Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Book Blast & Giveaway: Shadow of Betrayal (Kyndall Family Suspense, #2) by Blaire Morgan

Shadow of Betrayal by Blaire Morgan Banner

SHADOW OF BETRAYAL

by Blaire Morgan

June 8-12, 2026 Book Blast

Synopsis:

SHADOW OF BETRAYAL by Blaire Morgan

Kyndall Family Suspense Series

 

In this chilling romantic suspense, U.S. Marshals investigator Heather York stumbles into danger at a Maine lakeside lodge, with Jordan Kyndall’s protective instincts as her only hope.

A woman hunted by corruption.

Heather York thought her life was ordinary—until a sudden threat pulls her into a deadly game. In Shadow of Betrayal, she’s forced to question whether she’s a target—or collateral damage.

A man who won’t walk away.

Jordan Kyndall planned a weekend celebrating his college roommate’s wedding. Instead, he finds a grisly scene in the woods—a woman’s lifeless body—and a surge of protective instinct binds him to Heather in ways he never expected.

A danger that could destroy them both.

As threats multiply and secrets surface, Heather and Jordan must navigate corruption, desire, and deadly stakes—trusting each other may be the only way to survive.

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Blaire Morgan Books
Publication Date: June 8, 2026
Series: Kyndall Family Suspense Series, Book 2
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Prologue

THE DRIVE TO the dingy bar outside of the city had been rough when the directions led him down a series of dirt roads before reaching what managed to loosely be called civilization. The bell above the door chimed a dull sound, barely registering his presence. He shook his rain-soaked umbrella, drawing a few curious glances his way before the three men at the bar decided their cold beer and stale peanuts were more interesting than him.

The bartender, a man in his late fifties with a marine tattoo on a bicep, asked him if he wanted anything. Though kind, if the bartender had offered him a bottle of the Alps’ finest water, he wouldn’t accept—not in a place like this—but he was trying to blend in.

“Whatever is on tap,” he said, and found a table in a back corner.

Although he had no intention of staying longer than necessary, the location offered him anonymity. The front door, with its surprisingly clean window, opened and brought with it a strong wind and his associate. The new arrival scanned the room, nodded at the others, and crossed the dark bar.

“You’re late.”

“I’m here now. You have something for me, Hewitt?”

He’d made a mistake giving the man a name, even if it wouldn’t lead back to him. They’d agreed not to use names, not here, not ever. He removed a black, zippered deposit bag from the inside pocket of his rain slicker and slid it across the table.

The man across from him chuckled and unzipped the bag.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Hewitt asked, his whisper a low hiss. He quieted when the bartender set a beer in front of him.

His associate raised an eyebrow and continued to wear his smile. “You’ve seen too many movies.” He closed the bag and leaned forward. “Do you honestly think anyone here cares who you are or what you’re doing? At least you dressed for the occasion—kind of.”

Hewitt stared at the man across from him, confident that despite his off-balanced behavior at times, he’d get the job done. History had proven he was capable, if not entirely trustworthy, and willing to do anything—for a price.

“You’re forgetting something,” he said.

Hewitt hated this man. “It’s in the bag.”

Another chuckle. “In the bag, I like that.” He pulled the colored photograph from the deposit bag and studied the image. “How’d you find me?”

“Does it matter?”

“I like to know what I’m getting into.”

Hewitt studied him, unsure now of his idea but knowing he had to move forward. “All you need to know is I can make your other . . . inconvenience go away.”

“And what might that be?”

Hewitt pulled a folded sheet of paper from his inside breast pocket and slid it across the table.

“I’m not sure I believe you.”

“You know who I work for?” Hewitt asked.

“I checked it out.”

“Then you know I can do what I say,” Hewitt said, growing impatient. “Will it be a problem?”

“No, no problem.” Instead of returning the picture to the bag, he slipped it into the pocket of his dark, denim shirt. “You going to drink this?” he asked before he lifted Hewitt’s beer and drank deeply.

From Chapter One

JORDAN EASED THE rented SUV into the graveled parking lot of the lakeside lodge. Nestled in the thick pine forest surrounding Moosehead Lake, the Highlands Lodge reminded him of the fishing camp his family frequented in Alaska.

He stepped out and walked around to the back of the vehicle, breathing in the fresh northern air. Though nothing like his hometown of Stewart Crossing, which was tucked away on a remote Alaskan bay, Moose Creek, Maine, was a pleasant escape from the spring heat of North Carolina, where he operated the main branch of Eagle Wilderness Journeys.

The parking lot was empty, but he heard voices coming from the back of the lodge, laughter carrying through the trees and echoing over the water. Adam, his college roommate and the reason Jordan trekked up north, ambled across the gravel and pulled Jordan into a big hug. Considering Adam stood four inches shorter than Jordan and weighed thirty pounds less, it wasn’t easy.

“Dang, it’s good to see you.”

Jordan returned the amiable smile. “You look happy.”

“Wait till you meet her.” Adam opened the back of the SUV and lifted the duffel out before Jordan objected. “You’re going to love her. I mean, whoever thought I’d ever be monogamous.”

Jordan laughed, closed the back door, and followed Adam to the lodge. “If I recall, you didn’t know the meaning of the word throughout our senior year.”

“Well, yeah, but could you blame me?” Adam led him around the corner of the lodge and stopped. “Wait, there she is.”

Adam had described her perfectly. Girl-next-door pretty and fresh off the cheerleading squad, Grace was only a year younger than his friend. Her pale, blond curls bounced as she walked on long legs across the lawn. “She’s something all right. I wouldn’t have expected—”

It wasn’t often when life’s unexpected moments stunned Jordan into silence or immobilized him, but none stopped his breath quite like his first glimpse of the woman standing next to Adam’s fiancĂ©e.

“Who is she?”

“It’s Grace, man, who do you think . . . Ah.” Adam nudged Jordan’s ribs with his elbow and laughed. “That’s Heather, Grace’s maid of honor.”

Jordan didn’t want to use the word “dumbstruck,” but at the moment, he couldn’t formulate another. His sister would have called him “twitterpated” and normally he would put her in a headlock until she cried “mercy” and take it back, but it had been a long time since she’d had cause to tease him about a girl.

“Hey, buddy, close your mouth before you drool.”

Jordan wiped his mouth before he realized Adam was messing with him. “Don’t forget, I can still kick your golf-playing butt from here to next Tuesday.”

“Why don’t I introduce you instead, and then you can owe me one.”

***

Excerpt from Shadow of Betrayal by Blaire Morgan. Copyright 2026 by Blaire Morgan. Reproduced with permission from Blaire Morgan. All rights reserved.

 

 

Blaire Morgan, Author Bio:

Blaire Morgan is a pseudonymous American author blending danger, emotion, and high-stakes storytelling into gripping romantic suspense. She lives wherever the next adventure takes her—usually somewhere with a lot of trees, or a place that exists only in her imagination.

Catch Up With Blaire Morgan:

www.blairemorgan.com
Amazon Author Profile
BookBub - @blairemorganbooks1
YouTube - @blairemorganbooks

 

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Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Book Review: Kilned at the Ceramic Shop (Braddock Mystery, #1) by Donna Clancy

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop (A Braddock Mystery, #1)Kilned at the Ceramic Shop by Donna Clancy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining and interesting beginning to a new cozy mystery series.

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop is the first book in author Donna Clancy's new cozy Braddock Mystery series set in the small town of Braddock, Maine. Although I felt the story gets off to an uneven start, the action quickly picks up, and the plot thickens, as they say.

The main character is successful mystery author Tammy Wright, who returns to her hometown of Braddock after a seven-year absence to assist her Aunt Clara at her ceramics shop during the upcoming tourist season. Besides getting up in years, Clara Beale suffers more and more from arthritis, making the tasks at her beloved business difficult and painful. Tammy plans to split her time between working at the shop and writing her next mystery. Their initial reunion at the shop was a little confusing to me as they didn't seem particularly close, and her arrival didn't appear well planned. Her aunt has prepared the guest cottage for her, which is behind her own home, but it still feels like she has just "shown up," not having seen her aunt once since high school.

Another inconsistency for me occurs during and after the women's confrontation with Wilmot Sawyer. Clara comes across as a doddering, indecisive old woman, and it takes a lot of coaching from Tammy for her to build up to righteous anger over Wilmot's actions. However, she is consistently described as a very strong woman throughout the rest of the book. She is nice, caring, and active in her town's leadership, but seems easily swayed by others.

As the first in a series, the author must craft an entire town and its population on which to build her stories, and it is perhaps even more critical in this case, as the series title bears the town's name. The author introduces the various businesses, neighbors, and townspeople of Braddock without overwhelming the reader with blocks and blocks of exposition. People and places are featured as natural and fun parts of the story. I thought it was unusual in this typical cozy mystery town that the residents seemed to show only a cursory concern over the murder and kidnapping of two of their lifelong friends and neighbors, though. Clara is an elected selectman, and there's no massive gathering of searchers or candlelight vigil. However, later, the entire town comes together to help Tammy clean up the destruction at the ceramic shop, so if Clara is ever found, she doesn't encounter a mess when she returns to work. There was the same lack of reaction after the murder: no funeral was mentioned or well-attended visitation.Still, the story picks up and gains a lot of momentum as Tammy takes matters into her own hands to find out who is behind her aunt's disappearance, the acts of vandalism and destruction, and the murder. The attraction between Tammy and Zeke is sweet and believable, slowly building into something more. I loved this second chance at a relationship together for both of them.

The two real estate developers are both pieces of work and easy to boo and hiss. There is a plentiful sprinkling of clues for the alert reader to note, and I thought the resolution was clever and satisfyingly complex once all was finally revealed.

I recommend KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP for cozy mystery readers, especially those with an interest in the hobby of making ceramics.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.



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Sunday, January 25, 2026

Book Review: Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees (Murder, She Wrote, #62) by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

The Body in the TreesThe Body in the Trees by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The leaves are at the peak of fall color, and Cabot Cove is at its most dangerous!

Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees is the 62nd book in the cozy mystery series based on the past television show, which it takes its name from, and is, of course, penned by Jessica Fletcher and co-author Terrie Farley Moran. The story, set in Cabot Cove, Maine, during prime leaf-peeper season, is a wonderful page-turner, with multiple storylines woven together.

When the body of a young woman, a tourist in town with several girlfriends for a fall color and coastal fishing tour, is found caught in the limbs of a tree from an apparent fall from the scenic point on a ridge above, everyone assumes it to be a tragic accident. But when Dr. Seth Hazlitt does an on-the-scene examination of the body, what he discovers points toward her being involved in some kind of altercation before her fall, indicating foul play.

As Sheriff Mort Metzger and Jessica work in concert but independently to figure out how the young woman ended up on the ridge, Mort is also struggling to find The Bicycle Bandit, a masked individual who is grabbing women’s purses around town and racing off on a bike. Jessica is also trying to research and write her next book while preparing to participate in an upcoming children’s hospital event for Halloween, as her phone is literally ringing off the hook with requests for help with any number of other matters.

I’m always delighted to return to Cabot Cove and to the active, fascinating life of former teacher, now acclaimed mystery writer, Jessica Fletcher, or J.B. Fletcher, her nom de plume. Author Terrie Farley Moran has shouldered the Murder, She Wrote series and has done an outstanding job of capturing the stylish charm and tone of the original television show while also bringing in a breath of fresh, revitalizing air to it. Keeping a 62-book series interesting and fresh is quite an amazing feat. But Moran consistently outperforms my expectations.

Jessica is her same observant self, and so put upon, in this installment, at every ring of the phone; it is a wonder she is ever able to get as much done as she does. Next-door neighbor, Maeve O’Bannon, is busy as well with their mutual neighbor, the elderly and until now independent Ruth Lewandowski, who is showing her age and beginning to forget recently held conversations. Mort is almost overwhelmed with his cases, especially when the mayor, Jim Shevlin, takes an unusually aggressive interest in things in the name of protecting the town’s reputation as a ranking tourist destination. Naturally, Maureen is worried about her husband, and I was glad she could take an active role in helping him come out on top.

The story is well-paced with just the right number of distractions to keep readers invested and, hopefully, prevent them from solving the mysteries too soon. There were several promising suspects, and the resolution may come as a surprise to many. However, there were clues along the way for sharp armchair detectives to discover and consider. The story is smooth and absorbing, and I happily read the entire book in one great evening.

I recommend THE BODY IN THE TREES to cozy mystery readers, especially those who are fans or familiar with the former TV program.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.


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Sunday, December 14, 2025

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway - Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees (Murder, She Wrote, #62) by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

 

Murder, She Wrote:
The Body in the Trees
by
Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

About Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees

 

Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees
Cozy Mystery
62nd in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: December 2, 2025
Hardcover Print length: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 0593820215 / ISBN-13: 978-0593820216
Digital ISBN-13: 978-0593820223 / ASIN: B0DYYYSJLR

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The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

It's leaf-peeping season in Cabot Cove, but for someone, it's killing season!

 A quartet of friends from Florida have come to Maine to experience a New England autumn, complete with hiking in the woods and fishing. When one of them goes missing, the town rallies to find the presumably lost but otherwise safe tourist. But when newspaper editor Dan Andrews is biking on the trail along a ridge, he looks down and sees a leg caught in the branches of a tree. Count on Jessica Fletcher to uncover the secret reason the victim came to town . . . and how it led to her murder.

Click to Purchase!

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About the Authors

Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries in her various travels.

Terrie Farley Moran is the bestselling author of the Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series, including the Agatha Award-winning Well Read, Then Dead. Along with Jessica Fletcher, she co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series. She also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Terrie's short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and numerous anthologies. "A Killing at the Beausoleil" was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. "Inquiry and Assistance" received the Derringer Award for Best Novelette.


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Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Book Review: Washed Up with the Tide (Seffi Wardwell Mystery, #2) by Rebecca M. Douglass

Washed Up with the Tide (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries #2)Washed Up with the Tide by Rebecca M. Douglass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seffi Wardwell is compelled to investigate when she finds the body of a local fisherman washed up on the beach by her new home.

Washed Up With the Tide is the second book in author Rebecca M. Douglass’s cozy Seffi Wardwell Mystery series, and in this adventure, Seffi, once again, discovers a body. This time, it is local fisherman Bob Hughes, a man with a slew of possible enemies, washed up on the beach near her home. With the engaging senior sleuth deciding she’s going to make Smelt Point her forever home, Seffi’s interest in finding out who did Bob in is necessary in safeguarding her new hometown.

With the days getting shorter and shorter and the weather continuing to hold, Seffi’s early walk on the beach is an important habit for maintaining her progress toward regaining her vitality. Her tragic discovery is disturbing and engages her in finding out what happened to the man. As she grows stronger, Seffi also nurtures her new friendships in the small Maine village, building routines and gaining distance and perspective from her life before. She’s shared her past with some, but now Miah is keeping his own.

The body is found early in this book, once again, by Seffi, so she is compelled to start asking questions right away. I enjoyed her involvement, of course, and the story kept me absorbed even after having just finished the previous book. However, readers new to the series shouldn’t have trouble reading and enjoying this book as a standalone novel. I want to mention that the descriptions of the village, coast, and nature reserve as Fall gets fully underway were a definite added treat.

I highly recommend WASHED UP WITH THE TIDE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who would enjoy a Maine setting or LGBT representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.



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Sunday, August 03, 2025

Book Review - Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder (Murder, She Wrote, #60) by Jessican Fletcher & Barbara Early

Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of MurderMurder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun addition to this long-running, much-enjoyed cozy mystery series.

Snowy With a Chance of Murder is the 60th book in the long-running and much-loved cozy mystery series based on the 1984-1996 hit American television drama Murder, She Wrote, featuring the exploits of mystery novelist and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher. In this latest tale, Jessica is laid up at home in Cabot Cove after a serious slip and fall down her front porch steps, and her injuries are such that she requires the daily assistance of a home health caregiver. With her next book manuscript on her to-do list, the aide prepares a workspace for Jessica at a front window of her home, but she soon finds herself distracted, a la “Rear Window,” by the dark-of-night arrival of a stranger who turns out to be renting the home directly across the street.

Jessica Fletcher returns in this Cabot Cove-set mystery that swiftly becomes a murder investigation. She is joined by all the usual friends and acquaintances who make this series so comfortable and familiar despite being penned by a new-to-this-series author. I felt like Jessica’s homebound situation and the agitation it caused her by restricting her abilities and increasing her reliance on others, such as the caregiver Alice Myers, aided in this transition to the new writer. I also felt Jessica displayed a more ready and lighter sense of humor than in the past, which, in spite of her circumstances, had me smiling more as well. The early scene with Jessica trying out the motorized wheelchair was almost slapstick and, while perhaps out of character, had me smiling all the same.

The plot required a bit of a build-up, so the murder didn’t occur until well into the story. Still, enough is going on with the setup and Jessica herself, such as her trip into Mara’s to put the quietus on the outlandish rumors regarding her accident, that this was okay with me. A couple of side storylines were established as well, and I enjoyed how they evolved and their resolutions played out, making this book a welcome and fun addition to the Murder, She Wrote oeuvre.

I recommend SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER to cozy mystery fans, especially fans of the series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.




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Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Book Review: The House No One Sees by Adina King

The House No One SeesThe House No One Sees by Adina King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gutting!

The House No One Sees by Adina King is an eye-opening, gutting revelation of the impact of a mother’s opioid addiction on her young daughter and parents and the community’s response (or lack thereof) to the child’s obvious need for help. The author combines prose and verse to tell the devastating story, which further heightens its impact on the reader. This was one of those stories where you can feel the outcome well before the tale’s end, but, like a trainwreck, you can’t look away nor put the book down.

On her 16th birthday, Penelope “Penny” Ross is beckoned to her childhood home by desperate and ominous text messages from her estranged mother. When she steps across the threshold, the memories of her traumatic life flood her mind and emotions, crippling her with the weight beneath the chaos as she slowly advances through its rooms in search of her mother.

The circumstances of Penny’s past are heartbreaking, stark, and all too real, especially if the reader experienced a similar situation growing up. Penny was emotionally torn apart repeatedly as her family cycled through her mother’s drug use, rehab, premature release, and uneasy reunions, only for her mother to succumb to her addiction over and over again. All the while, Penny is obviously struggling, bullied by fellow students, and leaned on by some school administrators to get her act together and follow the rules and be like everyone else, concepts she’s completely ignorant of and ill-equipped to attain on her own. Her grandparents also struggle to help their daughter and try to keep their granddaughter safe as they work through the sluggish government processes and health systems. Time and again, as her mother relapses, Penny is subjected to neglect, abuse, and danger, at the mercy of the rollercoaster of addiction.

I recommend THE HOUSE NO ONE SEES to young adult fiction readers.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.



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Sunday, January 12, 2025

Book Review: A Coastal Corpse (Seffi Wardwell Mystery, #1) by Rebecca M. Douglass

A Coastal Corpse (Seffi Wardwell Mysteries Book 1)A Coastal Corpse by Rebecca M. Douglass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great start to this cozy mystery series featuring retired science teacher Seffi Wardwell.

A Coastal Corpse is the first book in veteran author Rebecca M. Douglass’s coastal Maine-set cozy Seffi Wardwell Mystery series, which launched in August of 2023. This smart senior sleuth from California is a retired science teacher who has relocated to the village of Smelt Point to recuperate from lingering COVID at the urging of a former student who is now the local police officer. However, rather than finding the rest and comfort of small-town living she anticipated, she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation and surrounded by the unfriendly and suspicious faces of her new neighbors.

I liked Seffi from the start and sympathized with her physical limitations brought on by her struggles recuperating from COVID. She was so relatable as she encountered the many challenges that the illness had left her with on top of those presented by the aging process. Seffi is 72 years old, however, her mind and attitude are still sharp, clear, and healthy, and she quickly decides to help solve the murder of the town’s pariah – Al Conkin, a local man the residents blamed for a death and injuries that occurred years earlier at his family’s fish plant.

The depiction of life during the pandemic is somewhat unique in that most mysteries seem to avoid the timeframe, choosing to begin their story well after quarantines, masking, and vaccines are history or skip mentioning it entirely. In the story, vaccines have already been made available, but the precautions of that time are still fresh. Seffi’s debilitated physical condition was sad and hard to watch but realistic. The unfriendly attitude of Smelt Point’s residents toward newcomers was appalling, and I hope it was an exaggeration of a reputation for being unwelcoming. While Seffi makes some headway in gaining friends in her new hometown, it isn’t easy, and she herself is reticent to open up and reveal her past life. The plot is compelling, offering complexity and a welcome freshness, despite sounding a bit like a Bizarro episode of Murder, She Wrote.

I highly recommend A COASTAL CORPSE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who would enjoy a Maine setting or LGBT representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

View all my reviews

Sunday, February 04, 2024

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder (Murder, She Wrote, #57) by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

 

Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder

by
Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

Cozy Mystery
57th in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Hardcover page count: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0593640691 / ISBN-13: 978-0593640692
Digital ASIN: B0CHDQ2PFD

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

 

Jessica Fletcher learns that exercise can be murder in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips is back in Cabot Cove. Evelyn tells Jessica and Seth that she got a couple of really weird notes from Bertha Mae Cormier so she’s come back to town to check on her old friend. She demands that Jessica come with her to see Bertha Mae, who is a bit dithery but no more so than Jessica remembers her being in recent years. Jessica does become somewhat concerned when Bertha Mae starts to talk about her new neighbor, Martin Terranova. He is quite charming and very health conscious and he teaches yoga and meditation in his pool house. Maureen Metzger says that she and Bertha Mae became friends in Terranova’s class and mentions how solicitous he is to his older clients.

Jessica attends one of his classes and does notice that Terranova is flirtatious with several elderly clients, especially Bertha Mae. Evelyn is becoming convinced that Bertha Mae is being mesmerized by Terranova and that he is after Bertha Mae’s money. A short while late, Martin turns up dead in his weight room. What at first blush seems to be an accident, soon proves to be murder and Jessica must put her investigative skills to the test when Evelyn becomes the prime suspect.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

 

REVIEW:
5 stars!

Return to Cabot Cove for another warm and cozy, yet solid murder mystery featuring writer and amateur sleuth, Jessica Fletcher!
 
Murder, She Wrote: Fit for Murder is the 57thbook in the long-running cozy mystery series based on the television show of the same name. This latest entry takes readers back to Jessica’s hometown of Cabot Cove. It is a warm and familiar setting despite some fast-moving and fallacious gossip against a long-time resident of the community, financial hanky-panky, and another murder.
 
Jessica Fletcher is a kind woman with a calm, level head and a knack for observing and listening to what’s happening around her and solving mysteries. In this story, I was struck immediately by how she was completely steadfast in her opinion of Oscar Cisneros's innocence and honest character and wouldn't buy in to the gossip so many of her neighbors seemed to readily accept as truth. She is assisted by her good friends, especially Dr. Seth Hazlitt and Dan Andrews, the new editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette. It seemed like every resident of Cabot Cove made an appearance, some old, some new, making me feel like this was a real town.
 
When the former editor, Evelyn Phillips, returns to check on the well-being and mental state of her old friend, Bertha Mae Cormier, she becomes a suspect in the murder investigation. The murder mystery has more than a couple of possible suspects, and I enjoyed watching Jessica put all the pieces together. There is an additional mystery involving the fire department funds. Author Terrie Farley Moran has not only settled into this well-developed series but, I believe, given it a fresh, new life. I look forward to many more of these welcoming yet compelling cozies featuring Jessica Fletcher and the rest of the Cabot Cove community. 

With comfortable recurring characters and its well-known amateur sleuth, I recommend MURDER, SHE WROTE: FIT FOR MURDER to cozy mystery readers who are fans of the previous books or the television show and newcomers ready to sample the long-running series. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:


Along with Jessica Fletcher, Terrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren. 








TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

January 29 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
January 29 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 30 – Ascroft,eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
January 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
January 31 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW
February 1 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
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February 2 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW, PODCAST
February 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
February 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
February 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
February 4 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
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February 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
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February 10 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
February 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW


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Sunday, November 12, 2023

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Murder Before Dawn (Mystery, She Wrote, #1) by Delta James

Murder Before Dawn
Delta James
(Mystery, She Wrote, #1)
Publication date: November 3rd 2023
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

The only thing more exciting than a famous local author staying at the bed and breakfast is a real murder mystery.

Mystery novelist and member of the Mystery Writer’s Murder Club, Jessica Murdoch, heads off for a staycation at a bed and breakfast in her hometown of Badger’s Drift, Maine for some rest and relaxation. When a murder takes place in her luxurious suite, she figures it’s up to her to uncover the town’s secrets and find the killer.

Thorn Wilder, a seasoned detective in the Badger’s Drift Police Department, is assigned to investigate the murder. Thorn, an astute and methodical investigator, is familiar with Jessica’s work and quickly recognizes her as a potential asset in solving the case. Jessica finds herself irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic detective and becomes an unofficial consultant in the investigation.

Join Jessica Murdoch, Tracer, her faithful basset hound, and Thorn Wilder as they unravel the dark mysteries that lurk beneath the surface of this small town, and discover the shocking truth that lies at the heart of it all.

Murder Before Dawn is the first story in the Mystery, She Wrote series. Four mystery authors meet at a book conference and discover they all live in small towns in Maine. After a fabulous weekend together they decide to form the Mystery Writer’s Murder Club. They meet monthly at a different house to check out cold cases in the area, write, and relax. They soon discover the only thing more exciting than a good murder mystery book is an actual murder mystery.

If you like fast-paced mysteries with quirky characters, an inquisitive basset hound, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love the Mystery, She Wrote series.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Feeling much better about where she stood with Thorn as far as Thompson’s murder went, Jessica had the cop take her and Thorn back to her place to get her SUV. Upon hearing her enter the yard, Tracer, her beloved basset hound, came barreling out the dog door that had been incorporated into the back door.

Sudie followed close behind him, laughing. “He said you were back here, but I didn’t believe him. He always knows where his mama is.”

“Detective Thorn Wilder, this is my friend and housekeeper, Sudie. Sudie, meet Thorn.”

“Are you the one investigating what happened up at DeeDee’s place?”

“I am.”

“And you think Jessica had something to do with it? I wish Tracer was trained to attack; I’d have him bite you,” said Sudie.

“Not to worry,” said Jessica to Thorn. “The most Tracer would do is beat you to death with his tail or knock you down and drown you in drooly kisses. Other than that, he is completely harmless.”

“But that boy can track anything. If you need something followed, you get Jessica to lend you Tracer. He found a lost little girl last year. Everybody was so worried for her. By the time they caught up to him, he was bouncing and barking with her, and she was giggling away.”

“You trained your dog to track?” he said, kneeling down to offer his hand to Tracer to let him sniff it before giving him a tummy rub when the dog flipped over onto his back.

“It’s not hard with a basset. Their noses are the best in the business. They’re especially good at finding kids because they’re so non-threatening.”

Thorn stood up. “Are you saying that if we found some kind of scent item, we could use him to track something?”

“Not only that, you don’t have to have a scent item per se. If we let him sniff around that footprint, he’d probably be able to track where it went.”

“Good to know.”


Author Bio:

As a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex,curvy heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way.

After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, walks on the beach, and white-water rafting.

More about Delta, including a full list of her books and audiobooks, can be found at www.deltajames.com.

Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally to as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/348982795738444.

If you’re looking for your next bingeable series, you can get a FREE story by joining her newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/VIPlist22019.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


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Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Digging Up Daisy (Mainely Murder Mystery, #1) by Sherry Lynn


Digging Up Daisy
A Mainely Murder Mystery
by
Sherry Lynn


Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Paperback
Page count: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0593546652 / ISBN-13: 978-0593546659
Digital ASIN: B0B8GQNCBY

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ABOUT Digging Up Daisy


In a fresh new Maine-set cozy from author Sherry Lynn, Kinsley Clark must root out a killer before the killer roots out her.

At twenty-nine, Kinsley Clark is living the dream life she always envisioned for herself. She’s the proud owner of SeaScapes, a thriving landscaping company in wealthy Harborside, set on the rugged coast of southern Maine. Kinsley’s veins are filled with salty air, a myriad of colors, and the fragrance of fresh blooms. But one afternoon, while working at her aunt Tilly’s bed-and-breakfast, the Salty Breeze Inn, Kinsley digs up more than she bargained for—a high-heeled shoe. The once sparkly shoe, now caked in mud, is linked to a case the police had appropriately dubbed the "Cinderella Murder."

Kinsley panics. Does this mean that her aunt and the inn are somehow connected to this murder? Will it scare away potential guests? Will it subject the inn to a rush of bad press? With Aunt Tilly’s reputation, and possibly her safety, on the line, Kinsley digs deeper into the crime to find out what the shoe was doing on her aunt’s property and who murdered Cinderella, whose real name is Daisy. As she investigates, more suspects rise to the surface, and eventually, Kinsley has to weed out a killer.

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ABOUT Sherry Lynn

Sherry Lynn spent countless summers on the coast of Maine, knowing she’d one day return to write about the magical location from her youth. Curious by nature, sleuthing became the perfect fit for her, and she has written multiple cozy mystery series under several pseudonyms. Currently, Sherry lives in the Midwest with her husband, but she dreams about one day retiring oceanside with a good book in her hand.



TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

April 3 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – I'm Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
April 5 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 5 – ebook addicts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 5 – Novels Alive – REVIEW 
April 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 7 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
April 7 – Baroness Book Trove - REVIEW
April 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
April 8 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
April 8 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
April 9 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
April 10 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 10 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
April 11 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 11 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
April 12 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
April 12 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT


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