Sunday, November 27, 2022

Virtual Book Tour: Longing is Violet Dusk (Hazel Dean Mystery, #2) by Josalyn McAllister

 

Longing is Violet Dusk
A Hazel Dean Mystery
by
Josalyn McAllister

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Georgia
Publisher: Eburnean Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Paperback
Page count: 302 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8987053201

Kindle edition
Page count: 304 pages
Digital ASIN: B0BDD6J18R


About Longing is Violet Dusk

 


After a stressful foray into crime fighting, Hazel Dean is relieved to resume normality, taking care of her family and book shop--until her ability to see emotions in color pulls her into another crisis.

One night at book club, Hazel sees a swirl of jarring purple, blue and black encompass a young mother. Realizing that the woman might be in trouble, Hazel recommends a book that she hopes will provide some comfort and guidance.

To her horror, the young mother goes missing the following week. Hazel feels responsible and becomes obsessed with finding her. But the search isn't the only thing Hazel is juggling. She's also trying to help the missing woman's children, evade a young reporter, and deal with the sudden reappearance of an old high school flame.

With all of Hazel's efforts, can the missing woman be found before it's too late?

 

My Review

This riveting new addition to the Hazel Dean Mystery series hooked me from the start!

Longing Is Violet Dusk is the second book in author Josalyn McAllister's cozy mystery series featuring bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Hazel Randolph Dean, and I was immediately absorbed by this excellent follow-up to the series starter, Guilt Is Midnight Blue. I enjoyed the smart and tense plot and the sprinkling of book titles and other literary references throughout the story.
 
The search for the missing Nina is time-sensitive, and you can feel the urgency. For most of the book, there is absolutely no sign of the woman, no clues whatsoever. However, there are big personalities at play in her story, and many have a load of regret weighing them down and guiding their actions. Nina is confused about what her future holds. Lance and his brother, Dansby, regret leaving young loves behind. I regretted having to put the book down to do life stuff.

Hazel, worried over the situation Nina's children are in, is also having to come to terms with her own children moving into young adulthood. Elias, who apparently has played his cards really close to the vest, surprises his mother with the realization he has a girlfriend. Emma is a sweet girl, but she has a bit of an Eddie Haskell vibe going that made me laugh out loud a couple of times.

The setting in the quaint small town of Red Gap, Georgia, is homey, comfortable, and picturesque, especially as it is nestled among the foothills of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, where much of the action takes place. It also has a great bookstore downtown!

Hazel does a great job ferreting out suspects' motives and developing interesting scenarios for what might have happened to Nina. The clues point in a couple of directions but eventually, all lead to the truth. The story keeps up a lively pace as everyone is worried Nina is lost or hurt, and early spring weather brings a storm and dropping temperatures at night to the search area. Uncle John keeps Hazel involved in the case with special tasks he assigns her, so there is plenty of amateur detection.

I recommend LONGING IS VIOLET DUSK to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a solid mystery with a touch of the mystical or paranormal in their stories, decisive, organized female protagonists, and a lovely small-town Georgia setting.


About Josalyn McAllister

Josalyn McAllister is a cozy fiction author whose most recent works include Love Over Easy and Guilt is Midnight Blue. Josalyn started writing character descriptions at the tender age of seven, inspired by the works of LM Montgomery. In her teenage years, she moved on to Newsies fan fiction. Inspired by National Novel Writing Month, she wrote her first novel about a child she mentored in college. She has never stopped writing. Josalyn taught middle school history before deciding she would rather spend time with her own children than other peoples. A restless soul, she has moved all over the country and collected an eclectic array of hobbies. Her writing has a relatable quality that will charm and entertain you.


TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 14 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 15 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Literary Gold - SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
November 18 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 18 – Mythical Books – REVIEW
November 19 – I'm Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST November 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 21 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 22 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 23 – Just One More Paragraph – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 24 – THANKSGIVING
November 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog - SPOTLIGHT
November 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 27 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW


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