Tag Archives: Cosy Mystery

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#Blogtour Murder in the Highlands by Debbie Young

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Murder in the Highlands by Debbie Young. 

About the Author

Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing. 

She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022. Follow @DebbieYoungBN on Twitter

About the book

Sophie and Hector are heading to the Highlands. – For Sophie it’s a trip home and for Hector it’s time to meet Sophie’s parents… Though their trip has village tongues wagging about a stop at Scotland’s notorious elopement spot, Gretna Green.

No matter what, it’ll make a nice break from the murder and mayhem that has been plaguing their beautiful Cotswolds village. But Sophie and Hector are barely on the road before they’re being hassled by reckless drivers and at their first rest stop a body is discovered.

Then comes a series of ‘accidents’ that leave poor Hector a little worse for wear. Is someone after Hector? Who could even know he was in the Highlands? Accidents or not, can they find some way to keep Hector safe?

Review

Sophie and Hector are off on a holiday to the Highlands. The intention is for Hector to get to know Sophie’s parents, although the people around them are convinced the two of them are planning to take their relationship to a new level.

Quite inadvertently the two of them become involved in a crime when a body is found on their travels. A coincidence? Is the death connected the strange series of events connected to Hector, who appears to have become an easy target for road raging bullies and what odd incidents that are making their ‘meet the parents’ trip a little uncomfortable.

It’s a cosy read, a light-hearted mystery with a strong set of relatable characters. The setting of the town/village Sophie and Hector live in is both a driver, and the hive of interpersonal relationships that give the series both a personal touch and its charming moments.

It will be fun to see Sophie and Hector continue with their very particular style of sleuthing, the accidentally falling straight into a mystery kind of read. And of course reading about how their helpful villagers, friends and family further influence their relationship.

Buy Murder in the Highlands at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Boldwood Books.

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#BlogTour The Last Lemming by Chris Chalmers

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour The Last Lemming by Chris Chalmers.About the Author

Chris Chalmers was born in Lancashire and lives in south-west London. He’s been the understudy on Mastermind, visited 40 countries and swum with marine iguanas. His first novel, ‘Five To One’, was winner of a debut novel competition and nominated for the Polari First Book Prize; his latest, ‘The Last Lemming’, is out now in paperback and ebook. He has written a diary for 42 years and never missed a night.

Click on a reading from ‘The Last Lemming’, or a Five-To-ONE-MINUTE-MOVIE for a 60-second intro to the main characters and themes of ‘Five To One’. Or search ‘chris chalmers novelist’ on YouTube, for clips of Chris reading from his other books, poems about Christmas Eve and butcher’s shops, and fox cubs dancing to ABBA. (Yep, it’s as high-brow as that.)

Follow @CCsw19 on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit chrischalmers.net, Buy The Last Lemming

About the book

TV naturalist ‘Prof Leo’ Sanders makes it to his deathbed without a whiff of scandal — then confesses his career-defining wildlife discovery was a hoax.

A National Treasure shattering his own reputation on YouTube is enough to spark a media frenzy, and the curiosity of part-time journalism student Claire Webster who makes him the subject of her dissertation.

Her investigations lead to Prof Leo’s estranged family, and a high-flying advertising guru he also slandered in the video. Ultimately Claire uncovers the truth behind the discovery of the Potley Hill Lemming — the first new species of British mammal in a century.

It’s a mystery spanning four decades; a tale of greed, obsession and long-forgotten murder at a lonely beauty spot.’

Review

It’s a cosy mystery which definitely has a comedy vibe, perhaps not intentionally but the whole lemming storyline was highly entertaining.

Claire is hot on the trail of an intriguing story. A national phenomena caused by the discovery of an elusive species, which is stopped in its tracks when the animals disappear soon after. The person who discovered them, Leo, is thrown for a loop and caught between trying to maintain credibility and wanting the acknowledgment.

The media frenzy is a double-edged sword. It brings recognition, attention and notoriety, but it also threatens to take all of those things and more away at the same time. It changes Leo and determines his actions, choices and the rest of his life.

Why would a man so invested in the truth turn around and call himself a fraud, how desperate is he or is this about discrediting someone else entirely?

Chalmers keeps readers questioning what it is they have got themselves into. Is it a coming-of-age story, one about discovering what you want in life, a window into the world of competitive wildlife conservation or is it really all about an unidentified body? I guess that is the charm of this read – you never really know what is heading your way.

Now I’ve written my review I am just popping my wellies on, grabbing my night goggles and wildlife camera – it’s time to hunt the elusive Lemmings!

Buy The Last Lemming by Chris Chalmers at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: J.Mendel Books; pub date 10 July 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

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#BlogTour Murder on the Downs by Julie Wassmer

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Murder on the Downs by Julie Wassmer.

About the Author

Julie Wassmer was born in the East End of London, studied at Kingston University and had a variety of different jobs before she finally settled down to become a professional television drama writer.

She worked on several TV series, including ITV’s London’s Burning, C5’s Family Affairs and the popular BBC soap, EastEnders, which she wrote for almost 20 years.

In 2010, her autobiography More Than Just Coincidence was published by Harper Collins/True. The book entered the Sunday Times Best Selling Non Fiction Top Twenty and went on to become Mumsnet Book of the Year.

In 2015, Julie’s debut crime novel, The Whitstable Pearl Mystery, was published by award-winning publisher, Little, Brown Book Group. Six other books have since followed in the series with more on the way, and the television rights to the series have been optioned by the TV production company, Buccaneer, the makers of Marcella, starring Anna Friel.

Julie moved to Whitstable twenty years ago where she shares a home with her husband, Kas, and three cats, Charlie, Lily and Maisie. She also spends a great deal of time campaigning on environmental issues.

Murder on the Downs is the seventh book in the Whitstable Pearl Mystery series.

Follow @juliewassmer on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit juliewassmer.com, Buy Murder on the Downs

About the book

A controversial new property development is planned in Whitstable which will encroach upon the green open space of the downs, to the dismay of Whitstable residents who view this as the thin end of the wedge with regard to local wildlife conservation.

A campaign springs into life, spearheaded by a friend of Pearl’s family, Martha Laker. A committed environmentalist, Martha is no stranger to controversy herself. She has also managed to divide opinion across town, with the locals viewing her as their fearless champion while establishment figures seeing only an interfering agitator.

Tensions escalate between the developers and Whitstable residents, straining Pearl’s close relationship with London-born police officer, DCI Mike McGuire, who harbours concerns that the local campaign will spiral out of control. Pearl’s loyalties are torn, but the protest duly goes ahead – and newspaper headlines claim a moral victory for the residents in this David and Goliath battle.

But the victory is short lived when Pearl discovers a dead body on the downs…

Review

Pearl is thrown into the middle of a fight between a property developer and the locals in Whitstable. She doesn’t really want to take sides, especially because she is trying to focus on her budding relationship between herself and DCI Mike McGuire. Her hand is forced, although perhaps more due to nostalgia as opposed to admitting the practicality of more people needing affordable housing. That twinge of nostalgia places her firmly on one side. It’s all fun and games, and a bit of rebellion, until somebody turns up dead.

Wassmer captures the essence of rural and coastal smalltown mentality and definitely hits the nail on the head when it comes to the gentrification of areas perceived as perfect by those with second homes. If you happen to live in one of those areas it’s easier to understand the more negative implications for the locals. DfL’s (down-from-London) don’t help the local economy because their holiday homes are empty for the majority of the year. They tend to be key figures and string-pullers when it comes to environmental and conservation protests. It makes them look good. Yes, I am a wee bit cynical.

Wassmer knows exactly how things roll between locals and second home holiday dwellers. The plot is built around the same kind of tension, disgruntled opinions and energy the two sides tend to evoke. Combined with a cosy mystery crime vibe and a blossoming romance this is the kind of read you need when you want distraction and a bit of smalltown quirkiness.

Buy Murder on the Downs ( Whitstable Pearl Mysteries) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable; pub date 7 May 2020 – £8.99 Paperback/eBook. Buy at Amazon com.

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#BlogTour Hattie goes to Hollywood by Caroline James

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Hattie goes to Hollywood by Caroline James.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a cuddly Drake toy! (Open INT)

Be in with a chance to win Drake, Hattie’s faithful pet duck! Tall Drake & Handsome – A gorgeous soft toy who will be your friend for life.About the Author

Best-selling author of women’s fiction, Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, which includes talks and lectures on cruise ships world-wide, Caroline is also a consultant and food writer.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association, the Society of Women’s Writer’s & Journalists and the Society of Authors and writes articles and short stories, contributing to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

About the book

A Cumbrian Village…Three suicides…A red-hot summer…

Join super-sleuth Hattie as tempers and temperatures rise in the Cumbrian village of Hollywood. With mischief and shenanigans aplenty, will Hattie discover the truth?

A funny and intriguing mystery – the first in a new series by Caroline James

When recently bereaved Hattie Mulberry inherits her aunt’s dilapidated cottage in the village of Hollywood in Cumbria, she envisages a quiet life. But retired hotelier Hattie is bored and when her neighbour asks her to investigate a suspicious suicide, Hattie’s career takes a new direction and H&H Investigations is born. During the hottest summer for years, Hattie discovers there have been three recent suicides in Hollywood and she determines to find out why. Temperatures rise as she throws herself into village life and, with mischief and shenanigans aplenty, Hattie has her work cut out. But will she establish the truth?

Review

When Hattie inherits a rundown cottage in the village of Hollywood she pictures a life filled with restoring the place she intends to live in. A quiet life, with no trouble and certainly not with any pesky ducks. Little does she know she is about to embark on a whole new career.

Whilst playing at amateur sleuthing Hattie finds one coincidence too many and starts, with a little prompt from her neighbour, to investigate a series of suicides. Is it a case of copycat suicides or is there something more nefarious going on in the background.

Simultaneously Hattie is living her best life when it comes to a wee bit of hanky-panky and pinch of romance, and of course let’s not forget the feathered friend she makes when she throws him a piece of stale bread. Err, just be clear, she isn’t having a romance with the duck.

It reminded me of Agatha Raisin, but with less of an uppity attitude, more rumpy pumpy and really solid duck humour. Let’s just acknowledge the duck as a major character, because he has some great scenes and entrances. In fact he gives Hattie a run for her money when it comes to being the main character.

It’s a cosy crime with a romcom feel to it. James combines elements of multiple genres to create a funny and easygoing read. The kind of read that makes people wonder why the reader is smirking or gives an occasional snort of laughter. James does what she set out to do by pulling the reader in and entertaining them with a good read.

Buy Hattie Goes to Hollywood at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: The Publish Hub Ltd, pub date 14 Feb. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.


Enter the Giveaway to Win a cuddly Drake toy! (Open INT)

Be in with a chance to win Drake, Hattie’s faithful pet duck! Tall Drake & Handsome – A gorgeous soft toy who will be your friend for life.

 

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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#PublicationDayPush The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise by Laura Briggs

It’s the Publication  Day Push for The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise by Laura Briggs. It’s the fourth book in A Little Hotel in Cornwall series.

Enter the Giveaway below  – 3 Winners to win a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

About the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Follow @PaperDollWrites on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit paperdollwrites.blogspot.com, Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise

About the book

As spring slips away from the hotel Penmarrow, excitement builds for an exclusive auction hosted at the hotel, featuring priceless possessions from a Hollywood actress turned lady of the manor, including her famous diamonds. Celebrities and collectors form a crowd that is keeping Maisie and the rest of staff busy, even as Maisie faces a crossroads for her manuscript.

But when the diamonds are stolen and Sidney is accused by the authorities, Maisie’s dilemma as a writer is pushed aside out of fear that his future in Port Hewer is in jeopardy. Desperation to prove that someone else is behind the theft will lead Maisie to uncover a very different secret outside of jewel thieves and village rumors … one that could change her life and her future forever.

Can Maisie deal with the latest secrets exposed — including those that paint Sidney’s past in a questionable light? And as summer’s dawn alters her idyllic life in Cornwall, will Maisie’s feelings for Sidney change as well?

Review

Although this is the fourth book in the A Little Hotel in Cornwall series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone book. I would recommend reading the others just for the joy of it. It will be easier to understand the eccentricity of some of the characters and the endearing nature of others.

The most relevant and ongoing relationship is that of Maisie and Sydney. The couple destined to be friends, and want to be more, but somehow people, things and the police keep getting in the way.

It has a sweet charm to it, especially the mystery part of the story. You still get the romantic moments between the couple doomed to be kept apart by circumstance and suspicion. It’s a nicely balanced read that ventures out in different directions, which also means it widens any potential audience.

It’s the Thomas Crown Affair done Cornwall style, with plenty of misdirection and mystery. However it also includes the big finger of blame being pointed directly at Sydney. Maisie believes in his innocence and is determined to find the real culprit, whilst others are all too eager to believe he is a master jewel thief.

It’s a contemporary read, a story about romance, fulfilling your dreams and it’s also a mystery. Briggs is stepping up the ideas as the series continues to grow. The characters have greater depth and the storylines are broadening out. I wonder where book fifth will take us?

Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

Enter the Giveaway  – 3 Winners to win a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

Each winner will receive a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card handcrafted by an Etsy artist and bearing a clue about the next book in Laura Briggs’ Cornish romance series. The winners will also receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall.

Click here to Enter the  Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*

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#BlogTour Every Dog Has His Day by Chloe Grace

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Every Dog has his Day by Chloe Grace. It’s a cosy mystery with a four-legged, furry canine detective in the starring role.

Get your free copy of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, the prequel to Every Dog has his Day.

About the Author

Chloe Grace is the cozy mystery pen name for romantic mystery author, Karen Botha. While she doesn’t understand animals quite as well as Bella in the Albertus Eagle Detective Beagle cozy mysteries, she does chat along to her rescue dog, Shadow, pretty much all day. And she’s sure that he chats back.

Chloe lives with Shadow and her hubby in a small outpost of London city—funnily enough it’s a little like where Bella and Albie live. As a family they like to go on walks in the local woods and throw a tennis ball until their respective arms ache, which is usually before Shadow shows any hint of exhaustion.

While her first romance novels were inspired by true life events, the Albertus Eagle series are complete imagination – although her conversations with Shadow can’t be ignored.

Follow @karenbothanovel on Twitter, Follow Chloe Grace on Facebook, Follow Karen Botha on Instagram, on Goodreads, on BookBub, on Facebook,  Visit karenbotha.com and the Chloe Grace mysteries

Buy Every Dog Has His Day

About the book

They say every dog has his day. Well, today I’ve certainly had mine.

Hey, I’m Albertus Eagle and it turns out I’m an unwitting pet detective. I haven’t always been such a successful legal beagle, but when I’m confronted with a case that is so personal I can’t ignore it, I discover I have a passion for finding those who don’t want to be found. Cleo the cat. Well, she came along for the ride too.

So, sure I’ve had my day today, but not in the sense of being past my prime. To the contrary, the fun is just starting. And I am buzzing with a new purpose, mixed with a tiny amount of vindictive elation.

Why? Because, I’ve not only found myself a new home after the untimely demise of my previous owner, but I’ve also made amends with the cat. It turns out she’s not that bad, really.

On top of that though, and this is what really sends shivers racing all the way down my spine to my paws, is that we’ve fingered a killer.

How?  Because you human’s, you underestimate us animals. And while you go about your business ignoring our very existence, the cat and I are listening and taking notes.

This is the first full length novel in the Albertus Eagle detective beagle series of animal cozy mysteries, starring Albertus Eagle, and his two sidekicks, Cleo the cat and Bella Schuhmann, the smart human who actually understands him. In this wonderful full length book packed with humour and satire, we see the world of murder and intrigue set up through the eyes of a loyal dog turned amateur sleuth.

Review

Move over Columbo, here comes Albertus Eagle the famous canine detective. A beagle who is ready to save the day and take down criminals one murderer at a time. He is supported by his feline sidekick Cloe, and his human Bella.

Albie and Cloe have gone from riches to rags, because their owner was murdered. Luckily they are both adopted by Bella, who is just as determined to find the person who took their owner from them.

What’s interesting is that Albertus, Albie for short, clicks with and understands Bella quite well and vice versa, and Bella can communicate with Cloe too. Not sure where she has acquired these skills, perhaps there is an app for it.

They are listening, taking notes (*wonders how are they taking notes*), and solving crimes for the humans, because clearly they are incapable of doing so by themselves. In fact they, the humans, are seemingly unaware that dogs and cats rule the world.

Abie’s commentary is hilarious at times, especially when he is throwing shade at everyone including other breeds. ‘We all know Ridgebacks are a flighty bunch’ – burn.

This is the perfect story for readers who love animals and a cosy mystery. It’s entertaining, sweet and highly amusing at times.

It’s a cosy mystery with a four-legged, furry canine detective in the starring role. The kind of read that is just right if you need a bit of relaxation, a few giggles and come away from it with a smile on your face. The author definitely delivers when it comes to that.

It’s not meant to be a complex thriller. It is exactly what it says on the box.

Buy Every Dog Has His Day on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

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#BlogTour Who’s That Girl by T.S. Hunter

Today it’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the second book in the Soho Noir series, Who’s That Girl by T.S. Hunter. It has the feel of a modern crime with a classic mystery vibe.

About the Author

Claiming to be only half-Welsh, T.S. Hunter lived in South Wales for much of his latter teens, moving to London as soon as confidence and finances allowed. He never looked back.

He has variously been a teacher, a cocktail waiter, a podium dancer and a removal man, but his passion for writing has been the only constant.

He’s a confident and engaging speaker and guest, who is as passionate about writing and storytelling as he is about promoting mainstream LGBT fiction.

He now lives with his husband in the country, and is active on social media as @TSHunter5

Follow @TSHunter5 @RedDogTweets on Twitter, on Goodreads,

Buy Who’s That Girl

About the book

A femme fatale with a point to prove.

It’s the summer of 1985 in London’s Soho, and Joe Stone is settling into his new life living in the heart of London’s developing gay scene.

When Danny Devraux—the compere they’ve hired to host their charity ball, The Frock Show—is found dead backstage, it falls to Joe and his friend and flatmate, Russell, to figure out what happened.

All they have to go on is a broken stiletto found near the scene, and the briefest glimpse of a mystery woman fleeing the club. But who was she? And why did she kill the most loved man in cabaret?

Past secrets, bent coppers, drag queens and old lovers all play their part in this noirish murder mystery.

Review

This is the second book in the Soho Noir series, which are short cosy mystery reads. It’s a LGBT series set in the 80s, as you may be able to tell by the titles.

Once again Joe and Russell find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery. The duo was thrown together, albeit reluctantly, in the first book. The two of them discovered that they had more in common than they thought. Both of them are still learning to navigate the world as gay men, which in the 1980s included being in the midst of the height of the HiV and Aids pandemic.

Aids has caused the deaths of 35 million people worldwide since the 1980s. Unfortunately it was dubbed the ‘gay plague’ which lead to further discrimination of homosexuals, especially men.

In this story a compere, Danny Devraux, is murdered backstage at a charity event. Joe and Russell investigate the murder to make sure an innocent man doesn’t go down for the crime. They find plenty of shocking secrets that put Danny in a completely different light.

I like the whole concept of a fast pocket crime read with an 80s flair and set in the LGBT community. It has the feel of a modern crime with a classic mystery vibe. Hunter gives the reader an idea of how difficult must have been at that time for people of a specific sexual orientation. Even the police were foe rather than friend.

This story is more structured and less excitable than the first, which I personally found a lot more persuasive. It had a more easygoing feel to it, whereas the first was a whirlwind of an introduction to the series.

Side note: I am absolutely loving the book covers for the Soho series.

Buy Who’s That Girl at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Red Dog Press: pub date; 4 Jun. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of Tainted Love (Soho Noir #1) by T. S. Hunter

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#BlogTour Rough and Deadly by Paula Williams

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Rough and Deadly by Paula Williams. It’s a cosy mystery with a lot of snark and a cast of delightfully eccentric and colourful characters.

About the Author

Paula Williams is living her dream. She’s written all her life – her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it’s only in recent years that she discovered to her surprise that people with better judgement than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it.

Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue Dalmatian called Duke. She started out writing fiction for women’s magazines (and still does) but has recently branched out into longer fiction. She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the writers’ magazines, Writers’ Forum.

But, as with the best of dreams, she worries that one day she’s going to wake up and find she still has to bully her brothers into reading ‘the play what she wrote’.

Follow @paulawilliams44 on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit paulawilliamswriter.co.uk  and paulawilliamswriter.wordpress.com

Buy Rough and Deadly

About the book

Everyone knows Abe Compton’s Headbender cider is as rough as a cider can get. But is it deadly?

When self-styled ‘lady of the manor’, Margot Duckett-Trimble, announces she wouldn’t be seen dead drinking the stuff, who could have foreseen that, only a few days later, she’d be found, face down, in a vat of it?

Kat Latcham’s no stranger to murder. Indeed, the once ‘sleepy’ Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and is ‘as sleepy as a kid on Christmas Eve’ when it’s discovered there’s a murderer running loose in the community again.

Kat has known Abe all her life, and she is sure that, although he had motive, he didn’t kill Margot. But as she investigates, the murderer strikes again. And the closer Kat gets to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes.

This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance – plus a cast of colourful characters, including a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.

Review

This is the second book in the Much Winchmoor mystery series. Think Midsomer Murders or Agatha Raisin. I haven’t read the first, but didn’t feel as if I needed to, this can absolutely be read as a standalone novel.

Kat Latcham has got herself a reputation for snooping around and solving crimes, so it’s no surprise when she puts herself right in the middle of the suspicious death of a local woman. There are plenty of suspects floating around because the victim was the worst kind of snob. Her death isn’t a surprise, but the main suspect certainly is. Kat wants to prove his innocence and it’s the perfect opportunity to convince the local rag she writes for to give her a permanent position.

She can’t afford to be picky seeing as she is a grown woman who has had to move back in with her parents. Back in her old room with no money, a lot of debt and no real job per se. To make it worse her only form of transport is the bike she used as a teenager. It’s fair to say she has no street cred in her village.

This is definitely the type of read you want to grab when you need a break from the more tense, violent and graphic crime reads. The combination of humour, crime and a wee bit of romance creates a rather amusing and pleasant read.

It’s a cosy mystery with a lot of snark and a cast of delightfully eccentric and colourful characters. For me the real indicator of a good read, as it will be for other readers, is whether I would go out and buy more books by the author. In this case I definitely would, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Williams to readers of this genre.

Buy Rough and Deadly at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat Books; pub date 30 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

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#BlogBlitz Foul Deeds Will Rise by Elizabeth Ireland

Today it’s my turn on the BlogBlitz Foul Deeds Will Rise by Elizabeth Ireland. It’s an intriguing combination of mystery, murder and love of theatre and acting.

About the Author

Elizabeth Ireland discovered her passion for theater early. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in Theater, she accepted a teaching position in a vibrant performing arts department at a college in northern Illinois. For ten years, she taught, directed and ran front-of-house operations. American Theater History—particularly that of the 19th century—has always been of particular interest to her.

She has been a quarter-finalist and a semi-finalist for the Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Two of her screenplays have been optioned, but remain unproduced. Her nonfiction work, Women of Vision: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives, was published in 2008. Her work has also been published in a collection of paranormal short stories, Paramourtal: Tales of Undying Love and Loving the Undead. She lives in metro Atlanta with her ever-patient husband, and two quirky dachshunds.

About the book

By 1875, Lillian Nolan believes she has successfully shut off any connection to the spirit world. That winter she is thrilled when she wins the role of Ophelia in a new production of Hamlet in her home town of Chicago. Everything changes when the body of the managing director is found sprawled across the steps of the dress circle and all the investors’ money is missing. Lillian fears, once again, her career is over before it begins.

After her dearest friend is arrested for murder, Lillian commits herself to discovering the truth. Her search is complicated by a strange man who is following her, the romantic overtures of her co-star, and a reunion with an old nemesis. But nothing is what it seems. What she does find puts a member of her own family at risk and leads to the unmasking of the killer with lethal consequences for herself.

Review

The Backstage Mysteries can be read as stand-alone novels. They feature the same ghost absorbing actress sleuth, who has decided to have the adventures of her long life penned for posterity. During the many years of her career I think Lillian must have developed a reputation for always being in the same place where bodies suddenly appear. Just saying.

In this story Lillian has to solve the murder of a nasty little managing director of a theatre, when her friend is accused of killing him. It doesn’t help that she appears to have the perfect motive, well more than one actually. He was stealing her money and treating her like an idiotic pesky fly and her young son was petrified of him. All very good reasons to get rid of him.

The author has taken an air of Christie and combined it with the genre of paranormal fantasy – ghostly mysteries with a classic detective vibe. It absolutely has television series written all over it. A Father Brown meets Shakespearean theatre murder mysteries. Midsomer Mysteries meets ghost-whispering sleuth.

It’s an intriguing combination of mystery, murder and love of theatre and acting. Ireland shows an excellent understanding of the motivation, thrill and lives of committed thespians.

It isn’t easy to explain the joy of entertaining and getting a physical non-drug related high from the audience response, but Ireland captures it really well, especially in the first book, A Walking Shadow. She also captures the other end of the spectrum in equal measures, the ego you need to have to perform on stage whilst believing in your own greatness. Kudos to Ireland for the ode to Shakespeare and his immortal words in the Backstage Mystery series.

Buy Foul Deeds Will Rise (Backstage Mystery #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of A Walking Shadow (Backstage Mystery #1)

Read my review of Forms of Things Unknown (Backstage Mystery #3)

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#BlogTour Death at the Dakota by M.K. Graff

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Death at the Dakota by M.K. Graff. It’s a cosy murder mystery with an old-fashioned charm to it.

About the Author

Marni Graff writes The Nora Tierney English Mysteries, featuring an American writer living in England with a nose for murder, and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries, based on Graff’s real work as a medical consultant for a movie studio. She is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, a member of Sisters in Crime, the NC Writers Network, and The International Association of Crime Writers, and writes crime book reviews at Auntie M Writes, www.auntiemwrites.com.

Follow @GraffMarni onTwitter, on Facebook, on Instagram,

Buy Death at the Dakota

About the book

Nurse Trudy Genova is making plans to take her relationship to NYPD detective Ned O’Malley to the next level, when she lands a gig as medical consultant on a film shoot at the famed Dakota apartment building in Manhattan, which John Lennon once called home. Then star Monica Kiley goes missing, a cast member turns up dead, and it appears Trudy might be next. Meanwhile Ned tackles a mysterious murder case in which the victim is burned beyond recognition. When his investigations lead him back to the Dakota, Trudy finds herself wondering: how can she fall in love if she can’t even survive?

Readers of Death Unscripted, the first book in the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, will find the same pleasures in this sequel: fast pacing, engaging characters, twists and turns on the way to a satisfying close. From the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries, this second series is a winner. Once again M.K. Graff reveals her talents in crafting this delightful mix of amateur sleuth and police procedural.

Review

This is the second book in the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, however it absolutely can be read as a standalone novel.

This crime solving duo doesn’t exactly always work hand-in-hand all the time, but they do compliment the actions and thoughts of the other. It reminded me of Inspector Alleyn and Agatha Troy. Trudy and Ned have the same kind of charm, with the responsible police detective and the more spontaneous woman, who tends to wander straight into the arms of trouble.

Trudy Genova, who is a nurse on the set of a film, is tasked with taking care of the young female lead. When Monica disappears under a cloud of mystery Trudy feels obligated to help find her.

Simultaneously her love interest, Ned, is trying to establish the identity of a murder victim, who has been burnt beyond recognition. The only clue to his identity leads the police to the upper echelon of New York Society.

Everything is connected via the Dakota building and the more affluent members of New York Society. The two-class structure is also an important factor in both the plot and the relationship of Trudy and Ned. The layered structure that allows for a small number of people in society to experience life in a bubble of privilege, as opposed to the rest us – of the common man or woman.

I liked the way Graff incorporated the history of the Dakota building into the story, and the odd gossipy tidbit. I can only imagine the highbrow discussions that have been had about celebrities that have wanted to live there. It was made a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

It’s a cosy murder mystery with an old-fashioned charm to it. The author weaves the two storylines and the characters seamlessly into one to create an enjoyable story. I actually think it is more than cosy, because the author goes beyond just the simple structure of the sub-genre.

Buy Death at the Dakota at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.Published in paperback by Bridle Path Press on 1st April 2019. Buy at Amazon com. BookDepository. Google.