Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Body on Baker Street: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery by Vicki Delany

Book Synopsis
Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room in anticipation of the store’s upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock’s legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table―dead.

Donald insists he didn’t do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author’s bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta’s depiction of the Great Detective. It’s up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body on Baker Street, the second Sherlock Homes Bookshop mystery perfect for fans of Miranda James and Kate Carlisle.

Author Bio
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than twenty-five books:  clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. Under the name of Eva Gates, she writes the Lighthouse Library cozy series for Penguin Random House. Her latest book is Body on Baker Street, the second in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane.

Vicki is the past president of the Crime Writers of Canada.  Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. 

Author Links
www.vickidelany.com   
Facebook:  Vicki Delany & Eva Gates  
Twitter: @vickidelany and @evagatesauthor

Purchase Links
Amazon  B&N


Giveaway
(1) Print Copy Body on Baker Street: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery by Vicki Delany
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Review and Giveaway - A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery) by J. A. Hennrikus

Book Synopsis
When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company. For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crimes and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director.

But when her best friend is arrested for killing his father, the rich and powerful Peter Whitehall, no one is looking for another suspect. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a killer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband gets on the suspect list and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.

My Review
A Christmas Peril is the first book in a fun new mystery series.  It focuses on Sully Sullivan, a former police officer who now manages a local theater.  As she prepares a production of A Christmas Carol, she gets drawn into the mystery of a wealthy local businessman's murder.   

This was a very enjoyable mystery!  I was interested in reading it because I love theater.  (I worked in theater in my 20's.)  I also love A Christmas Carol.  These aspects of the story were particularly enjoyable to me.

Sully is a great character - strong, brave, and resourceful.  I enjoyed seeing her use her skills as a former police officer to solve a local mystery.   The budding romance in the book was also a fun aspect.

There are a lot of characters introduced during the first few chapters, and I found them a little hard to keep up with initially.  Once I got a few chapters in, though, I found the book hard to put down.

The book is well written, with well developed characters and an intriguing mystery.  It moves quickly and is well paced.

I recommend A Christmas Peril for fans of cozy mysteries.  Anyone who loves theater will especially enjoy this book.

Author Bio

J. A. Hennrikus is the author of the Theater Cop Mystery series. As Julianne Holmes, she writes the Agatha-nominated Clock Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Hennrikus blogs with the Wicked Cozy Authors, is on the board of Sisters in Crime, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America. She is also an arts administrator who lives in Massachusetts. 

Visit her online at www.JHAuthors.com.

Webpage – https://jahennrikus.com/
Wicked Cozy Authors Blog – https://wickedcozyauthors.com/ 

She tweets under @JulieHennrikus, and am on Pinterest and Instagram, and have a page on Facebook. I also blog on Live to Write/Write to Live, and I blog on Killer Characters on the 20th of each month.

Purchase Links
Amazon   B&N

Giveaway
(2) Print Copy - A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery) by J. A. Hennrikus - U.S. Only.  (Ends 9/21)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Great Escapes Book Tour.

Dear Abby: Things I Learned On Summer Break

Dear Friends,

I am so glad to be back!  Did you miss me?  I missed chatting with you here.   I had a fun and relaxing month off.  My time included a houseguest (my friend Elsie), a birthday, and lots of time to rest and enjoy life.

Here are a few things I learned on my time off:

It's nice to have some time to just relax.

A friend makes any day nicer!  This is my friend Elsie, who stayed with me for 5 days while her dad was out of town.

Sometimes you have to share the softest pillow.

 With a good friend you can just relax together.

Birthdays are fun!  (I turned 8 years old on August 25.)

They are REALLY exciting!

What is that?  Is it for me?

 Birthdays involve treats!

 And at the end of the day, there is always time to take a nap.

How was your summer?  I hope you had a great one!   I am really glad to be back blogging and look forward to catching up regularly here.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

Book Synopsis
Dana has already learned that love isn’t safe . . . but could it be different in Rock Harbor? 

As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances. In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she’s faced enough emergencies in her own life. She recently escaped her abusive fiancé to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful.
But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared. Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out. Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend’s desperate screams on the other end. Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home—and threatens to keep her from the future she’s always wanted.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review 

Beneath Copper Falls is a mystery in the Rock Harbor series by Colleen Coble.  This book tells the story of Dana Newell.  Dana is a 911 dispatcher, recently returned to her hometown in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  She is on the run from a dangerous stalker ... but finds herself involved in solving another mystery with the help of an intriguing man named Boone.

 

This is a true romantic suspense novel, with the romantic storyline and mystery having fairly equal roles in the story.   I thought both aspects of the storytelling were strong.

 

Dana is a brave, kind woman who has had a tough life since her parents died tragically in a boating accident when she was 8 years old.  She relies on her faith, her friends, and her stepbrother Chris.  

 

Boone is a fire jumper who was scarred in a fire.  He is cautious of romantic involvement until he meets Dana.   I loved the way these two wounded people found strength together, and the way their immediate connection was based on friendship first.

 

There are two mysteries in this novel:  Dana's ex-boyfriend stalker, and also the mysterious deaths of several women who died under similar circumstances.   The mysteries were very well done.  I found it hard to put this book down because I wanted to see how these storylines were resolved, and also see if they were somehow connected.

 

This is my first read in the Rock Harbor series.  It took me a few chapters to catch up with the characters and figure out who was who and how they were connected.  That said, Beneath Copper Falls then worked well as a standalone novel.  

 

I recommend Beneath Copper Falls for fans of romantic suspense, fast paced mysteries, and Christian fiction.   I look forward to reading more by Colleen Coble in the future.  

Author Bio
USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

Summer Blog Break

Hi all!

Abby and I are taking a blog break for the rest of August and will return after Labor Day.  Hope you have a great rest of the Summer!

Trish