Spotlight and Giveaway - Costume Catastrophe

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on Costume Catastrophe by Kathi Daley. This book is the 21st book in the Zoe Donovan Mystery series and was released this past Friday. I don't know about you, but with all this heat I'm looking forward to the fall. Thanks Kathi for bringing it early!

It's Halloween in Ashton Falls and that means Haunted Hamlet and the annual haunted house. Zoe is determined not to have her plans for this annual event ruined this year especially since it is also the weekend of the big game and a lot of old friends are in town. Things look as if they are on track for a spooktacular good time, until Zoe receives a message from an anonymous source predicting a death. At first Zoe and the gang think the note is a prank until one of the friends Zoe went to high school with actually turns up dead. Once Zoe realizes the note might not be a prank, she sets out on a race against time before someone else dies.

Recipes Included.

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Kathi is giving away a copy of  Costume Catastrophe to one lucky reader. US readers may choose between a Kindle or Paperback copy while NON US readers will receive a Kindle copy. Simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us your thoughts on Halloween haunted houses no later than 11:59 pm Monday, August 15, 2016. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I may contact you , should you be the winner. Good luck!

Review - Death Among the Doilies

Review

DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES by Mollie Cox Bryan

The First Cora Crafts Mystery

Cora Chevalier decided she needed a major change in her life and, leaving her job as a counselor at a women's shelter, moved to the small town of Indigo Gap. Now she's converted a Victorian property into a craft retreat center and she's preparing to welcome her first guests. What she's not prepared for is the police taking her best friend in for questioning for the murder of the school librarian!

DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES touches on some serious issues; Cora was a counselor at a women's shelter and seeing some of the atrocities those women had to face left her suffering from panic attacks, hence the desire to move and start a new life. Characters here have dark secrets and troubled pasts and newcomers aren't always welcomed. These are themes not often seen in cozies, but are a welcome addition that creates a more realistic story. The concept of a retreat also helps with realism in that new characters will be coming and going providing new and unique victims and suspects on a regular basis.

Bryan uses an interesting writing technique in DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES. Though the book is written in the third person, the point of view shifts back and forth between Cora and her best friend, Jane. By doing so readers are able to gain more insight into one of the suspects (Jane) and a more well rounded view of the events going on. Although it may sound disconcerting, and at first it gave me pause, Bryan uses the technique adroitly and it reads as a natural progression.

Mollie Cox Bryan creates a new environment in DEATH AMONG THE DOILIES. I can easily picture that gorgeous Victorian with all it's outbuildings being lovingly restored. I want to attend one of Cora's retreats to get away from my reality and learn new crafts. I suppose I"ll just have to console myself with the fact that I can enjoy the activities vicariously from the comfort of my own home as I read. While I won't get a real vacation, odds are much less likely that I'll get involved in a murder investigation! 

Crafting Tips Included.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox. This book is the first in the Pancake House Mystery series and will be released August 16th. (Note there is another cozy mystery with the same title written by Tamar Myers. That book is part of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series.)

Taking a leave of absence from her job as a legal assistant in Seattle, Marley traveled to the Olympic Peninsula to manage her hospitalized cousin's pancake house. Enjoying her time in the small town, despite a recent rash of burglaries, Marley gets a message that her cousin Jimmy is leaving the hospital early, against medical advice, and will take a taxi home. Since Jimmy dislikes taxis she finds his mode of transport as odd as the timing of his departure; almost as odd as the unpleasant woman claiming to be his girlfriend...who he never mentioned. Yet Marley's day gets even more shocking when not only does an old crush come into the restaurant, but moments later Leigh, the primary waitress rushes back in after leaving for the day...and after finding Jimmy's body on the rocks of Wildwood Beach.

Review & Giveaway - Midsummer Night's Mischief

Review

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S MISCHIEF by Jennifer David Hesse

The First Wiccan Wheel Mystery

Keli Milanni, a practicing Wiccan, is a young lawyer with a promising career. At least it was promising until the long lost Shakespearean folio her client discovered turns up missing after the elderly woman's funeral. Now the family is blaming Keli and Keli's firm wants her gone so as not to besmirch the company name. In order to save her job Keli is out to find the folio...and perhaps find the love she was casting for. 

I really appreciate the realistic portrayal of a modern day witch. While I truly enjoy reading paranormal novels filled with witches who wield super powers, it's refreshing to read about your average Wiccan. The fact that Keli is Wiccan is secondary to the story. While giving her an added dimension, it doesn't drive the plot. In fact, while Keli is a witch, I don't consider this book a paranormal mystery.

The mystery can be likened to a treasure hunt, with all the hunters possible thieves of the priceless plays penned by the Bard. There are countless suspects, each with good motive. Keli's investigation is at times comical, but she gets the job done.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S MISCHIEF is an enjoyable start to a promising series. Though somewhat immature, Keli Milanni is a likable protagonist searching for her way in this world. I have a feeling that each Sabbat will lead her a step closer to finding the meaning in her life.

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Spotlight - The Cat, the Collector and the Killer

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on The Cat, the Collector and the Killer by Leann Sweeney. This book is the 8th in the Cats in Trouble Mystery series and was released just this week.

The official blurb:

In the latest mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret, a cat collector is suspected of murder.
 
Jillian Hart and police chief Tom Stewart are enjoying peaceful, newly wedded bliss in Mercy, South Carolina, until a woman is found wandering the streets one night. She's in her night clothes, disoriented, and carrying a kitten in a tote bag. A search of the woman’s house reveals many more cats, a maze of cardboard boxes—and a dead man.

Although the evidence suggests the frail woman is the killer, Jillian doesn’t believe she’s capable of such a crime. The dead man had many enemies in town, which means finding the real murderer may prove to be its own cat and mouse game...

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan. This book is the first in her new Cora Crafts Mystery series and will be released August 30th.

Cora Chevalier decided she needed a major change in her life and, leaving her job as a counselor at a women's shelter, moved to the small town of Indigo Gap. Now she's converted a Victorian property into a craft retreat center and she's preparing to welcome her first guests. What she's not prepared for is the police taking her best friend in for questioning for the murder of the school librarian!

Crafting Tips Included.

Homicide in the House: An Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Colleen J. Shogan back to the blog today. Colleen writes the WAShington Whodunit Mystery series. Homicide in the House, the second book in the series, was released this past June.

Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for Homicide in the House?

CJS: The eeriness of the Madison Building at the Library of Congress during the 2013 federal government shutdown gave me the idea. Hallways were empty, offices were largely shuttered, and tensions on Capitol Hill ran high. It’s a perfect setting for a murder!


Kathy: Clarence the beagle mix is trying to win Capitol Canine. Is Clarence based on a real dog, or is he pure fiction? Is there really a contest for Capitol Canine?

CJS: Clarence is the only character in my books that is based on an actual living being. The inspiration for Clarence is our dog Conan, a feisty beagle mutt we adopted from a local rescue. There is an annual contest on Capitol Hill every year for the “top dog.” Conan entered a few years ago and was voted “most likely to succeed.”


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Kit Marshall?

CJS: I’m working to finish the third book in the series, which is tentatively titled Calamity at the Cosmos Club. In this installment, Kit takes a break from politics but not murder. Meg, Doug, Clarence, and Trevor are on board again to help figure out whodunit.


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

CJS: I fall more into the “plotter” camp. I work a busy, full-time job at the Library of Congress. Most days, I can only devote an hour to my writing. When I sit down to write, I need to know where the story is headed. It helps me work more efficiently and reduces the amount of time I need to spend editing or changing the story after the first draft. I’m amazed at writers who don’t use outlines. I wouldn’t be able to keep the details of my story straight if I didn’t have most of the details worked out before I start writing.




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