Friday, April 6, 2012

Review & Giveaway: A Killer Read by Erika Chase


Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: April 3rd 2012 by Berkley Publishing Group (first published April 2012)
ISBN: 0425247031 (ISBN13: 9780425247037)

From the publisher

For the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, six friends gather in Molly Matthews's old Southern mansion-including Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with a penchant for mysteries. But the mystery book club meeting becomes the scene of an actual murder when a stranger is shot-and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly' antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.

Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox. As she and the book club members try to read between the lines, Molly surfaces as the next on the list.


My thoughts:  A mystery bookclub? Ooh, I've died and gone to cozy lovers' heaven!  Although the characters are diverse in age and social circumstances, Erika Chase makes it all work. And work well it does as she introduces her characters in an orderly manner so that the reader gets to know them well.
I really liked the fact that Lizzie is a reading specialist. It was also amusing to see the not so subtle rivalry between the former chief, Bob Miller and the new young chief along with his bad-tempered deputy, Amber Craig. Now there's one good ole gal you don't want to annoy!

 If you have read any of my cozy reviews before, you probably know that I like the action to happen right away and in this one it does. Mystery upon mystery as no one seems to even know the victim or why on earth he was in Molly's house to begin with and then to be murdered in her driveway.

Along with the murder mystery is the mystery of the missing objects. Who on earth is stealing all Molly's little trinkets? More importantly, why? They aren't worth a lot of money but they do have sentimental value. As the saying goes," the plot thickens"  . . . . .

With A Killer Read, Erika Chase is off to a very auspicious start in her new series. The characters felt like old friends right away and I loved the mystery-within-a-mystery with the pieces of  unexplainable manuscript that kept popping up in Lizzie Turner's mailbox. I actually got really caught up in that story right along with the main plot! It was a lot of fun reading what the characters like to read; a lot of recognizable authors and titles.  If you're looking for a fresh new cozy series in a southern setting, this one should be on your list of must-reads. 4****

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

Due to the ever so generous Berkley, I am able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this book. Open to US only. Deadline to enter is April 14th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me how you follow and under what name.

+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Win A Killer Read in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

30 comments:

  1. Ooh, wouldn't it be neat to have a book club that was entirely devoted to mysteries? I would bet that would be something that you would love a lot! Great review on this one today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society - cheese straws? Hope that is explained! Sounds like a great series.
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. +4 Networked Blogs as Karen P Barnett.
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Whether I win or not, it's going on the list. Sounds like a lot of fun!

    I follow on Networkd BLogs as Bookfan Mb

    ReplyDelete
  5. This sounds like a great cozy, would love to win it.

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. +4 I am a networked follower, Wendy Newcomb

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Follower and have it posted to my blog sidebar.

    ReplyDelete
  8. +3 Twitter:
    https://twitter.com/#!/WendyNewcomb/status/188291635833090050

    and blogged:
    http://wrensthoughts.blogspot.com/p/contests-and-giveaways-good-luck.html

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just what I need - another cozy series!! This one sounds like a definite keeper.

    dulcibelle [at] earthlink [dot] net

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd join the club simply because Cheese Straws is in the name! Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Any Southern book club worth its salt would serve cheese straws! This book sounds right up my alley! I'd love to be entered in your giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Southern, a mystery book club and a reading specialist--this is so my kind of book. Thanks for the chance to win it!

    Sdryburgh at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Plus 1 I follow your blog under the name of Susan.

    ReplyDelete
  14. i love getting in from the start with a new cozy!!!

    thank you for this giveaway!!!

    cyn209 at juno dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. great giveaway
    follow via gfc
    drakebdog@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would love to join that club! I really like that you said that the characters seem like "old friends". I want to have a comfy chair and this book!

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. +4 I follow your blog on Networked Blogs as Carol Naomi Wong.


    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I tweeted:

    http://t.co/lmmesOh3

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. That is quite a name for their mystery bookclub! Thanks for the info and chance to win!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds like a good read.

    sgiden at verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  21. you know, I have never had a cheese straw! a cozy with cheese straws, well wh could resisot?

    ReplyDelete
  22. This sounds like a very good book, I would love to win it! =)

    ReplyDelete
  23. The cover is terrific. Great giveaway (but no need to enter me, trying to lighten my load):

    Have a great week Kaye.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love mysteries and this sounds like a fun one!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm not entering, but I do have this one for a review. It looks like a great cozy!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I still haven't read a cozy mystery. Would love to give one a try. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I need to stop visiting you, each time I do I find another cozy mystery to read. I just got the book on my Nook and am reading it right now. Thanks for the great review.

    ReplyDelete
  28. What exactly is a reading specialist anyway?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Okay I came by to leave a comment in response to one you left a few weeks ago-however now that I see the two kitties on the cover I will enter this. Thanks for stopping by.

    chocolate and croissants at yahoo . com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the giveaway!
    +4 following on networked blogs

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.