Guest Post, Spotlight & Giveaway: WHAT FRESH SMELL by Jeffrey Marks

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As part of a Blog Tour organized by Great Escapes Free Virtual Book Tours, I am pleased to have Jeffrey Marks as my guest today as he celebrates the release of What Fresh Smell, the third book in the Marissa Scott Mysteries series. A fan of puns, Jeffrey is offering a free copy of his holiday-themed book, Love Stinks, to anyone who leaves a punny title in the comments.

Ho-Ho-Homicide by Jeffrey Marks

With the holidays coming up, I thought I might say a few words about another book in the Marissa Scott series, Love Stinks. All of the books in the series take place around a particular holiday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Father’s Day. Love Stinks, the second book in the series, takes place around the Christmas season, which is historically the busiest time at a mall.

This book was published second, but is actually a prequel to The Scent of Murder. If you prefer to read books sequentially in that universe, then Love Stinks would come first; however, if you prefer to read them by date of publication, then The Scent of Murder would precede it.

Love Stinks begins with Cincinnati’s favorite celebrity, Steve Douglas, coming back to town to tout his new cologne. When he arrives at Kantor’s department store, he begins his spiel, only to keel over dead on the podium. Since the death occurred in the cosmetics department, which Marissa manages, she is tasked with trying to bring order back to the department so sales are not impacted. Given the stress of dealing with Christmas sales, Marissa has to work with her friends to find out the murderer and get the department back to normal.

I love the title puns that I’ve been using in the books (Love Stinks, What Fresh Smell). I am thinking that the next one may be Smell in a Handbasket, but I won’t know for sure until the book is finished.

I’d be happy to give a free copy of Love Stinks to anyone who leaves a pun title (about noses, smells, scents, odors, etc) in the comment section.

About What Fresh Smell

There’s Murder in River City – Daycare that is.

When Marissa learns that a teacher at the daycare center has been murdered, she comes to the realization that she really didn’t know much about the people who worked there, especially the murdered woman. She’ll now have to manage her son, her mother, her mother’s Scottish terrier, and an ex-boyfriend as she tries to hunt down the people behind a robbery ring and the person who killed a daycare teacher. If she’s not careful, she might meet the same fate.

You can purchase the book on Amazon.

Giveaway

Click here to enter a rafflecopter for a chance to win a copy of What Fresh Smell by Jeffrey Marks.

About the Author

Jeffrey Marks is a long-time mystery fan and freelancer. After numerous mystery author profiles, he chose to chronicle the short but full life of mystery writer Craig Rice.

That biography (Who Was That Lady?) encouraged him to write mystery fiction. His works include Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s/1950s, and a biography of mystery author and critic Anthony Boucher entitled Anthony Boucher. It was nominated for an Agatha and fittingly, won an Anthony. He won a Malice Domestic Grant for The Scent of Murder, which has spurred the Marissa Scott series. What Fresh Smell is the third novel in the series.

His work has won a number of awards including the Barnes and Noble Prize and he was nominated for a Maxwell award (DWAA), an Edgar (MWA), three Agathas (Malice Domestic), two Macavity awards, and three Anthony awards (Bouchercon). Today, he writes from his home in Cincinnati, which he shares with his spouse and three dogs.

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