Curse Of The Brides – Inheritance by Nora Roberts #NetGalley #Inheritance #NoraRoberts

Posted on November 21, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review Inheritance by Nora Roberts.

MY REVIEW

“You will never have him,” she says. “Die a bride, and know he’ll come to me. He will come to me, or by your blood on my tongue, bride after bride will join you in death.”

And the curse begins. It will be up to Sonya MacTavish, a graphic designer who inherited the manor from her unknown uncle, Collin Poole, to solve the mystery and lift the curse.

Sonya had a bad breakup with a huge douche bag, and I love what her best friend, Cleo had to say:

“What do you want me to do?…Tell me what you want, and it’s done. Murder? Decapitation? Castration?”

I think we could all use a best friend like that. LOL

Sonya had been thinking about branching out on her own and now was the time. Would the ghosts of the manor be a help or a hindrance. Most of them are on her side, but there is always one, isn’t there? I would love to have some help around the house, and Sonya has her very own ghostly maid. She leaves her bedroom and comes back, the bed is made. She leaves the kitchen a mess, comes back and it is cleaned up. Forget to charge your phone, they have you covered. Even ghosts want a purpose.

Those around Sonya accept the ghosts, but Sonya hesitates.

The point of view flashes past to present and back again. We get all of their histories, ghosts and humans, and Sonya will need all the help she can get to break the curse. We have a combination of modern and gothic.

This light and fun mystery is full of surprises and I loved each and every one. The characters quickly won me over, ghosts and human alike…even the dogs have a place of honor. Cold pizza, I love it too, even for breakfast. Little things that I can relate to on a personal level add that little bit extra that I love so much. I had plenty of smiles to go along with the creepy.

The mirror…made me think of Charmed and Grimm. TV shows make it easy for me to visualize the action as it is happening.

NO NO NO a cliffhanger. So wrong!!!!! But I couldn’t put it down and I HAVE TO HAVE the next one, and the next one. I knew it was a trilogy going in and the story would not be told in one book, but when I came to the end, I wasn’t expecting it. That is how involved I was in the story. I foresee good things for the next two books and I can hardly wait to visit the manor again.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…

Genres: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller
Format: 448 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication: November 21, 2023 by St. Martin’s Press
Series: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book I

ABOUT NORA ROBERTS

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 — The Becoming — the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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The Murder of Twelve by Jon Land @jondland #MurderSheWrote

Posted on May 26, 2020 by fundinmental

NEW RELEASE

I am so happy to be back with Jessica Fletcher in the 51st Murder She Wrote novel, The Murder of Twelve, by Jon Land. I have been enjoying this series for many years and look forward to many more.

The Murder of Twelve (Murder She Wrote #51)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

YAY, I am happy to be back in Cabot Cove, Maine, with Jessica Fletcher. I’m sure this will be another wild adventure and I’m looking forward to it. I can surely use some mystery to busy my mind and chuckles to ease it.

AND a blizzard tops it off. We all know nothing bad happens during a blizzard. LOL

I love the take Jon and Jessica have taken with this mystery. It’s fresh and new, and I read a lot of mystery.

The only witness to the murder is the local lush , and he says it’s Big Foot. Well, this does have me even more curious now. My mind starts running. Is it a Big Foot? Is it just a big guy wrapped up in a heavy coat?

The Murder of Twelve by Jon Land brought back memories of a couple blizzards I’ve been in. It also made me realize that I am doing the right thing when I flip the safety latch on the hotel room door.

A couple thoughts came to mind about who was behind it all, but Jon and Jessica give nothing away. We have soooo many suspects as body after body drops dead. I chased those red herrings, keeping myself fearful for who will be the next victim. Each time a body falls, there is one less suspect. LOL

I love everything about the book…a blizzard…no one getting out…no one getting in…the Hilton House Hotel.

The clues add up, suspect’s are eliminated, one by one, and, funny that such a small town seems to invite in so much murder? Do you have an opinion?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Murder of Twelve by Jon Land.

GOODREADS BLURB

In the latest entry in this USA Today bestselling series, Jessica Fletcher takes on an Agatha Christie-style mystery when she finds herself stranded in a hotel during a blizzard with twelve strangers and a killer in their midst….

Still staying at the Hill House hotel while her beloved home is being rebuilt, Jessica Fletcher finds herself sharing the space for a weekend with a dozen members of a wedding party who have gathered there for a rehearsal dinner. The families of the bride and groom can’t stand each other but have agreed to put aside years of long-simmering tension to celebrate the nuptials.ser

Unfortunately, weather forecasters underestimated the severity of a storm that turns into a historic blizzard that dumps nearly five feet of snow on Cabot Cove, leaving everyone stranded.

But the hotel guests have bigger things to worry about than bad weather conditions and potential cold feet, because a murderer has shown up uninvited–one who has vowed to take them down one by one….

ABOUT JON LAND

Jon Land is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of 36 books, including the bestselling Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series that includes Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance and, most recently, Strong Rain Falling. The Tenth Circle marks the second return engagement of his longtime series hero Blaine McCracken on the heels of last year’s Pandora’s Temple which was nominated for a Thriller Award and received the 2013 International Book Award for Best Adventure Thriller. Jon’s first nonfiction book, Betrayal, meanwhile, was named Best True Crime Book of 2012 by Suspense Magazine and won a 2012 International Book Award for Best True Crime Book. He is currently working on Strong Darkness, the next entry in the Caitlin Strong to be published in September of 2014. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Brown University, where he continues to maintain a strong volunteer presence, in 1979.

Stalk Jon: Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Giveaway – Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penny @liz2penney @dollycas

Posted on January 15, 2020 by fundinmental

Hems & Homicide (Apron Shop Series)
by Elizabeth Penney

About Hems & Homicide

Hems & Homicide (Apron Shop Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks (December 31, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1250257948
ISBN-13: 978-1250257949
Digital ASIN: B07SBQ9Y2Z

Welcome to the first in the Apron Shop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, set in the quaint village of Blueberry Cove, Maine where an expert seamstress turned amateur sleuth is getting measured for murder. . .
Iris Buckley is sew ready for a change. After the death of her beloved grandfather, Iris decides to stay in her Maine hometown to help out her widowed grandmother, Anne—and bring her online hand-made apron designs to real-time retail life. Her and Anne’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, is set to include all the latest and vintage linen fashions, a studio for sewing groups and classes, and a friendly orange cat. The only thing that they were not planning to have on the property? A skeleton in the basement
Anne recognizes the remains of an old friend, and when a second body shows up in the apron shop—this time their corrupt landlord, whom Anne had been feuding with for decades—she becomes a prime suspect. Now, it’s up to Iris to help clear her name. Enlisting the help of her old high-school crush Ian Stewart who, like certain fabrics, has only gotten better-looking with age and her plucky BFF Madison Morris, Iris must piece together an investigation to find out who the real killer is. . .and find a way to keep her brand-new business from being scrapped in the process.

About Elizabeth Penney

Elizabeth Penney is an author, entrepreneur, and local food advocate living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In addition to writing full-time, she operates a small farm. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. She is represented by the fabulous Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Elizabeth’s writing credits include over twenty mysteries, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She’s also written screenplays with her musician husband.

She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.

Author Links

Webpage: www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com
Twitter: @liz2penney
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7877413.Elizabeth_Penney

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Giveaway & Playlist – The Darkest Gateway by Jeri Westerson @RoxanneRhoads

Posted on October 15, 2019 by fundinmental

Shivery Playlist for a Creepy Halloween

by Jeri Westerson

I must confess, my playlist isn’t the typical fare of “Monster Mash” and “Love Potion Number Nine.” It’s about the soundtrack I like to listen to when I’m writing my paranormal tales. These are for my series Booke of the Hidden that takes place during all of the month of October and culminates on Halloween. The series wraps up with the fourth book, THE DARKEST GATEWAY. Tea proprietor Kylie Strange finds and opens the mysterious Booke of the Hidden, and must capture deadly creatures she’s unwittingly unleashed, while juggling the advances of an alluring and dangerous demon and a very human and handsome sheriff. So I need different tunes to get me in the mood.

So let’s start with “Devils” from Say Hi. Because my urban fantasy deals with a supernatural Booke and a demon guardian who gets intimately close to Kylie, the song deals with the devil getting hold of everything in the singer’s life, even “he make it to my heart”—just like Kylie.

The next one is Valerie Broussand’s “A Little Wicked”, because Kylie and Erasmas Dark, the demon, do get a little wicked. Especially when she can’t decide between the handsome sheriff or the demon. Who would YOU chose?

And then there’s “In the Shadows” by Amy Stroup. This mysterious and evocative tune really takes you there. There may be humor in these books, but there is still something not quite right, not…quite…human going on. It’s a song that gives me the shivers.

And just to lighten things up—and because the First Werewolf comes out of the Booke and bites one of Kylie’s friends—there’s the incomparable Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”. Who doesn’t like a werewolf with a pina colada in his hand “…and his hair is perfect.”

And finally, a haunting song that will spirit you away, right to the dark shadows of Samhain, Halloween, with all the dangers and powers that shimmer and awaken this night. Loreena McKennitt’s “The Mummer’s Dance” recalls strange and secret Celtic festivals in a darkened wood lit only by moonlight.

The Darkest Gateway

Booke of the Hidden

Book Four

Jeri Westerson

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Publisher: JABberwocky Literary

Date of Publication: October 2, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-625674-25-8

ASIN: 978-1-625674-23-4

Number of pages: 301

Word Count: 90,181

Cover Artist: Mayhem Cover Creations

Tagline: “Whoever said country life was dull didn’t know Moody Bog.”

Book Description:

With the arrival of Samhain, the supernatural Booke of the Hidden is set to release a barrage of deadly creatures onto the hapless village of Moody Bog, Maine.

Tea proprietor Kylie Strange knows the showdown is coming and wants to end the Booke for good. But the only way to accomplish this is a journey to the Netherworld and get the help of the only being powerful enough to destroy the Booke: Satan himself. And, though the brooding and elusive demon Erasmus Dark has captured Kylie’s heart against her better judgment, she ignores his repeated warnings that the mission guarantees her doom.

Amazon

Series Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/vI5d1tFsBYM

Except:

I moved to the very edge of the road and waited.

The sound grew louder. It couldn’t be anything except hoofbeats. They clopped, not in a gallop but in a leisurely canter. And soon, there was the Dullahan coming around the curve. His head looked even greener and slimier under his arm than it had before, if that were possible.

His weirdly roving eyes spotted me easily. He kicked his red-eyed horse’s sides and hurried toward us. All the while, he swung that spine whip. With each revolution around his headless neck, the weapon grew longer and longer.

I kept the spear close to my side. I didn’t want that whip to catch it the way it had gotten the crossbow the last time.

He was almost upon me when he shrieked, “Kylie Strange!”

“That doesn’t work on me, you idiot!” I yelled.

The face frowned under his arm. It cast its googly eyes toward Erasmus and opened his mouth to yell his name.

“He’s a demon, remember? We’ve been through this before. Boy, you sure have a short memory. Must be because your brain is decaying faster than the rest of you. Looks like a bad case of melting Roquefort you got there.”

His dead face either grimaced or it really was melting. “Then I don’t need to say your name,” he said in a high screechy voice.

He spun the whip. Before I could get out of the way, it came at me and wrapped around my body, trapping my arms at my sides. I barely got out a yell before I was yanked off my feet.

The horse started galloping and I was flung out behind it almost parallel to the road. I couldn’t bring the spear up. I was whipping around in the air and getting a little seasick, but it was better than being dragged behind on the asphalt. There wouldn’t have been much left of me after that.

The bones of the spine whip were digging sharply into my skin. I tried wriggling free. If Headless decided to fling me off a cliff, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I knew Erasmus must be around somewhere, but this was up to me to figure out…if I could.

The Dullahan galloped around a sharp curve and I was thrown and dragged through the limbs of pine trees shouldering the road.

“Dammit!” I yelled, spitting out pine needles. “I am so going to kill you!”

He lifted his head up with his other arm. It swiveled and glared at me. “Not if I kill you first, Mistress Strange.”

“No need to be so formal,” I grunted, struggling. I slammed into some holly bushes and OW!

The face cackled and turned away, tucked back under his arm again. Then I looked up and saw what he was cackling about. The next curve of the road didn’t have any nice prickly holly bushes or spikey pine boughs. It was just granite all the way up the rock face. “Shit!”

About the Author:

Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON is the author of twelve Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery novels, a series nominated for thirteen national awards from the “Agatha” to the “Shamus”. Her fifth novel BLOOD LANCE was named one of the Ten Hot Crime Novels for Colder Days by Kirkus Reviews, and her sixth, SHADOW OF THE ALCHEMIST, was named Best of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. For BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, her urban fantasy series, Publishers Weekly said, “Readers sad about the ending of Charlaine Harris’s MIDNIGHT, TEXAS trilogy will find some consolation in Moody Bog.” The fourth and final in the series, THE DARKEST GATEWAY, releases October 2, 2019. Jeri also writes the humorous SKYLER FOXE LGBT MYSTERIES under the pen name Haley Walsh. Jeri’s short stories were included in several mystery anthologies, including Shaken: Stories for Japan (for the 2011 Earthquake Relief Fund). Jeri was also featured on two local NPR shows, “My Awesome Empire” and KVCR-Arts. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and as vice president and California Crime Writers Conference co-chair for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime. See more about Jeri at JeriWesterson.com, BOOKEoftheHIDDEN.com, and SkylerFoxeMysteries.wixsite.com/novels.

http://www.jeriwesterson.com/

http://bookeofthehidden.com/

https://skylerfoxemysteries.wixsite.com/novels

http://writeronaspit.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/author.westerson

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1432724.Jeri_Westerson

https://www.amazon.com/Jeri-Westerson/e/B001JRTDJC

https://www.pinterest.com/jeriwesterson/