I’m excited to be part of this suspenseful story, the psychological thriller Where’s My Daughter? I love this type of novel – twisty, edge of your seat, don’t know who to trust, suspenseful treat! This one kept me guessing up to the end.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
They told me my daughter died. But an anonymous note proves she’s alive… and I’ll do anything to get her back.
I open the envelope and a photograph slips into my hands. My coffee mug falls and shatters on the kitchen floor. It’s my precious sixteen-year-old daughter, Sadie. Her hair is shorter and she looks thinner. I thought she was dead.
We were told she drowned at summer camp. A tragic accident, though she was a strong swimmer. My heartbroken husband is the one who broke the news. But this photograph proves it was all a lie. I turn it over with shaking hands and read the note: She’s alive. Don’t go to the police if you want to keep it that way.
Hands shaking, I read on: Your husband knows more than he’s saying…
This totally gripping psychological thriller will have you hooked until the final breathtaking twist! Fans of Gone Girl, The Housemaid and Lisa Jewell will be up all night turning the pages.
About the Author: L.G. Davis
Liz’s story began in a refugee camp in Angola, where she spent the first eight years of her life. After that, she spent some years in Namibia (her home country), South Africa, and Germany. She now lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and two children. Liz wrote her first full-length novel at eighteen and hid it in a box under her bed. Several others soon followed it. Her passion lies in writing edge-of-the-seat psychological thrillers that give readers the same rush they would get on a rollercoaster.
I absolutely adore this new series by Fliss Chester and I know you will, too, if you are a reader of cozies that take place in England. Maddie is a great main character and I love her grandmother Nor, who is quite intrepid. Always well-plotted, Fliss Chester has another great series underway! I love the focus on books, the setting of Cornwall, and the variety of characters. Fun all around! If you follow me, you know I have really enjoyed her Cressida Fawcett historical cozy series as well. And hold everything — do I see a Christmas themed cozy upcoming for Maddie?? Can not wait!!
Here’s the scoop:
Join Maddie Penrose, scone baker, book lover and amateur sleuth, in her new home by the Cornish seaside. A member of her local book club has been murdered, and she’s on the case!
Maddie Penroseis settling into Cornish life with her fun and feisty grandmother, Nor. She throws herself into getting to know the locals, helping out at the village book club and enjoying the occasional G&T in the pub with handsome police officer DI Tom Trevelyan. But one sunny morning, her newfound peace is shattered when she spots Quentin, a member of the book club… dead, with a knife in his back.
To Maddie’s surprise, it transpires that almost all the other members of the book club have a motive to murder Quentin. Quentin’s own wife, a fellow reader, seems to be hiding something. The local romance author isn’t all sweetness and light, and another writer is keeping secrets. But is one of the book lovers in the sleepy seaside village really responsible for Quentin’s untimely death?
No sooner has the ink dried on the page of the first killing, another takes place – and the second victim is also a member of the book club! As Maddie frantically scrambles to get her clues down in black and white, she unearths a discovery connected to Nor. Is her gran the next victim on the list?
Can Maddie rescue Nor before her story ends in murder too? Or will the killer have the last word?
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.
I’m excited to be part of the tour for this new novel that is SO suspenseful and thrilling! It’s The People Next Door by Carla Kovach. It kept me guessing the whole book and I also kept thinking how it would make a GREAT limited series for Netflix. I really like stories told from different points of view, too.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour.
Here’s the scoop:
Dear Neighbour. I know who you are. I know what you did…
After that summer, I swore I’d never come back to Clover Lane. But when my aunt left us her house, I couldn’t say no. The last in a neat row of houses with white fences and countryside views, it was the life I’d always dreamed of for my family. They deserved it, even if I didn’t.
As the last boxes are unpacked and neighbours drop by to welcome us, I see the sparkle back in my daughter Morgan’s eyes and know we’re safe. I won’t ever let her near the woods where my best friend went missing, but welcome gifts and a coffee date with my neighbours have me feeling like we belong here. But then the first letter arrives, and my perfect new life shatters…
Suddenly, I notice curtains twitch as I unload the car and I find myself looking over my shoulder every time I leave the house. When more letters arrive and rumours poison the street, I start double-locking the doors at night. How much do I really know about the people next door? Are my children safe? Is there anyone I can trust?
Someone in this close-knit community thinks they know what happened that summer. I know they’re wrong, but my worst fear is realised when the last letter drops: Morgan is missing…
If you loved reading The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train, you will devour this absolutely jaw-dropping psychological thriller from Carla Kovach.
Carla has been writing seriously since her mid-thirties. She started by writing stage plays which led to her producing and directing her own full length piece of theatre. After that, she decided to write films and books where she began by self-publishing. In the past, she has acted in a few indie films and has also co-owned a photography and video production company.
Right now, she is a full time crime and thriller author living in Worcester with her husband, Nigel and Poppy the cat.
Okay – hold the phone a minute here. Carla — we are practically NEIGHBORS! I live near Worcester as well. We could get together and drink coffee and chat about books and writing and theater if you want!
I’m so happy to be part of the tour for this new cozy series which is a murder mystery but also laugh out loud funny. I love that the characters are diverse and of various ages and abilities, too.
Here’s the scoop:
What Judy’s book club doesn’t know about murder mysteries isn’t worth writing about. Nothing beats cracking a fictional case over some wine and salt and vinegar crisps. But can they put their puzzle-solving skills to the test when the local librarian dies in a real-life murder?
For widower Judy, her murder book club is the highlight of the month: she gets to hear all the local gossip and even discuss a good fictitious poisoning or two. But when local librarian Wendy disappears, Judy follows in the footsteps of her fictional detective heroes only to find her dead in her home, clasping a copy of Romeo and Juliet…
The police rule it a tragic accident, but Judy knows that her friend hated Shakespeare, and suspects foul play. Gathering her fellow book lovers together, soon they discover that several townspeople had motive to want Wendy dead. Was it Nigel from the tavern, who may have been Wendy’s secret boyfriend? Or could it be Bryan, the local bookshop owner, tangled in a bitter rivalry with the library?
The plot thickens at a charity murder mystery night held at Nigel’s tavern. Suddenly more murders come to light, both real and very badly staged. And when Nigel makes an astonishing revelation, the book club agree it’s a plot twist no-one saw coming. Can Judy and her book clubsolve the mystery before they too fall victim to a killer plot?
An utterly addictive and hilarious new cozy mystery series, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Faith Martin.
Here’s a bit about the author:
Tracy started writing when her cruel, heartless husband ripped her away from her dream job – shopping for rollercoasters for the UK’s leading theme parks – to live in America with a brand new baby and no mates. In a cunning plan to avoid domestic duties and people who didn’t understand her Derbyshire accent, she wrote NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY. It went on to become a No 1 bestseller and publishing phenomenon. So now Tracy has a new dream job, making people laugh and sometimes cry through her writing and has had many more novels published successfully around the world. She now lives back in Derbyshire with her now wonderful husband and two children!
I’m so happy to be part of this tour for Book 4 of the Secret Detective Agency series The Afternoon Tea Murders by Helena Dixon. I just love this series, which is WWII historical mystery. It probably can count as a cozy as it’s not graphic or violent, but it’s more like a Maggie Hope mystery or an Agatha Christie novel, than a true cozy. Always well-plotted, this one focuses on Jane and Arthur in the countryside when a local tea shop owner is found dead. No one is as they seem and Jane needs to get to the bottom of it all. I love that she takes her cranky cat Marmaduke everywhere with her, too!
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.
When Jane arrives, it quickly becomes clear that the murder is a half-baked attempt to curdle Arthur’s current codebreaking mission – but how? There seem to be suspects at every turn. Is Arthur’s boss be going to extremes to cover up his incompetence? Can the teashop customers be trusted? And what about the secretary, who seems to have secret links to the village teashop…
Spurred on by scones and clotted cream, Jane and Arthur start to whip up a theory as to who the killer could be. But just they begin to make progress, someone else is murdered – and it looks like Arthur could be next. It’s clear they need to solve this case quickly, before teatime is over and Arthur meets a sticky end…
If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s utterly gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright!
About the Author:
Helena Dixon is the author of the internationally bestselling Miss Underhay cozy mystery series. She is a Black Country girl living 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 was the winner of the RNA Romance Prize in 2007 and the RNA Love Story of the Year 2010.
I’m dishing today about a new historical fiction book that I really enjoyed: The Tuscan Villa by Ella Carey. Fran leaves her life in the US to return to Italy to try to find out what happened to her beloved Vivi who disappeared during the war (WWII). I really liked this storyline and Carey’s writing. As you know if you read me, I love a good WWII story!
Thanks for my copy and for having me on the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
Italy, 1945. As war rages through Europe, a crumbling family villa that becomes a vital safe space for the people of Cortona during the war. But that sanctuary is lost the day its owner, Vivi, mysteriously vanishes…
Manhattan, 1953. Francesca feels smothered by lace as she tries on wedding dresses in an uptown boutique. Can she really start a new life with her fiancé without first answering the questions she has about her childhood in Italy? Confronted with the news that the bougainvillea-covered villa she grew up in is for sale, and the lavish gardens her father designed and cultivated are destined to be razed, she buys a plane ticket and doesn’t look back. She can’t stand by and watch it all turn to rubble.
Fran chokes back a sob as she finds the gardens wild and overgrown and the once-pristine follies crumbling under the baking sun. But the lingering scent of the Italian basil from the kitchen garden brings Fran closer to the father she lost. To save this sacred space she must uncover what really happened when Vivi disappeared.
But while standoffish locals treat Fran like an outsider, she knows she is closing in on a secret at the very heart of the gardens she ran barefoot through as a young girl; a tragic love triangle that plagued the villa, defied the authorities, and might change everything Fran thinks she knows about who she is. One thing is certain: what happened to Vivi was no accident.
And just when Fran thinks she’s uncovered a truth that will shake the little village of Cortona to its foundations, she discovers a letter that changes everything once again. Can Fran find a way to save the gardens before they are destroyed? Or will she be forced to return home to a future in New York that no longer fits?
From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an utterly heart-wrenching and gripping World War Two historical novel that will transport you straight to the Tuscan countryside. Fans of Kathryn Hughes, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be utterly enchanted.
About the Author:
Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.
Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.
Harper-Collins sent me a early galley and an audiobook of this new title and I really really enjoyed it! It was an explosive thriller that kept me reading (or listening!) and I couldn’t put it down. At times, I would think “how is this all going to come together??” but the end tied it all together and was very satisfying. Thank you for my copy and for the audio (always good for the 2+ hours I drive a day!!).
Here’s the scoop:
From the two-time Edgar Award–nominated author of ON A QUIET STREET and THE VACANCY IN ROOM 10…
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES meets FINLAY DONOVAN in this darkly humorous thriller about three women’s lives colliding around an explosive murder, a bizarre cover-up, and a riveting search for the truth in a multi-cast audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley, Rebecca Lowman, and Karissa Vacker!
“Explosive, addictive, and impossible to put down.”—Noelle Ihli, bestselling author of Such Quiet Girls
Those lucky enough to live in the elite lakefront community of Cloverhill Lakes are drawn to it for its safety and top-notch school district. The moms meet for coffee at the park while their kids play, they’re heavily involved in the PTA, and the summers are filled with chardonnay, brunch, sundresses, and backyard bonfires.
But everything changes when Regan Hoffman’s car explodes at the annual Labor Day party. The wrong person is killed, but it was meant for her. As the carefully crafted walls of her community begin to crumble, Regan tries to keep it together—something made infinitely harder when she sees her dead husband…alive.
When a Cloverhill Lakes resident suddenly goes missing, dark secrets begin to surface from underneath the idyllic veneer of their beautiful community—and the truth threatens to destroy them all as Regan finds herself in a fight for her life.
For readers who love:
Small lakeside community vibes
Twists that will leave you breathless
Dark humor and wild antics
Dramatic domestic suspense
Multiple POVs
Desperate Housewives meets Finlay Donovan
Seraphina Nova Glass was a fairly new author for me (I read her “Nothing Ever Happens Here” last year), and I look forward to reading more by her. Here’s some info about her from her website: seraphinanovaglass.com
Seraphina Nova Glass is a two-time EDGAR AWARD nominated author. Her novel, On A Quiet Street, was a New York Times Summer Read, a #1 Amazon Bestseller, and Editor’s Pick. It was also featured in the Boston Globe and Bustle.
Publisher’s Weekly has named her “a writer to watch.” She’s also an award-winning playwright and holds an MFA degree in Dramatic Writing from Smith College.
She is a proud dog mom to Boston Terrier, Spaghetti, and loves to travel the world with her husband, Mark. She resides in Dallas, TX.
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.
I’m shouting it out today for a book that I’m in the middle of reading. I love stories that take place in Appalachia, and this one is about a teacher who is trying to save her school and support the community she has come to love. I’ve only just started it, but I already love the character of Kate Shaw. Leah Weiss is a new author for me, so if I enjoy this novel, I’ll have to look for her other titles!
Here’s the scoop:
An outsider to the Carolina hills inherits a gift that could change everything for her beloved creek town on the verge of dying out, from an author of whom NPR said writes “with a deep knowledge of the enduring myths of Appalachia…vividly portraying real people and sorrows.”
Summer, 1980. Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years, teaching at a one-room schoolhouse on the brink of closure. A skeptic by heart, she rejects superstition and the belief in Appalachian folklore, much to the chagrin of Birdie Rocas, a lively and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet when Birdie dies and leaves Kate her Book of Truths and a trunk of illuminated manuscripts and journals, Kate is thrown into a mystery, overwhelmed by a collection that spans centuries back to Scotland.
Enter Lydia Brown, a psychic with a curious birthmark whose visions stopped the day her parents died. Grief-stricken, without her gift, and in need of spiritual guidance, she travels to Appalachia in search of Birdie. From there, the two women’s stories intertwine, as they investigate the questions surrounding Birdie’s death and legacy, through secret rooms, underground tunnels, and back country graveyards.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Leah Weiss is an acclaimed Southern writer living in Virginia. Her debut novel, If the Creek Don’t Rise (2017), was a Library Reads selection, Indie Next pick, and SIBA Okra Pick, and was honored as a finalist for the Library of Virginia’s Literary Fiction and People’s Choice Awards, as well as nominated for the Southern Book Prize. Her second novel, All the Little Hopes (2021), was a Library Reads selection, a BAM December Book Club pick, named a Best Book for Fall 2021 by Country Living, and a finalist for the 2022 Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award.
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!):
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 