Litfuse Blog Tour for A RESPECTABLE ACTRESS by Dorothy Love

November 1, 2015October 29, 2015 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Here I am today as part of the Litfuse Blog Tour for A RESPECTABLE ACTRESS, a fun mystery set behind the footlights at the turn of the century.

Here’s what the tour has to say:

About the book:

A Respectable Actress (Thomas Nelson, October 2015)

When India Hartley is accused of murder, she must uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best—and handsomest—lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia lowcountry and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1MUVRqX

About the author:

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

Find Dorothy online: website, Twitter, Facebook

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Me again!

This was a fun read. I have to say that I really enjoyed the novel and its depiction of life in the theater at that time. Of course I love reading about theater at ANY time!

I found it well-researched and was not surprised to find out that this story was in part based on a real life person.

That said, I had some difficulty with the wrap up of the mystery, which felt a bit contrived and I had to suspend my belief in order to accept it. It was fun though, with a little romance and definitely a “clean read”.

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

Review: BROKEN GRACE by E.C. Diskin

October 3, 2015October 2, 2015 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

This book was a Net Galley find a few weeks ago. Here’s the description from Net Galley:

On an icy winter’s day in southwest Michigan, Grace Abbot wakes up as the survivor of a car crash. But she’s left with a traumatic brain injury and a terrifying reality: she can’t remember anything.

Left in the care of her sister, Grace returns to the family’s secluded old farmhouse to recover—but within an hour of her return, the police arrive. Grace’s boyfriend has been murdered. Without any memory, Grace has no alibi.

With suspicion weighing heavily on her and flashes of memory returning, Grace searches for clues to her past. But with every glimpse, her anxiety grows. There is something about the house, her family, her childhood…perhaps the accident isn’t the only reason she can’t remember. Are the dark recesses of her mind hiding something even more sinister and terrifying than she could ever imagine?

Is someone willing to kill again to hide the truth?

If you know me, you know I love, love, love a thriller, especially a psychological one. As the amnesia slowly recedes Grace’s memories return and the tension builds. There were some twists here (some I saw coming, some not). Throughout I felt connected to poor Grace and hoped that she would get it all together (because really — just how much can one person handle??). Can’t say too much more without revealing plot elements and spoilers!

I received an e-copy for review through Net Galley from Thomas & Mercer — thank you!

Review: BROKEN PROMISE by Linwood Barclay

September 22, 2015September 21, 2015 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Another book that I had for a while then got to read (on my cruise!) was BROKEN PROMISE.

I have to say, I love books like this – a little mystery, interesting and relatable characters, etc.

Here’s the description from Net Galley:

From the New York Times bestselling author of No Safe House comes an explosive novel about the disturbing secrets of a quiet small town.…

After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent.

Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own—a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch.

When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened—even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg.

Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past…in blood.

Okay – that makes it sound a tad creepier than it really it. I loved this book and often laughed out loud at the main character, David, as he was rather sarcastic and often in ridiculous situations. I really enjoyed it.

This is the start of a series, but you can easily read it as a stand alone (though you will want more…)

Thanks, Net Galley and Penguin, for my e-copy to review!

Quick Review: X by Sue Grafton

September 10, 2015April 18, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Okay – let’s be honest – I have read ALL the Sue Grafton mysteries. I love these books and I love the character of Kinsey Millhone. I’m always so excited when a new one gets published. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when she reaches “Z”.

The intrepid Kinsey is back and at it in this fun, fast mystery. Kinsey is helping out a former colleague (Pete’s) widow with some old paperwork when she comes across a list of women’s names written in code. Who are they and what do they have in common? Does it tie into an investigation that was ongoing at the time of Pete’s death? Meanwhile, she is also tracking down a lost child (now adult) and dealing with high maintenance new neighbors, all the while being her plucky and down to earth self.

I really enjoyed this installment in the series. Some of these books I’ve liked more than others and this was one on the “liked it!” end of the continuum. It did not tie up neatly at the end and I was okay with that.

I purchased this one as I couldn’t find it in a preview copy for reviewers.

Review: THE CHILD GARDEN by Catriona McPherson

September 5, 2015April 18, 2019 / drbethnolan / 3 Comments

I received this one from Net Galley and Midnight Ink Publishing several weeks ago and read it in two days. If you know me, you know I love anything that is a mystery and I adore all things British. This was a great combination of the two!

In this story, single mother Gloria Harkness lives a quiet life as a registrar in a small town and rents a home (owned by an elderly woman) which is next to a nursing facility where her disabled son lives. One night an old classmate shows up and beings up some long forgotten/buried past secrets involving a classmate’s suicide. The site of their alternative school is where the nursing facility is now. Introverted Gloria is drawn into a whole web of intrigue and secrets when they discover lots of other classmates have died somewhat mysteriously (accidents and suicides) – including one right on the property – and that perhaps it all ties back to what happened that fateful night when several students went on a camp-out at school.

This is a fast-paced novel that keeps you guessing! I just loved the character of Gloria. Her devotion to her son was so touching. You could feel how she had her personal existence and she really wasn’t looking to go public and be out in the spotlight. I also loved the “only in England” elements — Gloria has a large rock in the backyard that is a “rocking stone” and it must be rocked regularly. Clearly this type of thing/tradition only exists in the U.K. and I loved it!

This is what I’d call a “thoughtful mystery”. I enjoyed it!

Thank you for my review e-copy! It publishes on September 8.

Review: TROPICAL JUDGMENTS by David Myles Robinson, Esq.

August 16, 2015April 18, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

My friends at Smith Publicity sent me a kindle copy of David Myles Robinson’s new crime novel: TROPICAL JUDGMENTS. This is one in a series centering on Pancho McMartin, Honolulu attorney, and the first one I’ve read by him. This novel easily stands alone.

In TROPICAL JUDGMENTS a popular Hawaiian performer is murdered in an apparent robbery and a young, homeless black man is charged with the crime. Pancho is asked to defend him as his court appointed defense attorney and he is really not looking forward to the experience. However, the more Pancho and his partner Drew look into the facts, the more they question whether Jackson, their client, is actually guilty, or just at the wrong place at the wrong time. As things progress Pancho starts uncovering an underworld of crime that definitely wants to stay covered.

I just loved this fast paced mystery which takes place in one of my favorite places! If you know me, you know I love all things Hawaiian. There is something intriguing about layering the beauty of the islands and Hawaiian culture with the seediness of drug lords, addiction, and homelessness. I really liked the character of Pancho, and hope to go back and read the previous book in the series.

Here a bit about the author from Net Galley: David Myles Robinson is a retired attorney who specialized in personal injury and workers’ compensation law and was awarded the Consumer Lawyer of the Year by the trial lawyers’ association in Hawaii. He retired in 2012 and currently lives in Taos, NM with his wife. He is the author of Tropical Lies and Tropical Judgments.

If you like a realistic crime novel set in paradise, pick up TROPICAL JUDGMENTS by David Myles Robinson!

Review: NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW by Kevin O’Brien

August 11, 2015April 19, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

If you read me regularly, you know I love a good mystery! I had never read Kevin O’Brien before but this one looked intriguing — a talented chef is being tormented by someone from her past, a movie is being made about a Manson-like murder, people are dying in accidents and a ghost is being blamed, and it all ties together in this fast-paced, twisty murder mystery!

Here’s the description from Net Galley:

A SECRET WORTH KILLING FOR…
In July 1970, actress Elaina Styles was slain in her rented Seattle mansion along with her husband and their son’s nanny. When the baby’s remains were found buried in a shallow grave close to a hippie commune, police moved in—only to find all its members already dead in a grisly mass suicide.

AGAIN…
Now, decades later, a film about the murders is shooting at the mansion. On-set caterer Laurie Trotter ignores gossip that the production is cursed. But then people start dying…

AND AGAIN…
As Laurie digs deep into what happened all those years ago, the truth emerges more twisted than any whispered rumor, as a legacy of brutal vengeance reaches its terrifying climax…

Me again!!

This was one of those books that I just couldn’t put down! Poor Laurie has enough problems – she’s a single mom and young widow, who’s trying to put a major mistake in her past behind her, when she starts being stalked by a guy she had a relationship with. Heading off to Seattle to work with a caterer seems like a great idea until the stalkers seem to have followed her and her new boss appears to be covering up some serious stuff. Secrets abound in this novel – just when you think you’ve figured it out, it changes. Throughout, though, I really liked the character of Laurie who was tough but not perfect. There were lots of side characters who were interesting, too – I particularly liked all her neighbors.

I really can’t say much more without giving too much away — but if you like a fun, fast, mystery/thriller, pick up a copy of NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW!

Thank you, Net Galley and Kensington Books, for my review e-copy!

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour – FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER by Susan Spann

July 14, 2015July 8, 2015 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m happy today to take part in the historical fiction blog tour for Susan Spann’s FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER.

This is the first time that I’ve read a book in this cozy mystery series set in Japan in the 1500’s and I really enjoyed it!

Here’s what HFVBT has to say:

Publication Date: July 14, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Formats: eBook, Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781250027061
Pages: 304

Series: Shinobi Mysteries (Volume 3)
Genre: Historical Mystery

August 1565: When a rival artisan turns up dead outside Ginjiro’s brewery, and all the evidence implicates the brewer, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo must find the killer before the magistrate executes Ginjiro and seizes the brewery, leaving his wife and daughter destitute. A missing merchant, a vicious debt collector, and a female moneylender join Ginjiro and the victim’s spendthrift son on the suspect list. But with Kyoto on alert in the wake of the shogun’s recent death, a rival shinobi on the prowl, and samurai threatening Hiro and Father Mateo at every turn, Ginjiro’s life is not the only one in danger.

Will Hiro and Father Mateo unravel the clues in time to save Ginjiro’s life, or will the shadows gathering over Kyoto consume the detectives as well as the brewer?

Flask of the Drunken Master is the latest entry in Susan Spann’s thrilling 16th century Japanese mystery series, featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and Jesuit Father Mateo.

Praise for Claws of the Cat

“Spann matches period detail with a well-developed whodunit plot in her promising debut, the first in a new series set in 16th-century Japan.”

Shinobi Mystery Series Titles

Book One: Claws of the Cat (Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month)
Book Two: Blade of the Samurai
Book Three: Flask of the Drunken Master

Flask of the Drunken Master Available at

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Susan Spann acquired her love of books and reading during her preschool days in Santa Monica, California. As a child she read everything from National Geographic to Agatha Christie. In high school, she once turned a short-story assignment into a full-length fantasy novel (which, fortunately, will never see the light of day).

A yearning to experience different cultures sent Susan to Tufts University in Boston, where she immersed herself in the history and culture of China and Japan. After earning an undergraduate degree in Asian Studies, Susan diverted to law school. She returned to California to practice law, where her continuing love of books has led her to specialize in intellectual property, business and publishing contracts.

Susan’s interest in Japanese history, martial arts, and mystery inspired her to write the Shinobi Mystery series featuring Hiro Hattori, a sixteenth-century ninja who brings murderers to justice with the help of Father Mateo, a Portuguese Jesuit priest. When not writing or representing clients, Susan enjoys traditional archery, martial arts, horseback riding, online gaming, and raising seahorses and rare corals in her highly distracting marine aquarium. Susan lives in Sacramento with her husband, son, three cats, one bird, and a multitude of assorted aquatic creatures.

For more information please visit Susan Spann’s website and blog. You can also find her onFacebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Here I am again! This was a quick an engaging read for me. I loved learning about the shogun era and the life of a real ninja. It was so interesting to read about the culture of Japan at that time. I think the interaction and friendship between Father Mateo, a Jesuit, and Hiro, the ninja, was really well-crafted and believable. The mystery was well-plotted, too, and I read through the story in just a few sittings. I would LOVE to see these books as a television series through the BBC!

I will look for more from this author and series. Thank you for my review e-copy and for making me part of the tour!

Review: THE BONES OF YOU by Debbie Howells and a Q and A and some GIVEAWAYS!

June 6, 2015April 20, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m happy today to take part in the Kensington Books Blog Tour of THE BONES OF YOU be Debbie Howells. I received this book through Net Galley a few weeks ago and I could NOT put it down!

When the book opens, local teen and “nice girl” Rosie is missing. She is a well-behaved, quiet girl from an outstanding family so everyone is shocked when she is found beaten and stabbed to death. Narrated by both the deceased Rosie (what exactly DID happen that day and what were the events that lead up to it?) and neighbor Kate (who had a friendship with Rosie as she loved Kate’s horses), the story twists and turns as we witness the characters and events that lead to Rosie’s untimely and violent end.

I could not stop reading this book! It has been compared to THE LOVELY BONES and it is similar in that it is narrated in part by a young girl who is deceased; however, it truly stands on its own. I usually can figure out by midway what has occurred in this type of mystery, but I was kept guessing until the end.

Poignant, touching, and with a real look inside some very human characters, THE BONES OF YOU was a captivating and fast-paced read.

Kensington Books is hosting a great giveaway! Follow the link to sign up for prizes (this giveaway US only):

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bb0ebfb15/

And still there is more!! Kensington Books will give a free copy to one of my readers! This can be ANYONE in the world!!

Please leave a comment and tell me what you’re reading right now! I will use random.org to pick a winner. One entry per person. Entries must be received by June 15.

And yet, there is more!

Here is a Q and A with Debbie Howells that Kensington sent me — interesting!

AUTHOR Q&A WITH DEBBIE HOWELLS:

When did you start writing?

I began writing in earnest about five years ago, women’s fiction which was what I liked to read. But I also wanted to write books that addressed more serious real-life issues as well. I think with Wildflowers I achieved that. It’s had some wonderful reviews on Amazon, but though 6 agents asked to read the full manuscript, no-one actually took me on.

The Bones of You is a change of genre. How did you come to write it?

I’d put everything I had into Wildflowers and it came so close, but not close enough. I knew then I had to write something different. Everyone says, write about what you know about. I think that’s true, but I think also, you have to appeal to the market. That said, I don’t think it’s possible to write without your heart one hundred per cent in it.

Were you surprised with the reaction you got from agents and publishers?

Completely blown away! It was beyond my wildest dreams. There are phone calls and emails from that time that I will never, ever forget. When you’ve worked so hard for so long, battled rejection but kept going anyway, to reach the point where I’m being published is something I’m so excited about – and enormously grateful for.

What advice do you have for other writers?

There are so many brilliant, unpublished writers out there. Finding an agent and a publisher mean you have to write a good book, but it takes luck, too – in spadefuls – to hit the right person with the right idea when the market’s right… It’s also a massively subjective industry. What one person loves, another wouldn’t give the time of day to. And no-one can predict tomorrow’s bestsellers.

If you can’t find an agent to take you on, consider self-publishing. A number of authors have had huge success this way and in any case, you learn from it. Then keep writing – the next book, the one after. If you don’t, you’ll never know…

Have you written your next book?

I finished it just before Christmas. It’s another psychological thriller about not just what we hide from other people, but from ourselves, too. It’s about a washed-up lawyer and a woman he used to love, who’s suspected of a murder. He’s determined to prove her innocence but an overdose has left her in a coma.

As well as a thriller, it’s also a love story.

After all this excitement, I am guessing lots of you would want to read this book! You can find it at a local bookstore, online, or at your local library, among other places. It publishes June 30.

Review: THE TAPESTRY by Nancy Bilyeau

May 26, 2015May 26, 2015 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I recently received a review copy of THE TAPESTRY through Touchstone Publicity and Simon and Schuster. This is the third novel in a trilogy, centering on tapestry seamstress Joanna Stafford in the time of King Henry VIII. I chose this title because, if you know me you know this already, I LOVE Tudor stories and that time in British history!

Joanna Stafford is a fascinating heroine: former novice, highly intelligent, left at the altar, gifted creator of tapestries, target of a plot to kill her. Joanna is called to the court of King Henry VIII to create some tapestries for him and she has barely arrived when someone tries to kill her. Throughout her time at court – actually all throughout this book – someone is following her, watching her, trying to take her down. She and the man sent to guard her try to figure it out (in time!). Meanwhile, her very close friend is none other than Katherine Howard. The story starts with Henry being married to Anne of Cleves, but I think most of us know what is going to happen. Joanna tries to protect her friend and keep her from getting entangled with this most powerful man and ruler.

All is all, this was a great book. The writing is superb and the story moves along – in some spots faster than others – it kept my interest throughout.

This title can be read as a stand alone – though I will admit to wanting to get the first two novels, too, as I enjoyed this one so much.

Thank you again for my copy!

You can find this book online or in stores near you.