Killer Wedding Cake by Gayle Trent

 

 

 

 

Killer Wedding Cake by Gayle Trent
Cozy Mystery

Synopsis:

Daphne Martin’s wedding to Ben Jacobs is only a couple of weeks away. An award-winning cake decorator, Daphne is busy designing their wedding cake. Her twin nephew and niece, Lucas and Leslie, are excited about being in the wedding party. And Daphne’s brother-in-law Jason is planning a bachelor party for Ben. Everything is going beautifully until Daphne’s ex-husband Todd shows up. Just released from prison after serving a sentence based on his shooting a gun at Daphne, Todd comes to Brea Ridge to profess his undying love for her.

Despite Daphne’s attempts to make Todd leave town, he insists on hanging around to reconnect with people he used to know. When he’s found murdered, Daphne finds herself at the center of the investigation. Now she must track down Todd’s killer before she becomes the next victim. Can she still make it to the church on time?

 

What I Thought:

 

Daphne thought everything was going great. She had divorced her ex-husband who fired a gun at her and he was in prison.  She moved back to Virginia and started her business of baking goods  out of her home.  She was preparing for her wedding to her old High School sweetheart, she doesn't have time for a murder, especially when the victim is Todd, her ex-husband.  This was a very quick read that will keep you entertained from the beginning till the end.  It will keep you guessing and on the edge of you seat.  I really enjoyed the characters in this story, they were very real.  Great job Gayle.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

The Author –

Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.

 
Author Links:
http://www.gayletrent.com
https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee
https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
https://www.pinterest.com/gayletrent/
Purchase Links –
Amazon B&N

Guest Post:

 

Writing an Older Protagonist

Gayle Trent

 

I wouldn’t necessarily describe Daphne Martin as “older”—and please don’t tell her I referred to her as such in the title of this post—but she is older than your typical series heroine. Daphne had just turned forty when she returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge, Virginia in the first book in the series, Murder Takes the Cake.

 

In Murder Takes the Cake, Daphne is embarking upon the second act of her life. She’s divorced her husband who is serving time in prison after shooting a handgun at her, and she’s retired from her government job in Tennessee. She returns to her hometown after being away for many years, buys a house, and starts a cake decorating business.

 

While Daphne certainly isn’t in her twilight years like Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple, and she isn’t even as old as one of my other series protagonists, Myrtle Crumb, she isn’t the young woman who heads up most traditional cozy mystery series. When I initially began writing the character of Daphne, I wanted her to be a woman at a crossroads. Like all of us at one point or another, she’s experienced a life event—or more than one—that has made her reevaluate where she is at this particular point versus where she’d like to be. She wants a do-over. And she understands that it’s never too late to start all over and realize her dreams.

 

Daphne still has a lot of options for her life, but they are becoming more limited. For example, if she and Ben want to have children, they’ll have to do so soon since conception is more difficult and there are more risks for both mother and child when a woman is in her forties. This could add fresh fodder for new mysteries, though, if the couple chooses to investigate fertility treatments and/or decide to adopt a child.

 

One of the positives about writing an older protagonist is that Daphne has been through a lot and has many experiences to draw upon. She realizes the mistakes she’s made in her past, and she’s not about to let history repeat itself.  She embraces new challenges and enjoys life to its fullest. But she is empathetic when she encounters others who are suffering, and she tries her best to help.

 

While there are a wide range of ages represented in the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series, everything is filtered through Daphne’s viewpoint because she’s a first-person protagonist. Still, I hope readers can still feel the excitement and energy of Daphne’s twin niece and nephew and appreciate the wisdom or skewed thinking of some of the older characters.

 

What about you? Do you prefer your protagonists to be younger? Older? Or does it matter?

Drape Expectations by Karen Rose Smith

Drape Expectations (A Caprice Deluca Mystery)Series: A Caprice Deluca Mystery (Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617737701
E-Book ASIN: B00P53E0G2

Synopsis:
Caprice De Luca’s former client and now friend Ace Richland–an 80’s rock star–asks her for a favor.  Can she quickly stage his girlfriend’s house to sell?  Widow Alanna Goodwin, a transplanted Southern beauty, will be moving in with him!  Immediately Caprice realizes Alanna’s southern charm can be turned on and off at will.  Caprice agrees to stage Alanna’s Kismet antebellum-styled mansion for Ace’s sake.  But she soon learns Alanna doesn’t have a genuine love for her cat Mirabelle and also uncovers a plot her new client is hatching to sabotage Ace’s comeback.  However, before she can tell Ace, Alanna is murdered and Ace is the prime suspect.
As Caprice investigates, she learns Alanna had more secrets than pie safes.  With her Cocker Spaniel Lady by her side, she tracks down clues and adopts Alanna’s cat.  In the midst of some of her own family upheaval–her uncle has moved in with her parents–she finds herself with a dilemma.  Grant Weatherford, her brother’s law partner, advises Ace and reveals more of his past to her.  Seth Randolph, the doctor she dates, wants her to meet his family.  She must choose between them.
Danger stalks Caprice.  Will her refresher self-defense course save her life?  Only if she keeps her wits about her and Lady by her side.

STAGED TO DEATH, Book 1
DEADLY DECOR, Book 2
GILT BY ASSOCIATION, Book 3 February 2015
DRAPE EXPECTATIONS, Book 4 August 2015
SILENCE OF THE LAMPS, Book 5 March 2016


What I Thought:

This was my first visit to Kismet, PA with Caprice De Luca, but I really enjoyed it.  Caprice is asked by her friend Ace to stage the home of his girlfriend, Alanna, to be sold.  Caprice has several not so good interactions with Alanna and learns some things about her that Ace should know, but alas, Alanna is murdered before Caprice can spill the beans.  This book is filled with quirky characters.  Caprice is a great protagonist.  I love all of her interactions.  She also has two love interests to chose from plus a somewhat eccentric family to deal with.  This is a great cozy that will leave you guessing till the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

About This AuthorAward winning and best-selling author, Karen Rose Smith’s plots are all about emotion. She began writing in her early teens when she listened to music and created stories to accompany the songs. An only child, she spent a lot of time in her imagination and with books–Nancy Drew, Zane Gray, The Black Stallion and Anne of Green Gables. She dreamed of brothers and sisters and a big family like her mother and father came from. This is the root of her plotlines that include small communities and family relationships as part of everyday living. Residing in Pennsylvania with her husband and four rescued cats, she welcomes interaction with readers on social media.


Author Links:
Webpage:  http://karenrosesmithmysteries.com/
Blog:  http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KarenRoseSmithBooks
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karenrosesmith
GoodReads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21863.Karen_Rose_Smith
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/karosm/
 Purchase Links:
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A Deceptive Homecoming By Anna Loan-Wilsey

A Deceptive Homecoming
by Anna Loan Wilsey

A Deceptive Homecoming
(A Hattie Davish Mystery)
Series: A Hattie Davish Mystery (Book 4)
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617737268
E-Book ASIN: B00P53E0L2


Synopsis

Traveling secretary Hattie Davish is returning to her once-quiet hometown, where a deluge of deadly secrets leaves her feeling anything but welcome…

When her good friend Virginia Hayward’s father passes away, Hattie Davish rushes to her hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. She’s looking forward to visiting the place where she grew up, even if the circumstances bringing her there are bleak. But upon her arrival, she learns that all is not well in St. Joe. Virginia is cold and distant, Frank Hayward’s death is shrouded in mystery, and a string of troubling incidents have descended on Hattie’s alma mater, Mrs. Chaplin’s School for Women. Frank was the school’s bookkeeper, and as Hattie begins investigating the bizarre goings-on, she becomes convinced that someone other than Frank was in the casket—but who? Her search for the truth takes her from the town cemetery, to the home of an infamous outlaw, to the dungeon-like tunnels beneath the State Lunatic Asylum—and brings her face-to-face with a killer bent on the deadliest lesson of all…

 

What I Thought:

 

This book grabbed my attention from the time I picked it up till I finally put it down.  It flowed so well, I just loved reading it.  Hattie goes back home to St. Joseph to attend the funeral of her friends father, but she receives a cold shoulder when she expresses doubts about who the dead body is.  She sets on a sometimes unwanted quest to find out who the body belongs to and what happened to her friends father.  She is also treated as somewhat a celebrity because of her reputation of solving mysteries.  This story was filled with quirky characters and it kept me guessing till the end.  It truly enjoyed this book.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About The Author –
As a librarian and information specialist, Anna Loan-Wilsey tracks down information every day that helps to solve mysteries.  She is currently working on her next book in the Hattie Davish Mystery series. She earned her B.A. at Wells College and had several poems published in their literary magazine, The Chronicle.  Readers can visit her website at www.annaloanwilsey.com.

Author Links

http://www.annaloanwilsey.com/
https://twitter.com/annaloanwilsey
https://www.facebook.com/annaloanwilseyauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5810152.Anna_Loan_Wilsey

Purchase Links

AmazonB&NGoogle Play

 

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Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Marty Wingate

 

 

 

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A Potting Shed Mystery
(Potting Shed Mystery series Book 3)
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Alibi (August 4, 2015)
Random House LLC
ASIN: B00PEPR70M


Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Laura Childs, Ellery Adams, and Jenn McKinlay, Marty Wingate’s enchanting Potting Shed Mystery series heads to Scotland as Pru Parke plans her wedding . . . all while a vengeful murderer is poised to strike again.
After her romantic idyll with the debonair Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse culminates in a marriage proposal, Pru Parke sets about arranging their nuptials while diving into a short-term gig at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. At hand is the authentication of a journal purportedly penned by eighteenth-century botanist and explorer Archibald Menzies. Compared to the chaos of wedding planning, studying the journal is an agreeable task . . . that is, until a search for a missing cat leads to the discovery of a dead body: One of Pru’s colleagues has been conked on the head with a rock and dumped from a bridge into the Water of Leith.

Pru can’t help wondering if the murder has something to do with the Menzies diary. Is the killer covering up a forgery? Among the police’s many suspects are a fallen aristocrat turned furniture maker, Pru’s overly solicitous assistant, even Pru herself. Now, in the midst of sheer torture by the likes of flamboyant wedding dress designers and eccentric church organists, Pru must also uncover the work of a sly murderer—unless this bride wants to walk down the aisle in handcuffs.

 

What I Thought:

 

This book started out kind of slow, but picked up in the middle.  It was well written and I enjoyed the banter between the characters.  Pru takes a new job in Edinburgh doing some research on a famous botanist.  Little did she know she would have to prove the she is innocent of murder.  Needless to say, she doesn't have time for any of this, because she is preparing for her wedding.  And her wedding plans are stressful enough, sometimes hilarious.  This was a great book that kept me guessing till the very end.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About the Author

Marty Wingate is the author of two previous Potting Shed mysteries, The Garden Plot and The Red Book of Primrose House. Her new Birds of a Feather Mystery series debuted with The Rhyme of the Magpie. Wingate is a regular contributor toCountry Gardens and other magazines. She also leads gardening tours throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and North America. More Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather mysteries are planned.

 

Guest Post:

 

In the company of writers

Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, J.K. Rowling, and me – quite a quartet, wouldn’t you say?

True confession – we aren’t all in the same writing group, but we do share this one important fact: We all live in and/or love Edinburgh. The “or love” part would be me. It’s why I set Between a Rock and a Hard Place, the third Potting Shed mystery, in that fantastic city. I sent my main character, Pru Parke (American gardener in Britain) off to do research at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (rbge.org.uk) so that I would be forced to do my own research there. This is the third move for Pru, although all within Britain. She began in London in The Garden Plot, moved to Sussex for The Red Book of Primrose House, and now here she is in Edinburgh. Consider the series a cozy/mystery/travelogue.

So, for the travelogue portion of this latest mystery.

Pru lands a temporary gig at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (known as the Botanics). The garden lies just beyond New Town, which is north of the city center. New Town, in true British fashion, was built in the late eighteenth century. (Case in point: The New Forest in Hampshire, was created by William I in 1079.)

The Botanics is near the Stockbridge neighborhood. Stockbridge,which used to be its own village, is home to the Colonies (http://stockbridgecolonies.com), which are several streets of stone terraced cottages built in the second half of the nineteenth centuries. I’ve stayed there, and so that’s where Pru stays.

I’ve spent many a day walking round the Botanics, peering in Caledonian Hall, having coffee at the East Gate and tea in the Terrace Café and wandering through the glasshouses (no pots fell on my head). I want my settings to feel real to the reader, because they are real to me. I even got a behind-the-scenes tour – when I told my contacts what I was researching (a murder mystery), they were happy to show me around and said they had several names they would like to recommend as victims. (This isn’t an uncommon occurrence – I’m sure that other mystery writers have had the same offers.)

Edinburgh is divided by Princes Street Gardens in the city center. Looming over the gardens to the south is the castle. You can walk from the castle down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. But before you get all the way down there, turn right at South Bridge street and walk just past the central library. On the right, you’ll see a coffeehouse – the sign is a cutout of an elephant. Yes, that’s where Harry Potter was born.

And speaking of authors, I’ve read somewhere that it shows what an amazing place Edinburgh is when you can walk into a coffee shop in New Town and see McCall Smith, Rowling or Rankin. I’m still trying to track down just which coffee shop that is – I intend to try every one of them. I’ll let you know.

The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak

Welcome to my tour stop for The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak. This is the first book in her Fairham Island series. It is a women's fiction novel that released July 28th. The tour runs July 27- Aug. 7th. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak

Trade paperback, 400 pages

Published by Mira, July 28, 2015



Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why?



After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the North Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal—and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see is the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago.



Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid—Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Maisey's still attracted to him, but her heart's too broken to risk…



Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister.

Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now?

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

 

 

What I Thought:

Well, I thought this was going to be an okay book, but I was a little turned off when the two main characters jumped in bed on day two after having seen each other since High School.  Other than the intimacy, this book was good.  It had a good storyline, a lot of suspense and it kept my attention and kept me wondering.  I liked the family dynamics and how dysfunctional this family was a first.  All in all this was a good book, I could have done without the romantic scenes though.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.



 

 

 





About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she’s won The National Reader’s Choice, The Bookseller’s Best, The Bookbuyer’s Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.

Find Brenda Novak Online:

Website| Twitter (@Brenda_Novak) | Facebook | Goodreads

---------------------------------

Giveaway:

Five (5) copies of The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak

US/CA

Ends Aug. 12th

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson

About the book:
Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor (Howard, June 2015)

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents' cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can't be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver's death.

Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family's cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She's mourning her father's passing but can't let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family's belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family's history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.

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

 

What I Thought:

 

Well the first two words that come to mind are mesmerizing and wonderful.  I feel in love with this book!  I really loved reading this stories of Maggie and Walter, Heather and Christopher, and Libby and Oliver.  Melanie is such a great writer weaving the past and the present together in this wonderful book.  I loved the element of mystery to it.  And I also loved that some of these tragic love stories didn't have a happy ending, it was very real.  The characters were all so likable, I would really love to hear more of the story, but most of the story was told.  I highly recommend this book, it will also stay with you long after you stop turning the pages.  Too bad I can only give it five stars.

 

I received a complimentary copy for my honest review.

 

 

About the author:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of thirteen historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels. Two of her novels won Carol Awards in 2011, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010. Melanie lives with her husband Jon and two daughters near Portland, Oregon.

Find Melanie online: website, Twitter, Facebook

Trawling for Trouble by Shelley Freydont

Trawling For Trouble
by Shelley Freydont

Trawling for Trouble:
A Celebration Bay Mystery Novella
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: InterMix (July 21, 2015)
ASIN: B00NMPJ6XW






Synopsis:

The author of Independence Slay is back as intrepid event planner Liv Montgomery discovers something fishy going on beneath Celebration Bay’s deceptively calm surface.
 
Liv Montgomery knew that asking Celebration Bay’s newspaper owner-slash-ne’er-do-well Chaz Bristow to teach her how to fish meant angling for more than a lesson in sinkers and chum. Like asking him to spearhead the fund raiser that’ll benefit the town’s community center. And there are worse ways to spend the afternoon than out on the town’s picturesque lake.
 
But it’s not long before Liv reels in a huge catch—already quite dead. It’s the body of an unknown man, and it was no accidental drowning. This floater was murdered. While local authorities investigate, it’s Liv and Chaz who stumble upon a shocking motive, and become live bait for a ruthless killer determined to keep his secrets down in the deep.

Includes exclusive previews of the next Celebration Bay mystery, Trick or Deceit, and A Gilded Grave, the first book in Shelley Freydont’s new Newport Gilded Age Mystery series.

What I Thought:

This was a great novella installment of the Celebration Bay Mysteries.  Liv is at it again, she just can't seem to keep out of trouble!  And the banter between her and Chaz is humorous at times.  Chaz is teaching Liv how to fish and she fishes a body out of the water.  Her and Chaz embark on a mission to find the killers.  Of course the Zimmerman sisters are involved in this one, along with two Vietnam Vets, some diamonds, and Liv's Westie Whiskey, who is right in the middle, again.  This is a fast, entertaining read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. 

About the Author

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery Celebration Bay Mysteries, Foul Play at the Fair, Silent Knife, Independence Slay as well as the Kate MacDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mysteries, and the upcoming Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave (6/15)

As Shelley Noble, she is the NYTimes Best selling author of women’s fiction (Beach Colors, Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Whisper Beach as well as several novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves puzzles, light houses and antique carousels. She also loves to hear from readers.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.

For more about Shelley, please visit her website www.shelleyfreydont.com.
* Author Links
Website www.shelleyfreydont.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyFreydont
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Freydont/e/B001HCUVP4
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ShelleyFreydont

* Purchase Links
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