GINGERBREAD DEAD
Part of the Christmas Cookies series
by
Lori L. Robinett
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
Page count: 92 pages
ASIN: B0BGCD5DYW
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SYNOPSIS:
This fun cozy mystery features a “colorful display of Christmas suspense and intrigue” perfect for lovers of true crime and mysteries.
Jessica Barker blogs about true crime for an online magazine. Blogging for others is far from her
dream job, but she's willing to pay her dues so that someday she'll have a podcast of her own.
Then, Jess witnesses what appears to be her next-door neighbor in distress and Jess is the only one who seems to care. When the cops dismiss her as a bothersome true crime reporter with an overactive imagination, Jess must delve into the life of her mysterious neighbors, Rory and John Regan – with hints at embezzlement and gambling – before someone ends up dead.
Lori L. Robinett introduces a new series about the adventures of an aspiring podcaster that will appeal to fans of true crime and cozy mysteries.
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READ AN EXCERPT:
Jess slipped through the doorway into the dim hospital room. Sunlight snuck in around the edges of the blinds. There was one bed, the head slightly raised. An orange vinyl chair squatted against the register, empty. Lights around the head of the bed drew attention to the patient. Her face was pale, especially with the frame of dark hair around her oval face. No makeup, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. Though she appeared drawn up, she was taller than Jess. Her brown eyes focused on her visitor, then her brows knitted together in confusion.
“Hi,” Jess said with a tentative smile, feeling the flush of heat in her cheeks. The antiseptic smell filled her nostrils. She thrust out
the brightly colored tin. “I brought you some cookies.”
The woman in the bed stared at her, dark eyes rounded, then shifted her gaze to the tin, but made no move to take the cookies. The soft whir of oxygen flowing through the cannula and the beeping of the monitors filled the room. Feeling awkward, Jess set the cookies on the tray table. “Maybe you’ll feel like having some later. Or maybe your husband will help you eat them.”
The woman’s face scrunched in on itself and she shook her
head, swinging it slowly from side to side. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her fingers turned white where she gripped the metal guardrail of the hospital bed.
Jess’s heart clenched. In that bed, she saw so much more than her neighbor. She saw all the women she wrote about, all the victims she yearned to help.
REVIEW:
5 stars!
Just the thing to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s evening!
Gingerbread Dead is a thrilling little tidbit of a Christmas mystery, part of the Christmas Cookies series, and it is just the thing to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s evening. The main character, Jessica Barker, is a nose-to-the-grindstone type of girl, steadily working on finetuning her true crime blog and increasing her audience so she can eventually launch her own podcast on the subject. I enjoyed learning about the kind of preparation she did, where she took her inspiration and the amount of daily research required to maintain the blog and write for The Parkersville Post website (her bill-paying day job.) Suffice it to say it takes a lot of work.
The storyline is dark and involves suspected domestic abuse, which quickly escalates into a deadly situation. The author does an excellent job working in the common responses and reactions, the excuses, and the rationalizations, often seen from abuse victims and their abusers. I liked that Jess was courageous enough to take action.
The story is not all darkness, though. There is a sweet, budding romance between Jess and her friend, Brendan. Some of their interactions really made me smile.
I recommend GINGERBREAD DEAD to cozy mystery readers who enjoy holiday or culinary-themed stories.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lori L. Robinett is a paralegal by day, writer by night. She’s the author of several books, including mysteries, thrillers, and contemporary western romance. She also offers online writing courses through WriteScouts (her signature course is Blank to 50K). Lori and her husband of 25+ years live on a hobby farm in central Missouri maintained for the comfort and enjoyment of their Beagle and Snorkie and two rescue calico cats. When not writing (or reading), you can find Lori crafting or indulging in her TV addiction. Her favorite authors are Stephen King, Tierney James, Carolyn Paul Branch, Micki Browning (and soooo many others!).
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThat review gives me feel all warm & fuzzy! :) Thanks for hosting!!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and giveaway. :)
ReplyDeleteI just love the cover - perfect for the book.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
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ReplyDeleteHope you had a terrific Tuesday!
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