyBee
Death By Drowning
Death By Bridle
Death By Bourbon
Death By Lotto
Death by Chocolate
Death by Haunting
Death By Derby
Death By Design
Death By Malice
Death By Drama
Death By Stalking
Death By Deceit
Death By Magic
Death By Shock
Death By Chance
Death By Poison
Death By Greed
Death By Theft

About Abigail Keam

Abigail Keam is an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author who writes the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a Southern beekeeper turned amateur female sleuth. Besides loving history, Kentucky bourbon, and chocolate, Abigail loves honeybees and for many years made her living by selling honey at a farmers’ market like her protagonist, Josiah Reynolds. She is an award-winning beekeeper who has won many honey awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award, which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition.

Miss Abigail has taken her knowledge of beekeeping to create a fictional beekeeping protagonist, Josiah Reynolds, who solves mysteries in the Bluegrass. While Miss Abigail’s novels are for enjoyment, she discusses the importance of a local sustainable food economy and land management for honeybees and other creatures.

She currently lives on the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters. She still has honeybees.

AWARDS
2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee
2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee
2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design
2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking
2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon2
2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery – Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A Full Moon
2022 Finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A New Moon
2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Bridal Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A British Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery

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MY ABIGAIL KEAM REVIEWS

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Giveaway – In The Key Of Dead by Zaida Alfaro @dollycas

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In the Key of Dead: A Miami Music Mystery
by Zaida Alfar

About In the Key of Dead

In the Key of Dead: A Miami Music Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Florida
Cozy Cat Press (July 17, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195257966X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1952579660
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CDHHNMBP

Killer songs and a killer voice land Vy in yet another melodic murder mystery. Interlude Records has signed Vy to a long-anticipated record deal after years of rejections, but she never thought that murder would be part of the deal. Now, Vy finds herself, yet again, at the center of a murder investigation that may change the course of her music career.

It seems that someone doesn’t want Vy to record her album, and is doing everything to sabotage the release date, including murdering a key member of the production team. So Vy and her sister, Alexia, are back at it again—detecting in their own way. This time they’re using their quick-witted banter, and super sleuthing skills to ensure that Vy’s record makes it to the Billboard Top 100 list before the murderer makes it to the Miami Beach Police Department’s most wanted list.

They say the music industry is cutthroat, but Vy has never taken that statement literally. Could this be the strum of Vy’s guitar playing her last note IN THE KEY OF DEAD?

About Zaida Alfaro

The Miami Music Mystery series’ main backdrop, the amazing city of Miami, Florida, is beloved and well-known to me. I was born and raised in Miami, and like the novel’s main character Vy, I am a singer/songwriter, Grammy-considered, independent artist. All things relating to music or literature are my passion.

Many years ago, I became an avid reader of cozy mysteries. The storylines were intriguing, engaging, and funny at the same time. I was so inspired by the authors, that I then decided to take my musical experiences, and put it on paper. I published my first novel, The Last Note, a Miami Music Mystery. Now, I have brought my characters back to life, in the sequel, In the Key of Dead, a Miami Music Mystery. The phobias, the dream sequences, and the quirkiness of the main characters, are all based on facts. I hope that I was able to, once again, show the readers of my novels, the love I have for Miami, the Cuban culture, my family, and music. For more information, visit www.zaidamusic.com

Author Links

Purchase Links – Amazon Kindle    Amazon Paperback

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The Spotlights Is On Murder By The Stroke by C S McDonald @ireadbooktours @CSMcDonald7

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Join us for this spotlight tour from Oct 2 to Nov 2, 2023!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Murder by the Stroke (A Fiona Quinn Mystery) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 260 pages
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Nov 2023
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald’s books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults–no bad language or sexual content.
Book Description:

Detective Landry’s old flame is drop-dead gorgeous, and so are her paintings!

Pittsburgh’s most influential cultural enthusiasts are overjoyed when famous artist, Vashti, has scheduled a gala followed by a weeklong exhibit of her latest works. On the other hand, Detective Nathan Landry isn’t so excited about the invitation he has received to the gala. Back in the day, he and the renowned painter were lovers. That is, when her name was Sadie Jensen, or as Nathan’s sister liked to call her, “Psycho Sadie.”

Art experts, and collectors alike, have been intrigued by a tiny brush stroke, known as an invisible stroke. So subtle and out of place is the technique, that Vashti’s elusive stroke has become as famous as a Where’s Waldo search.

Meanwhile, Fiona finds herself captivated by more than Vashti’s flair for the obscure. Rather, she is far more interested in the gorgeous artist and Nathan’s past. Against his wishes, Fiona, her mother, and her mother-in-law attend the exhibit.

Indeed, Vashti’s paintings are killing it in the art world, and in more ways than one.
Buy the Book:
(available for pre-order)
Amazon 

Meet the Author:

For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.

Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!

Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister. 

Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook ~ Instagram




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    • Giveaway – Holly Baubles And Murder by Victoria Tait @dollycas

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    Holly, Baubles and Murder:
    A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
    (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

    About Holly, Baubles and Murder

    Holly, Baubles and Murder:
    A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
    (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)
    Cozy Mystery
    8th in Series
    Setting – Yorkshire, England
    Kanga Press (October 20, 2023)
    Number of Pages c. 240
    Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9NXPJ1Xchirs

    A joyful Christmas festival turns deadly when a corpse ends up as the chilling centerpiece. Can an amateur sleuth unwrap the tinsel-tangled mystery before the merry cheer melts away?

    Talented antique enthusiast, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to be organising a Christmas display at a Yorkshire country house. She enjoys decking the halls, but the season is far from jolly when the chief guide is found dead, her body as cold as ice.

    When cops dismiss the death, Dotty turns to her prickly American colleague, only to learn he has his own secrets to solve. But when he disappears, this amateur detective fears the festive charades have become far deadlier.

    Can Dotty string together the clues and bring to light the killer?

    About Victoria Tait

    Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. After following her military husband around the world, she drew on her life’s experiences, and a love of Agatha Christie, Father Brown, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.

    Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful and quirky teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and realistic. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world where you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

    Do you like tea, mysteries, and books? Then why not join Victoria’s TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and download the free prequel to the Dotty Sayers Antique Mysteries series as a gift by visiting VictoriaTait.com

    Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?

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    Giveaway – A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril @dollycas @RomerilChris

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    A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
    by Christina Romeril

    About A Nutcracker Nightmare


    A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
    Cozy Mystery
    2nd in Series
    Setting – Montana
    Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
    Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
    ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639104917
    ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639104918
    Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BSKRF471

    Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs, when twin sisters Hanna and Alex help out at the local high school reunion, volunteering takes a turn when they find a former classmate’s dead body.

    Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School’s reunion weekend. Neighbors will connect with old friends and perhaps try to avoid old foes. One person no one can avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna, even threatening her if she doesn’t play nice. At the reunion, Alex glimpses more drama than nostalgia as insults are flung around like a football at a Friday night game. The party is put on hold when Alex finds the dead body of none other than Kyle himself, bludgeoned to death by a nutcracker that the sisters admired earlier in the night.

    Hanna quickly becomes the prime suspect—someone saw her slap Kyle in the face at the reunion dance. She’ll need her sister, their sleuthing canine, Watson, and their old friends and colleagues to help break this case wide open. While looking through old yearbooks and taking a stroll down memory lane, Alex uncovers a few secrets about Kyle, now, it seems like everyone had a motive to kill him.

    But when the suspects start becoming the victims, Alex and Hanna know that they can’t melt under the pressure—they must find the killer before they become just another yearbook memory.

    About Christina Romeril

    Christina Romeril is the author of the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. The series is set in Montana at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, one of her favourite places to visit. She and her husband live a few hours away in a small village in Southern Alberta. When Christina isn’t writing she loves to hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, or just hang out there eating gourmet hot dogs and ice cream. When the former banker isn’t enjoying nature, she loves to create and consume chocolate confections. Not necessarily in that order.

    Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org 

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    Giveaway – In The Wick Of Time by Valone Jones @dollycas

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    In the Wick of Time (Magic Candle Shop Mystery) by Valona Jones

    About In The Wick Of Time


    In the Wick of Time (Magic Candle Shop Mystery)
    Paranormal Cozy Mystery
    2nd in Series
    Setting – Savannah, Georgia
    Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
    Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
    ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639105077
    ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105076
    Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BSKWTKZN

    Tabby Winslow will help her twin sister Sage with anything and everything—and that includes putting out the flames of suspicion when Sage’s boss is found murdered in this magical mystery, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Sofie Kelly.

    December in Savannah, Georgia, is a sight to behold. With all the festivities—including the traditional riverfront luminary display during the boat parade—twin sisters Tabby and Sage Winslow are busier than ever setting up for the big celebration. But that isn’t the only thing on the sisters’ minds. Both Sage and her fellow employee Mary Nicole are vying for the sought-after assistant manager job at the plant nursery. But when Loren Lee, their boss, is found dead, and Sage becomes the police’s favorite suspect, both Winslow girls know that they’ll need more than a flicker of magic and their sisterhood to solve the murder and clear Sage’s name.

    Soon, Tabby realizes that this is just one of the many problems they have. If being a suspect for murder wasn’t enough, there are more magical problems that they have to fix: Sage’s boyfriend is having a paranormal experience of his own he can’t control, there’s an energy vampire searching for his supposedly lost cousin, her cat suddenly dislikes her, and oh—every time Tabby hiccups, she turns completely invisible. The suspect list grows with each day and it seems everyone has a reason or a connection to Loren Lee.

    Tabby and Sage are burning the candle at both ends—but will it be enough to keep their friends safe and find this killer? Or will they be burned by their efforts?

    About Valona Jones

    Valona Jones, also known as Maggie Toussaint, writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in coastal Georgia. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and had a bank vault of personal observations when she began to write fiction. Her newest release is In The Wick of Time, book 2 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, preceded by Snuffed Out, which released Jan. 2023. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime with more than twenty-five published works of fiction. She lives in coastal Georgia, where she’s seen time and tide wait for no one.

    Author Links

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    Infotriguing – The Story That Made Us Stronger by Iris March #IrisMarch

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    Amazon / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    It’s funny, not funny ha ha, but that odd kind of funny. I woke up at 4:30 this morning, writing the review for The Story That Made Us Stronger by Iris March, in my head. That happens sometimes, seeing my major activity these days is reading.

    Most times cozy mysteries are fun, for me. A relaxing read to give me a rest from the dark and dangerous, sometimes gruesome stories I love the most. A palate cleanser, if you will. Most of the time, I give them a three rating. Not because anything is really wrong with the story, just that it is ‘sorta’ skimmed over, light, not enough meat on the bones kind of story.

    Then, I read a story like The Story That Made Us Stronger by Iris March, and all the ‘events’ she hit on had me thinking, thinking so much, I found myself surfing, looking for more information, loving the way she wove the elements into the story.

    We have running, cancer, stem cell replacement, a male nurse, ham radios, the Underground railroad, a message in a bottle, and a group of people brought together through unusual circumstances. I found myself unable to put the book down, and, at times, was waiting for that proverbial ‘other show to drop’, which really doesn’t happen for me in cozy mysteries. Iris March has a way of writing that gave me a suspenseful feeling, highly unusual for me in a cozy mystery.

    I quickly became involved with the characters, Connor and Katie, especially, but his nieces who are soooo adorable, and the peripheral characters had such large personalities and added that extra bit, that everyone of them added those extra feels that mean to so much to us readers.

    Well, this was one of those rare reviews, for me. One where I never went to my notes. I got up at 5:00 am and immediately wrote it. The story wouldn’t let me go back to sleep, soooo here we are. Maybe now, I can put the story to rest…until my next visit to an Iris March adventure that I feel sure will be an entertaing one.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    4 Stars

    GOODREADS BLURB

    An abandoned building. A motivated runner. A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer survivor.

    Connor Jackson has been training for a half marathon for the past six weeks. Katie Brandt has been training to beat cancer for the past 50. When Connor discovers an intriguing secret in a tiny, abandoned building on his running route, Katie finds that the mystery is what she needs to help her get through her three-week stem cell replacement procedure. Together, Conner and Katie must find the strength to achieve their personal goals and, in the meantime, expose the many past lives that the tiny building led.

    • Genre: Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery
    • 236 pages, Paperback
    • Published September 27, 2002 by Wandering Ginkgo Press
    • ISBN
    • 9798985918236
    • Language: English

    ABOUT IRIS MARCH (from Amazon)

    Iris March has a reputation for killing house plants and now she’s killing people off in books? Coincidence? Perhaps not. Iris has spent two decades working in the sustainability field and is usually either reading a book or on a trail. She lives in Ohio with her husband, son, and three cats. Learn more about upcoming books and sign up for her newsletter at irismarchbooks.com.

    Website / Facebook / Instagram

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    Giveaway – Spectral Revelations by Ellen Butler @dollycas

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    Spectral Revelations: A Karina Cardinal Mystery by Ellen Butler

    About Spectral Revelations


    Spectral Revelations: A Karina Cardinal Mystery
    Cozy Mystery
    6th in Series
    Setting – Williamsburg, Virginia
    Power to the Pen (October 5, 2023)
    Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
    ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C7WQVTNH

    Is Karina’s missing aunt on vacation…or on the lam?

    Karina is trying to keep her mind on getting a cosponsor for a bill, but it’s tough with her Mom blowing up her phone. By the time Karina finally stops hitting “ignore”, Mom is frantic. It appears Karina’s Aunt Vera has disappeared, fibbed to her employer about the reason for her absence, even abandoned her beloved cat, Nightshade—which is completely out of character. Karina would bet her favorite pair of designer shoes that Vera is in some kind of trouble.

    However, when Karina hauls her cookies from D.C. to historic Williamsburg to search Vera’s house, she finds nothing suspicious. Except for a mischievous Civil War ghost who scares the bejesus out of her and keeps trashing Vera’s office. Until Karina realizes his seemingly random ectoplasmic tantrums have a purpose—revealing key evidence.

    Something is definitely fishy, but the clues aren’t adding up. And as the spirit’s visitations become more urgent, Karina calls on reinforcements for help—her latest squeeze Rick Donovan and her sister Jillian. Because the cops are following faulty leads, which could put Vera on the wrong end of an arrest warrant … if she’s found alive.

    International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book six in the Karina Cardinal mystery series! Fans of Elizabeth Peters and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

    About Ellen Butler

    Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C. inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler also writes historical spy fiction. Her WWII spy novel, The Brass Compass, recently won a 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award for historical fiction. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is Butler’s latest historical fiction. The novel is inspired by true events, and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction. Reviewers are calling it “riveting,” and, “a thrilling adventure.”

    You can find Ellen at:

    Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – 

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    HMMMM – Twas The Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt #netgalley #twasthebitebeforechristmas

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    I want to thank NetGalley and MacMillan for the opportunity to read Twas The Bite Before Christmas by Davidrosenfeld. This is book 28 in the series, so I thought I couldn’t go wrong.

    Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    Okay, before I get into the story, I will tell you, it was the cover and title that hooked me. Yeah, I read the blurb and all, but I still ended up feeling a bit disappointed and misled. Sure, the dogs are there, but they don’t do like the ‘normal’ animals in a cozy mystery. And bite in the title?

    Derek Moore is revealed as being in the witness protection program, when he is arrested for murder. As his friend, lawyer Andy Carpenter is on the case. Seeing this is book #28 in the series, I expected big things.

    Sure, we have a mystery, but at times, it felt like a police procedural or a legal mystery. I did enjoy the story, but I doubt I would actively seek out another Andy Carpenter series book. With David Rosenfeld having such a huge collection of books, others may enjoy the books much more than I did.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    3 Stars

    GOODREADS BLURB

    In National Bestseller David Rosenfelt’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas, all through the Carpenter house, five dogs are stirring, and not even Andy can get out of working this latest case at his door.

    Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate.

    This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.

    Andy discovers Derek—whose real name is Bobby—is in the witness protection program after giving evidence against his former gang. The police believe Bobby murdered a member. But Bobby swears to Andy he didn’t do this. He’s built a new life, a new business, has two new dogs after being a double foster-failure.

    There isn’t much Andy likes about this case, but he likes Bobby. If he’s innocent, Andy wants to help. Before Andy can settle down for his long winter’s nap, he has a client’s name to clear, a murderer to catch, and two new dogs to look after: a golden and a Dalmatian. Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, will have to adjust to not being the only golden at the house while Andy gets to the bottom of this one…

    • Genre: Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Mystery,
    • 304 pages, Kindle Edition
    • Expected publication October 10, 2023 by Minotaur Books
    • Language: English
    • Series: Andy Carpenter #28

    ABOUT DAVID ROSENFELT

    I am a novelist with 27 dogs.

    I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.

    My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, “Ozzie and Harriet’s” clan seemed bizarre.

    I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every “Rambo”, “The Natural” and “Rocky”, there are countless disasters.

    I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.

    A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It’s safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.

    About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It’s total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.

    Website / Facebook / Macmillan

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