Sunday, January 28, 2018

Survival of the Fritters

Survival of the Fritters (A Deputy Donut Mystery)
by Ginger Bolton

Survival of the Fritters (A Deputy Donut Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (January 30, 2018)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496711878
E-Book ASIN: B071HKMK38

Emily Westhill runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. But after murder claims a favorite customer, Emily can’t rely on a sidekick to solve the crime—or stay alive.

If Emily has learned anything from her past as a 911 operator, it’s to stay calm during stressful situations. But that’s a tall order when one of her regulars, Georgia Treetor, goes missing. Georgia never skips morning cappuccinos with her knitting circle. Her pals fear the worst—especially Lois, a close friend who recently moved to town. As evening creeps in, Emily and the ladies search for Georgia at home. And they find her—murdered among a scattering of stale donuts . . .

Disturbingly, Georgia’s demise coincides with the five-year anniversary of her son’s murder, a case Emily’s late detective husband failed to solve before his own sudden death. With Lois hiding secrets and an innocent man’s life at stake, Emily’s forced to revisit painful memories on her quest for answers. Though someone’s alibi is full of holes, only a sprinkling of clues have been left behind. And if Emily can’t trace them back to a killer in time, her donut shop will end up permanently closed for business . . .

What I Thought:

I wasn’t sure about this one when I first started it, but I soon became engrossed in it and didn’t want to put it down. Emily and her father-in-law (her husband has passed on) run a donut shop called Deputy Donut. When one of her regulars fails to show up one morning, her and group of ladies, the knitpickers, got to investigate. Of course they find her deceased and they have to wonder if her death is related to the murder of her son, five years earlier. I enjoyed this mystery because it was a little different than most. There were very few suspects in this story, so I was left wondering who could be the killer. I thought Ginger Bolton did a great job writing this story. It flowed really well and was a fast read. I enjoyed the characters in this story, especially Emily. She is a widow and reignites her friendship with her deceased husband’s ex-partner, but she still remains true to her deceased husband. I thought that she was a very loyal person. She also strikes up a friendship with a new lady in town, who happened to be best friends with the victim. Emily believed in her new friend, even when some things seemed shady. I think I liked the reveal of the killer the best in this story, it came as a completer surprise. I certainly look forward to more in the Deputy Donuts Series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Ginger Bolton writes the Deputy Donut mystery series--cops, crime, coffee, donuts and one curious cat. When Ginger isn't writing or reading, she's crocheting, knitting, sewing, walking her two rescue dogs and generally causing trouble. She’s also fond of donuts, coffee, and cafes were folks gather to enjoy those tasty treats and one another’s company.

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Webpage: http://gingerbolton.com/

Ginger has joined Killer Characters! http://www.killercharacters.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGingerBolton/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginger_bolton

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16834862.Ginger_Bolton

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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

BOOK BLAST

About the Book

Natural Thorn Killer (A Rose City Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496705136
Digital ASIN: B073NPHX8Z

Cut down among the flowers . . .

Britta Johnston might be a late bloomer, but after leaving her deadbeat husband and dead-end job, she’s finally pursuing her artistic passion at her aunt Elin’s floral boutique, Blooma, in Portland, Oregon. It’s on the banks of the Willamette, in a quaint district of cobblestone paths and cherry trees. The wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest vintages is a tasty bonus, offering another kind of bouquet to enjoy. But things aren’t as peaceful as they look.

For one thing, someone’s been leaving dead roses around—and a sleazy real estate developer who wants the waterfront property has put a big-money offer on the table. Then, after a contentious meeting of local business owners, he’s found on the floor of the shop, with Elin’s garden shears planted in his chest. And before the police decide to pin the crime on her beloved aunt, Britta will have to find out who arranged this murder . . .

About the Author

Kate Dyer-Seeley aka Ellie Alexander writes multiple mystery series, all with a Pacific Northwest touch. She lives in the PNW with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.

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Sunday, January 14, 2018

Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper

Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper (An Amish Mystery)
by Amy Lillard

Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper (An Amish Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Pennsylvania
Zebra (December 26, 2017)
An Imprint of Kensington Books
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1420142976
E-Book ASIN: B06XZQTCQH

Content to be unmarried and plain-spoken, Kathryn “Kappy” King is an odd-woman-out in the Amish community of Blue Sky, Pennsylvania. But she’s skilled at making the special kapps local women need to cover their hair. And she might be the only one who can unearth the danger hiding in this peaceful valley . . .

When Kappy's neighbor, Ruth Peachey, turns up dead in her yard, everyone in Blue Sky believes it’s a tragic accident. Until the Englisch police find the gentle dog breeder was deliberately struck down—and arrest her mentally-challenged son, Jimmy, for the crime . . .

Jimmy’s sister, Edie, returns to Blue Sky clear his name, yet no one will speak to a shunned former Amish woman, much less give her information. Determined to help, Kappy starts digging for the truth among her seemingly-innocent neighbors. But suddenly a series of suspicious “accidents” threatens Edie and the Peachey farm—property Edie is determined to protect for her brother’s future.

Now, as danger looms large in the small community, Kappy must bait a trap for a killer snapping hard at her heels. And Edie must decide whether to make a home once more in the town she thought she’d left behind . . .

What I Thought:

I enjoy reading Amish stories and I really enjoy mysteries, so I though the combination of an Amish/mystery would be very interesting. I was not disappointed. This was an entertaining story from the very beginning. I liked the character of Kappy, and her relationship with Edie produced some very entertaining reading. Kappy is a member of an Amish community and Edie a former member under the bann. Edie is also the daughter of the deceased and it is her mentally-challenged brother that is accused of the murder. The writing was superb which made the story flow really well. This was a fast read that kept my attention from the beginning and kept me guessing up until the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Amy Lillard is the award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including the Wells Landing series, The Quilting Circle novels, the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries and the Kappy King Mysteries. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives with her husband and son in Oklahoma. Please visit her online at www.AmyWritesRomance.com.

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Guest Post

Oscar Wilde once said, “You can’t go home again.” Yet that’s exactly what I have to do. My name is Edie Peachey and when my mother is murdered and my brother accused of the crime, I have to return to my Amish home in Kishacoquillas Valley, Pennsylvania.

What’s that? Thomas Wolfe said “you can’t go home again,” not Oscar Wilde? I think you may have missed the most important part, but anyway…I left the Amish years ago and turned English. That’s what the Amish call non-Amish people, English. Leaving behind everything you know and heading into the unknown with nothing more than an eighth-grade education is something of a challenge. But I’ve managed. For several years now I’ve lived among the English. I have a job, I learned to drive, and I got my GED. I’ve done the very best I could to fit in and make my new life.

I never wanted to return to Kishacoquillas Valley and certainly not for something as tragic as my mother’s unexpected death. I have a brother Jimmy, who has Down Syndrome, and our mother was all we had left. Our father died years ago. So her death, along with crushing grief, brings another set of problems. What am I to do with Jimmy?

That choice is taken from me when he is accused of our mother’s murder and is arrested and jailed. The police obviously think they’ve got their man, and I’ve seen enough television police dramas to know that they aren’t looking any longer. The real killer is still out there, somewhere!

I don’t have many friends in Blue Sky, the town in the valley where we all live. I’ve been gone too long and cut those ties the minute I jumped the fence. Now that I’m back, I’m shunned. Because I left the church after I joined, no Amish person will speak to me. They won’t offer me food, they can’t do business with me, and I cannot eat at the same table with them. Every Amish person in the valley is upholding these rules, except for Jimmy and one other. Kappy King.

I’ve known Kappy all my life though I can’t say we’re truly friends. We simply knew each other once upon a time. Kappy has always been a little odd. She’s nice enough and we might have been friends if I had given her a chance so long ago. But I can definitely say we’re friends now. Strange what murder can do to the relationships in your life. But Kappy is a decent person. She has always been a good neighbor to my mamm and loves Jimmy as if he were her own brother. She didn’t even get that mad when he painted her door blue to signify that a marriageable-aged female lived in the house. Everyone in the valley knows this is merely a myth, but Jimmy was trying to help Kappy find another suitor and wasn’t taking any chances. I’m not sure Kappy really wants a new boyfriend, and anyone would be better than stuffy Hiram Lapp, her ex. But that’s another story for another day.

I’m really here to tell you about our first adventure together, Kappy and me. Once the police arrested my brother we knew that it would be up to us to find the real killer and free Jimmy from jail. It’s going to take some teamwork and a little bit of help from handsome detective, Jack Jones. But I’m determined to clear my brother’s name. And after that…well, I’m not sure. Once he’s out of jail, I’ll worry about whether or not to stay in Blue Sky and try to prove Thomas Wolfe wrong about coming home.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Gingersnapped

Ginger Snapped: A Spice Shop Mystery
by Gail Oust

Ginger Snapped: A Spice Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Minotaur Books (December 12, 2017)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250081261
Kindle ASIN: B071LM71RR

Piper Prescott and Police Chief Wyatt McBride might have gotten off on the wrong foot but, over the past year, their interactions have evolved into a friendship of sorts. And when the body of Shirley Randolph is found floating in a fishing hole, their relationship reaches entirely new territory.

Shirley, the town's Realtor of the Year, was also Wyatt's suspected romantic interest, and now the residents of Brandywine Creek are speculating that Wyatt is responsible for her death. As the town council moves to suspend the handsome lawman, Piper springs into action to save his reputation and possibly his freedom. She enlists the aid of her BFF, Reba Mae Johnson, along with Wyatt himself, to help solve the puzzle and find Shirley’s real killer.

Pointing them toward high-powered real estate tactics and possible affairs, the investigation soon becomes personal when Piper's shop, Spice It Up!, is burglarized, and she’s forced off the road late one night, narrowly escaping serious injury. Realizing that she must be close to uncovering the truth, and that the evidence against Wyatt is no longer circumstantial, Piper resorts to drastic measures to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.

What I Thought:

Gail Oust has written another great installment in the Spice Shop Mystery Series. I always enjoy visiting Piper and her eccentric friends, like Reba Mae. In this installment, a local realtor is found floating face down in the Police Chief's fishing hole, he becomes the main suspect. Of course, because of their underlying relationship, Piper has to become involved to find out who really killed the victim. When things, like burglaries and being run off the road, start happening to Piper, she perseveres. This was well written and flowed really well. It was a quick read and kept my interest. I was left guessing until the very end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Friends often accuse Gail Oust of flunking retirement. While working as a nurse/vascular technologist, Gail penned nine historical romances under the pseudonym Elizabeth Turner for Avon, Pocket, Berkley, and Kensington. It wasn’t until she and her husband retired to South Carolina that inspiration struck for a mystery. Hearing the words, “maybe it’s a dead body,” while golfing with friends fired her imagination for the Bunco Babe Mystery series originally published by NAL. In conjunction with Beyond the Page Publishing, the Bunco Babe series has been republished in digital format as the Kate McCall Mysteries complete with new titles and a whole new look. Gail has written five Spice Shop Mysteries for Minotaur/St. Martin’s. Her favorite pastimes are reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends.