Review & Giveaway: THE GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY by Elizabeth McKenna

As part of a blog tour organized by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, I recently read The Great Jewel Robbery (A Front Page Mystery), the first book in a new series by Elizabeth McKenna.

About the Book

Mystery with a splash of romance…

Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.

My Review

I liked this book. Emma and Grace are likeable, well-developed characters. It was easy to relate to Grace’s frustration with her job, and even easier for this reader to relate to Emma’s love of donuts. The author has drawn a diverse cast of characters, some more likeable than others (kind of like the real world), and brought them together for a weekend gala fundraising event. Mix in an assault, a robbery, a murder, and a hint of romance and the result is an enjoyable and sometimes surprising read. A great start to a new mystery series.

FTC Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a digital copy of The Great Jewel Robbery and a $25 Amazon gift card.

About the Author

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

Author Links