Bookouture Blog Tour for Death in the Crypt by Fliss Chester

April 30, 2024April 29, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love this historical cozy mystery series so I was excited to receive the latest installment! In this one, Cressida and her sweet pug Ruby are solving a murder/theft mystery at an old church. It was pretty tricky to figure out and also fun along the way. Even those this is part of a series, I think you can read each title as a stand-alone.

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

Here’s the scoop:

The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…

Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…

Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrewsof Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?

As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?

The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?

A totally gripping and deliciously witty historical murder mystery with a gasp-out-loud reveal, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

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

Tweets by SocialWhirlGirl

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CNTRG61Xsocial

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

March 15, 2024March 14, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I just finished reading this amazing new book by Ariel Lawhon and it is destined to be one of my top picks of 2024. When I first started this novel, I thought “this feels SO familiar” and I was reminded of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s book about a midwife’s diary from the 1700’s in Maine (A Midwife’s Tale, which won the Pulitzer in 1991). This is the same Martha Ballard, but Ms. Lawhon has taken the facts of the diary and written a story around them, making it a true gem of historical fiction.

Here’s the scoop:

GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

“Fans of Outlander’s Claire Fraser will enjoy Lawhon’s Martha, who is brave and outspoken when it comes to protecting the innocent. . . impressive.”—The Washington Post

“Once again, Lawhon works storytelling magic with a real-life heroine.” —People Magazine

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

I loved this book, though at times it was disturbing as it highlighted the harshness of life in the 1700’s and in a patriarchal society (note: there is description of sexual assault and rape). While I had originally received this book through Net Galley to review, my copy disappeared off my kindle at some point and I had only read a third of it, so I purchased mine from Amazon so I could finish it!

A Country Wedding Murder by Katie Gayle

March 14, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

If you read me, you know I love the Julia Bird mystery series! Julia is middle-aged and always seems to be bumping into mysteries, but she isn’t annoying (like Jessica Fletcher) or as elderly as Miss Marple. And I love that she has her black lab in tow for her adventures.

This one focuses on her ex-husband’s wedding and a death that happens as part of the events. I did find the pacing of it a bit slower than in the former books, with more dialogue and less description and actions — but that could just be me. I didn’t do an analysis or anything, it was just my feeling as I read it. It was well-plotted and once again, I enjoyed reading about the characters of Julia’s small village!

Thank you for my review copy through Net Galley!

Here’s the scoop:

Description

The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?

When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn’t love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.

The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.

Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?

But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?

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

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian

February 24, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m excited today to be part of the blog tour for Vera Kurian’s new thriller A Step Past Darkness.

This was a fast and exciting read, following 6 friends who witness something terrible and come back together twenty years later when one of them dies from a supposed accident. I could see this book being for adults or YA or new age readers. What I really could see would be it as a Netflix or Hulu limited series.

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

Here’s the scoop:

A Step Past Darkness : A Novel

Vera Kurian

On Sale Date: February 20, 2024

9780778310761

Hardcover

$30.00 USD

Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

448 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER meets Stephen King in this character-driven thriller about a study group of six teenagers who witness something tragic in an abandoned mine, which comes back to haunt them 20 years later.

SIX CLASSMATES.

ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT.

A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING…

There’s more to Wesley Falls than meets the eye, but for six high school students, it’s home.

Kelly, the new girl and rule-follower.

Maddy, the beauty and the church favorite.

Padma, the brains and all-A student.

Casey, the jock and football star.

James, the burnout and just trying to make it to graduation.

And Jia, the psychic, who can see the future.

When these six are assigned to work on a summer group project, their lives are forever changed. At an end of the year party in the abandoned mine, they witness a preventable tragedy, but no one will take them seriously. As things escalate, they realize the church, the police, and the town’s founders are all conspiring to cover up what happened. When James is targeted as the scapegoat, to avoid suspicion, they vow their silence and to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.

Twenty years later, Maddy is found murdered is Wesley Falls, and the remaining five are forced to confront their past and work together to finally put right what happened all those years ago. If they can survive…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vera Kurian is a writer and scientist based in Washington DC. Her debut novel, NEVER SAW ME COMING (Park Row Books, 2021 was an Edgar Award nominee and was named one of the New York Times’ Best Thrillers of 2021. Her short fiction has been published in magazines such as Glimmer Train, Day One, and The Pinch. She has a PhD in Social Psychology, where she studied intergroup relations, ideology, and quantitative methods. She blogs irregularly about writing, horror movies and pop culture/terrible TV.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Author website: https://www.verakurian.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/verakurianauthor/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vera_kurian

BUY LINKS: Not affiliated with BBNB

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-step-past-darkness-original-vera-kurian/20155061?ean=9780778310761

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Step-Past-Darkness-Novel/dp/0778310760

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-step-past-darkness-vera-kurian/1143574161

The Shadow Box by Luanne Rice

January 3, 2024January 2, 2024 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I recently received this title as a free gift for my kindle as part of the Kindle First Reads program through Amazon. I’ve only read one other Luanne Rice book but I loved this one! It was suspenseful and exciting. I read the whole thing in two days over winter break.

Here’s the scoop:

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

The Amazon Charts bestselling author of Last Day delivers a haunting thriller about how far one wife is willing to go to expose the truth―and the lengths someone will go to stop her.

After artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left for dead in her home on the Connecticut coast, she doesn’t know who she can trust. But her well-connected husband, Griffin―who is running for governor―is her prime suspect.

Just before the attack, Claire was preparing for an exhibit of her shadow boxes, one of which clearly accuses Griffin of a violent crime committed twenty-five years ago. If the public were to find out who her husband is, his political career would be over. Claire’s certain her husband and his powerful supporters would kill her to stop the truth from getting out.

When one of Claire’s acquaintances is murdered, the authorities suspect the homicide is linked to the attack on Claire. As the dual investigations unfold, Claire must decide how much she’s willing to lose to take down her husband and the corrupt group of elites who will do anything to protect Griffin’s interests and their own.

I need to find more novels by Luanne Rice! Happy Reading!!

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for: Two Dead Wives

December 28, 2023 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m thrilled to be part of the tour for this new Adele Parks novel: Two Dead Wives. This one kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat! I stayed up late reading it so I could see what happened. If you know me, you know I love suspenseful mysteries – this was a great one!

Here’s the scoop:

TWO DEAD WIVES

Author: Adele Parks

ISBN: 9780778333579

Publication Date: December 26, 2023

Publisher: MIRA

18.99 US | 23.99 CAN

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.adeleparks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAdeleParks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adeleparks

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45427.Adele_Parks

Author Bio:

Adele Parks, Hon Grad, photographed at home in Guildford for The Graduate magazine

Adele Parks was born in North Yorkshire. She is the author of twenty-one bestselling novels. Over four million UK copies of her work have been sold, and her books have been translated into thirty-one different languages. Adele’s recent Sunday Times number one bestsellers Lies, Lies, Lies and Just My Luck were short-listed for the British Book Awards and have been optioned for development for TV. She is an ambassador of the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, two charities that promote literacy in the UK. She is a judge for the Costa Book Awards. Adele has lived in Botswana, Italy and London and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey. In 2022 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature.

Book Summary:

Lost. Missing. Murdered? How do you find a woman who didn’t exist?

It’s a case that has gripped a nation: A woman with a shocking secret is missing, presumed dead. And her two husbands are suspects in her murder.

DCI Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things. You can’t presume anything when it comes to crimes of the heart. Until a body is found, this scandalous and sad case remains wide open.

Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, and shielded from any news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered.

How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy?

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour! I would LOVE to see this one on television some time!

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for The Weekend Retreat

December 26, 2023December 23, 2023 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m super excited to be part of the blog tour for this new title by Tara Laskowski, The Weekend Retreat. This was a suspenseful read, focusing on a family coming together to celebrate a birthday, but some people are going to end up dead. What is the backstory on these characters? Who hates them so much that they are ready to kill? Grab this one to find out – I promise you won’t be able to put it down!

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

THE WEEKEND RETREAT

Book Summary:

Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their lush winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It’s a tradition they’ve followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.

With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?

When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…

Author: Tara Laskowski

ISBN: 9781525811456

Publication Date: December 26, 2023

Publisher: Graydon House

18.99 US | 23.99 CAN

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Social Links:

Author website: https://taralaskowski.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.laskowski.9

Author Bio:

TARA LASKOWSKI is the author of The Mother Next Door and One Night Gone, which won an Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and Anthony Award, and was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Left Coast Crime Award, Strand Critics’ Award, and Library of Virginia Literary Award. She is also the author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders, has published stories in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Mid-American Review, among others, and is the former editor of SmokeLong Quarterly. Tara earned a BA in English from Susquehanna University and an MFA from George Mason University and currently lives in Virginia. Find her on Twitter and Instagram, @TaraLWrites.

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for THE VACATION by John Marrs

December 17, 2023 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m always thrilled to be part of the Harper-Collins blog tours, and this fall there were SO MANY good books from which to choose.

If you know me, you know I like suspenseful mysteries that are not overly violent/gory, so The Vacation was the perfect blend of mystery and suspense for me!

This was my first John Marrs book, but it won’t be my last. I know he is a favorite author of many readers. I did find that there were a lot of characters in this novel (and I read on my kindle so I can’t easily flip back), but it was suspenseful, which is something I love for my late night reading!

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

Here’s the overview:

THE VACATION
Author: John Marrs
ISBN: 9781335006042
Publication Date: 12/19/2023
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
18.99 US | 23.99 CAD

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Social Links:

Author website: https://www.johnmarrsauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmarrs.author/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmarrsauthor/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmarrs1

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmarrs.author

Book Summary:

How far would you run to escape your past?

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep…

This holiday-set read is a compulsive and addictive thriller, perfect for fans of T.M. Logan.

Author Bio:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan. Follow him at www.johnmarrsauthor.co.uk , on Twitter @johnmarrs1, on Instagram @johnmarrs.author and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnmarrsauthor.

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Perfect Little Lives by Amber and Danielle Brown

December 9, 2023 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m happy to be a stop of the blog tour for Amber and Danielle’s new novel: Perfect Little Lives. I will admit that it took me a bit to get into this novel, in part because I was expecting a different type of read in the beginning (I thought it started in the past with the murder) and I was also not prepared for the level of “spiciness”, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it. For me, it felt like a “new age” genre read, which can sometimes be a challenge for an over 55 gal like myself!

Here’s the scoop:

Perfect Little Lives

Authors: Amber and Danielle Brown

ISBN: 9781525805059

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Publisher: Graydon House/HarperCollins

Buy Links: Not affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins.com: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/perfect-little-lives-amber-and-danielle-brown?variant=41028995514402

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/perfect-little-lives-original-amber-and-danielle-brown/19612183?ean=9781525805059

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfect-little-lives-amber-and-danielle-brown/1142864657?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1525805053/keywords=thrillers?tag=harpercollinsus-20

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781525805059

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.amberanddanielle.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ambersharelle

Tweets by dani_nicbrown

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

Goodreads

Book Summary:

LibraryReads December Bonus Pick!

ON ASHER LANE, SOME SECRETS ARE WORTH KILLING FOR…

Simone’s mother was murdered when she was thirteen. When her father was convicted, everything changed. Overnight, Simone went from living in a wealthy white neighborhood to scraping by.

Ten years later, Simone has given up on her dreams and lives a quiet life, writing book reviews and getting serious with her boyfriend. But with a true crime documentarian hounding her for a scoop and a surprise encounter with her childhood next-door neighbor, Hunter, the past seems set on haunting her. And after Hunter reveals that his father and her mother had a years-long affair, Simone is determined to find out who really killed her mother.

Simone is convinced that all evidence points to Hunter’s father, a renowned judge who had everything to lose if his affair—and his nascent love child—came to light. Playing the game from all sides, Simone enlists Hunter’s help in her investigation into his family—whether he realizes it or not. But is she so desperate for closure that she’ll risk imploding her carefully rebuilt life?

Authors’ Bio:

Amber and Danielle Brown both graduated from Rider University where they studied Communications/Journalism and sat on the editorial staff for the On Fire!! literary journal. They then pursued a career in fashion and spent five years in NYC working their way up, eventually managing their own popular fashion and lifestyle blog. Amber is also a screenwriter, so they live in LA, which works out perfectly so Danielle can spoil her plant babies with copious amount of sunshine. Their debut Someone Had to Do It, was a Library Reads pick.

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

Bookouture Blog Tour for: Death on the Scotland Express by Fliss Chester

November 29, 2023November 27, 2023 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love the Cressida Fawcett cozy mysteries so I was thrilled to take part in Bookouture’s latest blog tour featuring the newest mystery by Fliss Chester. These stories are always well-plotted and fun to read. You can read them in order or individually as stand alones (always helpful!). Cressida is the type of person I’d like to be friends with — intelligent, intrepid, and funny!

Book Description:

Someone on board has a deadly destination in mind… can Cressida stop them before it’s too late?

After an eventful trip to the Scottish Highlands, Cressida Fawcett is looking forward to being back among her society friends in London. Enjoying an ice-cold martini in the lounge car of the express train, loyal pug Ruby on her lap, she’s ready to blow off some steam!

But Cressida’s hopes for a relaxing journey are dashed when a gunshot resounds through the carriages. Industrial tycoon Lewis Warriner has been shot dead in his cabin. And as this train has been racing through the countryside, the culprit must be among Cressy’s fellow passengers…

Teaming up with Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard, also on his way back to London, they work their way through the suspects. Did Warriner’s mistress, a famous dancer, see his death as her ticket on to the silver screen? Or was it the mysterious man who can’t take his eyes off Lewis’s close companion?

When the murder weapon is found in the compartment Mr Warriner’s wife occupies alone, she becomes the chief suspect. Until there’s another gunshot. When Cressida finds out that Andrews is hit, panic sets in, but she must try to stay calm.

But with her friend and co-investigator out of action, can Cressida get the journey, and the investigation, back on track? And will she catch the murderer before they reach their final destination?

Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss will absolutely love this addictive Golden Age cosy mystery.