Bookouture Blog Tour for Death in an English Village by Fliss Chester

April 11, 2025April 9, 2025 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I do love this historical cozy mystery series so much and this most recent installment was fun to read and figure out. Nothing can stop Cressida Fawcett, and I love that she goes nowhere without her pug. If you enjoy series like Her Royal Spyness and Verity Bright’s mysteries series, you are sure to enjoy this series, too! You don’t need to read them in order, as they can stand alone, but reading them in order is more fun, I think!

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour.

Book Description:

When the family gardener is murdered near a site of legendary buried treasure, dog-lover and mystery-solver Cressida Fawcett is on the case!

1926, Sussex. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to return to her parents’ rambling mansion to introduce them to her pug Ruby’s puppies. But when the pups go running off with Cressida in hot pursuit, they lead her to a bubbling stream – Hell’s Ditch. And the body of Bob the gardener is floating there, his outstretched hand clutching a soggy cheese and pickle sandwich.

Everyone assumes Bob died of natural causes. But when Cressida finds a glittering gold coin grasped in his other fist, she realises this is part of the long-hidden Saxon hoard. Was Bob struck down by the gold’s ancient curse? As Cressida interviews the colourful members of the local historical society, she learns that Bob had been boasting of new-found wealth, much to the annoyance of his wife, and perhaps deadly jealousy of the other members…

Luckily for Cressida, eminent historian Sir James Colston, friend of the family, arrives at the mansion with tantalising information on the whereabouts of the rest of the Saxon gold. He promises to tell all, but the very next day he collapses into his morning porridge…

To Cressida’s horror, Marian – Bob’s widow and her parents’ cook – is accused of poisoning both the porridge and Bob’s sandwich and is carted off to jail. But Cressida is sure the answers are buried in the past. Just how far would a history boffin or a hard-up local go for an ancient pot of gold? And can Cressida dig up the truth before poison worms its way into her family’s kitchen again?

An absolutely addictive, warm and witty whodunnit that will keep you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DG2WKYQTsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Bookouture Blog Tour for A Recipe for Murder by Verity Bright

April 2, 2025 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Book Description:

Cream cakes, cucumber sandwiches, apple tarts and… poison? Lady Swift is trying to plan the menu for her wedding, until murder strikes in kitchens across the village!

Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There’s a lot to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake.

But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of poisoning. And as the doctor confirms her death wasn’t an accident, accusations fly around the whole community.

With more of the village struck down by the poison, Eleanor must unmask a killer who seems intent on spreading chaos amongst her nearest and dearest. Everyone is accusing their neighbour… and Eleanor is in a pickle as the seating plans for the wedding fall apart. But she soon has bigger fish to fry when the source of the poison is traced to a trusted establishment in town. Eleanor is certain they are being framed and that sabotage is afoot…

And when a sample of poisoned wedding cake is delivered anonymously to Hugh working at his station miles away in Oxford, Eleanor realises that while she has been planning for the future, her past has been catching up with her. Eleanor must race across the countryside to save her love from certain death. Can Eleanor find the proof in the pudding and save Hugh in time? And will the poisoner finally get their just desserts?

A gripping and totally twisty historical cozy mystery set in an English village. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and L.B. Hathaway won’t be able to put this down.

I do love this series and I love how Lady Eleanor is always bumping into mysteries and murder. It is a fun historical cozy series and I loved this one because she was also planning her wedding. I didn’t figure this one out, but I did enjoy it! Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour. I’m always impressed when I can read a series and the stories never grow stale!

Author Bio:

Confident woman at office with laptop computer, mobile phone, and schedule notebook.Gradients, Blending tool, Clipping mask is used.

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DP2SNXL5social

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Bookouture Blog Tour for Helena Dixon’s The Secret Detective Agency

March 29, 2025 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I really enjoyed the first in this new cozy/historical mystery series, focusing on two apparently mismatched undercover detectives, Jane and Arthur. I already have the second installment in the series to read for the near future!

I liked the writing style of this book, which reminded me a bit of the Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal. I do love anything from the WWII period! I also chuckled out loud several times while reading as well — always appreciated!

Thanks so much for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!

London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…

Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur’s country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand.

In the sleepy Devon village, someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died?

No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…

But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…?

If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s totally gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Verity Bright!

Author Bio:

Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and
lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a
cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and
housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010
as Nell Dixon.

https://www.nelldixon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ nelldixonauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/ helenadixonuk/

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DQLTGRGFsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Bookouture Blog Tour for A VILLAGE THEATRE MURDER by Katie Gayle

March 13, 2025March 12, 2025 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I just LOVE the Julia Bird mysteries, and I especially enjoy how Julia is an intelligent, middle-aged woman who loves her dog! This one took place during a community theater production and anyone who knows me knows how much I love community theater! Hard to believe this is the 7th in series; you do not need to read them in order and each can be a stand-alone.

Thank you for my copy and having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Book Description:

There’s nothing quite like a night at the theatre. But Julia Bird is expecting a night of sweeping drama, not an onstage murder!

At the end of Berrywick’s amateur theatre’s latest production, a shot rings out amongst the rapturous applause. But when Julia Bird peeks through the curtain, she sees lead actor Graham is lying still on the stage, his co-actor Oscar looking down at his prop gun in shock. She knows that Graham has been murdered, but with nearly everyone in the village helping with the play, anyone could have tampered with the props. And why was a beloved family man the target?

Graham’s wife Jane collapses in a puddle of tears as Oscar is comforted and led away from the stage. But days later when Julia spots prim and proper Jane kissing Oscar, she wonders if the grieving widow’s tears were fake. Graham served Jane divorce papers the day of the tragedy – was he killed before he could spill the beans on his wife’s affair, and sully her perfect reputation?

Meanwhile, the aptly named director, Roger Grave, wants the show to go on. The play is up for a local award, and this might just be Roger’s big break. But when failed actor Hector is not assigned the lead role he assumed he’d get, the mood among the cast quickly turns sour. Could Hector have killed Graham out of jealously for the leading role, Julia wonders?

Then another member of the crew is found dead and Julia discovers there’s a dark secret at the heart of Berrywick’s local theatre society. But who would kill to protect it? Can Julia find the murderer before it’s curtains for another victim?

A totally gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will absolutely love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both made their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats.

https://www.facebook.com/ KatieGayleWriter

https://twitter.com/ KatieGayleBooks

Buy Link: (NOT affiliated with BBNB)

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DGQL9HZFsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

February 18, 2025January 20, 2025 / drbethnolan / 1 Comment

My friends over at Random House offered me a copy of this novel to review via Net Galley and I thought that it sounded like something I would enjoy. Well, I didn’t just like this novel, I loved it! I really, really loved this story, the characters, the plot, everything about it. It’s only January but it will probably be one of my Top Ten of the Year! One of my favorite things is that there is a page of sheet music at the end (even on kindle!) so that you can see the song the protagonist composed (I play the piano so I was really into this).

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

On sale February 25, 2025

More about The Secret History of Audrey James:

Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.

So who is Heather Marshall and why is she not already on my “bestie” list?? I had not read her earlier book, Looking for Jane (but obviously need to). She lives with her family in (or near) Toronto (why do some of most favorite authors live in Canada? Do I need to move there? Trilby Kent and Elinor Florence, what do you think? I literally thought that everything I loved related to literature was in the UK but now I need to reconsider). At the end she says she is working on a new novel about women’s mental health historically in Canada – sounds intriguing!

If you love reading WWII stories with a past/present timeline and interesting, strong female characters, don’t miss this one!

Thank you, Random House team, for my copy!

We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen

December 26, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love this series so much! The latest one in the series has Georgie with her young baby and husband tucked away against the cold in her large manor home, but nothing is quiet and simple! The incorrigible Mrs. Simpson comes to stay, Georgie’s brother and his family arrive, and a movie producer and team descend on the estate to make a film. It’s all a little much and when people start disappearing, and dying, Georgie must figure out what is happening in order to bring her peace and quiet back.

Highly recommended as a fun, cozy series that you don’t have to read in order – but even more fun if you do!

Here’s the scoop:

Description

New mother Lady Georgiana “Georgie” Rannoch finds herself trying to separate fact from fiction when a murder occurs while a film is being made on the grounds of her estate in a new Royal Spyness Mystery from beloved bestselling author Rhys Bowen.

It’s late 1936, and King Edward is in turmoil, having fallen in love with the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. He wants to marry her but knows that doing so will jeopardize his crown. Edward confides in his dear friend Darcy, Georgie’s husband, and the couple agree to hide Wallis in their home while Edward figures out what to do.

But unbeknownst to Georgie and Darcy, Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate, has given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while raising a newborn baby seems like it couldn’t be any more stressful for the Rannochs, until one of the stars of the film is found murdered on set. Georgie must solve the murder for king and country before scandal threatens to envelop them all.

Thank you for my copy via Net Galley!

Bookouture Blog Tour for HOME IS WHERE THE LIES LIVE by Kerry Wilkinson

December 8, 2024December 5, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love a twisty thriller and this one had me reading it straight through! I wanted to figure out what each of these characters were up to and who was hiding what. It reminded me of a Shari Lapena read, if you enjoy her novels (I do!). When I read these novels, I just want to move to England and live in one of these neighborhoods (but no murders, please!). And no, I did not figure it all out. And look at that author bio. This author is on a roll!! He’s definitely one to watch.

Thank you for my copy, for letting me participate in the tour, and for giving me the opportunity to share this one with readers!

Book Description:

Even the most perfect home can hide shocking secrets. But on this peaceful street, is one of them dangerous enough to kill for?

Young married couple Heidi and Freddie just moved to Huntington Grove. All the neighbours see they are friendly and polite but why is one door in their house always locked?

Across the street, Willow tries not to argue with her teenage daughter – even as her marriage is falling apart. And where does her husband really go each night, leaving the bed beside her cold?

Feeling lonely, she always waves hello to single dad Dylan next door. His wife died in a tragic murder. The culprit was never found. It’s no surprise there are rumours he was involved…

On a beautiful sunny day, it’s time for the whole street to gather for a summer party. Everyone plasters on a fake smile. But soon the picnic tables will be overturned, sirens will blare – and one of the residents will be marched away in police handcuffs.

Everyone at the party will be questioned. But everyone will lie…And with every household hiding something, who has a secret big enough to kill for?

An absolutely addictive psychological thriller that proves you can never really know what goes on behind closed doors. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and The Perfect Marriage.

Author Bio:

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

https://kerrywilkinson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks/
https://twitter.com/kerrywk

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DLP7KZ12social

Blog Tour for Verity Bright’s A MIDWINTER MURDER

December 4, 2024November 30, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

If you know me, you know I love a good, historical mystery, and this series with Lady Eleanor is so fun to read. It reminds me of an Agatha Christie – lots of good suspects and everyone is gathering on estates and such in England in the past. Plus Lady Eleanor has a sweet doggo – what’s there not to like?

It’s hard to believe that this title is number 20 in the series. I have read them in order as they came out, but you can read them as stand alones, too. This one had a Christmas theme — fun reading!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Homemade baubles, reindeer-shaped cookies and snowy walks across the rolling moors… but Lady Swift’s festive plans are ruined when a body turns up!

Winter 1924. When Lady Eleanor Swift unexpectedly finds herself a guest of the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke, she’s determined to enjoy Christmas with all the trimmings at his sprawling manor house. And that includes kisses under the mistletoe and cozying up by the fire with her fiancé, dashing detective Hugh Seldon.

Instead, the season of goodwill turns frosty as she finds the Duke’s studious secretary, Mr Porritt, dead in the storeroom. Clasped in his chilly hand is a golden pendant in the shape of a rose. The Duke denies ever having seen the necklace before. But Eleanor can see the lies in his eyes… Did it belong to his mysteriously absent wife?

Hugh and Eleanor must ditch relaxing with hot cocoa in favour of interviewing the Duke’s holiday guests. Every suspect has a secret they’d kill to keep: the socialite with the false name, the Sir with a questionable inheritance and the husband hiding a crack in his marriage.

As the blizzard outside rages, Auldwyke Hall becomes cut off. Trapped by the snow, Eleanor and Hugh must skate around the increasingly secretive Duke to unwrap the identity of the killer. But does the answer to the secretary’s murder lie with a ghost of Christmas past? And when an attempt is made on the Duke’s life too, they realise the killer is closer than they think…

A gripping and twisty Golden Age murder mystery set in a country house on the Yorkshire moors, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!

Author Bio:

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DH4SVQ3Wsocial

Bookouture Blog Tour for Fliss Chester’s Death in the Mayfair Hotel

September 16, 2024September 14, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I absolutely adore this fun cozy mystery series set in the 1920’s. Cressida is always bumping onto trouble and I love that she goes everywhere with her little pug, Ruby. There’s always a lively cast of characters in each story and it will keep you guessing! I also love “holiday reads”, set during the holiday season.

Are you a fan of Rhys Bowen’s Lady Georgie (Royal Spyness series)? If so, you will certainly enjoy this series by Fliss Chester!

Book Description:

In a candlelit ballroom, London’s most fashionable amateur sleuth, Cressida Fawcett, is dancing the night away in her sparkling silk dress. It’s a night Cressida will never forget. Because outside the window, there’s a body under the falling snow…

Christmas Eve, 1925. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to attend an exclusive ball at London’s glamorous Mayfair Hotel. When she steps out into the moonlit courtyard with her little pug Ruby wrapped in her furs, she is thrilled to see a dashing man propose to her best pal under the swirling snowflakes. But instead of squealing ‘yes’, Dotty lets out a terrified scream…

Because floating in the fountain, with her long blonde hair rippling in the ice-cold water, is the body of their dear friend Lady Victoria Beaumont.

It’s clear the wealthy young beauty was murdered, whacked over the head with a bottle of champagne. Would Victoria’s elderly husband Lord Beaumont kill his wife over rumours of her younger beau? Or did someone clobber Victoria to prevent her producing an heir for the Beaumont fortune?

A snowstorm prevents the authorities from arriving, and just as Cressida searches for clues, she finds herself locked inside a large wicker hamper. Why does the scent of the hamper’s smoky luxury tea remind her of the crime scene? And will a suspiciously rotund Ruby follow her snuffly nose and find Cressida in the nick of time?

Trapped in the hotel with a killer lurking among the guests, will Cressida lose someone dear to her heart? And when she finds a clue among the Christmas crackers, can Cressida solve her most mysterious case yet?

The perfect cozy whodunnit for a cold winter’s night. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss won’t be able to put this down!

Author Bio:

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

Tweets by SocialWhirlGirl

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CZPCRZS2social

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Bookouture Blog Tour for Katie Gayle’s Murder on a Country Walk

September 13, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I LOVE this series – cozy mysteries featuring Julia Bird, former social worker, single older woman, and dog lover! In this one a body is found off a cliff near a popular walking trail and Julia is sure that it is not an accident. I actually didn’t figure this one out in advance either.

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour!

Book Description:

Julia Bird loves a walk in the countryside. There’s nothing quite like the fresh air and green rolling hills of the Cotswolds to clear your head. Unless you come across a dead body, that is…

When the local Berrywick vet, Dr Eve Davies, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, the police believe it’s nothing more than a tragic accident, but Julia isn’t so sure. Just a few days earlier when she took her dog, Jake, to the vets, Dr Eve said she believed something awful was about to happen. It turns out she was right…

But who would want the beloved village vet dead? Was it her mother Kay, a down-and-out gambler who stands to inherit her unwedded daughter’s home? Was it her assistant Olga, who was close to getting fired? Or was it her cut-throat tennis partner Will, with whom Dr Eve had an argument shortly before she took a tumble? And who is the stranger skulking around Berrywick peering into people’s windows?

When a second body appears in the exact spot where Dr Eve was found, Julia knows it can’t be a coincidence. Both victims were pushed off the cliff, but why? Should Julia let sleeping dogs lie, or will she be like a dog with a bone to find the murderer?

A totally gripping and charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats.

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

Tweets by KatieGayleBooks

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CY6BCMFNsocial