Very pretty cover for Codename: Chimera by J K Persy. I got this book back in February of 2014, but didn’t read it until 1.15.15. I loved it and I don’t have any excuse for waiting so long to share it with you. The cover does not make me think of the cozy mystery that it is.
During their investigation, they learned about a project called Chimera and now the mystery deepens. Is it a conspiracy? Will they kill anyone to keep a secret?
A convoluted mystery centered around a medallion. Who does it belong to?
Codename: Chimera lacked a sense of urgency, but a lot of cozies do. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them and I loved this one. I was super curious about the outcome and the deaths that follow the medallion.
I loved the trio and was happy to be along for their adventure. Codename: Chimera by J K Persy is not what I expected from looking at the cover, but it all made sense in the end.
The brain teasers are a bonus. I stopped and spent a lot of time trying to solve them. I wonder if you will too.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Codename: Chimera by J K Persy.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Adventures. Twists & Turns. Unexpected Final.
Dear reader!
If you like Indiana Jones, Kingsman, James Bond, Sam Spade, Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie, try “Codename: Chimera”.
This
is a fast-paced action/adventure/whodunit mystery with elements of
mystical mythology. It does not involve much character development, but
instead has interesting plot with twists, turns, and puzzles.
The
corpse of a millionaire collecting antiques is found in New York on the
eve of a major auction. The last thing he saw in the darkness seconds
before his death was a certain Man-With-No-Face. Is it a man or a ghost?
Is he capable of causing paralyzing fear and death by his appearance?
Is he the embodiment of Chimera, the ancient Greek monster?
Following
in the tracks of the Man-With-No-Face the detective finds out about the
stolen precious locket and a secret project under the codename
“Chimera”. How are these connected? Does the locket have a mystical
curse or is it a fiction?
Together with the private detective
Kevin Kris, you are being waited for by amazing adventures, interesting
puzzles and unexpected twists.
ABOUT J K PERSY
Our names are Jake and Kate Persy and we’re young, self-publishing writers. We’re a happy couple and our motto is ‘The best moment to be happy is right now’. We have a healthy, active lifestyle.
We love having fun and that’s why
we’ve written Codename: Chimera. It’s been an exciting experience. We
wanted to write an interesting mystery that you can sit back and enjoy
and we hope that’s what we’ve done.
Piper and Samantha are in heaven. Well, close. After winning a contest to raise the most money for human trafficking awareness and prevention, Piper and Sam are rewarded with a long weekend at the O Heavenly Day Spa. When mysterious notes start appearing everywhere, things get uncomfortable. When spa treatments go awry it is starting to get dangerous. A threatening message in Piper’s closet convinces Piper and Sam that they have to find out who is behind all of these disasters before someone gets hurt. Is it Broussard the stuffy concierge? Gladys, the sweet old lady who decided to join them for the weekend? When the smoke alarms go off and the spa erupts into panic, the chaos separates the friends and Piper stumbles into trouble. Will her friends be able to help her in time?
About the Author
Katherine Brown is a Texas girl, a lover of books, and a weaver of words. Her first official publication was of two children’s books in 2017, which has now grown into five books of the School is Scary series; however, she likes to think her career as a writer started when she sold her parents newsletters of articles about school and poetry for fifty cents per copy as a pre-teen. Married to a wonderful husband and mom of a smart, spunky stepdaughter, Katherine enjoys spending time with family and reading as many new books as she can get her hands on. Her YA series, the Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery series, is ramping up in 2019 with book 1 released in March and book 2 was released June 1, 2019.
Shell and her two furry sidekicks must cat-ch a killer to save their pet shop
Crishell “Shell” McMillan sees the cancellation of her TV series as a blessing in disguise. The former actress can now take over her late aunt’s pet shop, the Purr N’ Bark, and do something she loves.
While getting the shop ready for re-opening, Shell is asked to loan her aunt’s Cary Grant posters to the local museum for an exhibit. She finds the prospect exciting—until a museum board member, who had a long-standing feud with Shell’s aunt, votes against it. When she discovers the board member dead in the museum, Shell becomes suspect number one. Can she, her Siamese cat Kahlua, and her new sidekick—her aunt’s Persian Purrday—find the real culprit, or will her latest career go up in kitty litter?
EXCERPT
For a second I just stared, and then I raised my arm, took some skin between my thumb and forefinger, and pinched myself hard.
“Ow!” I cried. Well, that settled that. I wasn’t dreaming, or
hallucinating. He was really here, along with a large black suitcase propped up
against my front door.
Gary tripped down my porch steps and ran over to stand in front of
me. “There you are,” he said, waggling his finger. “For a second there, I
thought that guy at the gas station gave me directions to the wrong house.”
I fisted a hand on my hip and shot him a stony stare. “Gary, what
are you doing here?”
His lips drooped down almost immediately into a hangdog expression.
“Gee, thanks a lot. I fly cross-country and drive all this way and that’s the
greeting I get? I told you I was coming, remember?” When I didn’t answer, he
persisted, “I kept asking you what was wrong, and you kept avoiding the issue,
so I said I’d come on out and see for myself.”
I pushed the heel of my hand through my hair. “You did say that,
but I didn’t think you really meant it.”
His arms enveloped me in a gigantic bear hug. “Oh, come on, Shell.
What sort of co-star would I be if I deserted you in your time of need?” He
pulled back a bit to study me. “This is your time of need, right? I mean,
something’s up. I could hear it in your voice.”
“I’m fine, Gary. You didn’t have to uproot your life and come all
the way out here to check on me.”
He spread his arms wide. “Hey, you decided to uproot your life and
change careers. I guess that dark store in town with the re-opening sign on it
is yours?”
“You guess right. I’d hoped to be getting the store and its stock
ready for a grand re-opening, but instead …”
“Yeah, I know.” He reached out and give my hand a squeeze. “That’s
why you could use my help. After all, right now I’ve got nothing else to do,
other than sign up for unemployment.”
The note of disappointment in his tone was unmistakable. “What
happened? They didn’t go for the reboot?”
“To quote the producers exactly, ‘That show just isn’t worth spit
without Shell Marlowe.’ Or similar words to that effect.”
I remembered Max’s words and a pang of guilt arrowed through me.
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“Yeah, well, it seems they were gearing the show more toward the
male audience, and not the action end of it, if you get my meaning.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Then I’m glad I turned it down, although I’m
sorry it didn’t work out for you. You’ll get something else, Gary, but only if
you go back to L.A. and start auditioning.”
“I’m not so sure.” He plopped down on my bottom step and cupped his
chin in one hand. “I had a lot of time to think on the plane ride out here.
Series tv is getting to be a rat race, and I’m not as young as I used to be.
Maybe I should try something different, maybe Broadway, or Off Broadway.”
I laughed. “You’re considering a play? I thought you always said
theater was for people who couldn’t make it in Hollywood.”
He grinned sheepishly. “I did say that, didn’t I? Well, maybe I’ve
had a change of heart. Look, I didn’t come all the way out here to talk about
me. What’s going on with you, Shell?”
I looked down at the ground. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, yes, you do.” He leaned over so that his nose was only about
an inch away from mine. “I could hear it in your voice when we spoke on the
phone. You sounded just like you did when Pat left you.”
I raised my gaze to his and thrust my jaw out. “I most certainly
did not. And I left Patrick, no matter what he told you.”
“Whatever.” Gary folded his arms over his chest and stood, one foot
tapping impatiently on the concrete. “Are you going to tell me what’s up with
you, or not?”
I folded my own arms over my chest. “Not.”
“Okay, then, I suppose I’ll have to guess.” He put a finger to his
lips, closed his eyes, and then popped them wide open. “Aha, I have it.” He
pointed his finger dramatically in the air. “You must be the actress they
suspect of murdering the local termagant.”
“Wow, is that a fifty-dollar word or what? I’m impressed. And just
where did you hear this juicy bit of news?”
He grinned. “It’s the main topic of conversation at the gas station
out on the highway. It’s a veritable hotbed of local gossip.” His expression
sobered and he reached out and gripped my hand. “Is it true?”
“Is what true? That I murdered the local termagant or that I’m
suspected of doing so?”
“Very funny.”
He looked so upset that I sighed. “Yes, it’s true. That I’m on the
suspect list, not that I did the deed—although I had a public argument with the
woman the day before her death.”
Gary let out a low whistle. “Sounds like you could use a friend.” I
glanced over at his suitcase, and he added, “If it’s inconvenient, I can always
find a hotel near here. I’m not leaving, Shell.”
My expression softened. “I know you’re not, and it’s not
inconvenient. Come on, grab your suitcase. I’ll make you a cup of java and fill
you in.”
∞
I showed Gary to one of the guest bedrooms and left him to
unpack and freshen up. I went into the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of
coffee, then pulled out the wheels of cheddar and Brie I’d purchased at the
General Store along with some crackers, arranged them on a tray, and set it on
the table. I’d just poured us each a steaming mug when Gary reappeared. His
hair was damp from a quick shower, and he’d changed into comfortable
sweatpants. He eased himself into one of the chairs and sniffed the air.
“Um, what’s that, Kahlua-flavored coffee? You wouldn’t happen to
have the real thing to add to it, would you? I didn’t drink on the plane, and
I’m overdue.”
Gary had an aversion to air travel, so the mere fact he’d stepped
on a plane to come to my aid was quite something, indeed. I opened one of the
bottom cabinets and pulled out a bottle of Kahlua. I added a generous amount to
both our mugs and then sat down across from him, my hands wrapped around my
mug. We sat for a few minutes, sipping in silence, and then Gary set down his
mug.
“Care to fill me in on what’s going down here now? What was that
public argument about that’s got you on the suspect list?”
I explained all about the museum board vote and the supposed feud
between Amelia and my aunt that I believed to be behind Amelia’s crusade. I
also recounted my meetings with the other three board members and Garrett
Knute. Gary listened intently and when I’d finished, ran his finger around the
rim of his cup.
“Sounds to me like you might have painted a target on yourself,” he
said grimly.
I bit down on my lower lip. “Funny. Josh hinted at pretty much the
same thing.”
Gary’s eyes widened a bit. “Josh?”
Heat seared my cheeks and I ducked my head. “Detective Bloodgood.
He’s investigating the murder.”
“I see. And are you often on a first-name basis with detectives
investigating you for murder?”
“We’d met briefly before all this mess. His sister’s dog ran into
me in the park. I had no idea he was a detective.”
“Of course not.” He let out a low chuckle. “And what does this
Detective Bloodgood look like? I’m betting he’s not paunchy with gray hair,
like most of the detectives on tv.”
I narrowed my eyes. “No, he’s not.”
“So?” Gary persisted as I remained silent. “Is he as good-looking
as me?”
I made a face at him. “No one’s as good-looking as you, Gary,
except maybe Hugh Jackman. I’ve already had to assure some of the local women
that marvelous head of hair is all yours.”
He reached up to give his hair a swift pat and laughed. “Nice try
at a diversion, but I’m still interested in a description of your Detective
Bloodgood.”
“He’s not my Detective Bloodgood,” I protested. “Besides, I have a
new man in my life.”
Gary almost dropped his mug. “You do?”
“Absolutely. I was worried he and Kahlua might not get along, but
they seem to have effected a truce.”
Gary’s brows drew together. “Kahlua? Your cat? Why wouldn’t he get
along with your cat? Is he allergic?”
“No, far from it.”
I lapsed into silence, and Gary’s frown deepened. “So, details
Shell. What does this fellow look like?”
I put my finger to my lips. “He’s very hairy,” I said at last.
Gary gave me a puzzled stare. “He’s hairy? You hate facial
hair … or was that just so I’d shave the beard I grew for season six?”
“You look better clean shaven anyway. I did you and all your female
fans a favor.” I inclined my head toward the doorway. “Here he is now. Come
here, Purrday, and say hello to Gary. He’s going to be staying with us awhile.”
Purrday glided into the kitchen and hopped up on the vacant chair
next to Gary. He cocked his head to one side and blinked at him. “Merow.”
Gary stared at Purrday and then burst into laughter. “Oho, another
cat, eh?”
“He belonged to Aunt Tillie. I couldn’t turn him away.”
Gary bounced both eyebrows at me. “Just be careful this doesn’t
start a trend, Shell. I’d hate to see you become the neighborhood crazy cat
lady.” He reached out his hand. Purrday sniffed at the tips of his fingers,
then his pink tongue darted out and gave them a quick lick. “Friendly fellow.
Lots friendlier than Kahlua. She usually hisses at me.”
“She doesn’t like your cologne. You’ve got Purrday’s stamp of
approval, at least.”
Gary selected a piece of cheddar and started to put it on a cracker
when the cheese slid from his fingers and landed—plop!—on the floor. Purrday eyed the cheese, then cocked his head
at Gary.
“Okay if I let him have it? It fell on the floor.”
“Go ahead, but you’d better practice your whoops, I knocked it on the floor routine. For such a good actor,
that was beneath you.”
Gary’s eyes widened. “Shell! I’m shocked! You think I did that on
purpose?”
I laughed right at him. “I know you did. You would never drop a
piece of anything edible on the floor.”
He raised both hands. “Okay, I’m guilty. But Purrday appreciates
it, don’t you, boy?”
Purrday didn’t answer. He’d already snatched the bit of cheddar in
his paws and was nibbling happily at it.
Gary turned back to me. “Well, now that I’ve met the main man in
your life, let’s get back to number two. Your detective.”
“Let’s not and say we did.” I rose and walked over to the cabinet
and pulled out the bottle of Kahlua. “Refill?”
He held out his mug. “Sure. And don’t bother with the coffee this
time.”
Once I’d refilled both mugs with Kahlua we adjourned to the parlor,
leaving Purrday happily noshing on his cheese. Feline Kahlua was stretched out
across the top of the loveseat. She lifted her head, took one look at Gary, let
out a loud hiss, and promptly vanished up the stairs.
“Great to see you again too,” Gary called after her retreating
form. He looked over his shoulder at me. “Some things never change.” He plopped
down on the brocaded sofa and I sat on the loveseat across from him. “Let’s
think of this logically,” he said. “You said most of the people in Fox Hollow
hated this woman, Amelia?”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Okay.” He leaned back against the sofa cushions, his eyes slitted
in thought. “First things first. Who might have hated her enough to do her in?”
“Well, there are the aforementioned board members: Larry Peabody,
Andy McHardy, and Ginnifer Rubin. And Garrett Knute is hiding something as
well. I heard him say, ‘over my dead body.’ And Amelia was determined he
shouldn’t get his hands on that envelope.”
“Hm.” Gary laced his hands behind his neck. “That definitely piques
my interest. Anyone else?”
“I saw Amelia arguing with a woman in the park. Olivia thinks it
might have been Londra Lewis, who works at the museum as the administrator.
Amelia disliked her because of her loyalty to the museum director, Mazie
Madison.” I tapped the edge of my mug. “Olivia said that Mazie was no angel
when it came to Amelia either. Then there’s the mayor.”
“Oho, the mayor, eh?” Gary bounced his eyebrows. “You just can’t
trust those public officials.”
“It might be nothing, but Amelia might have something on one or
both of the mayor’s kids, I’m not sure. And Garrett Knute mentioned this guy,
Melvin Feller, but so far I haven’t been able to make a concrete connection
between him and Amelia. And Garrett said half the town hated the woman, so who
knows who else might have a motive.” I paused. “Then there’s the editor of the
town paper, Quentin Watson. He’s a smarmy little weasel who’s already printed
two less-than-flattering snippets about me in his paper because I wouldn’t give
him an interview. Lord knows what his relationship with
Amelia was.”
“Well, there doesn’t appear to be a dearth of suspects,” Gary said
wryly. “And the reason you’re at the top is …?”
“I’m not even sure I’m at the top. Josh—I mean, Detective
Bloodgood—told me I was a person of interest, primarily because I argued with
the deceased in public.”
Gary gave a short laugh. “Well, person of interest is better than
suspect, if you ask me. Now, what we have to do is systematically go through all
of those people and determine which of them had the best motive for wanting
Amelia dead.”
“No doubt J—the detective is doing that already.”
Gary shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe not. In any case, our considering
it can’t hurt, right? I mean, after all, the sooner this gets cleared up, the
sooner you can open up your little store.”
Purrday ambled into the parlor just then, batting the button
between his paws. I reached down to retrieve it.
“It looks like one of Aunt Matilda’s buttons. Where he got it from
is a mystery.”
“It probably just fell off something. You know cats. They can be
real scavengers. Remember when Kahlua had a stash of all your rhinestone pins?”
I started to reply when the doorbell rang. I excused myself and
went to answer it, and my eyes widened in surprise when I saw Josh on my front
stoop. His lips were slashed into a straight line, and he had his cop face on.
“Mind if I come in?” he asked. “Something’s turned up, and I need
to speak to you about it.”
I pushed the door wide and motioned for him to enter. As he stepped
into the foyer, Gary emerged from the parlor. The two men started then stood
and stared at each other.
I cleared my throat. “Detective Josh
Bloodgood, may I introduce my former co-star—”
Josh waved his hand. “I know who he is.” He turned back to Gary.
“Gary Presser, right? Or should I say Douglas Doolittle?”
Gary beamed and held out his hand. “Ah, you’ve watched our show?”
“When my schedule permitted.”
Josh took Gary’s hand and Gary pumped it up and down. “Always happy
to meet a fan. I take it you’re Josh the detective?”
“That would be me.” He released Gary’s hand and shoved his deep
into the pockets of the light khaki jacket he wore. “It might be best,” he
said, with a meaningful look at me, “if we discussed my news in private.”
“Not necessary,” Gary said breezily. He stepped right up to me and
slipped one arm around my shoulders in a protective gesture. “I came out here
to Fox Hollow to help Shell, so …” He paused and looked expectantly at me.
I sighed and turned to Josh. “Anything you have to say you can say
in front of Gary. It won’t go any further.”
Josh frowned. “Okay, then,” he said at last. He reached into the
inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small plastic bag, in which rested
a slip of paper. “My men did a thorough sweep of the murder scene, and we found
this under the desk near the body.”
He held the baggie out to me. I took it. Inside was a note printed
in block letters:
I’VE DISCOVERED YOUR LITTLE SECRET. UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO
EXPOSE YOU, I SUGGEST WE TALK.
“S”
I read the note twice and then looked at Josh, puzzled. “I’m sorry.
I don’t get it.”
His gaze bored into mine. “Did you write that?”
I took a couple of deep breaths before I answered. “Absolutely not.
For one thing, I don’t print that neatly, and I’ve never seen this before in my
life.”
He turned the bag over in his hand. “Then you weren’t planning to
expose Amelia? The purpose of that meeting wasn’t blackmail?”
I stared at him, shocked, and drew myself up to my full height.
“Definitely not,” I snapped. “I would never blackmail anyone in my life.
Besides, I don’t know anything I could have blackmailed her with.”
“That’s true,” Gary interjected. “Shell is one of the most honest
people I know.”
I gestured toward the note. “Evidently someone wanted you to think
otherwise.”
Josh scratched absently at his jaw. “We dusted it for prints, and
the only ones we found were Amelia’s. Obviously, whoever wrote it must have
worn gloves.”
“What in the world could I have been going to expose about her?” I
asked. “I didn’t know the woman.”
“Well, you were going around asking people if they were being
blackmailed by her,” put in Josh. “And you accused Garrett Knute of having a
secret.”
“That’s true, but they’re legitimate concerns,” I declared.
“Well, it seems pretty obvious to me,” said Gary. Josh and I both
turned toward him.
“What does?” asked Josh.
Gary spread his hands. “This murder was no accident. Someone
planned it out carefully, and decided to use Shell as a scapegoat. Think about
it. The photograph Shell gave her was clutched in her cold, dead hand plus this
note, conveniently signed by “S”?” He jabbed his finger at Josh’s face. “And
your job, my friend, is to find out who would do such a thing.”
“I agree,” Josh said grimly. He turned to me. “For what it’s worth,
Shell, I don’t think you killed Amelia. But it sure does look as if someone
wants us to think you might have.”
I shuddered. The thought that someone might deliberately have set
me up as a murderer was not an appealing one. “If I could take back speaking to
those people, I would, in a heartbeat. But I can’t. What happens now?”
“What happens is you keep your mouth shut and keep a low profile
while I work on finding out just who did kill Amelia,” Josh said softly. He
looked as if he wanted to say more, but instead just nodded curtly to both Gary
and me and then turned and exited out my front door.
I set my lips. Now I was more determined than ever to do some
digging on my own. Someone had used me to get Amelia alone at the museum and
kill her. Someone had planned it with malice aforethought, and I was betting it
was someone I’d met, someone I’d spoken with.
I wouldn’t feel safe until I found out who.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
While Toni Lotempio
does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble
doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when
she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The
Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery
series from Berkley Prime Crime and the Cat Rescue series from Crooked
Lane. Her latest, the Pet Shop Mysteries, makes its debut August 8 with
The Time for Murder is Meow.
I love this cover for Dead Eye by Alyssa Day. Any story located in Florida is always on my list, and it looked like such a fun read…free too. Be sure and check for the ‘0’ and pick up a copy for yourself.
With such a great cover and destination, I could not pass on this wonderful paranormal mystery that spotlights a shapeshifter, a tiger to be precise, an I can see how you die pawnshop owner, and an orphan girl, as the danger draws closer the mystery draws them together and I can hardly wait to read more from Alyssa Day.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For Jack Shepherd, tiger shape-shifter and former soldier, life is heading for a dead end. Dead End, Florida, to be exact. When he learns that he inherited a combination pawn shop/private investigation agency from his favorite uncle, Jack’s first job is to solve his uncle’s murder. Because sometimes it takes a tiger’s eye to see the truth.
Summer Snoops Unleashed:
14 Furr-ocious Mysteries and Cozy Crimes
by Judith Lucci Anna Celeste
Burke, Colleen Mooney, Fiona Quinn, Maria Grazia Swan, Kelly Hashway,
Kim Hunt Harris, Susan Boles, Lisa B. Thomas, Emily Selby, Ava Mallory,
Chelsea Thomas, Sam Cheever, and Joanna Campbell Slan
Cozy Mystery Independently Published Release Date – July 23, 2019 ASIN: B07R49T674
Summertime Murders are RUFF
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Looking for cool cozies for hot summer days? Then you’ll love this
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They’re howlingly good reads!
All preorders support best lives for pets!
Here’s a sampling of stories…
WSJ and USA Best Selling Author Judith Lucci – The Most Glittery Crime of the Year: The Jewel Heist – An Artzy Chicks Mystery
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Anna Celeste Burke ¬- Radical Regatta! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #4
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Colleen Mooney – Fireworks, Forensics & Felonies
USA Today Best Selling Author Fiona Quinn – YOURS. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Amazon Best Selling Author Maria Grazia Swan – Pies, Lies and a Last Goodbye
USA Today Best Selling Author Kelly Hashway – You Can’t Judge a Crime by its Aura
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Kim Hunt Harris – Yankee Doodle Deadly: A Trailer Park Princess Novella
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Susan Boles – Death in Mercy
Best Selling Author Amazon Lisa B. Thomas – Sharpe Pain: A Corpse in the Cabin
Amazon Best Selling Author Emily Selby – Death and Taxes on a Cloud
Amazon Best Selling Author Joanna Campbell Slan – Ruff Justice: Second Chance Adventure #5
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Ava Mallory – High Heel Homicide: A Holly Woods Mystery Novella
Amazon Best Selling Author Chelsea Thomas – A Knead to Kill
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Sam Cheever – Spunky Bumpkin
CLICK GRAPHIC BELOW TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF EACH STORY
About the Authors
Dr. Judith Lucci
is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author. She is the
award-winning author of the Alexandra Destephano Medical Thriller and
the Michaela McPherson “Two Sleuth’s and a Dog” Crime series. She also
writes psychological fiction. Her cozy series, The Artzy Chicks
Mysteries focuses on a group of eccentric, talented but zany artists in
their Art Gallery at a Five Star Mountain Resort in the Virginia
mountains.
In 2017, ‘Viral Intent’ (Book
3) Alexandra Destephano Series) was awarded a Gold Medal by Readers’
Favorites for ‘Best Political Thriller’. as was her crime thriller ‘The Case of Dr. Dude’ (Michaela McPherson #1) for a Gold Medal for ‘Best Amateur Sleuth for 2017. ‘The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year‘ won an additional gold medal for ‘Best Holiday Read’ of 2017.
Her favorite things are reading,
writing, and art. In her spare time she teaches painting, loves up on
animals and raises money for needy causes. Judith lives with her 4 dog
family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She loves to connect with her readers and is available at judithlucciwrites@gmail.com. Check our her website at judithlucci.com. and sign-up for a free copy of Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center.
Anna Celeste Burke
is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives
in the desert near Palm Springs with her beloved husband and loudmouthed
Siamese cat. A retired professor who once worked as a Disney chef,
you’ll find her snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, and
food!
Colleen Mooney was
born and raised in New Orleans along with everyone else in her family.
She is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and
writes a cozy mystery series set in New Orleans called The New Orleans
Go Cup Chronicles. The 7th book in her series is Fireworks, Forensics
and Felonies will be in Summer Snoops Unleashed. Her Politicians,
Potholes and Praline released in March 2019 and is available on Amazon
and KU.
Since January 2017 Colleen organized
a Sisters In Crime chapter in New Orleans and is not planning a Mystery
Writers Conference in November in New Orleans. She is currently working
on her next book in the series.
In New Orleans, she’s been a member and active in many Mardi Gras Krewes, Super Krewes, and organizations. Colleen says she has never met a parade she didn’t like.
She’s
an ardent animal lover and the Director for a breed rescue, Schnauzer
Rescue of Louisiana for the last fifteen years. She has rescued and
placed over 350 abandoned or surrendered Schnauzers. She loves to write
and writes about what she loves. Colleen says, “New Orleans is where it all happens for me.”
Fiona Quinn
is a four-time USA Today bestselling author, a Kindle Scout winner, and
has been listed as an Amazon Top 100 author in: Romantic Suspense;
Mystery, thriller, and suspense; Mysteries, Science Fiction, Fantasy,
and Horror.
Maria Grazia Swan
Award-winning author Maria Grazia Swan
was born in Italy. She’s lived in Belgium, France, Germany, Southern
California and Arizona—all juicy places that fuel her stories and
characters.
These days, Maria Grazia volunteers at
the animal shelter seeking the perfect family for homeless pets. Her
deepest passions? Writing and being the matchmaker for people and pets
who are waiting to find each other.
Maria loves travel, opera, good books,
hiking, and intelligent movies. Her idea of a perfect evening?
Stimulating conversation, Northern Italian food, and chilled Prosecco.
She loves to hear from her readers! Feel free to contact her through her website: www.mariagraziaswan.com.
Kelly Hashway
fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the
planet, but luckily she gets to write about female sleuths who are much
more coordinated than she is. Maybe it was growing up watching Murder She Wrote that
instilled a love of mystery, but she spends her days writing cozy
mysteries. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes
romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly
works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title
that deserves to be capitalized.
Kim Hunt Harris is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of the Trailer Park Princess Christian cozy mystery series.
Kim knew she wanted to be a writer
before she even knew how to write. When her parents read bedtime stories
to her, she knew she wanted to be a part of the story world. She
started out writing children’s stories, and her stories grew as she did.
She discovered a gift for humor and a love for making people laugh with
her tales, and the Trailer Park Princess series was born.
Kim loves to not only make her readers
laugh and entertain them with a good mystery, but also to examine the
issues the everyday people face…well, every day. Issues such as faith
and forgiveness, perseverance and tolerance. Set in Lubbock, Texas, the
fun books feature a cast of quirky characters, outrageous situations, a
drama queen of a dog, and from time to time, a tear or two.
Kim lives with her husband of more than thirty years and two teenage kids in Lubbock, TX.
Susan Boles
is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author who lives in
Mississippi with her rescue mini Dachshund and rescue cat of no
particular breed. You’ll find her writing mysteries centered around
small southern towns with lots of great characters.
Lisa B. Thomas
Born and raised in Texas, I always knew I
wanted to be a writer. Finally, after thirty-three years as a high
school journalism and English teacher, I released my first novel. Having
grown up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie, I was
drawn to the mystery genre.
I write clean, classic whodunnits with
realistic characters and situations. It’s probably because my first book
was based on a true-life murder mystery from my own family. That book, Sharpe Shooter,
led to the Maycroft Mysteries. I also write Killer Shots Mysteries and
the Beachside Bookshop Magical Cozy Mysteries (co-written with Paula
Lester.) I call my books “Mysteries with Heart & Humor,” and that’s
just what you’ll get.
When not writing, I enjoy my grown
husband and dog, my children, grandchildren, grandpets, photography,
traveling, and antiquing (aka. buying and selling used junk).
Emily Selby
is a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author who lives between France
and New Zealand with her husband, daughter and a multilingual rescue
cat. She loves writing and reading cozy mysteries with a sprinkle of
romance, full of quirky characters and set in charming little towns.
Joanna Campbell Slan
National bestselling and award-winning
author Joanna Campbell Slan has written and/or edited 40 books,
including both fiction and non-fiction works. In addition to being
included in Amazon’s list of Top 100 Mystery Authors, Joanna was one of
the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors, and her stories appear in five of those New York Times bestselling books. Her first non-fiction book, Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience, was
endorsed by Toastmasters International, and lauded by Israel’s Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter. She’s the author of three
mystery series. Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death (Book #1 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)–was shortlisted for the Agatha Award. Her first historical mystery—Death of a Schoolgirl: Book #1 in the Jane Eyre Chronicles—won the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. Her contemporary series set in Florida continues this year with Second Chance at Faith (Book #4 in the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series). In addition to writing fiction, she edits the Happy Homicides Anthologies and has begun the Dollhouse Décor & More series of “how to” books for dollhouse miniaturists.
Ava Mallory
is a multi-genre USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
of what she affectionately calls Mysteries with Heart. When not
dreaming up stories full of twists and turns, she’s spinning
heartwarming tales of love, laughter, and a healthy dose of mystery.
Chelsea Thomas
is technically two people… Married writing team Chelsea and Matthew
Thomas. Chelsea and Matt have spent the last 9 years living in Los
Angeles, where they have worked as screenwriters. There, they have
worked with such companies as CBS, SONY, and Nickelodeon. Now, with the
completion of their first cozy mystery novel, Apple Die, they are proud
to say that they are novelists, too.
Sam Cheever is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author who writes mystery and suspense, creating stories
that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing
great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories,
Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.
Down in Flames
(A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery)
by Cheryl Hollon
About the Book
Down in Flames (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery) Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Kensington (June 25, 2019) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-10: 1496711793 ISBN-13: 978-1496711793 Digital ASIN: B07HVY1GRJ
A fatal hit-and-run in front of Savannah Webb’s glass shop proves to be no accident . . .
A highlight of Savannah’s new glass bead
workshop is a technique called flame-working, which requires the
careful wielding of acetylene torches. Understandably, safety is a top
priority. But as Savannah is ensuring her students’ safety inside, a
hit-and-run driver strikes down a pedestrian outside her shop.
The victim is Nicole Borawski, the
bartender/manager at the Queen’s Head Pub, owned by Savannah’s boyfriend
Edward. It quickly becomes clear that this was no random act of
vehicular manslaughter. Now the glass shop owner is all fired up to get a
bead on the driver—before someone else meets a dead end.
About the Author
Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an
engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators
in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore,
Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her
love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small
glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her
husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and
painted glass artworks. Visit her online at http://cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.
Financial fraud of elderly villagers in
Leavensport, an urban sprawl threat to the community, disastrous dates,
cross-sell marketing gone wrong, and another murder? Jolie Tucker is
ready to try dating again. Well, she has no choice—since her family
auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Her best friend, Ava, has
agreed to a double date, but both friends find out hidden secrets about
their partners as well as deception by one of the village’s own, who
will soon be found dead. This plot is sure to be spicy!
About the Author
Moving into her second decade working in
education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The
Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and
education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED,
where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio
teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently
resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven
cats.
Monthly Newsletter Link: http://eepurl.com/dIfXdbGet
Short Story “Sweet Retreat” for free by subscribing to my monthly
newsletter. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive free flash fiction, A
Mystery a Month, serial scenes from series, and deleted scenes).
A dangerous element discovered by Bianca
Goddard’s father falls into the wrong hands . . . leading to a chain of
multiple murders.
Spring 1544: Now that she is with child,
Bianca is more determined than ever to distance herself from her
unstable father. Desperate to win back the favor of King Henry VIII,
disgraced alchemist Albern Goddard plans to reveal a powerful new
element he’s discovered–one with deadly potential. But when the
substance is stolen, he is panicked and expects his daughter to help.
Soon after, a woman’s body is found
behind the Dim Dragon Inn, an eerie green vapor rising from her
breathless mouth. To her grave concern, Bianca has reason to suspect her
own mother may be involved in the theft and the murder. As her husband
John is conscripted into King Henry’s army to subdue Scottish
resistance, Bianca must navigate a twisted and treacherous path among
alchemists, apothecaries, chandlers, and scoundrels–to find out who
among them is willing to kill to possess the element known as lapis
mortem, the stone of death . . .
About the Author
Mary Lawrence lives and farms in Maine and worked in the medical field for over twenty-five years before publishing her debut mystery, The Alchemist’s Daughter (Kensington, 2015). The book was named by Suspense Magazine
as a “Best Book of 2015” in the historical mystery category. Her
articles have appeared in several publications most notably the national
news blog, The Daily Beast. The Bianca Goddard Mystery series also includes Death of an Alchemist, Death at St. Vedast, The Alchemist of Lost Souls, and the fifth title for 2020.
Catchy title for Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape and I do love the cover. I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape. I downloaded this back on 11.7.13
Sketcher in the Rye and Sharon Pape had me cracking up from the getgo. I don’t know what I expected, but it’s delivering so much more.
Rory is quite the character, but Zeke steals the show. They do make quite the investigating team.
We switch back and forth from the present to the past as we examine Zeke’s life. A heartbroken hobo has a large personality and is good for lots of laughs.
Fun story, humorously written, with fabulous quirky characters to love.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In her new job as a
private eye, former police sketch artist Rory McCain has a spirited
partner: Old West marshal Zeke Drummond. He may be a ghost, but when
these two combine their skills, they reap justice…
Trouble has
sprouted at Harper Farms. Top secret info has been leaked to the
competition, and now there’s serious sabotage cropping up. So the farm’s
beleaguered owner, Gil Harper, has called on Rory to dig up some dirt.
But what Rory discovers raises a new field of questions…
Someone
shucked Harper’s accountant and left his body in the farm’s corn maze.
While Gil is quick to hire Rory to solve now not one but two crimes, the
sketching sleuth isn’t so sure why the farmer wants her to focus her
attention on his own family.
Regardless, Rory and Zeke will need
to put their hands to the plow and solve this case before someone else
is planted six feet under…
Includes a preview of the first Crystal Shop Mystery, Amethysts and Alibis, by Sharon Pape
Sconed to Death
(A Cat Latimer Mystery)
by Lynn Cahoon
About the Book
Sconed to Death (A Cat Latimer Mystery) Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Kensington (May 28, 2019) Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages ISBN-10: 1496716833 ISBN-13: 978-1496716835 Kindle ASIN: B07H1ZCS2Z
Cat Latimer pursues a scone-cold killer who iced a top chef in a local bakery . . .
Cat has a full plate at her Aspen Hills
Warm Springs Resort, as a group of aspiring cozy mystery authors arrives
for a writers retreat. So when baker Dee Dee Meyer stirs up trouble by
filing a false complaint with the health inspector against the
B&B—all because she insists Cat’s best friend Shauna stole her
recipes—Cat marches into the shop to confront her.
But Dee Dee’s about to have her own
batch of trouble. Greyson Finn—a celebrity chef and, until today, one of
Denver’s most eligible bachelors—has been found dead in her bakery.
Cat’s uncle Pete, who happens to be the chief of police, warns her not
to engage in any half-baked sleuthing. But as her curiosity rises, Cat’s
determined to discover who served the chef his just desserts—before the
killer takes a powder . . .
About the Author
Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several New York Times and USA Today
bestselling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in
central coastal California with six holiday novellas releasing in
2018–2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market
paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, debuted
in 2018. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write
about with her husband and two fur babies.
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (March 1, 2019)
Paperback: 280 pages
ISBN-10: 1733725806
ISBN-13: 978-1733725804
Digital ASIN: B07P1P5N2K
