Review & Giveaway: Book, Line and Sinker by Jenn McKinlay

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: December 4th 2012 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN: 0425251764 (ISBN13: 9780425251768)

edition language; English

series: Library Lover's Mystery #3

From the publisher: Answering tricky reference questions like this one provides plenty of excitement for library director Lindsey Norris. But when a shocking murder is committed in her cozy coastal town of Briar Creek, Connecticut, the question of who did it must be answered before an innocent man gets the book thrown at him... Lindsey is enjoying her second year in Briar Creek as the library director, meeting with the crafternoon club, and happily dating tour boat captain Mike Sullivan. But when a salvage company arrives in town to dig up treasure buried on Pirate Island over three hundred years ago, the locals are torn between protecting the island and welcoming the publicity. In spite of the squabbling, Charlie Peyton, Lindsey’s downstairs neighbor, takes a job with the salvage company. But when Trudi Hargrave, the local tourism director who hired the company, is found murdered at the excavation site, Charlie becomes the chief suspect. To help him, Lindsey must do some digging of her own before the real killer buries the truth for good…

My thoughts: I love this series! What's not to love about a cozy set in coastal New England with two likeable and high spirited librarians as the main characters?

Jenn McKinlay has become one of my favorite cozy writers in the last few years. Her books are always entertaining with the mystery parts being well plotted and paced. McKinlay, without fail, provides several suspects with credible motives and a most satisfying ending to the mystery. I always think I know who the culprit is but have been proved wrong on numerous occasions. 4****
 
Jenn is also the author of  the Cupcake mystery series. Jenn can be found on her website, and  at  FB.  

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

Through the generosity of Berkley, I have one copy for giveaway, open to US only and the deadline to enter is December 22nd at 5 PM (est).

Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Valid only if posted at least 2 days before deadline. Leave me a link, please.

  If no e mail address is included in comment, I will assume you DO NOT want to be entered in the giveaway.


If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Book, Line, and Sinker in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Written in Stone by Ellery Adams

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: November 6th 2012 by Berkeley

more details...

ISBN: 042525173X (ISBN13: 9780425251737)

edition language: English

series: A Books By The Bay Mystery #4

From the publisher:

When Munin Cooper, known as the Witch of Oyster Bay, warns Olivia Limoges that death is coming, neither of them realize that it is the older woman herself who will soon be found dead. And Olivia’s instincts tell her that something—or someone—more sinister than a mystical force is at play… Olivia has a lot on her plate preparing for the Coastal Carolina Food Festival. When she hears the news of Munin’s untimely death, however, finding the murderer takes priority. The witch left behind a memory jug full of keepsakes that Olivia knows must point to the killer—but she’s got to figure out what they mean. With handsome Police Chief Rawlings by her side, Olivia starts to identify some of the jug’s mysterious contents—and finds its secrets are much darker than she suspected. Now Olivia must enlist the help of the Bayside Book Writers to solve the puzzle behind the piece of pottery and put an end to a vengeful killer before any more damage can be done…

 

My thoughts: When I read the first book in this series, A Killer Plot, I thought Olivia was cold and had a few hard edges to her but I was wrong.  In the last three books, Adams has fleshed out Olivia's character so much that now I can easily see what was there all the time; her vulnerability and caring heart underneath what was at first a stand-offish appearance. I love the way Adams has shown growth in Olivia with her being more comfortable in her own skin. Part of this is due to finding her place among Oyster Bay and the writers who have become her dear friends and sometimes fellow sleuths as she solves mysteries in the area. Olivia's emotional softening can also be attributed to her growing love for Chief Rawlings. The Chief is a fabulous character in his own right.

As far as the mystery is concerned, it is well done. Adams had me stumped as to the perpertrator's identity. One other thing I like about this series is how Adams takes historical facts or events and builds an intelligent plot around it. In this case it is the 1958 Battle of Hayes Pond and the Lumbee Indians of North Carolina. This series just keeps getting better and better. I'm really looking forward to Poisoned Prose, the next one in the series. 4****

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

Through the generosity of Berkley, I have one copy for giveaway, open to US only and the deadline to enter is November 25th at 5 PM (est).

If no e-mail address is included in comment, I will assume you DO NOT want to be entered in the giveaway.

Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Valid only if posted at least 2 days before deadline. Leave me a link, please.

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

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Arsenic and Old Cake by Jacklyn Brady

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: November 6th 2012 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN: 0425251721 (ISBN13: 9780425251720)

edition language: English

series: A Piece of Cake Mystery #3

From the publisher:

Blind man’s bluff With business going stale at Zydeco Cakes, Rita Lucero has plenty to worry about. But when the blind trumpet player Old Dog Leg Magee asks for a favor, she can’t say no. His brother Monroe disappeared forty years ago, and now someone has shown up claiming to be him. Old Dog Leg needs Rita to be his eyes—and see if it’s really his brother. The Twisted Palms Bed and Breakfast is full of unsavory characters, Monroe included. Posing as newlyweds, Rita and her friend Gabriel check in, only to discover that Monroe’s true identity isn’t the only mystery they’ll have to solve. When another guest at the Twisted Palms turns up dead, it seems the mysterious man might also be a murderer...

My thoughts: The first two books in this series were really good. I like the setting of New Orleans as Brady does a good job with sense of place. This third one I didn't get that place feeling, the story could have been set anywhere.

As for the mystery part, that was well done; I never guessed who did it but, and occasionally there is a But . . . . . the whole premise of how Rita got sucked into this in the first place felt off to me. Improbable? Unlikely? Highly. I hope the next one goes back to a mystery at the bakery or more of the bakery characters in the story line.

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

Through the generosity of Berkley, I have one copy for giveaway, open to US only and the deadline to enter is November 16th at 5 PM (est).

Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Valid only if posted at least 2 days before deadline. Leave me a link, please.

If no e-mail address is included in comment, I will assume you DO NOT want to be entered in the giveaway.

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

Good luck!

Review : Nightshade on Elm Street by Kate Collins

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: November 6th 2012 by Signet

ISBN: 0451238508 (ISBN13: 9780451238504)

edition language:English

series: A Flower Shop Mystery #13

From the publisher:

 In addition to running her flower shop, planning her wedding, and juggling two mothers who both want to host an elaborate bridal shower, Abby Knight is facing another complication. Her ditzy cousin Jillian asks her and her longtime beau, Marco, a private detective, to find a woman who’s gone missing from the exclusive beach house belonging to Jillian’s in-laws, the Osbornes. The missing woman is also the fiancée of Pryce Osborne, a wet noodle with a big bank account who dumped Abby just before their wedding several years ago. Merely being anywhere near Pryce makes Abby’s insecurities grow like kudzu….

Then a woman’s drowned body surfaces, and Pryce becomes a prime suspect in her death. Unless Abby and Marco can get a killer to come clean, their bridal shower will turn into a complete washout...and Pryce will be exchanging a sunny beach for a prison cell.

My thoughts: Each book in the Flower Shop series is always fun! I like the way Ms. Collins mixes up her characters; some are quirky and a real hoot, some are downright pretentious and some are a lot more lovable and sensible than others. It's a nice balance. 

This mystery started out well and then there was a real twist not too far into the story. I like that when a mystery author throws in something a little unexpected while still maintaining a well paced plot. You know how I insist on there being real suspects with credible motives. Don't worry on that score. Ms. Collins has all those bases covered BUT I did have one quibble with the story. A quibble that costs the rating a 1/2*. I'm not a fan of the plot when the protagonist does what I term "a stupid thing" such as getting an anonymous note telling them to meet at a deserted location at night. No, no no! I want to shout, "Don't go" or "don't be stupid" but yet in this case, Abby went where she was told. Arrrgh.

It did all end well and the big reveal made sense but still I'm giving the book 3.5*. I've read almost every one in the series and they still feel fresh to me. The characters have been allowed to grow and that makes them feel more real to me.

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

Review & Giveaway: Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

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Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: July 2012 by Berkley Publishing Group

more details...ISBN: 0425251403 (ISBN13: 9780425251409)

edition language ; English

series ; A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery #1

When 32 year old Ella Mae LeFaye Kitteridge catches her hubby in flagrante delicto in the elevator, with twins no less, she decides she wants out. Sooner rather than later. Where to go?

She hightails it back to Havenwood, Georgia to her childhood home.  In times of stress, Ella Mae overdoes it on her favorite occupation; baking pies! When her beloved three aunts,her mother and her mother's housekeeper, eat her pie and all have the same reaction, they figure out the pie makes whoever is eating it feel the same way that Ella Mae did while she was baking it. It's as if Ella Mae can magically imbue  her pies with her own emotions.

Ella Mae's mom and her three aunts decide Ella Mae should open her own pie shoppe so they become silent partners and make a bid on a local shop. Unfortunately, her childhood nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor wants the same piece of real estate for another one of her nail salons. Ella Mae discovers after an untimely screaming match run-in with Loralyn, that she is still as nasty as she was way back when. Too bad that Dr. Knox happened to be present during her outburst to Loralyn. So, when Loralyn's fiancé, local vet Dr. Brad Knox, is found murdered in one of Loralyn's nail salons, the finger of blame points to Ella Mae. Somehow her marble rolling pin is found beside the victim.

Seemingly, the horse vet had no enemies, so is someone setting up Ella Mae or is there some hidden agenda going on? There are some funny rumors going around the horsebreeding community. After all, Loralyn couldn't possibly be in love with the 70 year old vet, could she? It might just be another one of her "marry for money" schemes.

With law enforcement breathing down her neck, Ella Mae knows if she wants to keep baking, she needs to find the real killer to clear her own name. It's the only way she can keep her shoppe in business. No one else has her magic touch with piecrust!

Absolutely magical! I was definitely charmed with this new series. The characters come alive on the page and are downright endearing. Well, except for Loralyn, or course. She makes the perfect villain. Every good cozy needs one!

 If you like the magical elements of Sarah Addison Allen's books or Bailey Cates's Brownies and Broomsticks, you may very well like this one. Besides that, it's a darn good  mystery!

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. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is July 20th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me 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 Pies and Prejudice in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review and giveaway: A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN: 0425248011 (ISBN13: 9780425248010)

edition language: English

series: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery #1

From the publisher:

When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister that the 19th-century yellow-brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s “junk,” she successfully outbids the other buyers and triumphantly takes home her Hoosier.

But that night on the summer porch where they’ve left the Hoosier to be cleaned up, a man is murdered, struck on the head with the steel meat grinder that is part of the cabinet. Who is this stranger—and what was he doing on their porch? Does his death have anything to do with the Hoosier?

As the police struggle to determine the man’s identity, Jaymie can’t help doing a little digging on her own, accompanied by her three-legged Yorkie Poo, Hopalong. But in her bid to uncover the truth about the hidden secrets of the Hoosier, Jaymie may be the one who ends up going, going...gone.

My thoughts: This has been a bonanza year for new series that really appeal to me. In A Deadly Grind, I liked the two sisters and how they complemented each other's personalities, but I really liked Jaymie. She's an independent woman who's very comfortable in her own skin. Collecting vintage cookware and living in an old-fashioned farm house suits her just fine. Writing her cookbook using old recipes she converts to modern day, tending her garden and helping out her neighbors leads to a full life for her. She likes a slower pace of life and doesn't feel the need for a high powered career or all the latest modern conveniences. She has a fine appreciation for the past.

I thought the mystery was well done in this one; plenty of suspects with the powerful motive of Greed! Yes, that's Greed with a capital G; greedy enough to commit murders, theft and betrayal. The author kept me guessing through out most of the book. Although I did figure out the culprit towards the end, that did not take away from the story at all.

The setting, Michigan near the Canadian border, was interesting and the author made me feel as if I were really in the scene. I liked the ambiance of the Queen's Tea that Jaymie participated in. Sounds like an event I would love to attend myself. All these little details make for a well rounded cozy.

Almost no cozy is complete without a little romance. Jaymie's budding love interest sounds like a real sweetie pie. I hope to see this relationship more developed in the next book because I know I will be reading it. The Queen's Cake recipe featured in the story is published at the end of the book, both the old version and the new. 4****

About the author: Victoria Hamilton is a pseudonym for national bestselling author Donna Lee Simpson, who is also a collector of vintage cookware and recipes.

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.. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is May 26th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me 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 A Deadly Grind in the subject line. Include your name and e mail address and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Mass Market Paperback

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Signet

more details...

ISBN: 0451236637 (ISBN13: 9780451236630)

edition language: English

series: A Magical Bakery Mystery #1

From the Publisher:

Lightfoot’s tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah’s quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

In the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy’s cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren’t just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

But when a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy will stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben’s name and find the real killer…

My Thoughts: Such a fun new series! I liked the main characters right away. I could tell they had a strong emotional attachment to each other and would make a good team in running the new Honeybee Bakery. Katie is a wonderful baker with lots of hands-on experience and Aunt Lucy has some special skills to add to the mix. She's a real sweetie-pie but not exactly your typical aunt; she's a witch!  Aunt Lucy's book club is a little more than just a group of ladies who like to read. I loved reading about their exploits. This group reminded me of Dolores Riccio's Divine Circle of Ladies, one of my favorite cozy series!

Katie is a little taken aback when Aunt Lucy tells her the truth of her potential powers but she puts them to good use in the search for the person who really killed nasty old Mavis Templeton; you just know Uncle Ben is innocent!  Mavis's abrasive personality has ticked off more than just a few people in town. It takes a few sleuthing forays to finally ferret out the truth but Katie is persistent and it pays off.  Of course, she has a little help from her aunt and new witchy friends.

I never used to like any paranormal elements but I find that they are more and more appealing to me. This is one charming new series I will definitely follow up on.  4****

Bailey Cates is also the author of the homecrafting series written under her pseudonym ,Cricket McRae.  Cricket/Bailey can be found at her website. If you like Shirley Damsgaard's Abby and Ophelia series, you'll like this one too.

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. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. No e mail address makes me assume you do not want to be entered in the drawing.

Deadline to enter is May 15rd at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me 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 Brownies and Broomsticks in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

Paperback, 368 pages

Published December 27th 2011 by Plume (first published April 1st 2011)

more details...

ISBN: 0452297648 (ISBN13: 9780452297647)

edition language : English

original title: The Novel in the Viola

From the publisher:

It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford's young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford-and Elise-forever.

My thoughts:  I.  Loved. This. Book.  Loved it! ♥ The descriptions of the house and the surrounding area made me long to be there, wartime or not. The sounds of the booming sea with the waves crashing on the shore along with a large stone manor house almost had a gothic feel to it. I was hooked immediately and settled in to be mesmerized by Elise's story from her privileged life in Vienna, "where even the wind waltzes"  to a servant's life in England.

Elise's memories are almost haunting in their poignancy. It's like an old friend telling you her life story as she remembered it with all her feelings still vividly at the forefront even after many years. This is not just Elise's story or a war story but also an intricate look at British life prior to and during WWII. I really enjoyed the "upstairs, downstairs" relationships.  But, then, sometimes the line between masters and servants becomes blurred.

"I'm sorry, Elise. Really I am. Sometimes I forget. That . . . . you know... you're not one of us."

"A few months before in Vienna, I had been one of them. Now I wasn't sure what I was. The other servants barely spoke to me. They knew I wasn't one of them either. I belonged nowhere."

Solomons really brought all the characters to life; so much so that one character made me want to slap the supercilious, smug smirk from her face at the way she treated Elise. Others made my heart ache with their pain. Throughout the book, I was totally engaged emotionally.

The House at Tyneford is an absolutely magical story of love, wartime, loss and family memories as seen through the eyes of Elise. Written in beautifully descriptive, almost lyrical prose, this is one book that is hard to put down. With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I turned the last page. This is only the 2nd 5 * book of the year! Do not miss this one!!

Be sure to read the authors note at end; it's fascinating that the setting for the book is based on a true village that was taken over by the government during the war.

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

Due to the ever so generous Penguin, I am able to offer a giveaway of two copies of this book. Open to US & Canada. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is May 3rd at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me 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 The House at Tyneford in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

 

Review & Giveaway: Dread on Arrival by Claudia Bishop

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: April 3rd 2012 by Berkley

more details...ISBN: 0425247074 (ISBN13: 9780425247075)

edition language: English

series: A Hemlock Falls Mystery #18

From the publisher:  The bitter rivalry between two employees of antique collecting television shows heats up when they come to Hemlock Falls to have it out in a cooking contest. And it's a good thing that inn owners Meg and Sarah Quilliam are experts at appraising motives for murder when one of them keels over on camera...

My thoughts: There are some really colorful characters in this one; one of the television shows, Pawn-O-Rama, is  hosted is a cliched characterization of a redneck complete with RV and overbearing Mama. The other show is hosted by by a snobby pompous twit of a  Brit. Right away you know there are bound to be problems when one of them suggests a cook-off.

With the advent of the TV show coming to town, tempers are on edge in the Chamber of Commerce introducing quite a few suspects and motives. The Chamber is comprised of some downright quirky personalities. They each have their own agenda and you know they're going to clash someone else's goals. Add in the TV show hosts' huge egos and the fur is bound to fly!

Sounds like a fun premise, doesn't it? Well, for me the beginning was a little slow. It took to almost page 200 before the "main event". The preceding pages were a slow build up to the murder and  explanations of the characters' relationships in the little town of Hemlock Falls, NY. When the murder does occur, the local inn owner, Sarah Quilliam is put on the spot to sleuth out the real killer. Sarah thinks she knows who the culprit is but proof is needed. Therefore a trap must be set . . . . .

Even though it took a while to get to the action, the ending was well worth the wait. I didn't see that one coming at all! Good job, Ms. Bishop!! Even though this is #18 in the series, it's a total stand alone. I haven't read any of this series and don't feel as if I were missing anything. 3.5***

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 with the deadline to enter beingApril 22nd 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 Dread on Arrival in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

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)

more details...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!

Book tour & Giveaway for Hometown Girl by Mariah Stewart

Hometown Girl
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
 ISBN13: 9780345531216
Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 27, 2011)

From the publisher:

Life was always just about perfect for Brooke Madison Bowers. She was the prettiest, most popular girl in small-town St. Dennis, Maryland, a prom queen, local pageant star, and the pride and joy of her loving parents. She even married the man of her dreams. But the promise of happily ever after fell to pieces when her husband was killed while serving in Iraq. Brokenhearted and longing for the solace of better days, she returns to the idyllic world of St. Dennis, and the familiar comfort of the family farm. Surrounded by her loving family and friends, she’s determined to build a new life, complete with her own cupcake bakery. She’s equally determined never to fall in love again.

For Jesse Enright, life has been a challenge. A fourth-generation attorney, he’s spent his life fighting to escape the shadow of his irresponsible father. Now he’s moved to St. Dennis to run the family law practice, and he’s ready to find the right girl, get married, and settle down. But his carefully laid plans go out the window when he meets Brooke and finds himself caught between the unbreakable law of attraction and Brooke’s resolve to go her way alone—despite the undeniable feelings Jesse stirs in her. But just like catching lightning in a bottle, is it possible to fall head-over-heels, heart-and-soul in love all over again?

My Thoughts:  Ahhhh, it's like coming home again and reconnecting with old friends and getting to know some new ones better.  In this story, we get to see Brooke and Jessee start a relationship and watch as the two slowly fall for each other. I love the way Ms. Stewart develops her characters and their relationships so realistically. With each book  we get to see one couple as the star of the show, so to speak with, the characters from the preceding book weaving in and around the main characters' lives. It's just like real life; families with their ups and downs, joys and sorrows and credible feelings.

Both Jesse and Brooke have some issues to work out; Brooke is still feeling afraid to trust her heart again after the pain of losing her beloved husband and Jessee is afraid he will turn out like his father even though he is nothing like him. With the help of each other, this couple should be able to live life full on for a very long time to come and I want to be there to witness it.

Even though a happily ever after is almost a guarantee in her stories, Ms.Stewart captivates the  reader along the journey. The little town of St. Dennis on the Chesapeake is almost a character in itself with caring residents and long time traditions being carried out. Along with the plot this small town atmosphere is very appealing to me.

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed the first three in this series and the latest, Hometown Girl is just as fresh and delightful as the first three. Last year I read and reviewed Coming Home the first book in the series, and Home Again, the second book. In May I reviewed Almost Home, the third book in the series.  If you visit Mariah's web site and click on books, you can read excerpts from the first two.

Hometown Girl is book # 4 in The Chesapeake Diaries series. Any of these books can be read as a stand alone, but in my opinion, it's best to start from the first one to see how all the relationships develop besides, you don't want to miss out on some truly wonderful stories. 4****

About Mariah Stewart: Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and their dogs amid the rolling hills and Amish farms of southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she gardens, reads, and enjoys country life. She is currently working on the next book in her bestselling Chesapeake Diaries series.

Connect with Mariah on her website or on Facebook.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by TLC tours and Ballantine Books in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Thanks to the generosity of Ballantine Books I am able to give away one copy of Hometown Girl. Open to US & Canada. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter: Nov 24th at 5 PM (est).

Bonus entries are available as follows.

+2 for being a follower, old or new. 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 Hometown Girl in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Ecco

more details...

ISBN:0061966908 (ISBN13: 9780061966903)

About the author:

Caroline Preston is the author of three previous novels, "Jackie by Josie" (a "New York Times" Notable Book), "Lucy Crocker 2.0", and "Gatsby's Girl". She has collected antique scrapbooks since she was in high school, and has worked as an archivist at the Peabody/Essex Museum and Harvard University. She and her husband, the writer Christopher Tilghman, live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

thoughts: Not only is this a fascinating concept, the story to go along with the book is delightful. Frankie is such a spirited character! We follow Frankie as she graduates from high school in the very small New Hampshire town of Cornish through her college years at Vassar to her grand adventures in Paris and right back to Cornish where she finally finds just what she was looking for. We feel for her when she experiences the pangs of new love found and lost. It's probably this experience that got her her first writing job!

     "I think I know something about sorrow, Mr. Macfadden. My father died young, leaving my mother to support 3 children."

     "Most of our stories are about heartache. What do you know about that?"

     I pause--just say whatever it takes to get the job. "I was involved with a man who turned out to be married." Straight out of True Story!

     He looks pleased. "But you lived to regret it?"

     "Yes, sir, I did."

     "Atta girl. Sin, suffer and repent. That's our motto. You're hired."

   
The visuals in the books are just stunning. I loved the idea of using old postcards, vintage ads and
other memorabilia from the 1920's all arranged in scrapbook fashion. Some of the items I even recognized from my childhood. Wow, did that make me feel old!! Please be sure to listen to Caroline Preston's trailer as she tells how this book came about.

This is one of those books you could just keep perusing over and over.  The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt would make a wonderful gift, (once you have your own copy!). It's definitely a keeper to be savored time and again. 5*****To see some sample pages from the book, please visit Harper Collins.





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

Through the generosity of Harper Collins, I am allowed to give away up to 5 copies of this book.  Open to US only. Deadline to enter is November 12th at 5 PM (est)

Bonus entries available for this contest are as follows:

+1 for posting on your facebook page with link to giveaway
+2 for being a follower, old or new. 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 wish to enter but cannot leave a comment, you can e mail me at florida982002[at]yahoo.com with Win The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt in the subject line. Leave your name and e mail.

Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay

Paperback, 286 pages

Published October 4th 2011 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN: 0425244059 (ISBN13: 9780425244050)

primary language :English

series Cupcake Bakery Mystery #3

In this year's Scottsdale's Food Festival, Angie DeLaura and Mel Cooper, owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, are bound and determined to beat out their rival, Olivia Puckett. Olivia, not one to play nice,  runs a rival bakery and has been a thorn in their side since they opened the doors to their own bakery.

Even though one of the judges, Vic Mazzotta, is an old mentor to Mel, the competition will still be a tough one. How can one prepare for the bake off  when the mystery ingredient could be just about anything? As it turns out several of the other judges are known to be rivals in their own right which really heats up the competition but when Vic is found dead in a freezer truck, the competition takes on a whole new dimension. Mel and Angie can't help but be involved as Vic was a close friend to Mel and they found the body. They'll have to keep their wits about them to stay several steps ahead of the cold-hearted killer and help solve the crime; not to mention winning the bake off.

Jenn Mckinlay has become one of my favorite cozy writers in the last year due to her well plotted mysteries and loveable characters. The newest addition to the bakery is Oz, a character I just fell in love with and hope he is here to stay. I like the way she introduces the characters/suspects and their possible motives in an orderly fashion. No oddball killer comes out of left field; Jenn plays fair with her readers. The witty dialogue, romantic plot threads among the mystery, and some of the hilarious situations the characters get themselves into are the icing on the cake, or should I say cupcake!

Although there is a continuously running relationship thread from book one, it's still easy to pick up any of these mysteries and dive right in.  Death by the Dozen is the 3rd in the Cupcake Bakery series. At the end of the book is an excerpt from Red Velvet Revenge, the next in the series, along with some scrumptious sounding recipes featured in the story.  4****

To celebrate the release of Death by the Dozen, Berkley is allowing me to host a giveaway for one copy of the book. Open to US only and the deadline to enter is October 19th at 5 PM (est). Please be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Bonus entries available for this contest are as follows:

+1 for posting on your facebook page with link to giveaway
+2 for being a follower, old or new. 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.

Good luck!

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

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

Review & Giveaway: Skeleton Letters by Laura Childs

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: October 4th 2011 by Berkley Hardcover

more details...

ISBN

0425243893 (ISBN13: 9780425243893)

primary language English

series A Scrapbooking Mystery #9

Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine Scrapbooking Shop and her best friend, Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo Shop, are both volunteering at St. Tristan's church one morning when they hear a blood-curdling scream and then spot a woman wrestling with a figure dressed in a brown robe complete with cowl. Carmela and Ava are not sure what is going on until the brown robed figure smashes a statue down on the head of the woman and then takes off.

Carmela and Ava are almost dumbstruck but quickly stir themselves into action, rushing toward the woman who is now slumped over on the floor. Despite Carmela's best resuscitation efforts, the woman is dead. Both Carmela and Ava are overcome with grief as they realize the victim is one of their good friends, Byrle Coopersmith. What a horrible way to go; killed by a statue of one saint in another saint's church. If you're not safe in church, where are you safe? Not only is her death a tragedy but a unique gold and silver crucifix is missing. Is it personal or was Byrle trying to stop a robbery and just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Since the murdered woman was such a good friend of Carmela and Ava, they naturally want to help in the investigation. Of course, the police tell them to back off even though the unlikely pair has been instrumental in helping to solve some of the murders in their New Orleans neighborhood.  But, they are determined to get justice for Byrle and let nothing get in their way. Well, almost nothing. Word gets out that they are poking around in the murder and their lives are in danger. If they could just figure out who has a vested interest in the antique crucifix  and with a little help from an unexpected source. . . . they might be able to solve the case.

Laura Childs always writes a fun cozy mystery and she has been one of my favorite authors over the years whether it is her Tea Shop series, the Scrapbooking series or her Cackleberry Club series. I always get the feeling I am right in the scene. Sometimes I figure out whodunnit, other times I don't and sometimes like this time, it takes me almost to the end of the book. It's an entertaining journey to the crime's solution anyway. Scrapbooking tips and several recipes are included at the end of the book.

For more info on Laura Childs, please visit her website or Facebook page. The link to Berkley below will also give you a chronological list of Laura's books.

To celebrate today's release of Skeleton Letters, Berkley is allowing me to host a giveaway for one copy of the book. Open to US only and the deadline to enter is October 14th at 5 PM (est). Please be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Good Luck!  Bonus entries available for this contest are as follows:

+1 for posting on your facebook page with link to giveaway
+2 for being a follower, old or new. 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 Skeleton Letters in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

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