murder

Bookouture Tour for Verity Bright’s A Very Irish Mystery

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I’m here today to chat about the latest Lady Eleanor Swift cozy mystery, A Very Irish Mystery by Verity Bright. I love this series and this character and her dog. Hard to believe this is book #25. You don’t need to read them in order – jump in anywhere! I did not figure this one out before the end. I did love that it took place in Ireland.

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

Lady Eleanor Swift is having a grand time cosying up with her husband in Dublin’s traditional pubs, eating their fill of Irish stew and soaking up the craic… Until another body ruins all their plans!

Lady Eleanor Swift is visiting Dublin with her husband Hugh Seldon and butler Clifford to meet Samuel O’Sullivan, a man who may be able to tell her more about the mysterious disappearance of her parents two decades ago. Deciding they should explore the city a little more, they jump at the chance to visit the world-renowned Finnegan’s brewery.

But their taste test of the famous black stout turns deadly when Eleanor spots a body in one of the barrels! The dead man is none other than the owner of the brewery, Fergal Finnegan himself. Sensing a scandal, the head of operations hires The Byron Detective Agency to investigate.

It seems there was no pot of gold at the end of Fergal’s rainbow. Did his debt-ridden younger brother kill him for his inheritance? Did the fact Finnegan wouldn’t leave his wife make his mistress murderous? And was there more to fight about with rival brewer George Gaffney than just profits?

When their chief suspect is found dead only days later and the top-secret formula for a new beer goes missing, the agency is almost thrown off the case. But Eleanor doesn’t give up on justice. Will the luck of the Irish be on her side before the killer catches up with her?

A totally unputdownable Irish cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Carlene O’Connor!

What readers are saying about A Very Irish Mystery:

“Loved! What a treat.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Gorgeous, fun… superb. Impeccable vibes from start to finish.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Brilliant! I loved it!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I read it quickly and I didn’t want to put it down… I loved this! Definitely recommend.” Goodreads reviewer

Readers love Verity Bright:

‘MY FAVOURITE BOOK… Had me hooked… I absolutely devoured this brilliant read in one sitting as I just could not put it down… I was gutted when I came to the end… Amazing!!!’ bookwormwhitlock86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I absolutely LOVED this!… Had me hooked from the beginning and I kept flipping through the pages because I could not put it down!’ @bookishbri_, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Unputdownable… Had me hooked immediately… Filled with suspense, mystery, laughter… Absolutely perfect… I devoured it in one sitting as I just could not put it down and gave up on lying to myself saying just one more chapter as that never happened!!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘LOVE… I finished this book in one day!’ DianeLikesToRead, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fabulous… Charming… A nail-biting page-turner… Fabulous… I gobbled it up in a single sitting.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The most fun I have had reading a historical mystery! I loved… had me laughing out loud before the tenth page!… I can’t recommend this book enough!’ Too Fond of Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fabulous!… I absolutely adored this!… If you are a fan of Poirot, Miss Marple and Downton Abbey then this book is definitely for you… Kept me guessing right up to the very end.’ my_reading_narnia, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fabulous… I was literally on the edge of my seat… Wonderful… Must-read for every cozy mystery fan… Exactly the escape I needed. I loved it!’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant… I love it… Fabulous… An excellent mystery that kept me guessing.’ BookLoverWorm, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Here’s a bit about the author:

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.

Bookouture Tour for Katie Gayle’s A Country Meadow Murder (Julia Bird #9)

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I LOVE the Julia Bird cozy mysteries, featuring Julia, a retired social worker in her early sixties who lives in the Cotswolds and runs into mysteries at every turn. She is rather a modern-day Miss Marple! This one kept me guessing and I did NOT figure out the murderer! I’m always impressed that a series can have multiple installments and never get repetitive or tiresome.

Don’t forget that you don’t need to read these books in order – they can act as stand-alones, too.

Here’s the scoop:

Spring has come to Berrywick, and Julia Bird is determined to enjoy the fine weather. But not all life is in flower when she stumbles across the body of building expert Basil Crow next to a bright yellow digger. And Julia believes this is no accident.

Julia’s suspicions are confirmed when forensics report a brutal blow to the head. Julia soon learns from pie shop owner, and Basil’s first wife Delilah, that he was not widely liked and left behind three failed marriages. Could one of his ex-wives have wanted revenge? Julia’s friend Tabitha was in a neighbourly dispute with him after he blocked her car in her driveway. But is this motive enough to kill?

Then local choir singer Esmeralda is found dead in the woods. The police think the murders are unconnected. Unlike Basil, Esmeralda was a well-loved soul. Who would want her dead?

Digging for clues, Julia realises that both victims had a link to the proposed redevelopment of the meadow Basil was found in. But would someone really kill to save it? Can Julia find the murderer before someone else is pushing up the daisies?

A page-turning and totally charming cozy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries!

Here’s a bit about Katie Gayle (actually two writers!):

Katie Gayle

Katie Gayle

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Follow us on Twitter @KatieGayleBooks.

Thank you for having me as part of the tour!

Bookouture Blog Tour for: The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater

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I’m here today to chat about The Lucky Winners, the new novel by K.L. Slater. It’s a psychological thriller that explores that less-than-positive side of being a lottery winner (or in this case a new home and cash winner), especially when you have something in your past to hide. I felt sorry for this couple who hit it big with a new gorgeous home and cash prize, only to find their lives upended into stress, especially Merri, the wife, who has a past that she is trying to keep firmly in the past. This is one of those books that once you start it, you don’t want to put it down!

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

Here’s the scoop:

They won their dream home. It’s about to become a nightmare…

When Merri and Dev buy a ticket on the last day of a national draw to win the house of their dreams, they never, in a million years, expect to win.

Less than a week later, they’re receiving the keys to their new Lake District mansion.

For Dev, it’s a dream come true – no more stressful rent negotiations or waiting for the landlord to finally fix the damp. Of course he’s delighted to be interviewed about their good luck.

But Merri feels a little uneasy. Dev doesn’t realise there’s a reason she’s never wanted to put down roots, always trying to run away from the memories of what happened the day her little sister died.

At first, it’s easy to think she’s imagining the shadowy figures in the lakefront garden. It’s silly to think that someone is watching her through the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

And then a body is found in the lake. And Merri’s new perfect life is about to come crashing down…

A completely addictive and unputdownable thriller from the number 1 ebook bestselling author K.L. Slater. The Lucky Winners will have you hooked! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden.

About the Author:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

Find her online:

Murder in a Cornish Tea Shop by Fliss Chester

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I’m excited to dish about a new cozy mystery series by the author who brought us Cressida Faucett – Fliss Chester. This is Murder in a Cornish Teashop and it’s the first in the Maddie Penrose mysteries. I really enjoyed it and enjoyed the characters of Maddie and her spunky Grandmother, Nor.

Here’s the scoop:

A Cornish clifftop, a sunny afternoon, a quaint little teashop… but wait a minute. Is that jam, or blood? Maddie Penrose is determined to find out!

Maddie Penrose is staying with her beloved grandmother, Nor, at her gorgeously idyllic Cornish farm. She’s looking forward to days helping out in Nor’s little teashop and evenings wandering down the cliff path to watch the sunset. But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the door: Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Maddie is straight to the scene, fancying herself as a bit of an Agatha Christie. But solving this mystery is far from a piece of cake. Her list of suspects is jam-packed with locals, with some a little too close to home: the newcomer renting out one of Nor’s barns is acting suspiciously, the victim’s boyfriend has disappeared without trace, and Clive isn’t really Maddie’s cup of tea either…

But the proof is in the pudding when there’s another murder – her prime suspect is dead. And when Maddie finds a backpack belonging to the first murder victim, her diligent notetaking and quick thinking leads her to discover that the killer will act again, and soon. Maddie is horrified to discover that it looks like she is their next target…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer?

A totally addictive, witty and warm cozy mystery that will keep you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

About the Author:

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.

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

B.A. Paris – When I Kill You

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I love a good, twisty suspense novel, and this new one by B.A. Paris comes out today (2.17.26)! It was a good one, and I thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for my review galley.

Here’s the scoop:

Who is watching Nell Masters?

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

Spotlight on: Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill by Ray M. Schultze

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Every answer has a cost—especially in a city where the truth is protected by those who fear it most.

A vanished crime sets the foundation for Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill by Ray M. Schultze, which begins in 1898 San Francisco as Jack London witnesses a murder denied by authorities. His search takes him beyond familiar territory and into districts where unrecorded disappearances and quiet negotiations define everyday life.

Jack’s attempt to understand the event leads him into places where boundaries between groups remain constantly under negotiation. Chinatown’s inner pathways reveal the presence of longstanding disputes and missing young women whose cases attract little official attention. A woman connected to these undercurrents complicates Jack’s efforts, offering direction while adding further uncertainty. As he observes how influence moves discreetly across these areas, he becomes increasingly aware of structures designed to avoid scrutiny. The narrative follows Jack’s efforts to connect the unexplained moment he witnessed to the larger tensions shaping the city’s internal networks.

Ray M. Schultze is the author of six novels, five of them works of suspense—The Last Safe Place, Combustion, The Devil in Dreamland, Decatur’s Dig, and Beranek’s Stand. His most recent novel, Russian River, is historical fiction. His interest in writing began in childhood with a handmade, folded-paper “magazine” that his mother encouraged. After graduating from the University of California at Riverside, he pursued newspaper reporting as a practical way to support himself while writing fiction. Over a twenty-five-year career, he covered politics, the legal system, and education for newspapers in California, Florida, and Arizona. When he turned to fiction full-time, he drew inspiration from authors such as Alan Furst and Ken Follett. Ray now lives in Santa Rosa, California, with his wife, Judi. They enjoy tennis, hiking, exploring the region’s beaches and headlands, and international travel—experiences that often shape his novels’ settings. He is also an award-winning woodworking artist. Visit him at his website.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/48AI8UB (not affiliated with BBNB)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244308185-jack-london-and-murder-on-nob-hill

Publisher: Ray M. Schultze

Publication date: December 2, 2025
Genre(s): Mystery, murder mystery, historical fiction, historical mystery, literary fiction, biographical fiction

Thank you to Melissa at Author Marketing Experts for sharing this tour information with me!

Blog Tour for Murder on a Frosty Night by Verity Bright

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I do love this series and this installment was a fun one to read while we were dealing with frosty weather ourselves, here in New England. Number 24 in the series, and yet the plots never get boring!

Here’s the scoop:

Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up!

Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job.

After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted!

There is very little festive goodwill to go around, as it seems half the village had a grudge against the rich man. Was it one of the Frisham sisters, owners of the tavern and rumoured to be in a love triangle with Unwin? Or perhaps his maid, who never had a nice thing to say about him?

When another body is found in the ruins of the castle overlooking the town, Eleanor is baffled. Clearly there’s more to this nightmare before Christmas than the gang first thought…

A totally unputdownable historical murder mystery set in an English village at Christmas, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles!

About the Author:

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.

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

Bookouture Blog Tour for MURDER ON THE CLOCK by Lucy Connelly

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I was excited to receive a copy of the latest installment in the Mercy McCarthy Mysteries. Mercy and her twin sister run a bookshop in Ireland and are US transplants. I love these cozy mysteries and the characters in them!

Here’s the scoop on this one:

The town of Shamrock Cove is gearing up for a grand summer festival… but the fête turns fatal when a clockmaker is killed. Can amateur sleuth Mercy McCarthy crack the case?

When Mercy McCarthy takes her beloved mother’s watch to be fixed, she’s completely charmed by the little repair store and the father-and-son duo who run it. Little does she know that the clock is ticking… when she returns, she finds the father lying unconscious amid broken glass, and her mother’s watch is missing.

The police think Mr. Flynn was attacked in a burglary gone wrong but soon suspects closer to home start coming out of the clockwork. Mercy, her sister, and their canine sidekick, master body sniffer-outer Mr. Poe, set out to gather clues and help the local detective find the killer.

Could it be the family next door to the Flynns who’ve been feuding for decades? His fiercest rival, who’s long dreamed of shutting him down? Or was his son less devoted than he seemed? As the hours tick away, another murder and the discovery of a long-buried secret changes everything…

The summer festival is fast approaching. Can Mercy solve the mystery in the nick of time, or will someone stop her clock?

A completely charming and page-turning Irish cozy mystery. Fans of Agatha Christie, Carlene O’Connor and Faith Martin will absolutely love the Mercy McCarthy series!

About the Author:

Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.

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

Bookouture Blog Tour for MURDER MOST BRITISH by Helena Dixon

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I truly enjoy this “Secret Detective Agency” series, so I was thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the latest installment, Murder Most British.

Here’s the scoop:

Big Ben chiming in the distance, chilly walks along the river Thames, cocktails at the Ritz… and a government secretary dead? Only Jane Treen can solve the case!

London, 1941. Miss Jane Treen is faced with another mysterious disappearance within her Secret Detective Agency’s team. Tabitha Moore, a government typist, was on her way to meet Jane with vital information about some secret codes. But she didn’t turn up for work and has seemingly vanished without trace. Then Jane and her colleague, handsome codebreaker Arthur Cilento, receive a call: a body has been found, and it matches Tabitha’s description…

It quickly becomes clear that Tabitha’s death was not due to ongoing air raids on the city: the silk scarf tied tightly around her neck suggests otherwise. The prime suspect is Tabitha’s fiancé Leo Cavendish, a dashing government official, but there are plenty of others with a motive too. Jane and Arthur scrutinise those around Tabitha at work and at home, including a charming newsreader reporting on government affairs, a jealous pianist in love with Leo, and a known womaniser and gambler fond of causing trouble.

Together, Jane, Arthur and her fluffy ginger cat Marmaduke hole up in her London townhouse, with black coffee in plentiful supply and a roaring fire in the grate. But just as they begin to piece together the puzzle, someone else is found dead. It’s clear they need to step up and catch the killer on the loose in the big smoke, before it’s their turn next…

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!

Here’s a bit about Helena Dixon:

Helena Dixon is a Black Country woman living in Devon. Married to the same man for over forty years she has three daughters, two grandsons, 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. She now writes historical 1930’s and 40’s set cozy crime. Helena enjoys hearing from readers and you can read her news and contact her via her website, visit her blog, find her on Twitter/X @NellDixon and friend her on Facebook or follow her on instagram or Threads.

I think I love this series so much because it, in part, reminds me of the Maggie Hope series by Susan MacNeal. I always love a plucky, intelligent heroine!

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

Harper-Collin’s Blog Tour for THE PERFECT HOSTS by Heather Gudenkauf

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I love being part of HTP blog tours – the books are always SO GOOD!

This was a suspense mystery centering around an explosion at a wealthy young couple’s gender reveal party. (Can we talk about gender reveals? These started after my own were born. They are really not my thing — it’s odd to me that people are so fixated on a baby’s perceived gender. Think of it — when you are expecting the first thing people ask is ‘do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?’ So interesting to me…).There was no dearth of suspects and the plot was rather twisty. I thought I had it all figured out — but I was wrong! I really liked the main character cop, Soldano. Let’s have a sequel with him – or better yet – a Netflix limited series!

Here’s the scoop:

The Perfect Hosts

Heather Gudenkauf

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

320 pages

About the Book:

A couple’s gender reveal party turns deadly and everyone is a suspect in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest.

Is it a boy or a girl? They would die to know…

Madeline and Wes Drake have invited two hundred of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets.

As the aftershocks of the bloody party ripple across the small town, Agent Jamie Saldano is brought on the scene to investigate. Battling his own demons from the past, Saldano unearths a web of deceit spun around the Drakes. The appearance of some unexpected houseguests only deepens the mystery. And as tensions mount, it becomes clear that the explosion wasn’t just an unlucky accident. But who was the target, and why? As the shadow of a killer looms, the happy parents-to-be must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

About the Author:

Heather Gudenkauf is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Weight of Silence, The Overnight Guest and Everyone Is Watching. She lives in Iowa with her husband and children. 

Social Links:

Website: https://heathergudenkauf.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Heather-Gudenkaufs-Books-259685275092/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathergudenkauf/ 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hgudenkauf/ 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heather-gudenkauf 

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Hosts-Novel-Heather-Gudenkauf-ebook/dp/B0DQQ9BRLR 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-perfect-hosts-heather-gudenkauf/1146709766?ean=9780778360049 

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-perfect-hosts-original-heather-gudenkauf/22162822?ean=9780778360049&next=t 

Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488236150-the-perfect-hosts 

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Perfect-Hosts/Heather-Gudenkauf/9780778360049 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-perfect-hosts-by-heather-gudenkauf/-/A-94483956?preselect=94481317#lnk=sametab 

Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/otherwise-engaged-a-novel/9780778387268.html  

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-perfect-hosts?sId=7c9b6427-a9f0-4dbf-824b-e63babdb3880 

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-perfect-hosts/id6739534386 

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour! Pick this one up today – Heather never disappoints!