Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Harper
Publication date: January 25, 2011
ISBN: 97800061706301
Hardcover/$21.99/336 pages

From the back cover:

"Born into the lap of luxury and comfortable in the here and now, spoiled, tempestuous Tamara Goodwin has never had to look to the future--until the abrupt death of her father leaves her and her mother a mountain of debt and forces them to move in with Tamara's peculiar aunt and uncle in a tiny countryside village.
    Tamara is lonely and bored, with a traveling library as her only diversion. There she finds a large leatherbound book with a gold clasp and padlock, but no author name or title. Intrigued, she pries open the lock, and what she finds inside takes her breath away.
    Tamara sees entries written in her own handwriting and dated for the following day. When the next day unfolds exactly as recorded, Tamara realizes she may have found a solution to her problems. But in her quest to find answers, Tamara soon learns that some pages are better left unturned and that, try as she may, she musn't interfere with fate. "

My Thoughts:   The book begins with the narrator telling the reader, "This story is one for which some people will have to suspend their disbelief. And, if it didn't happen to me, I would be one of those people."

Well, if that isn't an attention getter, I don't know what is! Right from the start, I settled in for a good literary ride; all the way to Ireland listening to the tale that 16 year old Tamara Goodwin had to impart. It felt as if she were right beside me telling this to me and me alone.

At the beginning of the story, Tamara is devastated by her father's death and also rightfully angry. Why didn't he just say he had lost all their money and everything must go including their upscale residence and rich lifestyle in Dublin? Then Tamara and her grieving mother would not have been forced to go live with her Uncle Arthur and her Aunt Rosaleen in "the middle of the sticks" where there was absolutely nothing for Tamara to do. Nothing, that is until she finds "the book" and events unfold that will change her life.

When Tamara recounted what her life in Dublin was like before, I didn't like her as a person and would have been embarrassed to say she was my daughter but by the time the story ended I liked Tamara and became proud of how she matured and changed her outlook and attitude. 

Tamara began to see how her past actions had consequences. She admonished herself for all the horrible things she had said to her parents while taking for granted all her good fortune. She began to grieve for her dad himself not just for her lost lifestyle. She also became very concerned about her mother's welfare. All her mom did was stay in her room and sleep. Even though her Aunt Rosaleen kept reasurring her that was what her mom needed more than anything, Tamara was not so sure of that.

" I felt I was chasing a secret and now the secret was chasing me. I was afraid. I just wanted the time to pass so that Mum would stop her grieving, get better, and we could move on from this place that felt so haunted by the ghosts of the past, a past that despite my having nothing to do with it, was dragging me further and further into it."

Cecelia Ahern pens an absorbing tale with a good gothic feel to it; lots of atmosphere and a bit of mystery and magic to the story kept me riveted. The last thirty pages were so filled with revelations of family secrets and twists that I couldn't read them fast enough. The plot moved along smoothly and the characters had me intrigued; not just Tamara but, Sister Ignatius and Aunt Rosaleen,  key figures in the story.

 Aunt Rosaleen, such a Creepy character; Creepy with a capital C! She reminded me of Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca. I could feel the hair on my neck stand up when she crept from room to room watching Tamara and questioning her every move. What were her real motives? What or who was she hiding or trying to protect? I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out. I hope you'll like it and be as enchanted with the writing as much as I was.4****

Cecelia Ahern, in addition to P.S I Love You, written when she was twenty-one, is the author of Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; There's No Place Like Here; Thanks for the Memories; and The Gift, which have collectively sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Cecelia can  be found at her her website. 

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harper Collins in exchange for my honest opinion.

Announcing the winner of Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee. . . . .

All the entries have been tabulated and double checked, run through Random.org and the results are in. The winner is CherylS22! Congrats, Cheryl, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Didn't win this one? Don't despair, (kind of sound like LibraryThing, don't I) at least two more contests are planned for March.  Stay tuned!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet (April 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233018
ISBN-13: 978-0451233011


  From Amazon:

"Flower shop owner Abby Knight does not believe rumors that Vlad Serban, friend and employee of Abby's fiancé Marco, is a vampire. But how to explain that Vlad is from Romania, has prominent canines, likes bizarre plants such as bloodwort and Dracula orchid, and dresses entirely in black? 

When a local woman is found dead, her body drained of blood, the stakes become life and death. With Vlad the #1 suspect, Abby and Marco race to find the real killer, before Vlad's life really starts to suck. "

This is the 11th book in Kate Collins's flowershop series. I've read quite a few of these, reviewed  Dirty Rotten Tendrils,  and am always happy with the way Kate writes her mysteries; always well constructed and good pacing to the plot. Not to mention I am usually stumped by the mystery. Her characters are always well fleshed out  and believable. This one sounds a little different than her normal plot - a vampire character, no less. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out.

Kate can be found at Cozy Chicks, her own webpage and at her face book page. Stop in at any of these sites and say hi!

Teaser Tuesday :Scones and Bones by Laura Childs

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share 2 "teaser"sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser
4. Please avoid spoilers

This weeks Teaser Tuesday comes from Bones and Scones, # 12 in A Tea Shop Mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina.

"All this running around to dig up information on jolly old Blackbeard and his so-called treasure is mucking things up and getting in the way of my official--need I repeat that word? Oh, yes, official police investigation."
"But we're not meddling," said Thodosia. "We're concerned citizens who are trying to uncover useful information."

Mini review: Not meddling? Theodosia? That'll be the day! I love it when Theodosia meddles - it's always good for an intriguing mystery with some wonderful characters!  Of course, the local flavor of Charleston is almost a character in itself as is the Indigo Tea Shop owned by Theosodia.

This time the Heritage society had a fundraiser using Blackbeard's skull which had been made into a cup  as the main event for their Pirates and Plunder party. The skull, embedded with a diamond, was just too tempting for one of the greedy guests and so the skull was stolen and a young history intern was murdered. What ensues is a mystery plot complex enough to stump anyone and lots of intrigue with the gang at The indigo Tea Shop and the Heritage Society. 4****

Laura Childs is also the author of the Cackleberry Club series (includes recipes) and the Scrapbooking series which included scrapbooking tips. If you like to know more about Laura, you can find her at her at www.laurachilds.com/ and for more of my thoughts on Laura's books - type her name into my search box in left sidebar. There you will find links to numerous reviews and other Tuesday Teasers from any of her three series. I just love them all!

Extra! read all about it! Winner is announced!

Another winner is announced! Up for grabs to US only was a copy of Town in a Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood. This time Random.Org picked #1 and the first elegible entry is Gigi Ann.  KarenB is the new winner. Hopefully she too  hasn't already bought the book.  Congrats! Another e-mail has been sent.

Didn't win this one? A giveaway for Haunting Jasmine (an excellent read btw) is open until 5 PM on feb 25th. See link in left sidebar. Two more cozies for giveaways will be available March 1st and March 6th.  Stay tuned!

Guest Post & Giveaway: Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

Today it is my privilege  to welcome Anjali Banerjee to Pudgy Penguin Perusals. Anjali has a new book out titled, Haunting Jasmine. Giveaway details at the bottom of post. But first, let's see what Anjali has to say.


Writing a novel: the joy of research by Anjali Banerjee

Thank you, Kaye, for hosting me on your delightful blog. I’m a huge fan of penguins—I wish I could be more like these devoted and fascinating creatures. A little research turned up a few cool facts about penguins. They mate for life; their eyes work better underwater than they do in the air; they spend up to 75 percent of their lives at sea; and of the 18 species of penguins, the emperor penguin is the largest, weighing up to 90 lbs, and the fairy penguin is the smallest, weighing only two lbs (from http://birding.about.com/).

I love doing research when I’m creating novels as well, and if I’m not careful, I become immersed in the reading and investigation and nearly forget to write my books! I almost got lost in a real, haunted Victorian mansion while doing research for my current release, Haunting Jasmine. In the story, a newly divorced, harried L.A. businesswoman agrees to run her beloved aunt’s bookstore in a Victorian mansion on a rainy Pacific Northwest island while her aunt is in India. Little does Jasmine know that the dusty, cluttered old bookstore is inhabited by the highly emotional ghosts of dead authors. I had fun touring the real haunted house, mapping the layout, and imagining what the rooms would look like furnished with antiques, Tiffany lamps and bookshelves.

But which dead authors would I choose? After much thought – and research – I picked a few famous names that American readers would easily recognize: Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, Beatrix Potter, and more. I found some intriguing information about these authors. For example, we don’t know precisely what type of illness led to Jane Austen’s death at such a young age (she passed away at 41). She may have had Addison’s disease, a type of tuberculosis of the adrenal glands, or more likely a lymphoma like Hodgkin’s disease (cancer) based on her symptoms. Claire Tomalin considers the possibilities in a most engrossing biography called Jane Austen: A Life. In Haunting Jasmine, Jane Austen appears in her healthy form as a faint apparition who imparts worldly advice to Jasmine – from one who has loved and lost.

Similarly, I discovered that Edgar Allan Poe wrote an early volume of poetry that was not at first attributed to him. Only a few copies of the book still exist, and each one is worth a fortune. I learned about Hemingway’s favorite writing instruments (pencils), Beatrix Potter’s flocks of Herdwick sheep, and a Victorian chimney breast mirror that belonged to Dickens. These concrete details bring dead authors to life in my novel as iconic spirits who help Jasmine reinvent her life, rediscover her love for books, and fall in love with an enigmatic young stranger.

What will I discover next?

 To celebrate the release of Haunting Jasmine, Penguin Group USA is generously allowing me to host a giveaway for one copy of Anjali's new book. Open to US & Canada. Deadline to enter is February 25th at 5 PM (est) Be sure to include an e mail address in your comment.

If you cannot leave a comment and would still like to enter ( I don't
allow anonymous comments) just send me an e mail with Haunting
Jasmine entry in the subject line. Include why you want to win and your name and preferred e mail contact. Send to florida982002[at] yahoo.com and I will enter your comment for you.

As always, bonus entries can be earned by:

+ 2 being a follower, Tell me under what name you follow
+3 tweeting  or posting about and linking to contest (sidebar is ok) Just be sure to give me the link in a comment. Good luck!

Review: The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney

From Goodreads: “And there’s a legend—she had only vague details—that all couples who are meant to marry are connected by an invisible silver cord which is wrapped around their ankles at birth, and in time the matchmaking gods pull those cords tighter and tighter and draw the couple slowly toward one another until they meet.” So says Miss Kate Begley, Matchmaker of Kenmare, the enigmatic woman Ben MacCarthy meets in the summer of 1943.

As World War II rages on, Ben remains haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his wife, the actress Venetia Kelly. Searching for purpose by collecting stories for the Irish Folklore Commission, he travels to a remote seaside cottage to profile the aforementioned Matchmaker of Kenmare.

Ben is immediately captivated by the forthright Miss Begley, who is remarkably self-assured in her instincts but provincial in her experience. Miss Begley is determined to see that Ben moves through his grief—and a powerful friendship is forged along the way.

But when Charles Miller, a striking American military intelligence officer, arrives on the scene, Miss Begley develops an intense infatuation and looks to make a match for herself. Miller needs a favor, but it will be dangerous. Under the cover of their neutrality as Irish citizens, Miss Begley and Ben travel to London and effectively operate as spies. As they are drawn more deeply and painfully into the conflict, both discover the perils of neutrality—in both love and war."

Steeped in colorful history, The Matchmaker of Kenmare is a stirring story of friendship and sacrifice. New York Times bestselling author Frank Delaney has written a lush and surprising novel, rich as myth, tense as a thriller, and like all grand tales—harrowing, sometimes hilarious, and heartbreaking."

My thoughts:

Ben McCarthy is the narrator in the book, recounting  to his two children how he looks back on his friendship with Miss Begley, the matchmaker of Kenmare. He begs their forgiveness for his habit of digression. And digress he does! Sometimes to the point of exasperation but when he reminisces about their dangerous adventures during the war, I was enthralled.

From a historical point of view, the issue of Ireland's neutrality was interesting. Ben and Kate discuss their own feelings of neutrality towards each other and the war itself. Ben said it best when he admitted to himself:

" How tired I am from this swinging, this side-to-side movement of my allegiances; on this side for a time, then on that side; supporters of "our" armies because I met "their" soldiers, and "their" ordinary countryside people.  Neutrality, or is it indecision, and worse, cowardice? I'm tired of it."

These thoughts made me wonder how I would  feel about neutrality during wartime. Is it possible from a personal point of view?

I really wanted to like this one so much and had high hopes of being enmeshed with the characters and not wanting to put the book down.With a WII timeframe, a setting in Ireland, a love story and a matchmaker, this story had the potential to be a stellar 5 star read.

Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed in how slowly the book started. The narrative felt choppy and did not flow smoothly for me until almost page 100. This is when the book started to get interesting although some of the scenarios where Kate and Ben roam around France and Germany looking for Charles Miller had me questioning the plausibility of these actions.

On the positive side, the author does give the reader a real sense of place; I felt as if I were in Ireland listening to some of the matchmaker's discussions in her windswept cottage by the sea. By the end of the book, the reader definitely knew the characters well,  their thoughts, feelings, flaws and all.

Taking all into account this was a hard book for me to rate as I really liked parts of it and other parts had me bored and guilty of skimming through Ben's journal entries. This is just my feeling for the book - you need to make up your own mind and may love it! For me it was a 3* read at best.

Frank Delaney is also the author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show, (prequel to The Matchmaker of Kenmare). Mr. Delaney can be found at his blog or at his Facebook page.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday, a weekly meme created by Marcia at The Printed Page,  is currently on tour, hosted this month by Library of Clean Reads and you can view the touring blog list at  Mailbox Monday blog  for the upcoming months. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your MM at the hosting blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world.

Caveat: participation in MM can cause your tbr list to grow exponentially.  

 

This is what showed up this week.

Postcard Killers is a win from Kim at DC Metroreader.

I Still Dream About You is a win from Karen at Bookin' with Bingo

The Book of Tomorrow is from Harper Collins for review

The Silver Boat is from Putnam/SA

I must have tried to put this post together 100 times but Blogger is having one of it's fits or I'm an idiot; one or the other. I cannot for the life of me get the text to fit right or put images where I want them. The cursor kept jumping to the middle and the link highlights itself and will not allow me to put things where I want. Last week I had no trouble. I just cannot understand this crazy system. Sorry for the stupid looking post. At least this time it sort of worked. Arrrrgh - technology - my arch enemy!!

Mini Review: McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders

Another crack-me-up adventure for Archie McNally, Palm Beach's man-about-town and bon-vivant charmer. Son of the staid Prescott McNally Esq., Archy does discreet inquiries for the pater's firm, McNally and Son. This time a grumpy rich man's cat, Peaches, has been catnapped and is being held for ransom. Archie, between romancing several woman simultaneously and tootling about town in his red miata, has also been asked to look into death threats to the local poet's wealthy wife. Several similarities between the notes lead Archie in quite a few directions, most of them involving women,crazy antics, hysterical dialogue with even a medium and a seance.

I love the Archie McNally series just because Archy is such a character filled with wit, joie-de-vivre and whose love of sartorial splendor is evident. The interactions between Archy and his Dickens- reading, wing-tip wearing, ever-so-correct father just make me laugh out loud. The cases are usually quirky but Archy manages to solve them in his own inimical, round-about way with a little help from his pal, Sargeant Al Rogoff.

The series was started by Lawrence Sanders and finished by Vincent Lardo with nary a variation from the original. Lardo managed to get Archy down to perfection. Any reader would be hard pressed to know where Sanders left off and Lardo picked up. Some of the characterizations and scenarios could be termed cliched and over the top but still the series is always a fun read. 4****
 
Disclosure: This book is from my personal library and was purchased by me.

Hey, what's all the buzz about? There's a new winner here at Pudgy Penguin Perusals. Did you hear who it is?? Didja, didja?  Tell me! The suspense is killing me. . . . . Who? Who?

It's Julie of Knitting and Sundries. That's who! Congrats, Julie.

Didn't win this one? Town in a Lobster Stew is still up for grabs. See left hand sidebar. Tuesday, Feb 15th will be the next contest - something a little different - Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Bannerjee AND Anjali is doing a guest post. Don't miss it!

Mini Review: Elvis and the Memphis Mambo Murders by Peggy Webb

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Kensington (October 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758225938
ISBN-13: 978-0758225931

An okay read for a southern cozy. Normally I love these types of books but a

bassett hound who thinks he is Elvis reincarnated just made me suspend my disbelief too much. The story is told from two different viewpoints; mostly from Callie and then a few chapters from Elvis.

Callie, who along with her cousin Lovie, accompanys her Mama, Ruby Nell, to Memphis for a dance contest. The dead body count starts to escalate fast and furiously in the Peabody Hotel setting. After Mama insists someone tried to kill her, Callie and Lovie try to figure out who the murderer is. Elvis, of course, thinks they should listen to him. Apparently not only can he put on a show but he can help solve crimes. In what universe does this happen?

There were too many bodies too quickly with not enough real suspects and almost no motives. I felt like I didn't even get to know the characters and then they were dead. Maybe it's just me, but talking and rationalizing animals just doesn't do it for me. I guess it is a cute shtick and it works for some people.

On the plus side, it was a quick read with a few laughs along the way even with the stereotypical southern women characters. The Peabody Hotel setting and the ducks helped somewhat. 2.5**

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Kensington through the  LibraryThing's early reviewer program.

Review & Giveway: Town in a Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425240010
ISBN-13: 978-0425240014

It's just before Memorial Day in the little town of Cape Willington, Maine and the residents are getting all excited in anticipation of the town's 29th annual lobster Stew cook-off. Much prestige is associated with winning the coveted trophy so the competition is very cut-throat.

Candy Holliday, part time writer for the Cape Crier and part owner of Blueberry Acres has a bit of a reputation as a detective. When she is asked by the elderly Wilma Mae to help her find her trophy winning lobster stew recipe, Candy  was a little reluctant at first but then events started heating up and Candy is sucked into the intrigue as Wilma Mae insists it was stolen from her secret drawer.

Who knew emotions would run so high over this competition or is there something else at stake? Enough to inspire theft, rigged entries, clandestine meetings,family secrets,skulduggery,collusion, jealousy and backstabbing? Oh, and did I mention a missing person and murder? Ayuh, seems it does!

Despite Chief Durr warning her to mind her own business, Candy and her best friend Maggie just can't seem to leave well enough alone. Candy keeps thinking whoever stole the recipe is the murderer. And so the adventure begins . . . .

In this second in the Candy Holliday series, B.B. Haywood ingeniously incorporates all these elements in a cohesive and well plotted mystery. There are enough red herrings to keep any reader guessing. Just when I thought I knew for sure "whodunnit", I was wrong. Several times, in fact! There are some really good twists in the story to keep cozy/mystery fans very happy.

B. B. Haywood is a pseudonym of writing team Beth Feeman and Robert Feeman. They conceived the idea for the Candy Holliday mysteries while driving around the Maine countryside, stopping at different small towns throughout the state.  They sure have the flavor of New England and the characteristics of it's inhabitants down to perfection. So many wonderfully quirky characters that could populate any small town; some with stronger personalities and less ethics than others! I could picture the fog, and hear the foghorns in my head as Candy tootled around the waterfront back roads in her little jeep looking for clues. Some of the descriptions of the area actually made me homesick!

I really liked the ending to this one too; a little bit of ominous foreshadowing and a preview has me anxiously awaiting the next in the series: Town in a Wild Moose Chase. If you'd like to read the first in the series, read Town in a Blueberry Jam. Lobster and chowder recipes are also included at the end of the book. 4*

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley Signet Mysteries  in exchange for my honest opinion.

To celebrate this month's release of Town in a Lobster Stew, Berkley is allowing me to give away one copy of the book; open to US only. Deadline to enter is Feb 17th at 5 PM (est)

To enter, leave me a comment telling me why you want to win.

If you do not have a blog or google account and would still like to enter ( I don't allow anonymous comments) just send me an e mail with Town in a Lobster Stew entry in the subject line. Include why you want to win and your name and preferred e mail contact. Send to florida982002[at] yahoo.com and I will enter your comment for you.

As always, bonus entries can be earned by:

+ 2 being a follower, Tell me under what name you follow
+3 tweeting or posting about and linking to contest (sidebar is ok) Just be sure to give me the link in a comment.  Please be sure to leave an e mail contact in your comment. Good luck!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted this month by Library of Clean Reads and you can view the touring blog list at Mailbox Monday blog for the upcoming months. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your MM at the hosting blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world.

Caveat: participation in MM can cause your tbr list to grow exponentially.

Two books showed up this week, both from Berkley for review/giveaway in March.
What exciting books showed up at your house this week?

From Amazon.com
Autumn in New England brings out the changing leaves, and the leaves bring out the tourists. When Brenna Miller gets stuck as the tour guide for a group of leaf peepers, she tries to make the best of it. But it's hard to stay enthusiastic after the trial leads them straight to a dead body.

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher:Berkley (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425240258

ISBN-13: 978-0425240250

Becca Robbins sells her farm-made jams and preserves at the local farmers' market to make a living. But when a local lovely decides to tie the knot at the same market, someone else decides to make a killing-and only Becca has the down-home know-how to shut the lid on a canny killer.

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Berkley (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425240223
ISBN-13: 978-0425240229

Mini review: The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

Hardcover, 253 pages

Published October 15th 2009 by Orion (first published October 1st 2009)

ISBN 1409112276 (ISBN13: 9781409112273)

The Winter Ghosts is a beautifully written fiction based on the tragic end of the

Cathars in the fourteenth century with a little bit of paranormal thrown in. Freddy Watson has spent years trying to recover from  the death of his brother George in WWI. He's had such a hard time dealing with his grief and survivors guilt that he even had to spend some years in a sanatorium.

Years later and somewhat recovered, he takes a trip to the Languedoc region of France high in the mountains. On an extremely snowy night that would change his life forever, he crashes his car and then makes his way to a small inn in the village of Nulle. The proprietor invites him to a feast that night and that's where he meets Fabrissa, a young woman who also had a lot of grief to share with Freddy. They spend the night talking about their sorrows and in the morning Freddy, delirious with fever, is not sure what was real and what wasn't.

Although this starts slowly, it is beautifully written with a real sense of place. Mosse definitely sets the mood and gives the reader a thorough feel for Freddy's state of mind. Somewhat predictable in a few places but still an enjoyable read.

I don't normally gravitate to stories with a paranormal bent to them but this one was okay. I liked the post WWI time frame and the setting. Having never heard of the Cathars, I thought the author's note was very interesting. 3***

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Putnam through the Goodreads program.

Review & Giveaway: Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee

 336 pages
Publisher: Signet (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451232518
ISBN-13: 978-0451232519

Having left her ex-fiance and her mom back in San Francisco, Marcy Singer is now  living in Tallulah Falls, Oregon and is the proud owner of an embroidery store called The Seven Year Stitch. One morning on the way to open the store, Marcy sees an elderly woman just about to enter her shop. Marcy lets the woman in the store and proceeds to introduce herself. The woman, Louisa Ralston, begs Marcy to help her find "ivy" after showing her an antique sampler made by her grandmother.

Marcy is perplexed as to what or who ivy is; is it the shade of embroidery thread or is it a person? Before Marcy can  ask that question, Louisa collapses. Marcy immediately calls 911 and to her dismay Louisa dies while in the hospital and it is determined the cause of death was an overdose of a manic depression drug. Unfortunately for Marcy, the police think she had something to do with what is now being called a homicide. Marcy, knowing she is innocent of any wrongdoing, gives permission for them to search her shop and home. So, when the police find a bottle of of the exact medication in her guest room night stand, Marcy is flabbergasted.

In order to clear her name and satify her own curiosity, Marcy sets out to prove she is not the killer and to expose who is. Her first clue is the sampler left behind by Louisa; not only is it an heirloom piece but it may be the key to an unknown branch of the Ralston family tree, a branch that someone has gone to great lengths to keep secret. Can Marcy find the real killer before he or she puts a stop to Marcy's snooping for good?

Of course, this is just the bare bones of the story; there's a lot more mayhem and intrigue going on that I'm sure you'll want to discover for yourself.

Sometimes, the characters in cozies take more of a center stage than the mystery plot itself. Stitch Me Deadly is a fine balance of both; terrific characters that are easy to relate to and a well constructed plot.
Stitch Me Deadly, second in the series,  is a stand-alone mystery but if you would like to read a little background, try the first in the series, The Quick and the Thread. Both are very enjoyable 4* reads.

Like to know more about Amanda Lee, pseudonym for Gayle Trent? You can find her at her blog.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.

To celebrate the release of Stitch Me Deadly, Berkley is allowing me to give away one copy open to US only. Deadline to enter is Feb 11th at 5 PM (est). Your official comment must include an e mail address.

As always, bonus entries can be earned by:

+ 2 being a follower, Tell me under what name you follow
+3 tweeting or posting about and linking to contest (sidebar is ok) Just be sure to give me the link in a comment.  Please be sure to leave an e mail contact in your comment. Good luck!

** If you  can't leave a comment  ( I don't allow anonymous) you can always e mail me at florida982002[at]yahoo.com with your name and e mail address. Just put Stitch Me contest in the
subject line and I will be happy to enter your comment for you.