Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Perilous Premiere by Gail Meath. This book is the first in the Stone and Steele Mystery series and was published last month. 

Fashion designer Vivian Steele had it all, a wonderful business, a great friendship with film star Carole Lombard, and a happy marriage of almost a year. Until her husband was gunned down. Determined to seek justice she worked to find her husband's killer, only to discover he couldn't have done it. That shock was just the tip of the iceberg. A phone call led her to a dead body and the fact that her husband was leading a double life; one that's putting hers in jeopardy. Teaming up with a louse might be her best option, not only to uncover all of her husband's secrets, but to save her own life!

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Final Cut - An Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Marjorie McCown to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Marjorie writes the Hollywood Mystery series. FINAL CUT is the first book in the series. Be sure to return to the blog Friday when I'll post my review.

Kathy: Joey Jessop is a costumer on the set of a big budget Hollywood movie. As a costumer yourself, what's the most interesting part of the job...aside from finding dead bodies?

MM: I love every part of the job from the research to the collaboration with my creative partners as we conceive the overall look of the movie, and then to the next step, which is using that overall look as the guiding inspiration to create costumes for the individual characters. That needs to happen before we even get into the really fun part of bringing all those ideas and designs to life by sourcing fabrics, working with the various artisans to create the clothing and accessories, and fitting the actors.

The costume fittings are the proving ground of the design process, so I guess if I have to pick the "most interesting" part of the job, I'll go with the fittings. No matter how beautiful a costume sketch might be or how wonderful a gown looks on a dress form, you can never be truly sure that the costume will work for the movie until you see it on your actor. And it's also where you can make discoveries that will help you further enhance the costume and its viability regarding support of the character and the world of the film.


Kathy: Would you prefer providing costumes for big budget films, independent films, or theatre? What about Joey?

MM: I prefer providing costumes for big budget movies for several reasons, both creative and practical. Joey has never worked in theatre, so she doesn't have that experience to compare with working in film. But she also prefers big budget movies and for the same reasons I do because (no surprise here) her attitudes about the movie industry mostly mirror my own.

On the practical side, you just have many more resources on a big budget movie in terms of money and manpower -- because it literally takes a village to create all the costumes that appear in even a modest-sized movie. If you're talking about an epic like Forrest Gump, then you've got more than 100 speaking actors and 10,000 background players, all of whom have to be dressed in period costumes. That kind of job requires the combined efforts of a large team of highly skilled costumers. And full disclosure: it's a definite plus that all departments on the crew of a big film are well-compensated financially for their work.

On the creative side, I prefer the scale of big movies. You have a sweeping blank canvas that provides abundant opportunities for the design departments to build the world of the film, and I find that exciting and inspiring.


Kathy: Joey definitely prefers to be behind the scenes, what about you?

MM: I enjoy the creative process, whatever form that takes -- whether it be designing costumes or writing a novel. But I prefer to have my work in the spotlight rather than be the focus of attention myself.


Kathy: If you could be responsible for costuming any production, what would it be? You could choose a specific piece or give a genre. For example, an avante garde production of Measure for Measure, a Gothic romantic suspense, or a Victorian mystery.

MM: I would love to design the costumes for an operatic version of Daphne Du Maurier's classic suspense novel, REBECCA. It's one of my favorite books (and I love the Hitchcock-directed film version.) I do think the plot is appropriately operatic in emotional and psychological scope -- and there's that terrific scene with the costume ball that would be so much fun to design. The book was published in 1938, and I'd keep the setting in the 1930s, maybe pushed back a little in the decade, which is one of my favorite periods in fashion.


Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

MM: I've been a mystery reader and lover all my life. Like many, I started early with Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

MM: I only write mysteries. I do read widely in both fiction and nonfiction -- I love memoirs and biographies in particular. But mysteries are far and away my favorite genre to read and my preferred genre as an author.

 
Kathy: Tell us about your series.

MM: The books in my Hollywood Mystery series are set behind the scenes of big budget movies in production featuring a main character who is a key costumer named Joey Jessop.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

MM: That's an even harder to answer than another question I'm quite often asked: Who is the nicest actor/actress you ever worked with? (I finally narrowed that down to a "top twelve" list.) But my characters are my creations, so that's a very personal bond.

I will say I like my main character, Joey Jessop because she's a creative thinker, an animal lover, and a loyal friend. She also has a strong work ethic, which is something I always admire. I'm also partial to Malo, the young production assistant Joey befriends and mentors in FINAL CUT. He's a sensitive and extremely talented artist with a big heart who idolizes Joey.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

MM: The inspiration for my series came from my film career in Hollywood, where I spent 27 years working as both a key costumer and a costume designer on wonderful movies like Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hairspray, Angels & Demons, and X-Men Days of Future Past.

Quite honestly, I've thought for a long time that a big movie would be the perfect setting for a murder mystery because a movie company is its own unique community, like a very specific kind of small town with its own set of relationships and always plenty of drama behind the scenes.

I also want to take readers on an insider's guided tour of the everyday working world of a movie in production, which is a very different view of Hollywood than anything they'll ever see featured on the red carpet.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

MM: I always hoped to be traditionally published, and I was (and am) truly grateful to Crooked Lane Books for offering me a publishing contract.
 

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

MM: Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith, Jane Austen, and Edith Wharton
 

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

MM: GATHERING MIST by Margaret Mizushima and MURDER ON THE PAGE by Daryl Wood Gerber. (I'm always reading at least 2 books at one time -- one a hardback that I can sit and read at home and one that I'll have on Kindle to take with me whenever I leave the house, to make sure I have something to read, no matter where the day takes me.)

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

MM: Reading, of course, is one of my primary interests. I've been an avid reader all my life and it's still my go-to form of entertainment. I also love to get outside and work in the garden. Gardening is one of those Zen activities (and writing is the same for me) where I can spend hours that just seem to fly by. And I like to sketch. I used to draw every day when I designed costumes for theater and opera, and I also worked a few times as a sketch artist for movies. Now I just draw for my own enjoyment.
 

Kathy:  Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

MM: La Croix lime-flavored sparkling water, V8 spicy hot vegetable juice, Skinny Pop popcorn, and Pacific Foods butternut squash soup.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

MM: I've written the outline for the first book in a new series, as yet untitled, which will be Hollywood-centric with a focus on the creative side of filmmaking, although I won't be ignoring the day-to-day activities of a film set. I've also planned for the series to have two main characters, a man and a woman. They're not romantically involved, but they are great friends and colleagues. Both of them work in different jobs within the movie industry.

Kathy:  What's your favorite thing about being an author?

MM: The freedom to be a complete storyteller. I've always said I've spent my entire professional life in the storytelling business; I just started out on the visual side of the craft because costume design is really about storytelling. That's what makes it different from fashion design. Fashion is about satisfying the tastes of the marketplace. But the goal of costume design is to use clothing to help tell a story about a particular set of characters in a particular situation at a particular point in time. So what I love best about being an author is the chance to be in charge of the whole story. 

**********************************************************************

Final Cut by Marjorie McCown Banner

FINAL CUT

by Marjorie McCown

November 18 - December 13, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Final Cut by Marjorie McCown

The Hollywood Mystery Series

 

Every day on the set of a big budget Hollywood movie is full of surprises. But the last thing key costumer Joey Jessop expected to find on the first day of principal photography was the body of a fellow crew member. And she immediately becomes a suspect -- not only because she found the body on the beach in Malibu where they're shooting the movie, but because the victim, second assistant director Courtney Lisle, was seeing Joey's ex, first assistant director Eli Logan.

When the press takes hold of the story and social media begins to run with it, Joey watches her well-ordered life behind the scenes of the movie business become front and center tabloid fodder. But that isn't even the worst of it. In addition to her new and unwanted stardom, Joey must also contend with the reckless behavior of the movie's predatory director and producer, Marcus Pray, who churns out blockbuster hits while subjecting his movie crews to a toxic work environment. As a result, Joey finds herself embattled both personally and professionally.

With tensions building on set and a murder investigation looming over her life and future, Joey takes it upon herself to clear her name. Will she be able to uncover the truth before it's a wrap?

Praise for Final Cut:

"[A] keen sense of what it’s like to work on a Hollywood production."
~ Kirkus Reviews

"A fun and unique story . . . Readers will love FINAL CUT."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"Expertly showcases [McCown's] genuine flair for original and the kind of narrative driven and unexpected plot twists that make for a riveting story."
~ Midwest Book Review

"Engaging, with twists and turns."
~ Red Carpet Crash

"A must-read movie mystery packed with juicy details from a Hollywood insider, FINAL CUT gets my nomination for best debut."
~ Ellen Byron, Agatha and Lefty Award Winner, USA Today bestselling author

"FINAL CUT is both an insider look at what it’s like to work on Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster and a surprising, timely mystery about a murder on the set . . . The story is a pop culture lover’s dream. I’m already lining up for the sequel."
~ Kellye Garrett, Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award winning author of Like a Sister

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Original Publication Date: June 2023
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781639107285 (ISBN10: 1639107282)
Series: The Hollywood Mystery Series (Joey Jessop), Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Penguin Random House

Read an excerpt:

JUNE 21 8:10 pm

Joey felt frustrated that she was late getting back to the shoot. By this time, nearly an hour after wrap, most of the movie crew had packed up and gone home after what had been a long, discouraging day. As key costumer, Joey usually started the morning on set, then ended her day at one of the specialty shops that made clothing for the film, or one of a dozen other tasks that went with her job. But tonight was different.

She’d made the long drive back to the shooting location in Malibu because she wanted to talk to Courtney in person, and even though she wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, she wished she’d made it back before wrap. The second AD hadn’t answered her texts, and now Joey worried she’d missed the chance to do timely damage control, to smooth over the tension between them after their flare-up on set earlier that day. The hectic pace of the movie had everybody on edge, but their confrontation could threaten the costume department’s entire working relationship with the assistant directors. If she couldn’t talk to the second AD without starting a fight, it was game over.

Determined not to let that happen, Joey bypassed the wardrobe truck and headed straight to the AD trailer as soon as she got back to location. She’d seen firsthand the problems that came from bad blood between departments.

On one of her first films, the costume supervisor had gotten into a feud with the transportation captain. After that, the wardrobe trailers were permanently parked in base camp Siberia, as far from the actors’ trailers as possible. The time it took to travel those extra yards added up fast when you had to cover them many times each day. Then drivers suddenly became unavailable to do runs of any kind for the costume department, no matter the urgency. That might not sound like a big deal, but transpo can be a lifesaver when you’re up against an impossible deadline by making an important pickup or drop-off when everybody in your department is too slammed with work to do it, which can happen several times a week on a busy film.

Getting on the wrong side of the AD department was even worse. Assistant directors are like air traffic controllers on a movie. Without them, everybody crashes into everybody else, literally and figuratively. Alienate the ADs and you’re just asking for trouble.

The costume department already had enough problems on this movie between the lack of prep time, late casting, and a director with an ego as big as his box office grosses. Making an enemy of the second AD wasn’t an option. The thought sent a shiver through Joey, and she picked up her pace.

When she didn’t find Courtney in the AD trailer, she continued her circuit of the movie’s base camp, asking everyone she passed if they’d seen the second AD.

“She was by the cafe set last I saw her, but that was a while ago,” one of the grips said.

Joey headed for the Paradise Cove Cafe up by the beach. All the actors’ trailers,

nearest the set, were dark and locked up for the night. She tried the back door of the cafe, but that too was secured, so she peered through the windows. A single work light remained on, but there was no sign of anyone inside, the cafe apparently deserted now that the day’s filming was done. The sun was low in the sky, dipping toward the ocean.

The longest day of the year, and that’s exactly what it felt like to Joey.

She’d run out of places to look. Anxiety tugged at her. Her relationship with Courtney was complicated, like it is whenever your ex is dating somebody new. And she needed to be honest with herself about the way her personal feelings may have clouded their interactions.

With daylight dying over the water, she stepped onto the beach, hoping to feel a scrap of the serenity she always found in the natural rhythm of the breaking waves, like a favorite refrain, a golden oldie that just gets better with time.

At the water’s edge, she noticed a pile of clothing, buffeted by the incoming tide scudding across the sand. Her first thought was that one of the extras had abandoned their costume, but that didn’t make any sense. As the sun dropped out of the sky, she took a few steps closer to investigate, at the same time as a larger wave swept aside what she’d taken for coils of kelp swirling around that bundle of fabric.

Horror sliced through Joey like a scalpel; she stumbled and fell to her knees. Courtney Lisle lay motionless in the shallow water at the shoreline as the cold blue Pacific surf washed over her body.

FOURTEEN HOURS EARLIER

Chapter One

The first day of principal photography on a film is always a milestone in production, like opening night in the theater. After working mostly independently of each other for three months or more, all the different departments merge to become one big machine. No matter how many movies you’ve done, every new job is a blank slate. Each time, you ask yourself: Do I have what it takes to climb that mountain again, to create a new world out of whole cloth?

Put up or shut up time.

Joey slept poorly the night before, which was par for the course; but she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that dropped on her like a net as soon as she opened her eyes that morning. She’d had a bad feeling about this job from the start; she’d nearly passed on the movie for a number of reasons, both personal and professional. But the carrot of working so close to home was finally too tempting to resist.

The costume department had been prepping for months, but the schedule was rushed for a project so large and complex. Lots of special effects, stunts, and complicated costumes; lots of money and reputations on the line. Still, she felt her department was as ready as they could be, and her standards for readiness were high. So she tried to chalk up her misgivings to first day of shooting jitters. Later, she’d wonder if they’d been a premonition.

Just before sunrise, she pulled her car into the crew parking lot, about a mile south of base camp in Malibu. A shuttle van idled, waiting to ferry people to the set. It was empty save for the driver, whose head rested against his seat back. The teamsters were respon- sible for the setup of vehicles and equipment, so that all was ready for the shooting company when they got to work. They were the first in and last out every day, and most of them were expert at grabbing a few winks when they had the chance.

Joey gathered her purse and work satchel, then locked her car and pinned her keys to her waistband. She had keys to the costume offices and storage space for the movie as well as her personal keys, and this was the only sure way to keep them at hand throughout the day without losing them.

She trotted over to the van and pulled the side door open, startling the driver out of his catnap. A grizzled veteran in his late forties, he sat up with a frown until he saw who was climbing into his back seat.

“Joey Jessop! Girl, how you doin’?” A wolfish grin lit his face. “You are lookin’ fine as ever, Sweet Cheeks.”

Pete O’Neill was a relentless lech, and even though he was basically harmless, he could be tiresome, especially first thing in the morning.

“Pete, what a nice surprise,” she said, trying to hide her true feelings. “I didn’t see your name on the crew list.”

“We ran three weeks over on the last job down in Louisiana. Made it back in the nick of time to get on this one. Didn’t want to miss out on a big show in LA, for a change.”

“No kidding,” she said. “This is the first job I’ve booked in the past four years that’s shooting here. I’m thrilled to be sleeping in my own bed for the next six months.”

“You coming off location, too?”

“I’ve been back here prepping this one for a while, but before that I was out of town shooting a Western.”

“How’d that go?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You meet a lot of hunky cowboys?”

She managed to keep from rolling her eyes. “It was an education.”

“Never done a Western before, huh?” He gave her a knowing look. “Whole different animal.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Joey had been on dozens of location shoots, but the Western was a real eye-opener. From the wild temperature swings in the desert—25 degrees at night to over 100 in the afternoon—to the dust storm that took out their generators one day, or the flash flood that nearly trapped them in a box canyon on another, the experience had given her a fresh appreciation for the comfort of shooting on a studio back lot.

She stifled a yawn. “At least it was fast. Six-week shoot.” “Yeah?” His expression was skeptical. “Who was directing?”

“Clint Eastwood.” She smiled as she pictured the director on set, watching the shot in progress on a handheld monitor. Despite the difficult conditions, Joey enjoyed working with him.

Pete nodded appreciatively. “That man’s a class act, old school Hollywood.”

“Yes, he is,” she said. “A real filmmaker. We could use more like him in the business these days.”

“You got that right.” Pete checked his watch. “I don’t think I’ll be getting any more customers for a while. Crew call’s not for another hour. If you want, I’ll run you up to base camp now.”

“That’d be great.” She slid the door closed. “I can use some quiet time before everybody gets here.”

He dropped the van into gear. They turned north onto the Pacific Coast Highway as a pale watercolor wash of daylight began to spread across the ocean, sketching in the horizon line to the west. Joey took a deep breath, bracing herself for the nonstop activity the next sixteen hours would bring.

“Have you read the script for this one yet?” Pete glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“Didn’t have much choice,” she said lightly.

“That bad?”

“Not my cup of tea. I’m not a big fan of comic book movies.”

“’Bout all they make around here anymore,” he said, “if you want to earn a decent living.”

“Don’t I know it.”

The screenplay was 125 pages of special effects–driven gobbledygook, but Joey had no doubt it would play well with the movie’s crucial fourteen- to twenty-year-old target audience.

“I heard this one’s about some new superhero.” Pete caught her eye in the mirror again.

“It’s actually the Legion of Phenomenals, based on some underground comics that have a big cult following. Nothing new, but they haven’t been used in any movies so far.”

“Why not just call it that, instead of UMPP?” He was asking about the working title for the movie. “Sounds like a noise you’d make if you got punched in the stomach.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “It’s code for Untitled Marcus Pray Project. You know how paranoid the producers are. They’re trying to keep the fanboys in the dark.”

“Like that’s going to stop them. The director’ll probably be posting pictures on Instagram from the set, and the studio won’t say boo to him.” Pete leaned back to talk to her over his shoulder. “Marcus Pray’s no Eastwood, even if he is a big dog in the business right now. I’m taking care of his trailer, and I got a mile-long list of special stuff that’s gotta be on board for him and his friends.” Pete gave the word a suggestive emphasis.

Marcus Pray was a powerful Hollywood hyphenate, a producer-director with a string of action-adventure blockbusters to his credit. This movie was sure to be another lucrative notch on his belt. Joey hadn’t worked with him before, and some of the stories she’d heard made her think twice before she signed onto this job.

***

Excerpt from FINAL CUT by Marjorie McCown. Copyright 2023 by Marjorie McCown. Reproduced with permission from Marjorie McCown. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Marjorie McCown

Marjorie McCown spent 27 years in Hollywood working on the costumes for movies such as Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Her film career provides the inspiration for her Hollywood Mystery series of books that are set behind the scenes in the world of moviemaking and feature key costumer Joey Jessop as the main character. Her cozy murder mystery, FINAL CUT (Crooked Lane Books, June 2023) was chosen as an Amazon Editors' Pick in the best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense category. Deadly Pleasures Magazine named FINAL CUT as one of the best cozy mysteries of 2023, and FINAL CUT was also named a Top Pick in the cozy mystery category for the Silver Falchion Award by Killer Nashville. STAR STRUCK, Book #2 in her Hollywood Mystery series published May 7, 2024. Marjorie is a member of Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Find out more about Marjorie:
MarjorieMcCown.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @marjoriemccownauthor
Instagram - @marjoriemccownbooks
Twitter/X - @eastlamm
Facebook - @MarjorieMcCownBooks

 

 

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Sunday, December 8, 2024

Mistletoe, Mutts and Murder - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Samantha Davies to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Samantha on the pages of the Samantha Davies Mystery series by S. A. Kazlo. Mistletoe, Mutts and Murder is the sixth book in the series and was released last week.

Hi, Samantha Davies here. My Southern Belle cousin, Candie Parker-Hogan and I live in a small town, Wings Falls, in upstate New York. We're more like sisters than cousins, both of us not having any siblings. Candie was raised by our Memaw and Grandpop Parker in Hainted Hollar, Tennessee after her parents were killed in a car accident. I spent my childhood summers with her running through the fields of our grandparents’ farm or hanging out in the barn’s hayloft, she playing with her Barbie dolls and me scribbling stories in my diary. Needless to say, she’s the fashionista, who never found a rhinestone she didn’t like. I tell her that her middle name is “bling”. I’m the storyteller who prefers yoga pants and tee-shirts.

Despite our differences, we both share a love for hooking. No not that kind of hooking but rug hooking. Every Monday morning, we gather with our fellow rug hookers, the Loopy Ladies, at the Ewe and Me Woolery. We hook, eat, gab and eat some more. It’s a fun group of ladies who range in age from their twenties to our oldest member, Gladys O’Malley, who if I had to guess was in her eighties, although she’d never tell. These ladies are more than just fellow hookers but are dear friends. They helped me about five years ago when I was going through a divorce from my husband of twenty-five years, George or as Candie calls him “an egg-sucking hound dog”. George and I co-own a funeral parlor together, the Do Drop Inn Funeral Parlor, which I financed for him when we were first married through an inheritance I received from an uncle. Apparently, he was doing the horizontal mambo with the secretary of business when I thought he was on late night body pickups. Silly me.

But maybe dumping George was the best thing I ever did because now I have a wonderful boyfriend, Hank Johnson. Not that I was looking for someone to take George’s place. Oh, no. I was quite happy snuggling on my sofa with my reddish-brown dachshund, Porkchop. In fact, he was a lot smarter concerning George than I was. He’d growl whenever George came near me. I should have taken that as a hint. But to get back to Hank, we didn’t meet on one of today’s popular dating apps and being in my mid-fifties, I feel is way past the age of hooking up with guys in bars. Nope, we met over a dead body and not one in the Do Drop, either. Nope, I found the owner of Wings Falls local pet shelter murdered when I stopped by to donate a bag of dog food that Porkchop had turned his nose up at. Hank happened to be one of the responding officers when I called the Wing Falls Police station. He was new to the force having transferred up from Albany to enjoy a quieter town. Unfortunately, my childhood nemesis, Sergeant Joe Peters, also arrived at the scene of the crime. He tried everything he could to pin the murder on me just because when we were in kindergarten together, I reported him to the teacher for peeing in the sand box. Really, who’d want to play in the sandbox after that. Joe has now taken to calling me a “Murder magnet” as I have developed the bad habit of stumbling across dead bodies. And much to Hank’s chagrin, I get involved in trying to solve these murders.

Hank loves me anyway even though I know I’ve caused him more than a few sleepless nights. Porkchop and he are now best buddies and that scores high on my checklist for a significant other.

********************************************************************

 Mistletoe, Mutts, and Murder (Samantha Davies Mysteries) by S.A. Kazlo

About Mistletoe, Mutts, and Murder 

Mistletoe, Mutts, and Murder (Samantha Davies Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 6th in Series
Setting - Wings Falls, New York, a small town in upstate New York about 45 minutes north of Albany
Publisher: ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing (December 3, 2024)

Christmas is coming and children’s book author, Samantha Davies, and her lovable dachshund, Porkchop, are caught up in the holiday festivities in beautiful upstate New York. Sam’s parents, Chuck and Barbara, who have been enjoying their retired life in sunny Florida, have flown into Wings Falls to spend the holidays with Sam and meet her new boyfriend, Detective Hank Johnson. Sam is also busy hosting this year’s Christmas party for the Loopy Ladies, Sam’s rug hooking group.

The Loopy Ladies know how to party and are enjoying an evening eating, drinking, and making merry... until Santa crashes the party. Unfortunately, this Santa is Sam’s next-door neighbor who her parents have had a long-running feud with. When not playing the local mall’s not-so-jolly old St. Nick, Leo Sayers is a newspaper reporter, and he announces to the group that he's written a damning article accusing Sam’s dad and his close friend, Herb Feinstein, of some very shady dealings in their past. To preserve peace on earth—and among the Loopy Ladies—Chuck and Herb escort Leo from the party.

Only, not long after being sent on his way, Santa is found dead—lying in the snow, run over by a plastic reindeer, with a string of Christmas lights around his neck! Are Sam’s father and Herb now on the naughty list? If Sam can’t prove them innocent of murdering Santa, she's afraid their stockings will contain handcuffs and a one-way ticket to prison this year!

About S.A. Kazlo

Syrl, a retired teacher, lives in upstate New York with her husband and two lively dachshunds. She writes the Samantha Davies Mystery series, featuring Samantha Davies and her loveable dachshund, Porkchop. When not writing she is busy hooking, rug hooking that is, and enjoying her family. Her newest book, number six in the series is, Mistletoe, Mutts and Murder.

Author Links:  

Website - https://www.sakazlo.com/  

Blog - https://www.sakazlo.com/blog  

Twitter-@sakazlo  

Instagram- sakazlo  

Facebook- sakazlo 

 Linkedin- sakazlo  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo -

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Friday, December 6, 2024

The Tell-Tale Homicide - A Review

 Review


THE TELL-TALE HOMICIDE by Daphne Silver
The Second Rare Books Mystery

Juniper Blume is excited and a bit nervous starting her new job for the Calvertons. While she's been a librarian for a few years, even working at the Library of Congress, she's never started a museum from the ground up. She's never even managed staff! Her first day is off to an inauspicious start when she's confronted by protesters at the entrance to the Calverton Estate. Once inside things don't get much better when she learns she only has two staff, one of whom is decidedly unhappy with Juniper's appointment. Not only that, her boss, Leo Calverton, is the only member of the family or board of trustees that is in favor of the museum. After a nightmare of a board meeting she returns to the archives only to discover the body of Big Al Cooley, the town's used book shop owner and one of the protesters who accosted her that morning. The board may not want the museum, but they do want Juniper to find a killer. Will she be able to solve a murder and also sway public opinion in favor of the Calvertons? And herself?  

The second book in the Rare Books Mystery series really hits its stride. The fast paced story is one of redemption, rejection, and revenge. Ever nomadic Juniper is looking to put down roots, mend familial ties and take on a new dream job. But that dream job is turning into more of a nightmare. Insolent staff, stolen books, and being generally looked down upon and unwanted, Juniper may have bitten off more than she can chew. Not to mention that she has to stifle any romantic relationship with Leo, who is now her boss. Of course, everyone thinks they are in a relationship and that's the only reason she has the job. Never quite knowing who to trust, I liked how Juniper navigated the various people she encountered.

I'm a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan so I really loved the ties to his work showcased in the mystery. I'm also glad that Howard has more of a role in this second book. I hope his role continues to expand along with that of his old partner.

THE TELL-TALE HOMICIDE is an exciting mystery full of suspicious characters and literary fun.  

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Final Cut by Marjorie McCown. This book is the first in the Hollywood Mystery series. 

A professional Joey Jessop still find things trying on the set of the newest blockbuster in the making. The director is a demanding misogynistic bully, the second assistant director is a harpy who is fond of public displays of affection with the first assistant director, who happens to be Joey's ex, and there are a million and one things that are needed immediately. After a run in with the second AD, Joey knows she needs to make peace so that filming will run smoothly. Eventually she finds Courtney...dead. It's bad enough when the detectives suspect she had something to do with the murder, but the paparazzi have scented fresh meat and Joey becomes their latest target. Social media has put the behind the scenes costumer front and center and when even her co-workers start targeting her Joey knows she has to start digging up the truth to save herself.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Tangled Darkness - A Cover Reveal & Giveaway

TANGLED DARKNESS

by MM Desch

December 3, 2024 Cover Reveal

Synopsis:

Tangled Darkness by MM Desch

In a twisted web of lies, she's either the spider or the fly.

When a psychiatric clinic assistant turns up dead, Dr. Leslie Schoen finds herself a suspect in the case—and facing allegations which could destroy her career.

As Detective Davis works the investigation, Leslie launches her own inquiries. She soon uncovers deception and illegal schemes involving stolen prescription opioids at her clinic. It seems everyone around her is hiding something, and as she gets closer to the truth, the threats against her escalate. She struggles with keeping dangerous information from her pregnant wife, Izzy, and knows she needs to confront traumatic demons from her own past. But as she delves deeper into a web of lies, one thing becomes clear: someone will do anything to keep their criminal plans in the shadows.

With her family and even her life on the line, Leslie must outwit those who want her silenced before it’s too late. No one’s motives are what they seem, and the killer may be closer than anyone thinks.

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: Rowan Prose Publishing
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Number of Pages: 339
ISBN: 9798227130914
Book Links: Amazon | Kobo | Apple | BookBub | Goodreads | Books2Read

 

Author Bio:

MM Desch

Mary Desch, writing under the pen name MM Desch, brings a wealth of psychiatric expertise to her gripping psychological thrillers. Drawing from her extensive career as a general and addiction psychiatrist across multiple states, she crafts relatable characters facing intense psychological and physical dangers. Her deep understanding of human motivations, conflicts, and trauma recovery infuses her writing with authenticity and suspense.

A lifelong mystery enthusiast, Mary's passion for the genre evolved from childhood fascination with Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine to a deep appreciation for detective fiction in college. This enduring love for suspenseful storytelling naturally led her to write psychological thrillers.

When not delving into the intricacies of her next novel or novella, Mary enjoys hiking, long walks with her wife and their spirited mini schnauzer, exploring local food scenes, golfing, and following women's professional basketball.

Mary's debut thriller, Tangled Darkness, marks the beginning of a promising foray into psychological suspense fiction.

Catch Up With MM Desch:
MaryDesch.com
Amazon Author
Goodreads
BookBub - @MMDesch
Instagram - @m.m.desch
Threads - @m.m.desch
Twitter/X - @marymdesch
Facebook
LinkedIn

 

 

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Monday, December 2, 2024

Mystery in Marseille - A Review & Giveaway

 Review


 MURDER IN MARSEILLE by Nupur Tustin
The Third Sophie's Adventure 

Sophie is whisked off to Marseille, but not to watch over a Matisse with Madame Perrin, but a romantic rendezvous with her boyfriend. But her FBI beau gets sent to another city for a conference and she has to settle for a tour of the sites with her friend, Nicole. Plans change once again when the Matisse on loan from the museum is stolen! Now Sophie and are on the hunt to find the painting before it leaves Marseille!

One of the things I enjoyed most about MURDER IN MARSEILLE was learning some of the history of the city. I also enjoyed Sophie's investigation, with plenty of opportunity for some chuckles. A concise mystery, it still left plenty of room for a gaggle of suspects.

MURDER IN MARSEILLE is a quick trip through Marseille with disguises, plenty of art, and a satisfying mystery.

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Mystery in Marseille: A Bite-Sized Art Heist Mystery (Sophie's Adventures) by Nupur Tustin

About Mystery in Marseille

Mystery in Marseille: A Bite-Sized Art Heist Mystery (Sophie's Adventures)
Travel Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Marseille, France
Publisher: ‎ Foiled Plots Press (October 18, 2024)
Paperback: ‎ 168 pages

A holiday in France; an art thief on the run! Art sleuth Sophie must stay a step ahead of a brash criminal . . .

A rare Matisse in Marseille provides a convenient cover for undercover art sleuth Sophie Poisson’s covert romantic plans in the city.

But when the painting is unexpectedly stolen, Sophie finds herself chasing an art thief instead of romance.

With a wily thief one step ahead of her and her undercover partner, Uncle Arthur, out of town, can Sophie devise a strategy to recover the Matisse before it sails out of Marseille, never to be seen again?

About Nupur Tustin

A former journalist with a Ph.D. in Communication, Nupur Tustin orchestrates murder in the historical Joseph Haydn Mystery series and paints intrigue in her contemporary Celine Skye Psychic Mystery series, based on the true story of the unsolved Gardner Museum theft. Travel, disguises, and stolen art form the basis of undercover art sleuth Sophie’s adventures in the Sophie’s Adventure series.

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