Great Escapes Book Tour Book Review: 18 Caliber

18 CALIBER, Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery

by Larissa Reinhart

About 18 Caliber

18 CALIBER, Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery

Cozy Mystery

6th in Series

Past Perfect Press (April 14, 2020)

Print Length: 395 pages

Digital ASIN: B085HGGBW2

LUCKY IN LOVE AND LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. UNTIL NOW.

Maizie’s mixing with international stars, spies, and her mother’s dark past in her sixth case in The Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

"Hollywood glitz meets backwoods grit in this fast-paced ride on D-list celeb Maizie Albright's waning star. Sassy, Sexy, and Fun.” — Phoebe Fox, author of the Breakup Doctor series.

#WannabeDetectiving While ex-celebrity Maizie Albright’s dreams of becoming a for-real private investigator have not exactly been dashed, they have been slightly thwarted. Her ex-manager and still-mother, Vicki Albright, has taken the helm of Nash Security Services while rebuilding her entertainment management company. Sometimes with the same clients. Like Chinese action star, Lili Liang, who’s making the film Unlucky 18 in Georgia.

Thus far, Lili’s living up to her movie title. Her kung fu coach is missing. Her boyfriend’s disappeared. And her director, who gambled on her with the part, might be gambling with her life.

Maizie’s luck is also running out. Maizie and Nash find themselves struggling to balance a new partnership and new relationship between missing persons’ cases, wild goose chases, and tracking a bullet into dangerous places. Sometimes it’s enough to make a girl NOT want to put a ring on it. When it comes to facing an 18-caliber killer, what will Maizie put up as the target? Her heart or her life?

Books in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series:

15 MINUTES

16 MILLIMETERS

NC-17

A VIEW TO A CHILL

17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR TREE

18 CALIBER

Review: 18 Caliber is the latest book in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series. Its book 6. Having read her Cherry Tucker series, I thought I'd give this one a go.

Its a fun read, but for me, this is the first series that I really have to say start with book 1. Don't just jump in. On a plus, the first book is free right now. So yay, I'm going to go back to read that one. The reason I say this, is there is a lot of backstory for Maizie and Nash and her family that you may need to understand better.

This book definitely reminded me a bit of Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series, which I really enjoyed.

It took me awhile to get used to what was going on while they were investigating the disappearing people and the bullets in aquariums.

Maize is one part rich girl, one part bumbling PI wanna be. At times she's super frustrating, because you really just want to shake the crap out of her for how she reacts, but in the same vein she is also very lovable. Maybe part Stephanie Plum part Heather Wells.

Then there is her mother. OMG I never hated a character so much in all my life and I've hated a lot of characters. It was as though she didn't even love her daughter.

Nash was a great foil for Maizie. A not so perfect love interest that uses his head more than his heart in the investigation. I love the relationship dynamic between the two and that's part of the reason I have to go back and read this series from the beginning.

Again, this is a stand alone novel and you can read it apart from the others, but from my reading experience, it will probably be more enjoyable if you read the series from the beginning.

Rating: 4 flowers

Other Series by Larissa Reinhart:

A Cherry Tucker Mystery

Finley Goodhart Crime Capers

A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series as well as romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She loves to tell funny stories about Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places. You might have seen Larissa and family with their little dog, Biscuit, on HGTV's House Hunters International "Living for the Weekend in Nagoya" episode, but they’re back in Georgia now. Visit LarissaReinhart.com to learn more.

FREE DURING PANDEMIC

Social Media Links:

Website: http://larissareinhart.com/

VIP Readers: https://www.larissareinhart.com/larissasreaders

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLarissaReinhart/

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

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mysteryminions/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/larissa-reinhart

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/LarissaGoodreads

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/LarissaReinhart/

Purchase links: (Not live yet)

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/kindle18

Barnes & Noble: http://smarturl.it/Nook18

Kobo: http://smarturl.it/Kobo18

Apple Books: http://smarturl.it/iBooks18

https://books2read.com/18Caliber

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April 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 14 – A CHICK WHO READS – REVIEW

April 15 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

April 16 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW

April 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

April 17 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 18 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 19 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – GUEST POST

April 20 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

April 21 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

April 22 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 22 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 23 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 24 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 24 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

April 25 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

April 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 27 – TBR Book Blog – REVIEW

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Buy The Book Tours Spotlight & Review: Hijack In Abstract

Larissa’s Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Genre: Humorous Cozy Mystery

Length: 257 pages

Release Date: December 18, 2013

Humor, Hijackings and a Handful of Hunks . . . 

With a classical series sold and a portrait commissioned, Cherry Tucker’s art career is in Georgia overdrive. But when the sheriff asks Cherry to draw a composite sketch of a hijacker, her life takes a hairpin as the composite leads to a related murder, her local card-sharking buddy Max Avtaikin becomes bear bait and her nemesis labels the classical series “pervert art.”

Cherry’s jamming gears between trailer parks, Atlanta mansions, and trucker bars searching for the hijacker who left a widow and orphan destitute. While she seeks to help the misfortunate and save her local reputation, Cherry’s hammer down attitude has her facing the headlights of an oncoming killer.

Excerpt: There are many places you don’t want to be at zero dark thirty, but I’ve got a personal top three. One is the ER. Second is a police station. The third is your ex-boyfriend’s bedroom.

Thank God Almighty I was not in number three. Stupid does catch me occasionally, but not this night. I was nowhere near an ex-boyfriend’s bedroom.

At two forty-five in the morning, I found myself in number two. The Forks County Sheriff’s Office to be accurate. My cornflower blues were a bit bloodshot and blurry, but my grin matched Shep Peterson’s, who also found himself in a similar location. However, Shep had a drunk tank grin. Mine was more of a self-congratulatory grin, born from knowing that finally someone in Forks County had recognized my accomplishments in the art world. Never mind the phone call that woke me from a dead sleep and near gave me a heart attack.

Or that I had to drive my sister’s Firebird because her vehicle was blocking my driveway. Or that I now sat in the junior officers’ room with a cold cup of coffee and had just realized I had forgotten to comb my bed-head designed blonde cowlicks in my bleary-eyed haste.

And to put on a bra.

The Forks County Sheriff, Uncle Will, needed my expertise. That’s all that mattered. And I was going to get paid.

Needed me for what was still a bit vague. I hoped nothing needing brushed hair and a bra.

* * * * *

With my messenger bag bumping my back, I hugged my chest, figuring it best not to give an extra show to Shep and the boys. I followed Uncle Will down the hallway, waiting while he unlocked a door. The door opened and two faces turned to look at us. One I didn’t recognize, but judging by his despondent expression, I figured he was probably in a mess of trouble. The other person, another deputy, I identified immediately. Hard not to recognize those brown ochre curls with the highlights I had decided were transparent oxide-red lake. Or the lean, muscled body, much like Michelangelo’s David. Or by the strong jaw buttressing two adorable dimples that made a rare showing.

Unfortunately, I knew Deputy Luke Harper a little too well.

He gave me a scant nod and turned back to the perp.

My hand snuck back to my hair and yanked on a particularly tall cowlick in back. I gritted my teeth and gave myself a quick lecture not to make a scene. We had aired our irreconcilable differences behind the local roadhouse, Red’s County Line Tap, a few months ago and I had not quite recovered.

“That’s Tyrone Coderre,” said Uncle Will. “He’s going to give you a description to draw. We need a composite sketch.”

Uncle Will stopped me before I entered the room and pulled me to the side. “Can I leave Deputy Harper in there with you or do I need to call in another officer? Harper’s the one who picked up Coderre, so this is his investigation.”

“I’m quite capable of separating my personal and professional life,” I said, tilting my chin so I could eyeball Uncle Will. “You might want to ask the same of him.”

“I trust Luke not to screw up his job. You are another story.”

I gave him a “why, I never” gasp.

“I’m going to be watching through the two-way.” He tapped my messenger bag. “Lucky for you, I don’t know other artists to call during the middle of the night. Wouldn’t want to be accused of nepotism. But I want a sketch while the memory is still fresh in Coderre’s mind. Don’t disappoint me, Cherry.”

“So, this is an important investigation?” Excitement zipped through my veins and made my fingers tingle. “I won’t let you down. You can even deputize me if you want.”

Uncle Will chuckled. “Just draw us a good picture. That’s plenty helpful.”

“Yes, sir,” I said and snuck by him to enter the room. I nodded to the man in the black sweat suit behind the table and held out my hand. “Hello, Mr. Coderre. I’m Cherry Tucker, a local artist.”

“Don’t shake his hand,” barked Luke. “Are you crazy?”

Tyrone Coderre’s cuffed hands retreated below the table, and I blew out a hard breath.

Looked like it was going to be a long night. At least the criminal had manners.

Couldn’t say the same for the cop.

Review: Hijack In Abstract is the 3rd book in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series and like the other two books before, and the awesome prequel short story, you have a book that is full of mystery and hilarity.

When the story opens with Cherry drawing a composite in the middle of the night sans bra, you know things are going to be getting funny.

There's still romantic tension between her and her ex-Luke and her ex-husband Todd, who happens to be staying at her place. But there's also Max, and his mysterious badness makes him very lovable.

I absolutely love Cherry, and have from the first book. She's different from most cozy heroines that I've read. She's smart and caring, while still being a bit of a ditz. Her crazy luck makes me think of a Southern Stephanie Plum, but at least cars aren't blowing up around her. The thing that stands out here, is how she helps Tyrone's family after his murder. I loved how she cared about his son and grandmother.

You can read this book as a stand a lone, but I have to say, it would be better to have read the first two, because that will help you sort out Cherry and her relationships. (They can get confusing...probably even for Cherry).

The mystery, keeps you on your toes and you get to meet all the characters from the past books, who just add to the fun. Oh and you may even shed a tear at the end for Tater, the goat.

If you haven't read this series, you need to start now.

Rating:  5 flowers

About Larissa: Growing up in a small town, Larissa Reinhart couldn’t wait to move to an exotic city far from

corn fields. After moving around the US and Japan, now she loves to write about rough hewn characters that live near corn fields, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble.

HIJACK IN ABSTRACT is the third in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series from Henery Press, following STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) and PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist. QUICK SKETCH, a Cherry Tucker prequel to PORTRAIT, is in the mystery anthology THE HEARTACHE MOTEL (December 2013).

Larissa lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.

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Great Escapes Book Tour Book Review: Heartache Motel w/tourwide giveaway

Heartache Motel: Three Interconnected Mystery Novellas
Genre:
Women Sleuths, Cozy Mystery, Humorous Mystery, Short Stories
Number of Pages:
225
Published by:
Henery Press (December 10, 2013)

SYNOPSIS
Heartache Motel, Three Interconnected Mystery Novellas
Elvis has left the building, but he’s forever memorialized at the Heartache Motel. Filled with drag queens, Rock-a-Hula cocktails, and a vibrating velveteen bed, these three novellas tell the tales of three amateur sleuths who spend their holidays at the King’s beloved home.

DINERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS by Terri L. Austin
A Rose Strickland Mystery Novella (follows DINER IMPOSSIBLE)
When Rose and the gang head to Graceland right before Christmas, they get all shook up: the motel is a seedy dump and an Elvis impersonator turns up dead. Rose discovers missing jewels tie into the death and her suspicious mind flips into overdrive, questioning her fellow guests, the staff, and even a cute impersonator who keeps popping up. Will Rose be able to find the murderer and get home by Christmas day? It’s now or never.

QUICK SKETCH by Larissa Reinhart
A Cherry Tucker Mystery Novella (prequel to PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY)
Sassy Southern artist Cherry Tucker and her poker-loving boyfriend, Todd, pop into Memphis to help Todd’s cousin who’s been hustled out of his savings, right before Christmas. Staying at the shady Heartache Motel, Cherry can’t tell a shill from a mark and fears everyone is playing them for chumps. Cherry and Todd quickly find themselves in a dangerous sting that could send them to the slammer or mark them as pigeons from cons looking for an even bigger score.

DATELINE MEMPHIS by LynDee Walker
A Headlines in High Heels Mystery Novella (follows BURIED LEADS)
Crime reporter Nichelle Clarke thinks she’s going home for Christmas. But a quick stop at Graceland proves news breaks in the strangest places. When the King’s home gets locked down with Nichelle inside, she chases this headline into the national spotlight—and the thief’s crosshairs. Christmas dreams of blue suede Manolos fade, and all Nichelle wants from Santa is to land the story before the thief cuts off her news feed for good.
 Purchase Link:
Amazon
Not up om B&N or Book World yet.

Review: This is a fabulous collection of novellas that all tie in together in a round about way. I had read the first two Cherry Tucker Mysteries so I had to give this one a go and I have one of of Terri's books on my nook waiting to be read.

As I was familiar with those two authors, those were the short stories that I enjoyed the most. My favorite was Diners Keepers, Losers Weepers. There's something about a story with Elvis impersonators that you just can't help but love.

Quick Sketch is a must read for anyone following the Cherry Tucker series. It gives that little back story on Cherry and Todd and the events that led up to their brief marriage.

Dateline Memphis was another great story, but I didn't connect as well with Nichelle as I did the leads in the other two stories (series) I may come back and re-read this story after I read Buried Leads.

If you are a cozy mystery lover, I can't recommend any book more, because you are going to be introduced to three great authors and their series. (I love Cherry Tucker>

I really think the premise of setting these stories around a (flea bag?) motel in Memphis and of course Elvis Presley. 

Rating: 5 flowers

TERRI L. AUSTIN
As a girl, Terri L. Austin thought she’d outgrow dreaming up stories and creating imaginary friends. Instead, she’s made a career of it. She met her own Prince Charming and together they live in Missouri. She loves to hear from readers!

WEB: www.terrilaustin.com
FOLLOW: www.twitter.com/terrilaustin
LIKE: www.facebook.com/terrilaustin

LARISSA REINHART
After seeing Paper Moon as a child, Larissa Reinhart fell in love with stories about confidence capers. QUICK SKETCH is the Cherry Tucker prequel to PORTRAIT in the mystery anthology THE HEARTACHE MOTEL. HIJACK IN ABSTRACT is the third in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series from Henery Press, following STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (#2) and PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (#1), a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit.


WEB:  larissareinhart.com
Follow: twitter.com/RisWrites
Like: facebook.com/RisWrites


LYNDEE WALKER
LynDee Walker grew up in the land of stifling heat and amazing food most people call Texas, and wanted to be Lois Lane from the time she could say the words “press conference.” An award-winning journalist, she traded cops and deadlines for burp cloths and onesies when her oldest child was born. Writing the Headlines in Heels mysteries gives her the best of both worlds. LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She often works out tricky plot points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel. Find her at www.lyndeewalker.com.
WEB: www.lyndeewalker.com
FOLLOW: www.twitter.com/LynDeeWalker

LIKE: www.facebook.com/lyndeewalkerbooks

Follow the tour: http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/upcoming-tours/new-tour-heartache-motel-three-interconnected-mystery-novellas-by-terri-l-austin-larissa-reinhart-and-lyndee-walker/

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Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: Still Life In Brunswick Stew

Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humorous – 2nd in Series
Published by: Henery Press
Release Date: May 17, 2013
Number of Pages: 298

Synopsis Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental. However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, her cop boyfriend get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose.

Review: Still Life In Brunswick Stew is the 2nd book in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series. If you are a cozy mystery lover, you definitely want to grab this book and Portrait Of A Dead Guy. I reviewed the first book awhile back and really enjoyed it. This book, however, I loved.

Cherry is so quirky and so is everyone around her, from her boyfriend Luke to her ex-husband, Todd. This is a very fast paced read, and one you won't want to put down. Cherry has really grown as a character. She's a bit obnoxious, but very much someone who will open a can of whoopass on you if needed, and since the mystery involves the death of her friend Eloise, it's very personal. I love her devotion to people she considers friends, even if that devotion can get her in some pretty hot water.

Eloise's family want to get to the bottom of their daughter's death and Cherry jumps into the investigation, much to the chagrin of her uncle and her boyfriend.

It doesn't help matters that where Cherry goes, trouble follows. She reminds me a bit of Stephanie Plum. Where she goes, mayhem is sure to follow. That's what makes these books such fun reads. You've got a great cozy style mystery and  you have a lot of humor. All in all, a feel good book that you'll devour in a few hours time, because I guarantee that once you start this book, you won't want to put it down.

I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I'm still not sure if I'm Team Luke or Team Todd!

Rating: 5 flowers

Author Info:

Larissa Reinhart loves small town characters, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) is the second in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. The first, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website, her Facebook page, or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.



Author Links
Website: larissareinhart.com
Blog: larissareinhart.blogspot.com
Facebook page: facebook.com/RisWrites
Goodreads author page: goodreads.com/author/show/5806614.Larissa_Reinhart
Twitter: twitter.com/RisWrites
Publisher: henerypress.com
https://www.facebook.com/LittleReadHens
Amazon: amazon.com/author/larissareinhart


Buy Links:

PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY:
Amazon Kindle     B&N Nook     Kobo
Amazon Paperback     B&N Paperback



STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW:
Amazon Kindle  B&N Nook  Kobo
Amazon Paperback Barnes&Noble Paperback

Book Review: Portrait Of A Dead Guy

Author: Larissa Reinhart
Title: Portrait Of A Dead Guy
Publisher: Henery Press
Publish Date: August 28, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: In Halo, Georgia, folks know Cherry Tucker as big in mouth, small in stature, and able to sketch a portrait faster than buckshot rips from a ten gauge — but commissions are scarce. So when the well-heeled Branson family wants to memorialize their murdered son in a coffin portrait, Cherry scrambles to win their patronage from her small town rival. As the clock ticks toward the deadline, Cherry faces more trouble than just a controversial subject. Between ex-boyfriends, her flaky family, an illegal gambling ring, and outwitting a killer on a spree, Cherry finds herself painted into a corner she’ll be lucky to survive.

Review: This is a fun new cozy mystery series, set in the south. Our heroine, is Cherry Tucker a portrait artist. She's not getting a lot of work so she's trying to get the commission of a memorial portrait of Dustin Branson who was recently found murdered.

As if painting a dead guy's picture isn't enough, Cherry has to deal with the dead guy's crazy..erm eccentric family which includes the super hot Luke who is Dustin's step brother and also her ex boyfriend.

Such fun!

Oh and there's Todd who she might have married at one point.

Both love interests are fabulous and it is hard to decide which you might want her to end up with at some point in the future.

The cast of characters really makes this story. There's a lot of southern charm going on here as well as a great rivalry between Cherry and Shawna!

I loved how fast paced this was and how fun...Cherry has been compared to Stephanie Plum, and I can definitely agree with that. She has the same spunk. Plus she's got two hot guys vying for her attention, but the love triangle thing is popular in more than just the Plum series.

I can't wait to pick up a copy of Still Life With Brunswick Stew..which is the next book in the series.


Rating: 4 flowers