A Means to an End - A Review

Review

A MEANS TO AN END by Lissa Marie Redmond

The Third Cold Case Investigations Mystery

Cold Case Homicide Detective Lauren Riley has been through a lot. Recovering from a stab wound, her obsession with David Spencer, the man she unwittingly helped beat a murder charge, is going into overdrive. When another missing woman's body is found, Lauren is positive David is the killer. Several agencies come together to work the crime, but as positive Lauren is that David is to blame, several other officers think she's not only deranged, but guilty. With a new woman gone missing Detective Riley will pull out all the stops to finally stop Spencer, no matter the cost.

The third Cold Case Investigations Mystery continues to show the gritty world of police detection in Buffalo, New York. The dark wintry atmosphere of a never thawing Spring in Buffalo emphasizes the desperate nature of the characters here. Detective Riley has changed, not only mentally, but physically. No longer the attractive woman, her cases have been draining the life out of her, literally as well as figuratively. Forced to fight for her own good name as well as to prevent more deaths Lauren Riley will go to any end, by whatever means necessary. While her shining armour and bright idealism had long been tarnished by the reality of decades of real police work, she's now entered the no man's land.

In A MEANS TO AN END all of the loose pieces from the first two books in the Cold Case Investigations series are tied up as Detective Riley finally finds vindication. The final scene between Lauren and David is a culmination of their fascination, attraction, and mutual obsession. Their lives entwined in such a way so as to ultimately lead to their destruction.

A MEANS TO AN END is a heart pounding journey into the dark side of human nature. Stark realism is captured as one women is forced to decide to what lengths she'll go to to find justice.

A Means to an End - An Interview

I'm so happy to welcome Lissa Marie Redmond back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Lissa writes the Cold Case Investigation Mystery series. A MEANS TO AN END is the third book in the series and will be released this Sunday!

Kathy: In A MEANS TO AN END Detective Riley has to pursue a man who got away with murder. How does knowing he escaped justice before affect her pursuit of him?

LMR: Lauren definitely feels responsible for the fact that he is out on the street. Her guilt is very a much a driving factor in the book. And she feels a sense of urgency to put him behind bars before he can hurt more people.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

LMR: There wasn’t a specific thing that inspired this story. At the start of every book I ask myself, what are the worst things that can happen to my characters and how would they respond to those things? It’s interesting, as a writer, to see how the different characters handle the situations. Just like real people, they have their own motivations for doing the things they do.


Kathy: Setting plays such an important role in a mystery. How has Buffalo influenced your series?

LMR: The city of Buffalo plays such an important role in my series. From the weather, to the architecture, to the politics, I try to bring as much of the city as I can into the stories. The city itself is changing and reinventing itself so fast even I have trouble keeping up with it. After I retired from the police department four years ago Police Headquarters moved and I had to set up a guided tour of the new police headquarters because I’d never been inside of it!


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Detective Lauren Riley?

LMR: All I can say is A MEANS TO AN END is not the last time you’ll see Lauren Riley.


Kathy: How has your journey as an author changed since your first Cold Case Investigation was published?

LMR: I think I’d like to branch out at some point into other genres besides mystery. I’ve always had a soft spot for science fiction, and I’d love to try to write something along those lines.


Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

LMR: I love going to libraries and book clubs. I’ve met so many fantastic people and made a lot of new friends. Also, I’m always on the hunt for character names, so if I meet you and like your first or last name it could end up in my next manuscript!

There’s really not anything I dislike about marketing, because most of it has to do with connecting with people, which is what being a writer is all about anyway.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

LMR: Crooked Lane Books is publishing a stand-alone novel of mine called THE SECRETS THEY LEFT BEHIND in April of 2020. This book features a brand-new cast of characters and a different setting than my Cold Case Investigation series. I’m very lucky and excited to be working with Crooked Lane on this project.


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You can keep up with Lissa using these links:

Website: https://lissamarieredmond.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LissaMarieRedmond/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lissa-marie-redmond
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2282595.Lissa_Marie_Redmond 
Twitter: @Lissa_Marie_Redmond
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-They-Left-Behind-Mystery/dp/164385299X
https://www.amazon.com/Means-End-Cold-Case-Investigation/dp/0738754285 

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Be sure to come back to the blog tomorrow, Saturday, September 8, 2019, to read my review of A MEANS TO AN END. In the meantime check out this cover of Lissa's next book!

Who Shot the Serif? - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a new series. Who Shot the Serif? by Jessa Archer is the first in the Hand Lettering Mystery series and was released earlier this summer. 

 

Who Shot the Serif? (Hand Lettering Mystery) by Jessa Archer

About Who Shot the Serif?

Who Shot the Serif? (Hand Lettering Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series  

Independently Published (July 7, 2019) 

Paperback: 218 pages 

When Jamie Lang finds one of her hand lettered quotes on the window of her shop, Flourish, with a hole shot through a serif, she knows someone's trying to drive her business into red ink. Jamie confronts Earleen Culp, the ruthless owner of the local stationery shop, in front of the most popular breakfast spot in the small town of Cedar Valley. Of course, Earleen professes shock and innocence, so when she’s found dead in front of Jamie's home the next morning, Jamie becomes the prime suspect.

Jamie's one cross-stroke short of acquittal, and even her best friend has her doubts. But Jamie's not the only one in town with a motive for wanting Earleen silenced for good. To clear her name, Jamie's going to need every last drop of ink in her quill.

With the hot police chief Ridge, and her makeup artist friend Nora on her side, she’s prepared to go out with a flourish if that's what it takes to catch the real murderer. She’s desperate to save her hand lettering business, but will her quest lead her right into a killer’s snare?

About Jessa Archer

Jessa Archer writes sweet, funny, warm-hearted cozy mysteries because she loves a good puzzle and can't stand the sight of blood. Her characters are witty, adventurous, and crafty in the nicest way. You'll find her sleuths hand lettering inspirational quotes, trying to lower golf handicaps, enjoying a scone at a favorite teashop, knitting a sweater, or showing off a dramatic side in local theater.

Jessa's done many things in her long career, including a stint as a journalist and practicing law. But her favorite job is spinning mysteries. She loves playing small town sleuth and transporting readers to a world where the scones are delicious, wine pairs with hand lettering, and justice always prevails.

Author Links:  
Amazon: http://bit.ly/JessaArcher  
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessa-archer  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19123141.Jessa_Archer  
Facebook: http://bit.ly/JessaArcherFacebook
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/JessaArcherPinterest  
Twitter: http://bit.ly/JessaArcher-Twitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/JessaArcherInstagram  
Jessa Archer Web Page: https://www.jessaarcher.com/home.html  

Purchase Links Amazon.com: Amazon Universal Link (to all Amazon sites)

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Abigail's Window by Susan Lynn Solomon.

Dragged to a quaint inn on Niagara-on-the-Lake by her friends, Kaitlyn Novacs discovers she can't escape a haunting. Instead enjoying a fun girlfriends weekend, she meets and is captivated by the spirit of Abigail Bender. But as Abigail shows Katy her life and the romance she had with her true love, Katy slips further and further into an abyss as she tries to hide from her own feelings. Will Katy comes to grips with her own past and open herself up to love? Or will death claim her?

Christmas Trifle - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Heather Haven to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Heather writes the Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Novel. Christmas Trifle is the first book in the series and was released this past Sunday!

Kathy: The divorce of chefs Charly and Cliff Harding fuel the plot of Christmas Trifle. The exes soon run competing restaurants in Snow Lake Nevada. Have you ever worked in a restaurant or wanted to be a chef?

HH: When I was a struggling actress/writer in NYC back in the Punic Wars, I worked in several restaurants as a waitress before I started getting jobs in my fields. In fact, there is a joke that goes: "If every actor in New York got an acting job, all the restaurants would have to close." Pretty near the truth.


Kathy: In the divorce Charley gets the cat, Felix, while Cliff gets custody of Oliver the dog. I can't imagine losing custody of one of my animals. Has that ever happened to you?

HH: I have never been divorced. I've been married to the same man for 37 years. But once again, when I was in NYC in my youth (Punic Wars, remember?), my roommate and I were moving to separate apartments. We had two cats, David and Chet, and we split them up. I got Chet, a tuxedo cat, she got David, a gray and white cat. Other than that, the situation has never come up. Both cats lived happy, long lives, I'd like to mention.


Kathy: What first drew you to romantic suspense?

HH: I think romance and suspense are a natural. Let's face it, love makes the world go round. And everyone loves a mystery!


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

HH: My short stories can be anything that strikes my fancy, but when it comes to novels, I tend to write cozy mysteries, PI mysteries, and now romantic suspense.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

HH: The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries are novels that revolve around a family-owned detective agency in today's Silicon Valley. It's humorous, bright, and sparkly, highlighting familial relationships. But the mystery always leads the way. Into the fifth book (out of seven), my protagonist, Lee Alvarez, ultimately winds up with the man of her dreams, Gurn Hanson. In fact, this duo became so popular, I developed a spin-off series called Love Can Be Murder. These mystery novellas feature the two of them as sort of a Silicon Valley Nick and Nora Charles. Then there's the Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries taking place during the WWII era. These books feature a tall, full-figured but self-assured gal, Persephone 'Percy' Cole. Percy becomes one of the first female private eyes in the country, blazing a trail for others to follow. Set in Manhattan, Percy Cole has an on-again, off-again romance with Detective Hutchers. But the Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Novels are a departure for me. First off, in each of the previous series, each woman is a private investigator (albeit in Lee Alvarez' case, a reluctant one) and they are the main protagonist. In Snow Lake, the stories feature two amateur sleuth chefs married to each other.


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

HH: That's like asking a mother if she has a favorite child. Even if I did, I wouldn't admit it!


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

HH: Christmas Trifle came to me when I saw how so many people lose who they are in a marriage, only to be unhappy and ultimately, seek a way out. I wanted to address that. In my opinion - and it's only my opinion - a marriage survives best when both partners respect one another and try to be honest. Compromise is the ticket, not selling out.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

HH: This is my 14th novel. Of course, I'd publish it.


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

HH: Dashiell Hammett, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, and William Shakespeare.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

HH: My friend, Cindy Sample, has just written her 8th book in the Laurel McKay Series. I love her work. I have the honor of reading an advance copy of Dying for a Double. Also reading Margaret Dumas, Murder at the Palace. Love her, too.


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

HH: My hobby is sharing life with my husband, Norman. He is a musician, very talented, and a great guy. For instance, tomorrow we go to Jazz in the Plaz in Los Gatos to see their latest offering in summer jazz.


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

HH: Fat-free whipped cream, pine nuts, Hallo Ice Cream, (freezer), and fruit.


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

HH: Absolutely! I am in the midst of writing the seventh book of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Casting Call for a Corpse. Then I will start Alimony Can Be Murder, book three of the Love Can Be Murder series. Spring Thaw, Book two of the Snow Lake Romantic Mysteries is close behind. If only there were three of me! I love all the characters I write about in each of the series. Frankly, I see myself writing into the sunset. I love it!


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

HH: Stuff like this. I get to meet interesting people like you and your readers. And I get to write!

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Christmas Trifle (A Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Mystery) by Heather Haven

About the Book

Christmas Trifle (A Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Mystery)  

Romantic Cozy Mystery 1st in Series  

Wives of Bath Press (September 1, 2019)

Number of Pages - 322

When chefs Charly and Cliff Harding divorce, she gets custody of their upscale restaurant and its namesake, Felix, the cat. He gets custody of their dog, Oscar. What they both still have custody of is each other’s heart. But they seem to be the only two people in the small ski resort town of Snow Lake, Nevada, that don’t know it. When Cliff opens his own restaurant in direct competition with Charly, bad things start to happen. Death threats, accidents, and murder are now on the menu. Their ‘if-you-can’t-take-the-heat-then-get-out-of-the-kitchen’ battles are backfiring, and regrets consume the two of them. But can they find their way back to each other? Or is it too late? Because they just might spend the rest of their lives in prison unjustly accused of killing someone. Or can love triumph over even murder?

About Heather Haven

Heather Haven, in the midst of writing her fourteenth novel, has also written short stories, comedy acts, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and plays. She has won numerous awards for her Silicon Valley-based Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries; Manhattan-based WWII Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries; Ringling Brothers’ Circus mystery noir, Death of a Clown; and Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories. She has two romantic suspense series: Love Can be Murder Mystery Novellas with Lee Alvarez and Gurn Hanson, the Nick and Nora Charles of Silicon Valley, and the new Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Novels, of which Christmas Trifle is Book One.

She and her husband of thirty-four years are allowed to live with their two cats, Ellie and Yulie, in the foothills of San Jose, California.  

Author Links:
Website - http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/  
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHavenStories  
Twitter - @HeatherHaven  

Purchase Link - Amazon

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Mulberry Mischief - A Review & Giveaway

Review

MULBERRY MISCHIEF by Sharon Farrow

The Fourth Berry Basket Mystery

Oriole Point is gearing up for Halloween and not just the usual parades and trick or treating. Piper has created a Haunted Halloween Harvest Health Fair and invited big name celebrities to speak and give workshops. Even the multi-generational Sable clan, with dozens of books and products promoting their diet and skin care regimes, has come to the village. But one member of the community is more worried than excited about the upcoming events. Leticia the Lake Lady, an eccentric hermit, has ventured into town asking the Berry Basket's Marlee Jacob for mulberries stating that she needs the berry for protection. When a stranger winds up dead on Leticia's property and the Lake Lady goes missing Marlee feels the need to help. Is Leticia a murderer or a victim? As Marlee becomes a target she'll rely on family and friends... and lots of mulberries. Will it be enough, or will this Halloween be her last?

The fourth Berry Basket Mystery tackles issues of mental health, corruption, and the belief that money and prestige give you the ability to do whatever you want. A family dynasty and a tragedy from the past continue to trouble the world decades later and it's up to Marlee to finally find justice. I really like Leticia's cunning clues and Marlee's ability to understand her references, which to some may appear merely delusions. I despise the shadow people and all those like them. I also like that the people of Oriole Point, at least Marlee's friends, rally around when they discover what's going on. 

What makes MULBERRY MISCHIEF particularly frightening is that families such as the Sables do exist. It's almost as if they believe they have the divine right of kings! They take what they want and do what they will, with only the family name being important. My heart was rapidly beating when Marlee was confronted at Leticia's forcing me to turn the pages ever quicker as I rushed to read what would happen.

MULBERRY MISCHIEF is a heart pounding adventure with plenty of tricks and the ultimate treat of watching the Oriole Point gang band together once more.

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Mulberry Mischief (A Berry Basket Mystery) by Sharon Farrow

About the Book

Mulberry Mischief (A Berry Basket Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 4th in Series  

Kensington (August 27, 2019)  

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages 

Autumn has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Marlee Jacob, proprietor of The Berry Basket, is feeling a chill for other reasons …

With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there's also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it's almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point's oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill her—and the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn't take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.

The next day, Marlee finds Bonaventure dead on Leticia's property—shot through the heart with an arrow made of mulberry wood. And Leticia has disappeared. Marlee soon learns the Lake Lady has a deadly past that is connected to the famous Sable family who are in town for the health fair. A bunch of clues start to come together—and figuring out what's going on puts Marlee in a real jam …

Includes Berry Recipes!

About Sharon Farrow

Sharon Farrow is the latest pen name of award-winning author Sharon Pisacreta. A freelance writer since her twenties, she has been published in mystery, fantasy, and romance. Sharon currently writes The Berry Basket cozy mystery series for Kensington. The series debuted in 2016 and is set along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline where she now lives. She is also one half of the writing team D.E. Ireland, who co-author the Agatha nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries.

Author Links: 
WEB PAGE http://sharonfarrowauthor.com/  
FACEBOOK @SharonFarrowAuthor  
TWITTER @SharonFarrowBB  
BOOKBUB @SharonFarrow  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

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Too Much Christmas? Is that even possible? - A Silent Night, Deadly Night Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm happy to allow Vicki Delany to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. Vicki writes the Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. Silent Night, Deadly Night is the fourth book in the series and was released last Tuesday.

Too Much Christmas? Is that even possible?

By Vicki Delany

July 2019

I love Christmas. Almost everyone loves Christmas.

Although most of us would agree that Christmas can come too soon. We complain (I certainly do) about decorations in the stores and seasonal ads on TV before summer’s even over, never mind Halloween arrived.

But still, a lot of us do our shopping ahead of time. I know people who buy decorations for next year the week after this year’s Christmas, and who start shopping around the time they put away the New Years’ Decorations. Certainly, it’s a wise woman (or man) who starts her baking in plenty of time. A traditional Christmas cake or old-fashioned English pudding, full of rum or brandy, or sometimes both, needs to be started months ahead to be perfect for the big day.

And it’s precisely to help out those early birds that the town of Rudolph, New York celebrates Christmas all year round.

Don’t rush to your atlases or Google maps looking for Rudolph because I made it up. It’s the town at the center of my series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries from Berkley.

Rudolph wants to be known as America’s Christmas Town and everything in Rudolph is about celebrating the holidays. All year round. They have a Santa Claus parade twice a year. The usual one the first Saturday in December, and then another for Christmas in July.

In Rudolph everyone gets into the spirit of the thing. Victoria’s Bake Shoppe is famous for its gingerbread. There’s Candy Cane Sweets, the North Pole Ice Cream Parlour, The Elves Lunchbox, Cranberries Coffee Bar, Touch of Holly Restaurant, The Yuletide Inn, the Carolers Motel. (Looking at this list it seems as though the residents and visitors to Rudolph like to eat a lot.)

The series protagonist is Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. Merry’s dad, Noel, is Santa Claus. Yes, Merry knows that he isn’t really Santa, but she does sometimes wonder. He has a way of knowing exactly what someone wants before even they do.

Merry loves Christmas, but it is a heck of a lot of work. She would never tell the residents of Rudolph, but she actually prefers Thanksgiving g to Christmas. As she explains:

I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Don’t tell anyone in Rudolph, but I love Thanksgiving even more than Christmas. My mom and dad always make turkey with all the fixings – walnut and sage stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, a squash casserole, two types of pie. It’s my chance to take one last long deep breath before plunging head first into the madness of the holiday season.

I love Christmas too - my dad is Santa Claus after all - but now that I own the store, when Christmas Day itself arrives I’m totally exhausted. That’s a day to sit back, feet up, mug of hot chocolate in hand, open a few gifts at my parents’ house, and then have a hearty brunch and go to bed early before opening the shop the next morning for the after-Christmas sales.

                                                                                                                 

Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany

Whether Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or even Christmas in July is your favourite holiday, there’s someplace for you in Rudolph, America’s Year Round Christmas destination.

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Silent Night, Deadly Night (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery) by Vicki Delany

 

About the Book

Silent Night, Deadly Night (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery 4th in Series  

Berkley (August 27, 2019)  

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 

Residents of Rudolph keep the spirit of Christmas alive year-round—but their joy is threatened when a group of grinches visits the town, in the charming fourth installment of the Year-Round Christmas series.

It's the week before Thanksgiving, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus's Treasures, is preparing for a weekend reunion of her mother's college friends. But when the group of women comes into Merry's shop, Merry is met with frosty attitudes and cold hearts.

The women argue amongst themselves constantly, and the bickering only intensifies after one of the friends is poisoned. With her father's role as Santa in danger due to his proximity to the crime, Merry will need to use all of her investigative gifts to wrap this mystery up and save Santa and her favorite holiday.

About the Author

 

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea By The Sea mysteries, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries and, as Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library series.

Author Links:
Website - www.vickidelany.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor;  
Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor 
Instagram: vickidelany  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

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