How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz

How to Kill a Crime Writer

Book Summary

After the untimely death of her bestselling crime novelist mother, a young woman teams up with the fictional “ghost” of the heroine from her mother’s series in order to solve her mother’s murder.

After the tragic death of bestselling crime writer Annie Morrisey, her daughter, Niamh, moves into her mother's country cottage to take care of her mother’s estate. Shut away from the world, Niamh doesn't actually have to deal with the grief of her mother's untimely passing. Until the day that two things happen: the advance copy of her mother's final book lands on the doorstep and Leah Rebecca Overton appears in the kitchen.

Having a stranger show up in your house would be concerning at the best of times, but Leah isn't a stranger—she's the ultra-competent sleuth heroine from Annie’s novels. The antithesis of Niamh in every way, she's lived in the fictitious character's shadow for years. But why (and how) has Leah turned up now? And why can only Niamh see her? Leah is the last thing Niamh wants in her house or in her head, but she can't ignore the sleuth...especially when Leah suspects there may have been more to Annie's death than first suspected.

About the Author

Sarah Lotz is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter based on the Welsh borders. Her novels include The Impossible Us, The Three, and Day Four.

My Thoughts

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz is such a fun, lighthearted read. It is well written, with steady pacing and a smooth flow that kept me happily turning the pages. The dialogue feels realistic and lively, and I could easily picture the characters and settings as the story unfolded.  The characters are well developed, and while there are moments of grief, the humor and sarcasm really shine throughout. The mystery is entertaining from start to finish and wraps up in a satisfying way. The author’s note at the end is especially touching and adds a lovely emotional note.  Overall, How to Kill a Crime Writer is an entertaining, quirky, and memorable story that would be perfect for curling up with on a rainy afternoon.

How to Kill a Crime Writer is available from Amazon.   You can find Sarah Lotz's other novels here.  I will be featuring The Masala Chai Mystery Club by MJ Soni on Wednesday, July 22.  

Dickens is napping on the first floor!

I put together a cat house for the neighborhood cats this weekend.  Once I got past the first two steps, the rest was a piece of cake.  I need to do a few finishing touches, and it will be ready to put outside.  I hope that by the time I am done, Dickens, my cat, will be willing to give it up.  Dickens is having a good time going in and out the different entrances as well as exploring the different levels.  The novelty will wear off after a few days (maybe a week or two) and then I can put the cat house outside.  Dickens may be eighteen, but she acts like a kitten.  May your day be as breathtaking as a sunrise over a tranquil meadow.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz

 The Shop on Hidden Lane

Book Summary

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz dives into an enthralling new romantic suspense novel filled with deeply entrenched grudges, psychic dangers, and a conspiracy that threatens not only two families but also the entire paranormal community.

The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret.

Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. Clearly, someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret their families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke’s hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored.

Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail leading to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is as it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them as surely as the pact between the families.

My Thoughts

The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz was not up my alley.  I have been reading this author’s novels since I was teen, and this is the first time that I did not want to finish one of Jayne Ann Krentz’s books.  It would have been helpful if the blurb had specified the type of creature (demon) that Sophy Harper is (I would not have requested the book if I had known).  There is quite a bit going on in the story that includes a murder, two missing people, feuding families, and antagonistic main characters.  I did not connect with any of the characters including Sophy and Luke.  Some characters are introduced only at the end, while others appear sporadically throughout the chapters. 

I found the foreshadowing to be heavy handed which is unusual for this author.  The suspense was lacking much to my dismay.  I wanted a thrilling mystery and suspense, but I did not get it with The Shop on Hidden Lane.  The pacing was slow and there was too much going on.  My favorite character was Bruce, the dog/ hellhound.  I kept putting down The Shop on Hidden Lane, and I was reluctant to pick it back up.  I was happy when I turned the last page of The Shop on Hidden Lane.

The Shop on Hidden Lane is available from Amazon*.  If the blurb appeals to you, I suggest you download a sample of The Shop on Hidden Lane.  As they say, not every book is for every reader.   Jayne Ann Krentz (contemporary) also writes under the pen names Amanda Quick (historical) and Jayne Castle (futuristic).  Thank you for joining me today.  On Thursday, January 8, I am featuring Shielded by the Cowboy by Connie Queen tomorrow.  It is the first book in the Thunder Ridge Justice series.  

Guess who has returned to my porch?  Mama Duck along with two little ducklings.  It is unusual for a duck to have babies in the winter.  Mama Duck is taking good care of the little ones.  She surprised me the other day.  I came out of my bedroom to find Mama Duck and her ducklings in the house.  I thought the ducklings were too small to get up the steps.  This is what happens when I forget to put food out for them.  We are having some nice weather which gives me an opportunity to get the porch furniture put together (two rockers, a table, a cat tree--for my cat, Dickens, and a cat house--will go outside the porch for the neighborhood cats).  I hope that you have pleasant day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links.

A Perilous Plot by Lorna Barrett

A Perilous Plot 

Book Summary

Family reunions are killer—literally—in the newest mystery in Lorna Barrett's New York Times bestselling Booktown series.

Everything was going great for Tricia Miles, right up until her estranged mother, Sheila, arrives on her front step with an urn she says contains the remains of Tricia's father.

Shocked and saddened, Tricia and her sister, Angelica, attempt to get to the bottom of what happened. But their efforts for clarity are dashed when Shelia disappears the very next day, leaving without a word.

Naturally, the sisters are upset—especially after they take the remains to the local funeral parlor and discover that not only is the urn filled with kitty litter, but hidden inside is a valuable (and stolen) Rolex watch. Digging deeper, the sisters find their parents are in dire financial trouble and seem to be lurking around Booktown.

Tricia and Angelica can’t help but wonder how many more secrets their mother was keeping...and whether that includes murder.

My Thoughts

A Perilous Plot by Lorna Barrett is the nineteenth A Booktown Mystery.  Tricia and Angelica must deal with their shifty parents along with a murdered family friend.  Tricia still acts like someone who is much older (she is in her 40s but acts like she is in her 60s) while dating someone twenty years younger.  I can certainly understand why Tricia and Angelica dread spending time with their parents, especially their mother, Sheila (she is a piece of work).  The story moved at leisurely pace.  The mystery was straightforward with a small suspect pool, and the ending was unsatisfactory.  

I liked the message that there is more than one type of family.  There are blood relatives that treat you terribly, and there is the family you create that makes you feel happy and whole.  The story lacked action and there were repetitive details.  Each day seemed like the one before it (get up, work, eat, drink, deal with mother, eat, etc.). I wish this story were more like the books in the beginning of the series (I believe the series has run its course).  A Perilous Plot transports readers to Stoneham, New Hampshire where there is kitty litter trickery, slow sales, missing meat, dishonest parents, box sorting, and a distressed Sarge.

A Perilous Plot is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other A Booktown Mysteries here.  The earlier books in the series are better than the recent stories. Thank you for dropping by today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Celebrate Lit Tour for Detecting Concealed Evidence by Dana Mentink. It is the fifth book in the Security Hounds Investigations series. 

They just finished eating!

 

They are heading for the water dishes!

I have not given you a duckling update in a while.  They are now as big as or bigger than their mother.  It is hard to believe that these were the same little ducklings that showed up on my porch a few weeks ago.  I can no longer feed them on my porch because of a neighbor who does not like cats, ducks, frogs, or any animal besides her dog (she did not like the ducks napping under her golf cart which she has not used since she moved in a year ago).  My other neighbor's have no problem with the ducks and gave me permission to feed them in their yards.  It is unusual for the ducklings to still be with their mother at this age.  She leads them to the lake (two short blocks from my house) to sleep each night (it is adorable to see them waddling down the street in a line).  I hope that you have an uplifting day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher with Terrie Farley Moran

 Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston

Book Summary

Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.

Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell Jessica: he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse -- and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!

Boston Public Library

My Thoughts

Murder, She Wrote:  A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran is a charming story.  I enjoyed watching Murder, She Wrote when it was first released (I was a kid), and this story stays true to the show.  It was great to catch up with some of the characters.  Jessica is heading to Boston along with Seth, which means a visit to Gilhooley’s and catching up with Harry McGraw (and trouble will soon follow).  I like that Jessica is just as Angela Lansbury portrayed her.  The whodunit involves Cookie’s daughter which naturally draws in Jessica, Harry, and Seth.  They each have a skill which will be needed to solve this mystery.  I like that Jessica used some of her book contacts in Boston to help to help in solving the crime.  The vivid descriptions of the places Jessica visited and saw in Boston allowed me to envision them.  I especially enjoyed the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum.  The story had a feel-good ending.  Murder, She Wrote:  A Body in Boston would be a delightful story to read with a cup of tea (and some cookies) on a rainy afternoon.  

Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

Murder, She Wrote:  A Body in Boston is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other Murder, She Wrote novels here.  Thank you for joining me today. Due to a health issue, I am taking tomorrow off (and I hope I feel better for the party on the Fourth of July).  I will return on Tuesday, July 8 with Accidental Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber.  I hope that you have a fun and safe Fourth of July.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris 

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin

 Hounding a Killer

Book Summary

It’s chaos in Crosbyville when someone tries to swindle a large inheritance, but as Pris and Bailey start digging for the missing money, they uncover the wrong kind of bones….

Finally finished with the renovations on her new house, bestselling children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, are finding more opportunities to join the community, including attending the annual town festival. But their efforts are paw-sed when David Townsend, volatile grandson of the late wealthy resident Edward Townsend, comes to fetch his inheritance.

After the new arrival riles up several other locals with petty arguments, the once sleepy town goes barking mad. Before long, the wealthy bachelor disappears without a trace, and the police suspect foul play. Bailey’s tracking instincts helped them collar the last criminal in Crosbyville, so the cops turn to Pris and her sweet hound to track down David.

But on their search-and-rescue mission, Pris and Bailey sniff out fraud, theft, and a body. Before they know it, both are hackles-deep inside another homicide investigation. Can the unlikely duo chase down the killer, or will they be left chasing their own tails?

My Thoughts

Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin is a cute cozy mystery.  My favorite character is Bailey the Bloodhound.  I found Pris to be a little off in this book.  Pris was too timid, she overreacted, her feelings got hurt easily, and she took things the wrong way (often).  It got old quickly (I wanted to recommend that she see a counselor).  I did not feel the chemistry between Pris and her boyfriend.  They felt like good friends instead of romantic partners.  The mystery was interesting with red herrings plus a twist or two.  There was a long reveal at the end.  I found the pacing to be a tad slow and there were repetitive details.  I enjoyed the excerpts from the Bailey the Bloodhound book that Pris was working on.  Hounding the Killer is the second A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery and it can be read as a standalone for those who have not read Sniffing Out Murder.  Hounding the Killer is a chaotic cozy mystery with a transferred festival, a departed recluse, heir issues, a missing man, a body found by a bloodhound, and catching a killer.

Hounding a Killer is available from Amazon.  The first book in A Bailey the Bloodhound Mysteries is Sniffing Out Murder.  Kallie E. Benjamin is a pseudonym  for V.M. Burns. Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Thursday, May 8 with The Marriage Pact by Kathleen Fuller.  I am off to get some work done outside.  I am trying to get all the outside work done before the heat and humidity descent in full force. I hope that you have a fulfilling day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner

 A Map to Paradise

Book Summary

1956, Malibu, Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…

My Thoughts

I look forward to reading Susan Meissner’s latest novel each year. I picked up A Map to Paradise to see where the author would take us this year.  I was transported back to 1956 when Hollywood actors, writers, and producers were terrified of being put on the Hollywood blacklist.  A Map to Paradise is a character driven story that moves at a leisurely pace.  The characters are developed with flaws.  I like when the characters are realistic.  The three women (June, Eva, and Melanie) have had ups and downs in their lives (some more than others).

The story was interesting, but it was somewhat predictable with repetitive details.  When someone is digging in a rose garden in the middle of the night, it is obvious what they are doing.  I wish there had been more suspense and action (something to liven up the story).  The story felt flat (reminded me of a flat line on a heart monitor).   At times, the dialogue felt forced (felt like the author was trying too hard).  I liked that June and Eva became friends.  I found the epilogue to be a letdown.  I have read all of Susan Meissner’s books (I have been hooked since I read “A Lady in Waiting”, and A Map to Paradise was not a hit with me (if I ranked Susan Meissner's books from favorite to least favorite, this book would be at the bottom of the list).  While A Map to Paradise was not a home run with me, I look forward to reading Susan Meissner’s next novel.  

A Map to Paradise is available from Amazon. Check out Susan Meissner's other novels here. Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Green Patures by Patricia Johns.  There will be a giveaway for you to enter!  The weather has been odd in my area (Tampa Bay area of Florida).  Normally, we have some mild spring weather (low 70s if we are lucky).  This week, I wear jeans and a sweater one day (low 60s yesterday), capris the next, shorts for two days, and then back to jeans.  I will enjoy the cool weather while it lasts because the heat will soon arrive.  I hope that you have a happy spring day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs

 

High Tea and Misdemeanors

 

About High Tea and Misdemeanors

 

  High Tea and Misdemeanors (A Tea Shop Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 

  29th in Series 

  Setting - South Carolina 

  Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley 

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

 

When a wedding is tragically averted by the death of the bridesmaid, Theodosia is determined to prove that it was murder in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series. Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping a bridesmaid and the groom. He will pull through but the bridesmaid is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder. INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the A Tea Shop Mysteries, A Scrapbooking Mysteries, and A Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

A Tea Shop Mysteries – in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that takes place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

A Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura's Links

 Website 

 Facebook  

My Thoughts

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs is the twenty-ninth A Tea Shop Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series.  This is one of the two series that got me hooked on cozy mysteries (when they only came out in paperback).  I always enjoy my visits to Charleston, South Carolina, and the Indigo Tea Shop.  I like checking in on Theodosia, Drayton, Hayley, and, of course, Earl Gray.  I am not a fan of Riley, Theo’s boyfriend, who does not understand her curious nature and desire to investigate crimes.  Theo and Drayton make a great team.  The mystery was interesting, but it was easy to solve.  The guilty person stood out like a woman wearing a red dress at a black and white party.  There were various events that kept things lively.  

I liked the chapters from the killer’s perspective (it was obvious their elevator stopped a few floors short of the top).   The reveal was suspenseful and answered any lingering questions.  There are recipes at the end of the book along with tea tips.  I do wish, though, that the story had more depth like the books at the beginning of the series and less repetitive details.  I liked that High Tea and Misdemeanors was a Halloween story (it is a shame that the book did not come out in the fall).  The Indigo Tea Shop was decked out for a spooky tea and there were other Halloween themed events.  I look forward to Theodosia’s next adventure.  High Tea and Misdemeanors is a merry mystery with a glass catastrophe, scrumptious scones, chocolate covered cherries, a cemetery crawl, a creepy killer, and tasty tea.

High Tea and Misdemeanors is available from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Bookshop.org, and  PenquinRandomHouse. You can find the other twenty-eight A Tea Shop Mysteries here.  If you follow Laura Child's on Amazon, they will notify you when she has a new book release.  As part of the tour, Laura Child's is giving away two print copies of High Tea and Misdemeanors (sorry, but US Only).  Click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below.  Leave a comment for an extra entry. Good Luck! Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Welcome to the Honey B&B by Melody Carlson.  I hope that you have a spooktacular day.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway before you depart (you know it will haunt you later if you don't do it now).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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Tour Participants

March 4 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT 

March 4 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 5 – Angel's Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

March 5 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 

March 6 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT 

March 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

March 7 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW 

March 7 – Wine Cellar Library – SPOTLIGHT 

March 8 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT 

March 8 – FUONLYKNEW - SPOTLIGHT 

March 9 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR GUEST POST 

March 10 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW 

March 10 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

March 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT 

March 11 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

March 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW 

March 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

March 13 – Novels Alive – REVIEW 

March 13 – Wine Cellar Library – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

March 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT 

March 15 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW 

March 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

March 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW 

☘March 17 – Boys' Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT ☘

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.