Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: Bad To The Bone

 

Linda O Johnson
Bad To The Bone
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series Midnight Ink 
(May 8, 2017)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738746289
E-Book ASIN: B01M0SXJTR

Synopsis

Veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly, owner of the Barkery & Biscuits bakery for dogs, is reluctant to sell her recipes to pet food manufacturer VimPets. Jack Loroco, a VimPets representative, assures Carrie that it would be a great opportunity to grow her business. His promising new relationship with Carrie’s friend, Billi Matlock, doesn’t hurt his cause. But the budding romance takes a bad turn when Wanda Addler, another VimPets employee, sets her sights on Jack. After threatening to ruin Jack’s career if he doesn’t give her what she wants, Wanda is found dead. Jack and Billi are put at the top of the suspect list, and Carrie is doggone determined to rescue them from a life behind bars.

 

Review:  Just looking at the title you have to know that this is a doggie cozy series. I'm a sucker for animal-centric series. This is book 3 in the series. I haven't read the first two, but that didn't cause me any problems. I will admit that reading this book made me want to go ahead and read the first books, because of the relationships that had developed already and the ones that formed and changed prior to the events in the book, especially the Jack and Carrie and then Jack and Billi thing.

I really liked Carrie she was a fun character and when a book is told from the first person, that character has to be fun. She is a typical cozy mystery heroine, but she's also one that cares about her job. (If you read cozies like I do, you know that a lot of these characters drop everything to solve the murder, that's not quite the case here). Carrie loves her bakery and barkery and her work at the vet clinic where her boyfriend Reed works as a vet.

The other thing that really feels different to me with this book, is how focused on the relationships Linda is. You quickly see how close Carrie is with Reed, even though they technically aren't totally committed, but there's a lot of dinner dates and some sex, though that is alluded to rather than shown, so anyone with delicate sensibilities won't be offended.

Another thing that I found unusual was the real lack of sleuthing that went on. The book was close to half over when Carrie started to look into Wanda's death. (Let me just say, Wanda is the character that most deserves to be offed in any cozy I've ever read) There was a lot of push for her to keep her nose out of things, which is expected, but the way the story was going it was pretty easy to believe that Carrie, might not investigate on her own

I liked that she wanted to find the killer because both suspects were friends, though she didn't rule them out.

I did want more from the mystery though, especially since there were so many people that had good reason to dislike the victim, including possibly a person from VimPets that Wanda, may or may not have been involved with, in her quest to get to the top. Speaking of VimPets, I really hope down the line, Carrie decides not to sell that company a recipe from her shop, I didn't get a good vibe from any of the execs we met in the story.

When the ending came around I was really surprised at who killed her, and a little bit let down. There were signs that something wasn't right with this character, but nothing that made you think, wow, they have a good reason to kill Wanda.

This was a cute mystery that will pass an afternoon easily.

About The Author –

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year.   Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 38 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.  She additionally writes the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink.  Her latest cozy mystery series, the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries are also from Midnight Ink.

  Author Links: Webpage:  www.LindaOJohnston.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston Purchase Links: Amazon  B&N 
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Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: Delivering The Truth

Delivering the Truth
(A Quaker Midwife Mystery)
New Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Midnight Ink (April 8, 2016)
Paperback: 312 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738747521
E-Book ASIN: B019KKTWX6

Synopsis

Quaker midwife Rose Carroll hears secrets and keeps confidences as she attends births of the rich and poor alike in an 1888 Massachusetts mill town. When the town’s world-famed carriage industry is threatened by the work of an arsonist, and a carriage factory owner’s adult son is stabbed to death with Rose’s own knitting needle, she is drawn into solving the mystery. Things get dicey after the same owner’s mistress is also murdered, leaving her one-week-old baby without a mother. The Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier helps Rose by lending words of advice and support. While struggling with being less than the perfect Friend, Rose draws on her strengths as a counselor and problem solver to bring two murderers to justice before they destroy the town’s carriage industry and the people who run it.

Review: This is the first book in a new series. I had to read this one because I love Sam Thomas' Midwife Mystery series that is set in England.

I have to say I loved this book as much as those in that other series. Rose is a smart character and the history of the story is done well. Though I'm not so sure about the timing for Bertie's friend who was a female lawyer at the time, but this is fiction, so I'm not going to quibble.

I really did love Rose, she was very forward thinking, considering her religion and she was very smart especially in how she went about helping the detective.  She was really a well developed character.  Her beau, David Dodge is wonderful too. I hope that as the series goes on, she'll be able to find happiness with him, as she is not his mother's first choice as a bride for her son.

This was really several mysteries that all tied together. I found myself guessing quite a few times at who was to blame only to be wrong each time. It starts with a factory fire, then the murder of the owner's son by one of Rose's knitting needles, then the death of the young unwed mother who seems to have been having an affair with the owner of the factory.

Everything seems to point to a connection and possibly one killer, or does it. That is really what makes this book so enjoyable. It keeps you guessing to the very end.


Rating: 5 flowers

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Book Review: Murder Strikes A Pose

Author: Tracy Weber
Title: Murder Strikes A Pose
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: Jan 8, 2014
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

Yoga instructor Kate Davidson tries to live up to yoga's Zen-like expectations, but it's not easy while struggling to keep her small business afloat or dodging her best friend's matchmaking efforts.

When George, a homeless alcoholic, and his loud, horse-sized German shepherd, Bella, start hawking newspapers outside her studio, Kate attempts to convince them to leave. Instead, the three strike up an unlikely friendship.

Then Kate finds George's dead body. The police dismiss it as a drug-related street crime, but Kate knows he was no drug dealer. Now she must solve George's murder and find someone willing to adopt his intimidating companion before Bella is sent to the big dog park in the sky. With the murderer on her trail, Kate has to work fast or her next Corpse Pose may be for real.

Review: Murder Strikes A Pose is a fun new book in the "Downward Dog Mystery Series" by Tracy Weber.

The plot revolves around the death of homeless man, George, who has left behind his special needs, German Shepherd, Bella.

I think Bella, really is the star of this book, with her personality disorders and her illness. When the book opens you can't begin to think that Bella is going to be a wonderful dog, but as things progress and Kate rather unwillingly accepts the dog into her heart, Bella blooms.

Kate is actually the character I have a little bit of a hard time with. She's a struggling yoga instructor/business owner. You can really feel for her, but at the same time you want to bop her, like her unwillingness to trust men with beards to the way she deals with Bella as well as her relationship with Michael the pet shop owner.

I did love how she cared about finding the reason for George's death and her relentless pursuit for the truth. I only wish that she would have turned into more of an animal lover by the end. I think that's the one thing that kept this from being a fantastic novel. I never felt that Kate saw Bella as more than "just a dog," and as a animal lover, that  bothered me.

I do look forward to seeing how this series goes, and how Kate, Michael and Bella get closer.

Oh and the murderer? I never guessed it!

Rating: 4 flowers

Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: The Money Bird

Author: Sheila Webster Boneham
Title: The Money Bird
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: Sept 8, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Great Escapes Book Tours & the author
Book Blurb: 

For Janet MacPhail, photographing retrievers in training is the perfect way to spend an evening. But a photo session at Twisted Lake takes a peculiar turn as Drake, her friend Tom’s Labrador, fetches a blood-soaked bag holding an exotic feather and a torn one-hundred-dollar bill.

When one of her photography students turns up dead at the lake, Janet investigates a secretive retreat center with help from Australian Shepherd Jay and her quirky neighbor Goldie. Between dog-training classes, photo assignments, and romantic interludes with Tom, Janet is determined to get to the bottom of things before another victim’s wings are clipped for good.

Review: This is the second book in Sheila's Animals in Focus Series. Since it is early on, it is safe to say you can jump into this one without having read the first book Drop Dead On Recall.

It has all the cozy elements that make for great reading, a spunky heroine, her love interest, some awesome pets and a really quirky murder to solve.

The book starts with Drake finding a blood soaked bag with a feather and a torn hundred dollar bill and from there it just gets more interesting. When a body turns up in the lake, and is identified as one of her students, she's determined to get to the bottom of things.

 Janet MacPhail is a photographer and an animal lover. This book is as much about her and her furry friends as it is a mystery and Janet gets up to a lot of things while trying to figure out what's going on at "Treasures On Earth" a cultish retreat on the lake.

There's a lot of humor in this book as well. Early on someone takes a bite out of Janet while she's photographing "A Day In The Life" of their local vet, and that's not the only place you'll find giggles. Another favorite involves her dog and a high school crush of Janets.

Toss in some exotic birds that shouldn't be in her neck of the woods and you have quite a mystery.

There's a lot of attention to detail here, especially with the animals and animal trafficking, which is a crime most of us don't think of on a day to day basis.

I also love Janet and Tom's love for animals. Books with animals are always among my favorite reads, especially when they are cozies and I have to say this is one couple I really love. There's really a great chemistry between the two. I also like that they are both older...erm...more mature. They also don't really go off half cocked while trying to solve the crime.

This is definitely a must read book and a must read series to follow.

Rating: 5 flowers

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Bewitching Book Tours Guest Post & Review: What's A Witch To Do

Let's welcome Jennifer Harlow to the blog today!

Mary Sue vs. Debbie Harry-Jennifer Harlow

Urban Dictionary Definition of a Mary Sue:

A female character in FanFic or original stories who is so perfect, so superior to all other characters, so powerful,she's annoying. Often based on the author.

(See Ana Steele, Bella Swan, TV Sookie Stackhouse)

Jennifer Harlow Definition of a Debbie Harry:

A female character who is flawed in many ways but does her best to overcome and accept them, is mouthy or prickly, strong or finds her strength, and who has to work for all she has especially love.   

(See Anita Blake, Kinsey Milhone, Lizbeth Salander)

I consider myself a tough broad. I have a mouth on me, dirty a lot of the times, I've walked through dangerous cities at night alone, I've seen someone assaulted and got my friends out of the situation while keeping a calm head, and I've kicked not one but three dudes in the balls when they wanted to play rough and I didn't. I can shoot a gun, change a tire, I kill spiders and open jars for my brothers, and I take shit from no one. I'm not ugly but it takes over an hour for me to become pretty. The only things I'm exceptional at are dispensing advice, story telling, and keeping fish alive (Beta Larry lived 2! years). I'm stubborn, solitary, I have no sex appeal or mojo, and I live with my parents.  In other words, I am not a Mary Sue. I am a human being, flawed yet still fabulous. And so should your main character be.

I came across the term "Mary Sue" when I read an article on "Fifty Shades of Grey" (yes, I read the book. Got it from the library. Wasn't great, wasn't terrible, read it in about three hours.) Like most blockbuster books, there was some derision about it, especially from authors. So much was said but for the purpose of this blog I'll just focus on the main character Ana. She was definitely a Mary Sue: perfect, every male falling over her, had the supernatural gift of having mind blowing orgasms every time. The woman would not exist in the real world. 

In this article (which I'm sorry I can't remember the name of, sorry) the author also mentioned that this type of character a "Mary Sue" was prevalent in Fan Fiction, which is how Fifty got its start. The term came into existence when Paula Smith wrote a short story about the type of female character prevalent in Star Trek FanFic. Mary Sue was only fifteen, a genius, the youngest lieutenant, with unprecedented skill in everything both mental and physical, and is beloved by all characters in this case especially Spock and Kirk. Mary Sue has no flaws, she struggles at nothing, and everyone fawns over her. In other words, she's boring. Unbelievable. Those are the worst words any writer can face.

If Mary Sue kept herself contained in the pages of FanFic I'd really have no problem with her. Full disclosure, I don't read or write FanFic. My roommate was obsessed with it, especially Wincest and Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy parings (EWWWW to both). I understand the desire to write them. These are characters you love, and in writing the Fic you get to tinker with those characters however you see fit. You put yourself into this fantasy world. You're in control. But before Fifty no one was really making money on it. Now publishers are trolling the sites for the next Fifty. Besides the copyright issues, my main concern is that more characters like Ana (a copy of Bella Swan) are going to be the norm. The only acceptable female lead will be demure, gorgeous, subservient, basically a feminist like me's worst nightmare. Ana let a man tie her up and spank her just to please him. Bella literally became a teenage bride, got knocked up, then DIED in childbirth. This is what has captured the minds of American women. It gives me chills.

And I was aghast to find how close I can to Mary Sueing in my own work. In researching the Mary Sue I did come to realize that I am a little guilty of making my main character Beatrice a Mary Sue, or bringing her right to the cusp. I've gone on record as saying I view Bea as an idealized version of me. I'm tough, but if a zombie horde was coming and it was people I barely knew or me, I'm pretty sure they'd be on their own. (At least I wouldn't hobble them like my bro Liam said he would. He is not going to be my zombie apocalypse buddy, that's for sure). Bea has more patience than me, men do fall over her (sort of), and she is very powerful. But she's also plain, makes very bad decisions that get people killed, and nothing ever comes easy for her. I worked in flaws. She doesn't get the guy right off the bat. Her team mates don't really like her. She saves people a lot more than they save her. In other words, she's not perfect and there's a reason for that. Perfection is boring. Who would you rather hang out with, spend money on? Little Miss Perfect Mary Sue or flawed, funny, tough Debbie Harry? Me, I'd rather spend an hour with an interesting shit than a whole day with a super nice person. You get more from Debbie than Mary Sue. When you're doing your writing remember that. 

What about all of you? Do you prefer Mary Sue or Debbie Harry? Why? Am I being too hard on poor Mary Sue? Can you think of any other examples of either?

What’s A Witch To Do?

A Midnight Magic Mystery #1
Jennifer Harlow

Genre: Paranormal Mystery/Romance

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Date of Publication: March 2013

ISBN: 9780738735146

Number of pages: 336

Barnes and  Noble    Amazon

Indiebound   Amazon Canada    Amazon.UK  

Book Description:

Mona McGregor’s To Do List:

• Make 20 13 potions/spells/charms

• Put girls to bed

• Help with Debbie’s wedding

• Lose 30 pounds before bachelorette auction

• Deal with the bleeding werewolf on doorstep

• Find out who wants me dead

• Prepare for supernatural summit

• Have a nervous breakdown

• Slay a damn demon

• Fall in love

With her to-do lists growing longer each day, the last thing Mona McGregor—High Priestess and owner of the Midnight Magic shop in Goodnight, Virginia—needs is a bleeding werewolf at her front door. Between raising her two nieces and leading a large coven of witches, Mona barely has time for anything else. Not even Guy, the handsome doctor who’s taken an interest in her.

But now there’s Adam Blue, the sexy beta werewolf of the Eastern Pack who’s been badly hurt, warning Mona that someone wants her dead. Hell’s bells! A demon is stalking her, and Mona starts to suspect her coven members and even her own family could be responsible for it. With two attractive men and a determined demon after her, Mona teams up with Adam to find out who really wants her dead.

.. . and who really wants her.

Best Quotes: I forbid anything Twilight in the house solely on principal. I personally know vampires , and they do not sparkle.

Aunt Mona, Adam stuck a can of beer up a chicken's butt! It was so cool!

Review: OMG! This book is enough to make me go all fangirly. There is so much to love about it, I just don't know where to start.

OK, I do.

1. The cover is fantastic. In fact of all the cozy mysteries I've read this year, this is the cover that I love the most.

2. Mona! Best heroine ever. She's not a skinny youngun'! Can I get a woo hoo for that? It is nice to know that women out of their 20s are well represented in book and in a real manner. OK, well as real as you can be when the heroine is the High Priestess of a coven.

3. Adam. OMG! It is no wonder all the women in the book are panting and drooling over this werewolf.

4. The mystery. The whodunit is not who you think it is. Of course, when is it ever?

5. The love story. For a long time you aren't sure which guy is going to get Mona, but at the end you'll be happy with the results.

This was really a great cozy and it closed up the right loose ends and left enough open for the coming books, especially the stuff about Sophie and Cora and their mother, Mona's sister Ivy.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. Mona is a fantastic cozy heroine and I fell in love with her in this book.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author:

Jennifer Harlow spent her restless childhood fighting with her three brothers and scaring the heck out of herself with horror movies and books. She grew up to earn a degree at the University of Virginia which she put to use as a radio DJ, crisis hotline volunteer, bookseller, lab assistant, wedding coordinator, and government investigator. Currently she calls Northern Virginia home but that restless itch is ever present. In her free time, she continues to scare the beejepers out of herself watching scary movies and opening her credit card bills.

http://www.jenniferharlowbooks.com

Tales From the Darkside Blog http://blog.jenniferharlowbooks.com 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jenharlowbooks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.harlow.52

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4708453.Jennifer_Harlow

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jenharlowbooks/

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Book Review: Never Say Pie

Author: Carol Culver
Title Never Say Pie
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: August 8, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: ook two in the popular (and delicious!) Pie Shop Mystery series

It’s summertime in Crystal Cove, California, and sales are brisk at the outdoor Food Fair. There’s fresh bread, artisan cheese, gourmet cupcakes, plus Hanna’s delicious pies. When despised local food critic Heath Barr is found stabbed to death, no one is sorry to hear the news—except perhaps Hanna, the main suspect. It doesn’t help that Hanna’s high school crush is the police chief. Hanna must track down a killer while up to her elbows in pie dough.

Featuring scrumptious recipes, including Double Chocolate Cream Pie and Butterscotch Pecan Pie

Review: I have to admit, I'm a sucker for cozy mysteries that involve food and this one is full of all kinds of yummy things. The main character and pie shop owner is Hanna who may remind some of you of Hannah Swensen and Sam a little like Mike.

This story is a quick read, as you meet all the people from Crystal Cove's Food Fair. Oh will the descriptions make you hungry! Cheeses! Sausage! Cupcakes! Yum!

When a food critic that was particularly unkind is found murdered, most everyone at the fair is suspect! Since Hanna was a recipient of one of the bad reviews and had tiff with Heath, she's a suspect and is working to clear her name.

Unlike the other "Hannah" The Upper Crust owner is more ditzy, which is why it is easy to understand Sam trying to keep her out of the investigation. I wish there was more of a spark between these two. Sam was Hanna's high school crush and they same to have a past that's more than just a crush. Sam seems clueless to Hanna's feelings. He's got secrets, but why keep them from someone who has been a friend for many years.

I hope things change between them, because Hanna needs someone in her life. This is a fairly new series, so maybe as it goes on, we'll see more friendships, etc, but right now it is just Hanna and her gram, who lives in a retirement village. I like their closeness, but again, Hanna needs to a have a friend to kind of tone her down. Her sleuthing is a bit crazy.

I look forward to seeing where Carol takes this series and I also can't wait to try one of the pie recipes!

Rating:  4 flowers

Book Review: The Cowboy And The Vampire

Author: Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall
Title: The Cowboy & The Vampire
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: Oct 8, 2010
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: The authors
Book Blurb: Reporter Lizzie Vaughan doesn’t realize it, but she has 2,000 years of royal Vampiric blood coursing through her veins. Neither she nor Tucker, her cowboy lover, has any idea that Julius, the leader of the undead, has a diabolical plan to reign over darkness for all eternity—with Lizzie at his side.

Lizzie battles for her life—and her soul—as she and Tucker find themselves caught up in a vampire war, pursued by hordes of Julius’ maniacal, bloodthirsty followers.

Who will be left standing when the sun rises?

Review: There are a lot of vampire novels out there. More then anyone should read, but this one is one of the best. It has a unique, slightly religious twist to the vampire myth, plus it has a totally awesome cowboy.

I love the vastly different way the two leads are written and the story is told from both Lizzie and Tucker's point of views. The parts of the story written from Tucker's point of view are absolutely hysterical.

I really love the way their relationship grew, and even though everything happened pretty quickly, you saw a great loyalty between the characters.

Clark and Kathleen created some awesome vampires too. (Lizzie included) The bad guys and the not so bad vamps really rocked. They were pure evil in the way vampires should be. Julius was truly the baddest bad guy ever!

The story really flowed nicely and though it had romantic aspects there was a lot more to it than Tucker and Lizzie getting together. This book was about good and evil and its place in the world. I loved how the writers separated humans (Adamites) and Vampires.

This is definitely a must read for fans of vampire fic. Its one of the best in the genre that I have read this year.

Rating: 5 flowers