Bookouture Bog Tour for Murder in the Winter Woods by Katie Gayle – A Julia Bird Mystery

I absolutely adore this cozy mystery series! Julia is of “mature age” and has started a new life in the English countryside, but she keeps coming across murders. She has a good friend/boyfriend, a cute Labrador companion, extended family, and a former career in social work. There are many interesting things going on in these books alongside the mysteries!

Here’s the scoop on this installment:


Julia Bird adores a walk on a winter’s day. The crunch of fresh show under your feet and the promise of hot cocoa by a roaring fire afterwards… But she’s not expecting to find a body in the woods!

It’s Christmas in Berrywick, the busiest time of year for dashing taxi driver Lewis. But when he’s killed in a road accident, the entire village is shaken. Julia Bird, recently appointed to the Road Safety Committee, visits the site so that no other villager suffers the same fate. But when she spies a pendant left in the bushes, she feels certain Lewis’s death was no accident…

As the festive lights twinkle in the village square, Julia vows to uncover the truth. She soon learns not everyone found Lewis’s charm appealing. Sweetshop owner Dora says he had an eye for the ladies, much to his wife’s frustration. Lewis recently gave his life savings to a mysterious businessman who proves difficult to track down. But could these be reasons enough to want him dead?

Then, local beekeeper Matthew is struck by a car near the Christmas market. Julia believes the two deaths must be linked, but contrary to Lewis, Matthew was as sweet as the honey he sold. Who could possibly want to hurt Berrywick’s kindest man?

With no obvious leads, Julia stumbles upon an old picture that finally links Lewis and Matthew. Many years ago they were in a band poised for stardom, but when the bubble burst, their chance at fame vanished quicker than a glass of festive eggnog. Could someone be targeting the band members one by one? And can Julia track them down before the killer strikes again?

An utterly gripping 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!

Author Bio:

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

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Katie Gayle here: https://www.bookouture.com/katie-gayle

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DZRKHXF6social

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

Thank you SO much for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy. As always, these books are a comfort read for me and fun to boot!

HTP Tour for A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon

In this thriller for fans of Ashley Elston and Jeneva Rose, a manipulative kidnapper gives a true crime podcaster one week to locate her brother’s best friend. If she succeeds, she’ll learn the truth about her brother’s disappearance six years ago, but if she fails, his friend will die.

You never know who’s listening.

To Stella Dixon, sneaking her teenage brother out of their parents’ house for a beach party was harmless fun—until Max disappeared without a trace.

Six years later, Stella’s family is still broken, and she can’t let go of her guilt. The only thing that keeps her going is helping other families find closure through A Killer Motive,her true crime podcast.

In a bid to find new sponsors and keep making episodes, Stella goes on a local radio show. But when she says on air that if she had just one clue, she’d find Max and bring whoever hurt him to justice, someone takes it as a challenge.

A mysterious invitation to play a game arrives, with the promise that if Stella wins, she’ll get information about what happened to Max. Stella thinks it’s a sick joke…until Max’s best friend vanishes. And she’s given new instructions: tell nobody or people will die.

Desperate and unable to trust anyone, Stella agrees. But beating a twisted, invisible enemy seems impossible when they make all the rules…

I’m thrilled to be part of the Harper-Collins tour for this new suspenseful thriller by Hannah Mary McKinnon. This one was hard to put down! I do love true crime podcasts, so that appealed to me as well. If you love this genre (and staying up late reading!), then this one is for you!

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

About the Author:

Internationally bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. Her suspense novels include THE REVENGE LIST, ONLY ONE SURVIVES, and A KILLER MOTIVE, which is her eleventh book. Her work has been optioned for the screen, and she also writes holiday romantic comedies as Holly Cassidy. Hannah Mary lives near Toronto, Canada with her husband and three sons. You’ll find her on social media as @hannahmarymckinnon, and please visit www.hannahmarymckinnon.com for more.

SOCIALS:

Website: www.HannahMaryMcKinnon.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon (@hannahmarymckinnon)

Instagram: www.instagram.com/HannahMaryMcKinnon/ (@hannahmarymckinnon)

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HannahMMcKinnon (@hannahmmckinnon)

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15144570.Hannah_Mary_McKinnon

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/hannah-mary-mckinnon

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/hannahmarymckinnon 

BUY LINKS: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-killer-motive-original-hannah-mary-mckinnon/22162887?ean=9780778387671&next=t 

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-killer-motive-hannah-mary-mckinnon/1146736156 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Motive-Hannah-Mary-McKinnon/dp/0778387674/ref=sr_1_2?crid=6QUMBB8S34K6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rDBFQrZ6aRL2zZB6SyrpXBpFVSMff3Wm4eB2K9_k0ZahuMlBofAepGkRXGyPEQiGcM1av8Vhd9tl5P3BSjrfliaSjHpD3ujoaxmI19wraXMRNgStEqcMMbqqFjJkVjDFGBz7OFkNnw-VHth7IQ6x8JVlmY6SpUPhN_WnRQH_8AL0slnrSWQwZI7OOfkjw4lJXNx6kTaf3qnQnf5TRt2GfHwIIZcp6GlqMUBjEJ7s3cc.niWihIMfgACLuQCLNy2cDTBPr8NXwQKbgmLEXObpRxs&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+killer+motive&qid=1756399729&sprefix=a+killer+motive%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-2 

For My Ears…

image generated with AI via WordPress

During summer I commute much less – only once a week; however, I do love my podcasts and audiobooks.

Here is what I’ve been listening to (all from Audible through my subscription; I buy a year in advance as it’s cheaper and get 12 for the year):

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker ; Narrator Edoardo Ballerini

It’s been a long time since a story held me breathless. At the end I thought to myself: “What did I just listen to??”

The scoop:

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the smalltown of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell; multiple narrators (including Anna from Downtown!)

Jewell is the master of suspense. I’m always impressed with how she crafts new storylines!

Here’s the scoop:

Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers; narrators: Ashley Flowers, Saskia Maarleveld

Ashley Flowers feeds my true crime podcast obsession! This moved slower than a podcast for me, but was good.

Nicole “Nic” Monroe is in a rut. At twenty-four, she lives alone in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana, she’s just gotten a DWI, and she works the same dead-end job she’s been working since high school, a job she only has because her boss is a family friend and feels sorry for her. Everyone has felt sorry for her for the last seven years—since the day her older sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace.

On the night Kasey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver’s door was open and her purse was untouched in the seat next to it. The only real clue in her disappearance was Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way, two weeks earlier. But with so little for the police to go on, both cases eventually went cold.

Nic wants nothing more than to move on from her sister’s disappearance and the state it’s left her in. But then one day, Jules’s sister, Jenna Connor, walks into Nic’s life and offers her something she hasn’t felt in a long time: hope. What follows is a gripping tale of two sisters who will do anything to find their missing halves, even if it means destroying everything they’ve ever known.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman; Marin Ireland narrator

I love this man’s writing. That is all.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.

The House on the Water by Margot Hunt; Taylor Schilling narrator

This one is a novella, so I didn’t have to pay attention for too long lol.

From the author of Buried Deep comes a brand-new thriller about a summer vacation turned deadly and a group of friends trapped together until they can determine who among them is capable of murder.

Every year, Caroline Reed takes a trip with her best friend, Esme Lamont. They’re usually accompanied by their spouses – but this year, everything’s changed.

Esme has just gone through a bitter divorce, and Caroline is wondering if her own marriage is reaching its breaking point as she and her husband, John, cope with the discovery that their 19-year-old son has been abusing drugs. Still, the inseparable duo books a weeklong stay at a beach-front home in Shoreham, Florida, inviting Esme’s brother, Nick, and his new husband, Ford, in hopes that the additional guests will help lighten the mood.

After a blissful first night in the vacation home, tragedy strikes, and one of the houseguests is found dead. While it’s assumed at first to be a horrific accident, it quickly becomes clear that there’s something more sinister at play, and over the course of this fast-paced, deeply chilling novella, the potential motives of each guest are revealed – until a shocking conclusion is reached.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore; Saskia Maarleveld narrator

This one makes you say “Wow. Just wow.” when you finish it.

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites listeners into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen; Barrire Kreinik narrator

I LOVE Rhys Bowen. Loved this one. Her stand alone HF stories are so delightful!

Surrey, England, 1938. After 30 devoted years of marriage, Ellie Endicott is blindsided by her husband’s appeal for divorce. It’s Ellie’s opportunity for change too. The unfaithful cad can have the house. She’s taking the Bentley. Ellie, her housekeeper Mavis, and her elderly friend Dora—each needing escape—impulsively head for parts unknown in the South of France.

With the Rhône surging beside them, they have nowhere to be and everywhere to go. Until the Bentley breaks down in the inviting fishing hamlet of Saint Benet. Here, Ellie rents an abandoned villa in the hills, makes wonderful friends among the villagers, and finds herself drawn to Nico, a handsome and enigmatic fisherman. As for unexpected destinations, the simple paradis of Saint Benet is perfect. But fates soon change when the threat of war encroaches.

Ellie’s second act in life is just beginning—and becoming an adventure she never expected.

Happy Reading! Happy Listening!

The Guest in Room 120 by Sarah Ackerman

I love Sarah Ackerman’s novels, so I was excited to get this new one (coming out in September 2025) through Net Galley. This tells three different stories that intertwine and are based on a historical event: the death of Mrs. Leland Stanford (of Stanford University).

I found this story so engaging and so fantastic that I had to do some research afterwards to see what had occurred in real life. I had never heard about this event before and found it fascinating. Historical fiction is such a great way to experience past events and other’s take on them. I highly recommend this one to those who enjoy historical fiction and historical mystery.

Here’s the scoop:

Description

From USA Today bestselling author Sara Ackerman comes a spellbinding dual-timeline novel set at Honolulu’s iconic Moana Hotel, where a real-life mysterious death in 1905 collides with a writer’s search for the truth one hundred years later. For fans of Ariel Lawhon and Fiona Davis

1905 As the mother of a university and a woman with an iron will, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. After a scare at her mansion in San Francisco and on the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the fashionable new Moana hotel. But as fate would have it, the island is not as safe as it seems.

2005 Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel, and she makes a split decision to attend a writers’ conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters and, over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.

1905 ‘Iliahi Baldwin’s life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Newly hired and reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the formidable Jane Stanford upon her arrival, which leaves young ‘Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. ‘Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.

Inspired by the incredible true story of one of America’s most mysterious deaths, this is an unforgettable tale of betrayal and secrets that still echoes through the years.

More captivating stories from Sara Ackerman:

  • The Maui Effect
  • The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West
  • The Codebreaker’s Secret
  • Radar Girls
  • Red Sky Over Hawaii
  • The Lieutenant’s Nurse
  • Island of Sweet Pies & Soldiers

Thank you for my copy! Fun fact: I have stayed at the Moana! But I was not in Room 120.

Bookouture Blog Tour for Murder in Hollywood by Millicent Binks

I’m dishing today about the second Opal LaPlume mystery by Millicent Binks: Murder in Hollywood. I love a good historical cozy mystery and this one takes place on the set of a film. Opal reminds me a bit of Rhys Bowen’s Georgie Rannoch, and she falls into a murder mystery on one of her first days on set. Opal’s “voice” is rather humorous, with often-used “large” similes, and the pacing was quick, leaving this one to feel like a light read. That said, I did not guess who-dunnit! While this is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone.

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

Book: Murder in Hollywood

Author: Millicent Binks

Pub Day: August 18th 2025

Buy Link(s) NOT affiliated with BBNB: https://geni.us/B0F83SFKR8social

Audible: 

AUDIBLE:

UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0FJ2SCGTD/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-461638&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_461638_rh_uk 

US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0FJ2T1DFQ/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-461638&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_461638_rh_us

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/murder-in-hollywood-by-millicent-binks-narrated-by-antonia-beamish

About the Book: 

Lights, camera, action and… murder?

1934. Opal Laplume’s star is on the rise when she gets a job making costumes for Hollywood’s biggest talkie star, Jane Margeaux. But when Jane is fatally shot on set by a prop gun, and security guard Augusto finds a bullet missing from his pistol, it falls to Opal to save her favourite new friend from a wrongful murder accusation.

Opal soon discovers that Jane had a list of enemies as long as the train on her designer gown. Jane’s co-star Betty envied her rise to fame, but did her jealousy take a deadly turn? Jane’s loyal assistant Virginia was overworked and underpaid. Did she get Jane out of the way to get ahead at the studio? Or did Jane’s fortune-hunting husband Carey see an opportunity to inherit his wife’s jaw-dropping Sunset Boulevard mansion?

Just when Opal thinks she’s found her prime suspect, a crew member is found dead in the California desert with a briefcase stuffed full of movie scripts. And a close look at the director’s cut of Jane’s latest picture reveals a secret message hidden in plain sight. Soon, Opal will find that Jane was hiding the biggest secret in Hollywood – one truly worth killing for.Can Opal keep her English cool among the Tinseltown drama and crack the case before it’s a wrap for the entire crew?

Author Bio

Millicent is a writer, former costume designer and burlesque performer from Suffolk. She now resides in North London with her husband and two cats, Queenie and Tarquin.

She has a BA (Hons) at Wimbledon College of Art in Costume Interpretation. Her writing credits include a column in the The London Evening Standard about her life as a burlesque starlet.  She wrote the cover story “Alter Shego’s”  for The Sunday Times Magazine, in which she disguised herself as different women, took self-portraits, went out, introduced herself to random gentlemen and documented their reactions. This was optioned for TV by NBCUniversal.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573866510514

X: https://x.com/millicentbinks/

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

Bookouture email signup:  https://bookouture.com/subscribe/millicent-binks/

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson

Book Description:

‘If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

Eve is clearing her father’s house when she finds an old cassette player and a box of tapes. Though grieving, she smiles at the spark of nostalgia.

One tape is labelled ‘Eve’ – in her mother, Angela’s, scrawled handwriting. She disappeared for good more than ten years ago.

The tape whirrs. A voice crackles. ‘My name is Angela’. Tears fill Eve’s eyes at the familiar voice, at the thought this message is just for her. But the next words make her heart pound.

‘If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

Desperate for answers, Eve has no one left to ask – only a box of tapes that could lead to the truth. But the more she listens, the more she realises she can never go to the police…

Because Eve’s mother had her own secrets. But what if her killer is still out there? And what if Eve is next?

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you racing through the pages late into the night! Anyone who loves Shari Lapena, John Marrs or Lisa Jewell will be totally addicted.

I really loved this mystery thriller; I think I was drawn to it because of my fixation on true crime and true crime podcasts. I found this one so engaging and perfectly paced. Wilkinson is an experienced writer, but this was the first novel I’ve read of his; I definitely will look for more!

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

Author Bio:

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

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

https://kerrywilkinson.com/


Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Kerry Wilkinson here: https://www.bookouture.com/kerry-wilkinson

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0FFH4CSRGsocial

Bookouture Blog Tour for Two Perfect Couples by Renita D’Silva

I’m on the blog tour today for a new psychological thriller that is SO twisty and SO fast-paced that it left me breathless! The twists and turns kept coming in this story and I couldn’t put it down. It’s the perfect summer escape!

Here’s the scoop:

We seem like perfect families. But our secrets must never come out…

I trust my best friend Lydia with my life. We share everything, even the things we can’t tell our husbands. So when we go on a beach holiday together, it’s a dream come true. One night, we treat ourselves to dinner on the beach with our husbands while our children sleep soundly in the cottage behind us.

But when I go to check on them, my entire world shatters. My son’s bed is empty, the window wide open, his favourite teddy left between the crumpled sheets. I stifle a scream as my worst nightmare comes true. My little boy is gone. It’s all my fault.

As the police question us, Lydia gives me a nervous look. She’s the only one who knows I’ll have to lie. Because there’s something about my son that not even my husband knows. And if anyone discovers the truth, they’ll never let me see my darling boy again.

No one can find out my secret. No one knows just how far I’ve gone to have the perfect family. And I will stop at nothing to get my son back…

A completely addictive thriller that will keep you flipping the pages into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Sue Watson and K.L. Slater.

Author Bio:

Renita grew up in a picturesque coastal village in the South of India, the oldest of three children. Her father got her first story books when she was six and she fell in love with the world of stories. Even now she prefers that world, by far, to this.

https://www.facebook.com/ RenitaDSilvaBooks/

https://www.instagram.com/ renita_dsilva/

https://twitter.com/ renitadsilva

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Renita D’Silva here: https://www.bookouture. com/renita-dsilva

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon:  https://geni.us/B0F8CVCNC1social

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

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy Shillace

So many books, so little time…

I have SO MANY books that I’m trying to read this summer and Harper-Collins has a lot of great reads out this summer under their HTP imprint.

Today I’m covering The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy Stillace. This was a solid cozy mystery that I did NOT figure out! I liked the characters, especially the protagonist Jo, and this book is part of a series (though I read it as a standalone, which was fine). Jo is neurodivergent, a characteristic which is often underrepresented in adult novels, so this made this novel stand out to me even more.

Here’s the scoop:

The Dead Come to Stay

By Brandy Schillace

On Sale: August 5, 2025

Imprint: Hanover Square Press

Hardcover 

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dead-come-to-stay-brandy-schillace?variant=43118709571618 

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1335121870/keywords=mystery%2Bbooks?tag=harpercollinsus-20 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dead-come-to-stay-brandy-schillace/1146233457 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://brandyschillace.com/ 

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bschillace.brandyschillace.com 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeculiarBookClub

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

About the book: 

A delightful new cozy crime novel from the award-winning author of the “twisty, engaging, and thoroughly unexpected” (Deanna Raybourne) The Framed Women of Ardemore House

An amateur autistic sleuth. A wry English detective. A murder case that thrusts them both into the wealthy world of the rare artifacts trade…

Jo Jones can’t seem to catch a break. Trading in city life for the cozy, peaceful hills of North Yorkshire to take over her family estate should have been a chance for a “fresh start.” Instead, she’s been driven further into the past than she thought possible — and not just her own. The estate property is littered with traces of ancestors that Jo never knew existed, including the mysterious woman in a half-destroyed painting – and hints about Jo’s late uncle, who may hold the key to her cryptic family history. Then there’s the gossipy town politics Jo must constantly navigate as a neurodivergent transplanted American… And of course, the whole murder business.

When prickly town detective James MacAdams discovers a body in the moors with coincidental ties to Jo Jones, they’re forced to team up on the case. The clues will lead them into the wealthiest locales of Yorkshire, from sparkling glass hotels to luxury property sites to elite country clubs. But below the glittering surfaces, Jo and MacAdams discover darker schemes brewing. Local teens, many of them international refugees, are disappearing left and right, and each case is somehow linked to a shady architectural firm — which also happened to employ the dead man from the moor-side ditch.

What begins as  bizarre murder case quickly plunges them both into the black market world of rare artifacts and antique trading… and a murderer who will do anything to cover it up.

About the Author:

BRANDY SCHILLACE is the author of several works of nonfiction, including Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher. She is the creator of Peculiar Book Club, a twice-monthly live-streamed YouTube show. A former professor of English and gothic literature, she writes about gender politics and history, medical mystery, and neurodiversity for outlets such as Scientific AmericanWired, CrimeReads, and Medium. She is also autistic, though has not (to her knowledge) been a suspect in a murder investigation.

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

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf

Today I’m part of the Summer Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf. This was an atmospheric, Southern Gothic novel, focusing on a young girl who can communicate with “grave birds” – birds who live in graveyards and can tell the tales of those who have died. It was a weirdly creepy and intriguing read! The writing was quite good and if you like this genre – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – you should pick this one up.

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

Here’s the scoop:

Title: Grave Birds

Author: Dana Elmendorf

Publication Date: July 1, 2025

ISBN: 9780778387473

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

Price $28.99

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/grave-birds-original-dana-elmendorf/21769936

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf/1146225172 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Birds-Novel-Dana-Elmendorf/dp/077838747X 

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Book Summary: 

Grave birds haunt the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina, where Spanish moss drips from the trees and Southern charm hides ugly lies. Hollis Sutherland never knew these unique birds existed, not until she died and was brought back to life. The ghostly birds are manifestations of the dead’s unfinished business, and they know Hollis and her uncanny gift can set them free.

When a mysterious bachelor wanders into the small town, bizarre events begin to plague its wealthiest citizens—blood drips from dogwood blossoms, flocks of birds crash into houses, fire tornadoes descend from the sky. Hollis knows these are the omens her grandfather warned about, announcing the devil’s return. But despite Cain Landry’s eerie presence and the plague that has followed him, his handsome face and wicked charm win over the townsfolk. Even Hollis falls under his spell as they grow closer.

That is, until lies about the town’s past start to surface. The grave birds begin to show Hollis the dead’s ugly deeds from some twenty-five years ago and the horrible things people did to gain their wealth. Hollis can’t decide if Cain is some immortal hand of God, there to expose their sins, or if he’s a devil there to ruin them all. Either way, she’s determined to save her town and the people in it, whatever it takes.

Author Bio:

Dana Elmendorf was born and raised in small town in Tennessee. She now lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys and two dogs. When she isn’t exercising, she can be found geeking out with Mother Nature. After four years of college and an assortment of jobs, she wrote a contemporary YA novel and an adult fantasy.

Bookouture Blog Tour for DEATH AT A PARIS HOTEL by Verity Bright

Verity Bright has penned a new Lady Eleanor historical cozy mystery, and this one takes place on her honeymoon in Paris! Eleanor has barely arrived when a man comes crashing through the glass-domed ceiling and onto her table, then dies. Everyone is prepared to write him off as just a thief, but Eleanor is not ready to jump to judgment, instead finding a mystery to solve.

This is such a fun series. I always enjoy each installment and appreciate how they aren’t written to a formula. You can read them as a stand alone as well.

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

  

Book Description:

For Lady Eleanor Swift, Paris means champagne at breakfast, romantic walks by the Eiffel Tower… and her deadliest case yet!

Newlyweds Lady Swift and Detective Hugh Seldon are honeymooning in the most romantic city on earth. Clifford, her butler,has come along for the trip to make sure everything goes to plan for the happy couple. And Gladstone, the mischievous bulldog, to make sure it doesn’t!

But the pair are shocked when, just as they are toasting their new marriage at the best table in their hotel’s opulent restaurant, a man tumbles through the glass roof and lands amid the silverware and coq au vin. Before he dies, he presses a striking pearl brooch into Eleanor’s hands. She has the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Has she met this man before? All too quickly, the local police arrive and immediately accuse the new Mr and Mrs of working with the victim – a thief who’d just robbed the museum down the block.

With her new husband by her side, Eleanor races to clear their name and discover who would kill to get their hands on the unusual brooch. Following a clue about a doomed love affair takes the gang from the famous cabarets and cobbled streets of Paris to rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy at the very top of the Eiffel Tower.

But soon Eleanor notices a mysterious man in black following their every footstep. Is he friend or foe? And can Eleanor and Hugh unravel the case before the City of Light becomes the city of death?

An utterly charming and unputdownable golden age cozy mystery set in Paris. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and Lee Strauss will adore it.

Author Bio:

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

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

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

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