#newrelease

Review & Giveaway: PURLS BEFORE SWINE by Rebecca McKinnon

~ CassidySalem ~ 4 Comments

This week, Rebecca McKinnon is celebrating the release of Purls Before Swine and I was lucky enough to received an ARC of this cozy mystery. Although this is the third book in the Clear Creek Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the previous books yet).

About the Book

Autumn has arrived in the Rocky Mountains. The resort that was almost the death of the small town of Clear Creek is trying to mend relations by hosting a local artisan show.

Jemma has been asked to create a display showing beginner projects all the way up to expert. Hoping to knit up attention for the shops in Clear Creek, she agrees. The last thing she expects is to trip over a body in the middle of the exhibits.

Curiosity piqued, she wants to know how someone was killed under the watchful eyes of the resort’s security staff — headed by the man she loves.

Even though her past experiences have taught Jemma she doesn’t want to be anywhere near a killer, when Deputy Chase surprises everyone by asking for her help she can’t bring herself to say no. Because if the killer isn’t bound off before the resort guests leave, someone will get away with murder.

My Review

Set in a small town in Colorado, where everyone knows each other’s buisiness (or at least thinks they do), this mystery follows Jemma as she investigates another murder in Clear Creek.

Jemma is smart, likeable, and easy to identify with. She does a good job rooting out the truth, with help from her friends. One quirky character in particular, Granny (not her grandmother) adds a bit of spice and humor to the character mix. And the charming man in her life is, of course, ready and willing to help in any way he can – as long as it doesn’t mean a conflict of interest, given his job at the resort.

The story is well written and the plot unravels at a nice pace, with twists and turns along the way. The closeknit community and light-writing style make this a good choice for cozy mystery lovers. BTW, if you are on the fence about reading a knitting-themed mystery, don’t be. Unlike some craft-themed cozies, there is just enough detail to appreciate the craft without getting tedious.

FTC Disclosure: I received an advance review copy from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card from the author.

About the Author

Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Website/Social Media Links:

Purchase Link – Amazon

Release Spotlight & Interview: ON THE SLY by Wendy L. Koenig

~ CassidySalem ~ Leave a comment

Today, I am happy to host Wendy L. Koenig as she celebrates the release of her latest book – On the Sly. In our interview, she talks a bit about her writing and herself.

First of all, congratulations on your new release.
There are so many mystery books out there. What makes yours different?

My main character is a kick-ass woman with no special education or training. She just doesn’t stop.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?

This book was completely different when I first wrote it. When I finished, I just didn’t like it, so I started cutting, rearranging and adding. Love the final edition. It took about a year longer than I like, though.

You live in Canada, but your book is set in Missouri – how did you do research for your book?

I grew up about an hour from St. Louis, so I just took a trip home. Kicked around the city a bit to let the feel of it flow through me.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Most people have great stories in their pasts. I borrow ideas from those and mix them up a bit. Also, the news fills in the blanks pretty well.

If you could be a character in your book, who would you be?

Sylvia, of course! Or one of the dogs. Ruffles, probably.

If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?

Anything Classic Rock. Preferably the Stones.

Now for a few fun questions.
Tell us, what’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

I once found myself on horseback in the middle of a field of rattlesnakes. When we realized it, we shot out of there like a cannon. Both myself and my horse were unharmed, though it took a long time for me to stop shaking.

Do you like to travel? Have a favorite destination?

Everywhere!!! I love to travel.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which three books would you want with you?

Any Jack Reacher book, Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre, and an empty book of just paper (with a pencil, of course).

What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

I joined the US Air Force right out of high school.

What TV series are you currently binge watching?

Jack Ryan, the Tom Clancy series. And Murdoch Mysteries. I’ve already watched Lincoln Lawyer and Jack Reacher about a dozen times now.

What is your personal theme song?

“Born to Run” (Bruce Springsteen)

That’s a wrap. Thank you, Wendy, for stopping by.

About the Book

Sylvia Wilson, a bar owner in St. Louis, Missouri, arrives at work to discover the body of an ex-police officer in her locked bar. The police focus on her as their primary suspect, so she decides to launch her own investigation into the dead man and his accomplices. But when the killer sends her clear messages that she and her loved ones are on his radar, she knows it’s just a matter of time before someone ends up dead. 

Get your copy on:
Amazon or Goodreads

About the Author

Wendy Koenig is a published author living in New Brunswick, Canada. Her first piece to be printed was a short children’s fiction, Jet’s Stormy Adventure, serialized in The Illinois Horse Network. She attended University of Iowa, honing her craft in their famed summer workshops and writing programs. Since that time, she has published and co-authored numerous books and has won several international awards.

For more information, visit Wendy at her website: www.wendylkoenig.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Spotlight & Giveaway: TUESDAY TRASH AND TROUBLE by Joanna Campbell Slan

~ CassidySalem ~ 1 Comment

Joanna Campbell Slan’s Tuesday Trash and Trouble features a down-on-her-luck divorcée whose passion for solving crimes lands her in the arms of a secretive cowboy–and the cross-hairs of a vengeful killer. Tuesday Trash and Trouble is the third book in the Friday Night Mystery Club Series by Joanna Campbell Slan.

About the Book

The year is 1986, the place is…pitiful. It’s Decatur, Illinois, known for high unemployment, striking unions, the pervasive stink of soybean processing, and seven railroad crossings at one intersection.

A wrong turn along life’s marital highway has left Catherine “Cragan” Collins stuck in Decatur. With a mountain of post-divorce bills to pay, Cragan takes a job selling high-priced newspaper advertising. If she’s lucky, her commissions will cover the cost of her grandmother’s stay in a nearby retirement home.

After the divorce, Cragan swears off men, but she’s a sucker for a guy in a nice suit. She falls hard for a man who publicly snubs her. On the rebound, she accepts an invitation from Ross Gentry, a quiet hunk who favors pearl snaps and cowboy boots. Cragan reasons that her heart is safe, because she and Ross come from two different worlds. But one night in his arms might be enough to prove her wrong.

Without warning, everything blows up in Cragan’s face. Her boss threatens to take away her accounts, a friend’s little sister is kidnapped, and an overnight guest is shot. Cragan’s best friend, Pru, is accused of attempted murder. After all, Pru’s gun was used in the crime.

Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. These mystery-loving career women are a group of smart cookies. Can their combined talents prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?

It takes a club to solve a mystery!

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a $10 gift card from the author.

About the Author

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida. You can email her at jcslan@joannaslan.com or visit her website at https://linktr.ee/jcslan

Author Links 

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Guest Post, Spotlight & Giveaway: MURDER SERVED NEAT by Michelle Hillen Klump

~ CassidySalem ~ 1 Comment

I am happy to have as my guest today, Michelle Hillen Klump, as she celebrates the release of Murder Served Neat, the second book in the Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. In her guest post, she tells about one of the sources of inspiration.

Inspiration from a City
Guest post from Michelle Hillen Klump, Murder Served Neat

When I sat down to write my first cozy mystery series, I knew I wanted to set it in my adopted hometown of Houston, Texas. As the fourth-largest city in the US with its twelve-lane freeways and massive sprawl, it wasn’t the likeliest setting for a cozy. But there is a lot of charm here that is overlooked by those who associate it only with its chemical plants and oil refineries, its big-city grittiness and traffic.

The city is full of interesting neighborhoods where you can find people and food from nearly every country in the world; a tremendous arts community with theater, ballet, opera and the symphony; and beautiful parks where people from all corners of our city come together to play and have fun.

In my series, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite parts of the city and show it off to those who may only have preconceived notions of Houston. In my first book, A DASH OF DEATH, I focused on the quaint historical community of the Highlands, my fictional stand-in for the Houston Heights neighborhood. The Heights is full of old Victorians and bungalows and even a little shopping district of galleries and boutiques that could rival any small town main street found in more traditional cozies.

In my second book, I wanted to pay homage to another aspect of the city that I have always loved – the access it provides to mix and mingle with people from so many different cultures. On any given Saturday in Houston, you can stumble into a cultural festival where you can learn about international cuisines and traditions that you may otherwise have never encountered before. At these festivals, you can learn Bollywood dance moves, hear music from the Caribbean or watch a cooking demonstration from South America.

MURDER SERVED NEAT takes place during one such festival hosted by the German-Texan lodge. Though the lodge in my book is purely fictional, dozens of these cultural heritage societies exist in Houston with the goal of celebrating and preserving their unique traditions and what they represent to the community at large. German settlers in particular made many contributions to Texas culture, influencing everything from beer and brass bands to barbecue.

I hope my book captures a flavor of the fun to be found at these festivals, sampling unique foods listening to traditional music and watching traditional dance performances. I frequent them often with my family, and every time we leave, I’m left with an appreciation of how much richer our lives are because of the cultural melting pot that is Houston.

About the Book

Reporter-turned-mixologist Samantha Warren has already thwarted one murder. Now, her world is shaken—definitely not stirred—once again as another killing throws her world into chaos.

Samantha is mixing up traditional cocktails at the German Texan Lodge’s Fourth of July festival—a gig she was roped into by her mother. But amidst the bratwurst and brass bands, trouble is brewing. Lodge loyalties are divided over a proposal to build a private, country-club-style tennis center on the lodge grounds. Her mom’s best friend Patty Davis is vehemently opposed to the plan. Society matron Angela Clawson is all for it. At the festival, they’re seen in a heated argument—and hours later, Angela is found dead, killed by one of the ceremonial shovels intended for the groundbreaking.

Samantha’s mother begs her to help clear her best friend’s name, but can she handle another murder case or will the whole investigation go bottoms up?

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a signed copy of Murder Served Neat + some cocktail accessories.

About the Author

Michelle Hillen Klump began her writing career as a newspaper reporter, traveling the back roads of central Texas and Arkansas, reporting on everything from natural disasters to crime and corruption. She’s interviewed former presidents, covered a midnight manhunt through the Ozark Mountains, and learned the finer points of how to break a car window from a looter while covering a hurricane. Now, she uses her experiences as fodder for fiction, writing a cozy mystery series about a former reporter turned craft cocktail caterer.

Michelle lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and young daughter. When she’s not writing or working her day job, she enjoys gardening, reading, exploring Houston’s neighborhoods, hiking and biking, and creating craft cocktails for friends and family.

Author Links

Purchase Links – Amazon –  Barnes & Noble – IndieBound  

Showcase & Giveaway: COLD LIGHT OF DAY by Elizabeth Goddard

~ CassidySalem ~ 2 Comments

Recently released, Cold Light of Day by Elizabath Goddard it is the first book in the new Missing in Alaska series. From the description and the early reviews, it’s the kind of romantic suspense/thriller sure to be added to my TBR list.

About the Book

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are–to disappear–when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he’s not sure even Autumn could save him.

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Baker Book House

Giveaway

Click here for your chance to win a gift package, including a print copy of Cold Light of Day.

About the Author

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 50 novels, including the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold over 1 million copies. She is a Carol Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at http://www.elizabethgoddard.com.

Catch up with Elizabeth Goddard:

Click here to view Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard Tour Hosts

Book Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway: DEADLY BETRAYAL by Sheila Kell

~ CassidySalem ~ 1 Comment

Today’s post spotlights a new romantic suspense novel from Sheila Kell. I haven’t read it yet, but it does sound interesting.

About the Book

When trusting the wrong person can be deadly.

What happens when a former FBI analyst quits her job to become a PI and ends up partnering with the man who left her fourteen years earlier? In Sheila Kell’s riveting novel of secrets, deceit, and romance, two people rush to find a killer while reckoning with their growing attraction.

Cassie McKay was tired of being passed over as a FBI field agent. She quits her job as a FBI analyst, moved back home with her mother, and takes a job as a PI. Only she hadn’t expected her partner to be the one man who’d left her years before.

Jack “JD” Walker had done a lot wrong in his life, but he hadn’t killed the mother of his child as the police believed, nor had he expected the only women he’d ever loved to come to his rescue. The two work diligently to prove JD’s innocence while someone is determined to make JD pay.

Deadly Betrayal is the first book in the Coastal Investigations series. If you enjoy a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read, you’ll love this installment of Sheila Kell’s new romantic suspense series.

Read an excerpt:

Before she could turn, a deep, gravelly voice said, “Cassie?”

She spun around, knowing who the voice belonged to, even though she’d last heard it on the man at seventeen years of age. Cassie’s breathless response of only “JD” undoubtedly expressed her surprise along with that flitter in her heart.

His vivid blue eyes turned icy cold. “Who is breaking the restraining order now?”

Confused, her brow scrunched up. “What?”

Without looking away, he shouted, “Gus, what is she here for? I’m not working on a case for her.” The stern voice hit like a slap to the face. What had happened to the JD she grew up with? The man she had one day swore she’d marry. Then Cassie remembered how he had abandoned her when he went off to college, and a fit of familiar anger and hurt surged within her.

“I gotta told you something, yeah. Well, I knowed ya been friends when you were young’uns, so I hired her to work with ya. I hoped it git rid of da prickliness.”

JD snapped his head to Gus. “She works here?”

As she turned back to Gus, she caught the man’s slow grin. “Sure thing, cher.”

She glanced back at JD. As handsome as ever. He sure had filled out nicely as a man. His shoulders were broader, the lines on his face distinguished, and the aura of danger still hung on him.

JD swiveled his head to stare at Gus as if they had concocted this meeting to taunt him or something.

She needed to explain that she wouldn’t be working there after all. “JD, I—”

He pointed at her, anger radiating from him. “I don’t want to hear anything from you.” He turned to Gus, his finger now pointing at the older gentleman. “I can’t believe you, Gus. Here I thought you liked me.” He exhaled loudly. “You can cram this job up your ass.” JD spun and exited, slamming the door behind him.

Cassie stood frozen, shaking. She wasn’t sure what the hell had just happened.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win $25 Amazon/B&N giftcard from the author.

About the Author

Sheila Kell writes about the romantic men who leave women’s hearts pounding with a happily ever after built on memorable, adrenaline-pumping stories. Or, (since her editor tries to cut down on her long-windedness) simply “Smokin’ Hot Romance & Intrigue.” Her debut novel, His Desire (HIS Series #1), launched as an Amazon #1 romantic suspense bestseller and Top 100 overall, later winning the Readers’ Favorite award for best romantic suspense novel.

As a Southern girl who traveled the world with the United States Air Force, she remembers all the embarrassing moments of her fellow veterans to include in her books and laughs every time she does it. Having left behind her days as a College President, she can usually be found nestled in the Mississippi woods, where she lives with her cats and all the strays that magically find her front door. When she isn’t writing, you can find Sheila with her nose in a good book, dealing with the woodland critters who enjoy her back patio, or wishing she had a genie to do her bidding.

For more information….

Buy links:

Review & Giveaway: WHAT THE MONKEY SAW by Lynn Chandler Willis

~ CassidySalem ~ 4 Comments

I recently had the pleasure of reading an advance review copy of What the Monkey Saw, by Lynn Chandler Willis. It is the first book in a new series that features a former F.B.I agent in the role of a compassionate death doula.

About the Book

When F.B.I. agent Emily Gayle’s partner is brutally murdered, Emily forsakes her career at the bureau and returns home to the North Carolina mountains to care for her disabled father. Guilt ridden over leaving her partner alone to die, Emily takes a job as an end-of-life caregiver.

Deep in Appalachia, Jude Courtland is desperate for a fast buck to pay for his grandmother’s chemotherapy. Together with his brother Crispin and cousin, Devo, the trio takes to hijacking insulin delivery vans and selling the stolen drugs on the black market. When Emily is assigned to cancer patient Hazel Courtland, the line separating right and wrong begins to blur.

As the hijackings escalate and turn violent, Emily’s intuition hones in on startling evidence she can no longer ignore.

Struggling with the truth, Emily is torn between her conscience and her loyalty to a dying woman. With her own life in jeopardy, Emily’s forced to take a side. Right or wrong, the consequences are deadly.

Book Links: Amazon

Giveaway

Click here to enter a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Lynn Chandler Willis for chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

My Review

Struggling with feelings of guilt related to her last case as an F.B.I agent, Emily she returns to her hometown in Appalachia, and helps terminal patients and their families. Emily is kind and compassionate, and exceedingly observant with an innate tendency to snoop. The woman she is caring for is feisty and has a sense of humor and Emily is quick to grow fond of her, making it that much harder to juggle the woman’s feelings and the need to act on her suspicions regarding the grandsons’ activities. Jude is a very well-developed, multifaceted character. He is likeable, despite his criminal behavior. After all, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to help his grandmother can’t be all bad.

The narrative alternates between the viewpoints of the two main characters, Emily and Jude. The author does a great job giving each a distinct voice and a glimpse into their innermost thoughts. This was a well-written, thought-provoking read that highlights some of the issues related to healthcare costs. It also provides interesting insights into life in a small Appalachian community and the role of the death doula.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

About the Author

Lynn Chandler Willis is a best-selling, multi-award-winning author who has worked in the corporate world, the television news industry, and had a thirteen-year run as the owner and publisher of a small-town newspaper. She lives in the heart of North Carolina on a mini-farm surrounded by chickens, turkeys, ducks, nine grandkids, a sassy little calico named Jingles, and Finn, a brown border collie known to be the best dog in the world. Seriously.

Catch Up With Lynn Chandler Willis:

·        LynnChandlerWillis.com

·        Goodreads

·        BookBub – @lynn361

·        Instagram – @lynnchandlerwillis_author

·        Twitter – @LynnCWillis

·        Facebook – @lynnchandlerwillis.author

Spotlight & Giveaway: IN THE FRAME by Lyn Farrell

~ CassidySalem ~ 2 Comments

In the Frame, the third book in the Rosedale Investigation cozy mystery series by Lyn Farrell, was released last month. Sounds like an interesting read.

About the Book

Rosedale Investigations team has two cases this time: a missing woman and a client who wants a provenance created for an antique painting. The missing woman dies in an accident but the team doubts it was accidental. Researching the century-old painting reveals that it’s considered cursed and then it’s stolen.

Giveaway

Click to enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a digital copy of In the Frame from the author.

About the Author

Writing as both Lia Farrell and Lyn Farrell, I’ve been publishing books since 2013. I decided to become a writer in the seventh grade. My home life was chaotic and I found peace spending summers at my grandmother’s dairy farm. With little supervision, I wandered the hundred-and-twenty-acre farm and discovered the beauty and healing power of nature. Today, when I need inspiration for my stories, I take long walks. My memories of the time I spent at the farm resulted in a novel “The Cottonwoods” released on 8/21.

My first marriage ended in divorce, leaving me with two young children. Five years later, I fell in love with a divorced professor with six children. Raising that many kids required working full-time. When I retired from Michigan State University, I returned to my original dream of becoming a writer. My daughter, Lisa, and I wrote the “Mae December mysteries” using the penname of Lia Farrell. They are amusing, mental puzzles called cozies, with an element of romance. Cozies are the gentlest subset of the broad genre of crime writing. It’s a comfort read that leaves you satisfied and at one with the world.

Now writing solo as Lyn Farrell, I recently published “The Blind Switch” (January 2021). It’s the first in a series about a private detective agency, Rosedale Investigations. Two of my readers’ favorite characters from the Mae December mysteries, Dory and Wayne Nichols, have starring roles in these books. “The Blind Split” (released 1/11) is the second in the series. In The Frame is the third book in the series.

Author Links

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

Review: UNNATURAL HISTORY by Jonathan Kellerman

~ CassidySalem ~ Leave a comment

A long time fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware mysteries,I was happy to accept and read an advance copy of the next book in the series. Unnatural History is scheduled for release on February 7, 2023.

Description*

Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the affluent coexisting uneasily with the hellholes of the mad and the needy. That shadow world and the violence it breeds draw brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into an unsettling case of altruism gone wrong.

On a superficially lovely morning, a woman shows up for work with her usual enthusiasm. She’s the newly hired personal assistant to a handsome, wealthy photographer and is ready to greet her boss with coffee and good cheer. Instead, she finds him slumped in bed, shot to death.

The victim had recently received rave media attention for his latest project: images of homeless people in their personal “dream” situations, elaborately costumed and enacting unfulfilled fantasies. There are some, however, who view the whole thing as nothing more than crass exploitation, citing token payments and the victim’s avoidance of any long-term relationships with his subjects.

Has disgruntlement blossomed into homicidal rage? Or do the roots of violence reach down to the victim’s family—a clan, sired by an elusive billionaire, that is bizarre in its own right?

Then new murders arise, and Alex and Milo begin peeling back layer after layer of intrigue and complexity, culminating in one of the deadliest threats they’ve ever faced.

*As appears on Amazon.

My Review

As typical of this series, Det. Sturgis calls in his good friend, Alex Delaware, to help with a puzzling case. The victim is a young photographer of considerable means who had a fascination with the city’s homeless. Donny’s intentions were good, however may have been a key factor in his demise. He is an interesting player, identifying a variety of suspects and motives along the way, Although the pace builds as the story progresses, the level of tension and suspense seemed tamer than in other works I have read by this author. Nonetheless, a well-written and interesting read that highlights the plight of the homeless, a real-life topic many prefer to ignore.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

Review & Giveaway: DIAL M FOR MEOW by Ruth J. Hartman

~ CassidySalem ~ 1 Comment

As a bookwom and a confessed fan of almost all things furry, I was happy for the chance to read Dial M for Meow, a recent release by Ruth J. Hartman, and the first book in the new Bookshop Kitties Mysteries.

About the Book

When children’s book author, Christy Bailey, receives a call from her aunt Betty to help out at her bookshop, she drops everything to go. Christy packs up her two cats—Milton and Pearl, the stars of her children’s mystery books—and leaves busy Philadelphia for tiny Green Meadow, Indiana. The timing of the call is perfect, as Christy’s letch of an ex-boyfriend has just cleaned out her savings, leaving Christy with a pile of unpaid bills and a desire to start over. And what better place to do that than a charming small town in Middle America?

But when Christy reaches her aunt’s bookshop, instead of small town hospitality she finds a dead body! Even worse, her aunt is passed out in the corner, hands covered in blood. The dead woman is an old frenemy of her Aunt Betty, and while Christy knows her aunt is innocent, the local detective isn’t so sure. With Milton and Pearl prowling for clues, Christy is determined to find the real killer and clear her aunt’s name… before her story ends in tragedy!

My Review

Christy has only just arrived when a body is found in her aunt’s apartment. Predictably, she is determined to provide her Aunt’s innocence. In the course of her investigative efforts, she becomes acquainted (in some cases reacquainted) with the key players in the small town. Christy is strong willed and decidedly enamored of her real-life cats, who happen to star in her children’s books as well. With the help of friends, she discovers several persons who were quite happy to see Nan dead and buried, suspense builds, and the identify of the killer remains a mystery until almost the very end.

Overall, the story is well written. I loved the cats and their antics, but I think some of the cat-centered narrative could have been trimmed down to focus more on the mystery and its human characters and improve the overall place and flow of the book.

Cat lovers will particularly enjoy the personalities of Milton and Pearl, playful kittens who do their part in bringing the culprit to justice in what I found to be an enjoyable mystery.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win one of four copies of Dial M for Meow from the author.

About the Author

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

Author Links

Purchase Link – Amazon