Review: The Ghost of Christmas Past: A Molly Murphy Mystery (Molly Murphy #17) by Rhys Bowen

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 4202 KB
• Print Length: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Nov. 14 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B071V56DLF

Book Description

 Semi-retired private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is suffering from depression after a miscarriage following her adventure in San Francisco during the earthquake of 1906. She and her husband, Daniel, are invited for Christmas at a mansion on the Hudson, and they gratefully accept, expecting a peaceful and relaxing holiday season. Not long after they arrive, however, they start to feel the tension in the house’s atmosphere. Then they learn that the host couple's young daughter wandered out into the snow ten years ago and was never seen again. Molly can identify with the mother's pain at never knowing what happened to her child and wants to help, but there is so little to go on. No ransom note. No body ever found. But Molly slowly begins to suspect that the occupants of the house know more than they are letting on. Then, on Christmas Eve, there is a knock at the door and a young girl stands there. "I'm Charlotte," she says. "I've come home."

About the Author

 "I'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.

I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories. "

I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries

Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law

My Review

 The Ghost of Christmas Past: A Molly Murphy Mystery is the seventeenth Molly Murphy mystery by Rhys Bowen. I love love love this series that takes place at the turn of the twentieth century. While Molly is based in New York, most of this story is set outside of the city new Scarborough and White Plains.

Molly is still recovering from her San Francisco adventure. She lost the baby she was carrying and has been suffering from depression. When they have the opportunity to spend Christmas outside of the city at a lovely home in the country with her husband Daniel's mother.

All seems a little quiet at the country house. There are no other children there and it turns out that 10 years ago, the daughter of the house disappeared. She was only 3 years old. There is a knock at the door on Christmas Eve and the young lady claims to be the missing child. The twists and revelations keep coming.

I really loved this book. What a great Christmas mystery. I highly recommend The Ghost of Christmas Past.

Review: The Vineyard Victims (Wine Country Mysteries #8) by Ellen Crosby

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1064 KB
• Print Length: 330 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250076625
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Nov. 7 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06Y5XJ4SV

Book Description

 The death of a former presidential candidate in a fiery car crash at her Virginia vineyard has ties to a thirty year-old murder, as well as to Lucie Montgomery’s own near fatal accident ten years ago, as she searches for a killer who now may be stalking her.

When Jamison Vaughn―billionaire real estate mogul, Virginia vineyard owner, and unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate―drives his gold SUV into a stone pillar at the entrance to Montgomery Estate Vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is certain the crash was deliberate. But everyone else in Atoka, Virginia is equally sure that Jamie must have lost control of his car on a rain-slicked country road. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the recent election, Jamie is seemingly the man with the perfect life. What possible reason could he have for committing suicide . . . or was it murder?

Before long Lucie uncovers a connection between Jamie and some of his old friends―an elite group of academics―and the brutal murder thirty years ago of a brilliant PhD student. Although a handyman is on death row for the crime, Lucie soon suspects someone else is guilty. But the investigation into the two deaths throws Lucie a curve ball when someone from her own past becomes involved, forcing her to confront old demons. Now the race to solve the mystery behind the two deaths becomes intensely personal as Lucie realizes someone wants her silenced . . . for good.

About the Author

 Ellen Crosby is the author of THE CHAMPAGNE CONSPIRACY, the 7th book in the Virginia Wine Country mysteries, which will be out November 1, 2016. Also in 2016, GHOST IMAGE, the second Sophie Medina mystery will be out, along with the US edition of MOSCOW NIGHTS. Before writing fiction, Crosby was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News, and an economist at the US Senate. After living overseas for many years, she now lives in the Washington, DC suburbs of northern Virginia. More information at www.ellencrosby.com or www.facebook.com/EllenCrosbyBooks

My Review

 The Vineyard Victims is the eighth book in the Wine Country Mysteries series by Ellen Crosby. I have read all the previous books in this series. I am definitely a fan! Great series.

The book opens with a car crash. Former Presidential Candidate and neighbour Jamie Vaughn crashes into a wall at Lucie Montgomery's winery. It is the same wall that caused Lucie's disabling accident. Vaughn is dead but did he need to die. Did he crash purposely?

 Lucie cannot help herself from trying to solve the mystery around Vaughn's death. Is one of her longtime neighbours involved in his death? And what about the death of Vaughn's friend 30 years ago?
This tale is filled with riddles! Great mystery!

Love this series and highly recommend The Vineyard Victims.

Review: Death, Taxes, and a Shotgun Wedding (Tara Holloway #12) by Diane Kelly

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 4641 KB
• Print Length: 348 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250094909
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (Oct. 31 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06Y5S12TF

Book Description

 LOVE BEGINS--AND ENDS--WITH A BANG.
For IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, this case is personal...
Wedding bells are ringing as Tara and her soon-to-be-husband Nick prepare for their big day. But along with all the RSVP cards are a series of death threats from an unknown source. The culprit must be someone from an earlier investigation--a white-collar criminal with a red-hot grudge--but Tara has run across too many lawbreakers to narrow down the search. And time, like her biological clock, is ticking.

Now, while dodging attempts on her life, Tara also finds herself embroiled in a rental scam in which a heartless crook is ripping people off left and right. Will she be able to track down the con artist and make it down the aisle in one piece? Or will "til death do us part" come before Tara can even say "I do"?

About the Author

 Award-winning author Diane Kelly writes romance and romantic mysteries featuring feisty heroines, quirky sidekicks, and sexy leading men, with humor that leaves readers laughing out loud.

My Review

Death, Taxes, and a Shotgun Wedding is the 12th book in the Tara Holloway mystery series by Diane Kelly. I don't know why I have not found this series before. This is the first book in the series that I have read.

Death, Taxes, and a Shotgun Wedding follows the adventures of IRS Special Agent Tara Holoway. As Tara is preparing for her upcoming wedding, she is almost run down while mailing her invitations. Is someone from her past dealing in the IRS gunning for her? And will she be able to finish investigating a rental scam before someone tries to kill her? And what about her wedding?

Death, Taxes and a Shotgun Wedding is a fun cozy mystery that all cozy fans will enjoy!

Review: Gin and Panic (Discreet Retrieval Agency #3) by Maia Chance

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2020 KB
• Print Length: 281 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250109051
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Oct. 24 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06Y17JTLC

Book Description


“Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets—and has a high old time doing it! So will you.”—Ann B. Ross, New York Times bestselling author of the Miss Julia series

Former socialite Lola Woodby is now struggling to make ends meet as a not-so-discreet private eye in Prohibtion-era New York City, along with her stern Swedish sidekick, Berta. When they’re offered a piece-of-cake job—retrieving a rhinoceros trophy from the Connecticut mansion of big game hunter Rudy Montgomery—it seems like a no-brainer. After all, their client, Lord Sudley, promises them a handsome paycheck, and the gin and tonics will be plentiful and free. But no sooner do they arrive at Montgomery Hall than Rudy is shot dead.

When the police arrive to examine the scene, they conclude that Rudy had actually committed suicide. But Lord Sudley can’t believe his friend would have done that, and there’s a houseful of suspicious characters standing by. So Lord Sudley ups the ante for Lola and Berta, and suddenly, their easy retrieval job has turned into a murder investigation. Armed with handbags stuffed with emergency chocolate, gin flasks, and a Colt .25, Lola and Berta are swiftly embroiled in a madcap puzzle of stolen diamonds, family secrets, a clutch of gangsters, and plenty of suspects who know their way around a safari rifle.

Gin and Panic is the next jaunty, compelling Discreet Retrieval Agency mystery from beloved crime writer Maia Chance.

About the Author

 MAIA CHANCE was a finalist for the 2004 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington. She is writing her dissertation on nineteenth-century American literature. She is also the author of the Fairy Tale Fatal mystery series (Cinderella Six Feet Under, Snow White Red-Handed, and Beauty, Beast and Belladonna).



My Review

Gin and Panic is the third Discreet Retrieval Agency by author Maia Chance. This is the first book in the series that I have read. It can easily be read as a stand alone.

Gin and Panic is set in the 1920 Prohibition Era in New York and Connecticut. Lola and Berta, the Discreet Retrieval Agency's two owners, are hired to retrieve a rhinoceros from the country mansion of a big game hunter. They were retrieving it for Lord Sudley, an Englishman and fellow big game hunter. Lola and Berta are set to spend the weekend at the mansion but their host is murdered and then they discovered raw diamonds in the rhino head. A madcap adventure ensues from this point.

What a fun fun fun book! I loved the mystery aspect as well as the adventures that Berta and Lola became involved in. The book is well written and the author has ensured that we are back in the 1920s. I cannot wait to read more in this series!

I highly recommend Gin and Panic.

Review: Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions to Celebrate with Purpose by Melissa Spoelstra

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 465.0 KB
• Print Length: 210 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1501848704
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (Oct. 3 2017)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B01N7ZBJFY

Book Description

In the bustle of the Christmas season, it can be easy to get swept up in all of the things to do. But it's important to pause and remember that our priority should be to spend time celebrating Christ's birth and not forget to invite Jesus to his own party.

Christmas is far more than a celebration of an event from long ago or a modern holiday centered around shopping. Mindfully take time to listen to how God continues to speak through the Christmas story as the Gospel narratives centered around the birth of Jesus provide encouragement and revelation concerning the love of God and his wisdom for us today.

In Total Christmas Makeover, author and Bible teacher Melissa Spoelstra provides a practical approach for you and your family to turn your attention toward God's grace day-by-day as you prepare for Christmas. This 31-day devotional presents key scriptures, ideas to implement with each reading, and questions for reflection to guide you in rediscovering rituals, relationship, and rest to connect you more deeply with Christ this holiday season.

About the Author

 Melissa Spoelstra is a popular women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and writer who is madly in love with Jesus and passionate about helping women of all ages to seek Christ and know Him more intimately through serious Bible study. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology and enjoys teaching God's Word to diverse groups and churches within the body of Christ. She is the author of Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World, and the forthcoming Total Family Makeover: 8 Steps to Making Disciples at Home. She lives in Dublin, Ohio, with her pastor husband and four kids.

My Review

Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions to Celebrate with Purpose by Melissa Spoelstra is lovely new book for the Advent season. It is a beautiful little book and I am looking forward to spending the Advent season fully immersed in it.

Melissa Spoelstra has divided Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions to Celebrate with Purpose into three sections:  Ritual, Relationships and Rest. She explains in the Introduction that rituals are special activities to remember God, relationships are the time spent with others and rest is time to reflect on God.

Each of the 31 days has a bible reading, a devotion, a prayer, questions to reflect on what we've read and suggestions for a practical approach.

Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions to Celebrate with Purpose by Melissa Spoelstra is definitely a wonderful book to spend the Advent season with. Highly recommend.

Review: A Season to Lie (Detective Gemma Monroe #2) by Emily Littlejohn

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Nov. 14 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B072DTQQJV

Book Description

Following her acclaimed debut Inherit the Bones, this is Emily Littlejohn’s next mesmerizing mystery featuring Colorado police officer Gemma Monroe.

In Emily Littlejohn's follow-up to her acclaimed debut, Inherit the Bones, police officer Gemma Monroe has just returned to work from maternity leave. And what a first day back: a blizzard is blowing into her idyllic Colorado ski town, and while Gemma hopes for a quiet, warm evening in, she knows it will mean plenty of calls out for snow-related accidents. But when an anonymous caller reports seeing a lurker at the local high school, Gemma gets far more than she bargained for. Behind the school building, half covered in a drift of snow, lies the gruesomely murdered body of a world-famous author—whose presence in town was meant to be a secret.


About the Author

https://www.emilylittlejohn.com/bio

I was born and raised in Southern California but have called Colorado home for over a decade now. The beautiful mountains and open space continue to inspire me on a daily basis. 

I wrote Inherit the Bones over the course of two years. I've always had a fascination with all things mystery, horror, and the macabre. Bones was inspired by a vision I had of a clown, found dead, in full costume. I wondered who was the man behind the make-up?

And just like that, a story was born. 

I hope you enjoy spending time in Cedar Valley with Detective Gemma Monroe, her partner Finn Nowlin and the rest of the people that bring the town to life. The second book in the series, A Season to Lie, will be available in November 2017, with a third and fourth book to come. 

​

When I'm not writing, I'm enjoying life with my growing family, working at the local public library, and serving as the Program Director for the Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America. 

I'd love to hear from you, so drop me a message on the Follow Me page or send me an e-mail at EmilyNLittlejohn@gmail.com.

My Review

A Season to Lie is the second Detective Gemma Monroe mystery by Emily Littlejohn. It is the first book by Littlejohn that I have read. A Season to Lie was a nice surprise. It is well written and has a good story. The characters all enhance the story.

A Season to Lie follows small ski resort town Colorado police officer Gemma Monroe as she returns to work after maternity leave. It is tough on her heading back after an absence but even tougher when a murder occurs at a local private school. When it turns out that it was a famous author who died, the pressure is on to find the murderer before he hits again. Then a teacher at the school goes missing...

Great characters. I loved that Gemma was dealing with a grandparent with dementia. So many of us deal with that these days. Very realistic. 

I highly recommend A Season to Lie. It can easily be read as a stand alone. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Review: Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 3673.0 KB
• Print Length: 354 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250108675
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Oct. 10 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06XRJ36XV

Book Description

 A recently divorced woman and her daughter look for a fresh start by moving to a small town that embraces them in ways that only fate and the magic of Christmas can explain.

Sydney Ragsdale is divorced, but her husband is still calling the shots. In an attempt to shake free from his hold, she and her daughter, Ray Anne, head for tiny Hopewell, NC to the only asset her ex has no control over – a decaying farmhouse that once belonged to her grandparents. She finds solace at The Book Bea, the bookstore she’d loved as a child during her summer stays.

Kevin MacAlea, Mac to his friends, is the local high school history teacher and baseball coach. Father of a twelve-year-old son, he’s Hopewell, North Carolina’s most sought after bachelor. His young bride abandoned him and his son just before Christmas and has never come back. It has left his son bitter about Christmas which is hard for Mac who loves the magic of the season. He’s been the Santa here in Hopewell since the year Seth was born. 

But when a catastrophe forces The Book Bea to close before the end of the year, everyone in the small town is feeling the loss. While Sydney is already off-balance by the bad news, her ex-husband breaks a promise to their daughter that sends Ray Anne running away. As Sydney tries to figure out what her next steps are she discovers all of the answers are right here in Hopewell.

About the Author

 USA TODAY Bestselling author, Nancy Naigle, writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.

With a career spent on the cutting edge of technology in the banking industry, she never let go of her dream to write. Now she works full-time writing stories that are a calming blend of community, family, and the simple things in life. She writes the kind of stories she hopes will provide an escape from the hectic day-to-day in the make believe worlds she creates.

Look for Nancy's titles in the Adams Grove series.
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Out of Focus
Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes
Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies
Mint Juleps and Justice
Barbecue and Bad News
Porch Swings and Promises

Nancy also has co-written books with:

Phyllis C. Johnson ~ inkBLOT

Kelsey Browning ~ The Granny Series
Book 1- In For A Penny
Book 2 - Fit To Be Tied
Book 3 - In High Cotton
Book 4 - Under The Gun

Coming August 30th, don't miss the second book set in Boot Creek, EVERY YESTERDAY. (The followup book to Life After Perfect.)

Also, this October, look for Christmas Joy. A heartwarming Christmas novel.

Aside from writing she enjoys hunting for treasures in junk and antique shoppes, and getting crafty no matter what the medium from painting and digitizing embroidery designs, to weaving pine needle baskets.

A Virginia native, and spending most of her life in the Tidewater area, she now calls North Carolina home.


My Review

Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle is a stand alone charming Christmas story. I have read most of Nancy's books and they always warm your heart.

After her divorce, Sydney and her daughter moved from Atlanta to small town North Carolina. Sydney had inherited a farmhouse there. She and her daughter RayAnne settle there and Sydney finds a short term job for Christmas at a bookstore, The Book Bea. The Book Bea had delighted Sydney in her youth and she was just as entranced as a adult.

Sydney meets a local teacher, Mac, who is also divorced with a young son, Seth. It is a romance so you know a few road blocks will get in the way. Will true love win out for Christmas?

Hope at Christmas is filled with hope and the joy of the Christmas season. Lovely read. If you like Christmas stories then this one is for you!

Thomas Nelson's 'KJV Know The Word Study Bible' Kindle Fire Giveaway

Diving deeper into God's Word can be easy and rewarding if you break it down book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic with the new KJV Know The Word Study Bible by Thomas Nelson. The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God's Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.

This fall, become a regular student of the Bible and enter to win the Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of the KJV Know The Word Study Bible
• A Kindle Fire 7
• A Kindle Fire case (winner's choice)

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 31. The winner will be announced November 1 on the Litfuse blog.

Book Description


The KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers three easy ways to begin studying Scripture and helps individuals transition from being a casual reader of the Bible to becoming a regular student of the Bible. You can choose to study the Bible book-by-book, verse-by-verse, or topic-by-topic; each path offers powerful insights that will help you develop a daily routine of Bible study. The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God’s Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.



My Review

The Thomas Nelson's 'KJV Know The Word Study Bible' is a comprehensive new bible that provides insight for those who prefer the King James Version of the Bible.

The KJV Know the Word Study Bible has subtitles on the first page: Gain a Greater Understanding of the  Bible, Book by Book, Verse by Verse and Topic by Topic.  There are notes on each book of the Bible, notes on the verses and also 21 theological topics to give the reader a greater understanding of the Bible.

The KJV Know the Word Study Bible is a sturdy hardcover that I found easy to read...the font was a decent size so it was readable. 

 
Features Include:
• King James Version Bible text
• Three easy approaches to study the Bible: 1. Book by Book; 2. Verse by Verse; 3. Topic by Topic
• Insightful introductions for each book of Scripture
• Words of Jesus in red
• Beautiful two-color interior page design
• Comprehensive list of theological notes
• Concordance
• Full-color maps


Great study bible for those who like the language of the King James version. Sometimes you just want to study the Word as it was in your childhood. The KJV can be very comforting that way.

Review: Purple Palette for Murder: A Meg Harris Mystery by R.J. Harlick

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 530 KB
• Print Length: 392 pages
• Publisher: Dundurn (Oct. 14 2017)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B01NCKQXCS

Book Description

With her husband under arrest for murder and Meg desperate to prove his innocence, she flies to Yellowknife, where a tangled web of family secrets and greed awaits her.
 
Meg Harris is forced to leave the sanctuary of Three Deer Point and fly to Yellowknife, where her stepdaughter lies near death and her husband is in jail for killing a man. Expecting to find Eric shouting his innocence, she instead finds him cowed and willing to do hard time. But Meg doesn't believe he s guilty.

Convinced that there s more to the murder victim and the attack on her stepdaughter than the police think, Meg finds herself on a sordid trail of family secrets and greed, hoping she can prove her husband s innocence. Fragments of an ancient embroidery lead her to a remote Dene hunting camp, where all is not what it seems."

About the Author

 Called "queen of Canadian wilderness fiction", R.J. Harlick writes the acclaimed Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of Canada with an underlying native theme. There are currently seven books in the series with the eighth, Purple Palette for Murder, due out in October 2017.

The fourth book, Arctic Blue Death, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Best Novel award. Silver Totem of Shame was named one of the top ten summer crime fiction reads by the Globe & Mail and was a recommended beach read by the Seattle Public Library. Cold White Fear was a CBC recommended mystery read.

With Death's Golden Whisper, the first book in the Meg Harris mystery series, RJ introduces protagonist Meg Harris who has fled the urban frenzy of Toronto and her failed marriage to Three Deer Point, a remote wilderness property in West Quebec, that she inherited from her Great Aunt Agatha. She lives in a century old Victorian timber cottage perched on a granite point overlooking the black waters of Echo Lake. Her only neighbour is the reserve of the Fishhook Algonquins, or Migiskan Anishinabeg. She drinks a little too much and is afraid of the dark, yet her only companion in this remote cottage is her wimpy standard poodle, Sergei.

She has fled to this northern paradise to heal her bruised soul. But her sought after peace is invariably interrupted by injustice and murder. Unable to ignore it, Meg becomes enmeshed in a quagmire of murderous intrigue.

After travelling to Baffin Island in Arctic Blue Death, Meg decided that she would love to explore a different Canadian wilderness and visit with its native peoples in every other book. Silver Totem of Shame takes place in Vancouver and Haida Gwaii, the mystical islands of the Haida. Purple Palette for Murder has Meg flying to the Northwest Territories when her husband is charged with murder.

Though the story of each book can stand on its own, there is a backstory about Meg and other characters that evolves from book to book. So avid readers of mystery series might want to start with the first book, Death's Golden Whisper.

Harlick is a member and past president of Crime Writers of Canada and Capital Crime Writers. She is also a member of Sisters in Crime, The Writers Union of Canada and Quebec Writers Federation.

She is a regular panelists at such conferences as Bouchercon, Left Coast Crime, and Malice Domestic. She also does many store signings and library readings. To check out her schedule visit her blog. http://rjharlick.blogspot.ca

RJ blogs every second Tuesday on Criminal Minds - http://7criminalminds.blogspot.ca.

Visit with RJ on Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/RJHarlick
and on her website - http://www.rjharlick.ca

My Review

Purple Palette for Murder is the latest Meg Harris mystery by author R.J. Harlick. The Meg Harris series is set in Canada and written by a Canadian author. R.J. Harlick thoroughly researches the areas where she sets the stories and I find that I learn a lot while I am reading an enjoyable tale.

Meg is still recovering from her experiences in the last book, A Cold White Fear, which was a terrifying read. I would still be recovering from them too. But when she finds out her husband has been arrested for the murder of his daughter's accused rapist and attacker, she is on the first plane to Yellowknife in Canada's North West Territories.

Purple Palette for Murder is a great mystery but it is also a great geography lesson. More importantly, the book realistically approaches the problems that linger for Canada's First Nation people. Most of the problems lead back to the residential school system where native children where taken from their parents and placed in schools far from home. At these schools, the children were told to forget their native heritage and become "white" basically. There was terrible abuse at these schools. The results of the abuse have trickled down through the generations and we are left with a lot of damaged people. I applaud author Harlick for her realistic portrayal of a broken but resilient people.

Purple Palette for Murder also touches on the resource development of the North West Territories. Diamonds were discovered there and there has been a boom accompanying this. A number of First Nations people are torn between leaving the habitat intact or exploiting the resources such as diamonds. 

I highly recommend Purple Palette for Murder.

Review: The Beautiful Word for Christmas By Mary DeMuth

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (Oct. 17 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310087562
• ISBN-13: 978-0310087564

Book Description

 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:11

 
Read the Christmas story like never before with favorite scriptures hand-lettered and illustrated. Celebrate the wondrous birth of Christ with 31 devotionals that will point each day to the Savor.

Savor the season with The Beautiful Word for Christmas.

***

This book includes:

23 Bible passages illustrated in full color

31 timely devotions written especially for the Christmas season

Activities to bring the heart of the season home


About the Author

 http://www.marydemuth.com/


My Review

 The Beautiful Word for Christmas to Bring the Joy of Advent to Your Heart by Mary DeMuth is a gorgeous square hardcover book about 7" x 7". It is a joy just to hold it and start flipping through the beautifully illustrated pages.

The cover of  The Beautiful Word for Christmas to Bring the Joy of Advent to Your Heart is beautiful. It even has sparkles on it to catch your eye. This would be a great gift book for someone. I know I would be thrilled to receive it as a gift. The first section of the book is lovely calligraphy and illustrations representing the Nativity story from Luke. The remainder of the book is an advent devotional. Each day has a bible verse, a devotion, and an activity. 

So what is an activity in The Beautiful Word for Christmas to Bring the Joy of Advent to Your Heart? For an example, the activity on Page 147 suggests you make a copy of the devotional, put it in a card and send it to someone who struggles with low self esteem. Each day has an activity or suggestion such as that.


I am discovering that The Beautiful Word for Christmas to Bring the Joy of Advent to Your Heart is a delightful book and I cannot wait to read it through this Advent. I know it will be a blessing to me.

I highly recommend The Beautiful Word for Christmas to Bring the Joy of Advent to Your Heart by Mary DeMuth.

Review: The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 5079 KB
• Print Length: 389 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0062313118
• Publisher: William Morrow (Oct. 3 2017)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B01N9PTM35

Book Description

 The author of the celebrated bestseller A Land More Kind Than Home returns with this eagerly awaited new novel, set in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina in 1929 and inspired by actual events, that chronicles an ordinary woman’s struggle for dignity and her rights in a textile mill, a moving tale of courage in the face of oppression and injustice, with the emotional power of Ron Rash’s Serena, Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day, and the unforgettable films Norma Rae and Silkwood

Twelve times a week, twenty-eight-year old Ella May Wiggins makes the two-mile trek to and from her job on the night shift at American Mill No. 2 in Bessemer City, North Carolina. The insular community considers the mill’s owners—the newly arrived Goldberg brothers—white but not American and expects them to pay Ella May and others workers less because they toil alongside African Americans like Violet, Ella May’s best friend. While the dirty, hazardous job at the mill earns Ella May a paltry nine dollars for seventy-two hours of work each week, it’s the only opportunity she has. Her no-good husband John has run off again, and she must keep her four young children alive with whatever she can find.

When the union leaflets first come through the mill, Ella May has a taste of hope, a yearning for the better life the organizers promise. But the mill owners, backed by other nefarious forces, claim the union is nothing but a front for the Bolshevik menace sweeping across Europe. To maintain their control, the owners will use every means in their power, including lies, threats, and bloodshed, to prevent workers from banding together. On the night of the county’s biggest rally, Ella May, weighing the costs of her choice, makes up her mind to join the movement—a decision that will have lasting consequences for her children, her friends, her town—indeed all that she loves.

Seventy-five years later, Ella May’s daughter Lilly, now an elderly woman, tells her nephew about his grandmother and the events that transformed their family. Illuminating the most painful corners of their history, she reveals, for the first time, the whole story of what happened to Ella May after that fateful union meeting in 1929.

Intertwining myriad voices, Wiley Cash brings to life the heartbreak and bravery of the now forgotten struggle of the labor movement in early Twentieth Century America—and pays tribute to the thousands of heroic women and men who risked their lives to win basic rights for all workers. Lyrical, heartbreaking, and haunting, this eloquent new novel confirms Wiley Cash’s place among our nation’s finest writers.

Reviews from Others

“Wiley Cash reveals the dignity and humanity of people asking for a fair shot in an unfair world. Fraught with the turmoil of social change, The Last Ballad moves inexorably toward a devastating moment of reckoning. A timely and topical portrait of a community in crisis.” (Christina Baker Kline, author of A Piece of the World and Orphan Train)

“Cash pulls no punches in this gorgeous, gut-wrenching novel, and that’s entirely as it should be for a story of desperate people. In an era when American workers are besieged as they haven’t been since the Great Depression, I can think of no more relevant novel for our times.” (Ben Fountain, Author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk on The Last Ballad)

“Beautifully and courageously told. Wiley Cash dares give voice to people lost in the margins of history, and he brings to life their inspiring fight for justice with graceful prose, honesty and intensity, and best of all, a wonderful bigness of heart.” (Lydia Peelle, author of The Midnight Cool on The Last Ballad)

“This suspenseful, moving novel is a story of struggle and personal sacrifice for the greater good that will resonate with readers of John Steinbeck or Ron Rash.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Inspired by the events of an actual textile-mill strike in 1929, Cash creates a vivid picture of one woman’s desperation. . . . A heartbreaking and beautifully written look at the real people involved in the labor movement.” (Kirkus Reviews)


About the Author

Wiley Cash is the New York Times best selling author of The Last Ballad, A Land More Kind than Home, and This Dark Road to Mercy (William Morrow/HarperCollins). He currently serves as the writer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina-Asheville and teaches in the Mountainview Low-Residency MFA. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and their two young daughters. Please visit wileycash.com to check the scheduled events for his book tour in the fall of 2017. 


My Review

 I have read both of Wiley Cash's previous books, This Dark Road to Mercy and A Land More Kind Than Home. They were both outstanding books.  I knew that The Last Ballad would not disappoint.

The Last Ballad shares the story of union organizing in 1920s in the United States with readers. It is told in alternating voices. My favorite chapter was the chapter where Kate brings Ella May home and visits there. The different voices and different views allow the story to tell itself. And what an enthralling story it is. I was mad; I was scared; and, sometimes I was crying. Most importantly, this book made me think.

What I really think is important and the message that people need to remember is that 100 years ago trade unions were born in the United States. It was not an easy fight and many of those who share in the benefits of that system now need to revisit the strife that brought about the unions and now a similar and equally important fight is being fought for universal medicare. The trade unions brought about the middle class and the decent wages the jobs in the mills, mines and factories now provided. The middle class is struggling to stay alive again. The fight is never easy. And Black people are still fighting for equal opportunities in the United States.

Wiley Cash brings history to life in The Last Ballad. The characters are all true to their race and social level. They all had amazing stories to tell.

I highly recommend this timely and beautifully written novel, The Last Ballad, by the brilliant storyteller Wiley Cash.

Review: The Witches' Tree (Agatha Raisin #28) by M.C. Beaton

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2380 KB
• Print Length: 288 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250057469
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Oct. 3 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06XKGL3MR

Book Description

 The Witches’ Tree continues the tradition in M. C. Beaton's beloved Agatha Raisin mystery series―now a hit T.V. show.

Cotswolds inhabitants are used to inclement weather, but the night sky is especially foggy as Rory and Molly Devere, the new vicar and his wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party in their village of Sumpton Harcourt. They strain to see the road ahead―and then suddenly brake, screeching to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights, a body hangs from a gnarled tree at the edge of town. Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster, has been murdered―and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime.

Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion (a little glad for the excitement, to tell the truth, after a long run of lost cats and divorces on the books). But Sumpton Harcourt is a small and private village, she finds―a place that poses more questions than answers. And when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation―and even her life. That the village has its own coven of witches certainly doesn't make her feel any better...

About the Author


M.C. Beaton was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department at John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she received an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to become their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing experience, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter.

After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion moved to the United States where Harry had been offered the position of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. They subsequently moved to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs at Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York. Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, supported by her husband, started to write Regency romances. After she had written close to 100, and had gotten fed up with the 1811 to 1820 period, she began to write detective stories under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Hamish Macbeth story. Marion and Harry returned to Britain and bought a croft house in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. When her son graduated, and both of his parents tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds, where Agatha Raisin was created.

While Marion wrote her historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, as well as several pseudonyms (Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward), because of her great success with mystery novels as M. C. Beaton, most of her publishers both in the U.S. and abroad use the M. C. Beaton pseudonym for all of her novels.

My Review

 The Witches' Tree is the twenty-eight book in the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton. I  love this series. I adore Agatha Raisin. She is a feisty and fun woman who I would love to know in person!

Fans of Agatha Raisin are going to love this latest book. There has been a murder in Sumpton Harcourt, another small village in the Cotswolds. Agatha is up for the challenge. Between murders, she is often stuck looking for lost cats, etc.

Great tale full of Agatha of course and murders and witches. Lots of fun. This book is another fun book in the series.

Highly recommend The Witches Tree.

Review: Death on Tap (A Sloan Krause Mystery #1) by Ellie Alexander

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 3930 KB
• Print Length: 315 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250108632
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (Oct. 3 2017)
• Sold by: Macmillan CA
• Language: English
• ASIN: B06XKG2RFR

Book Description

When Sloan Krause walks in on her husband, Mac, screwing the barmaid, she gives him the boot. Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn’t have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro’s owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzz with his newest recipe, “Pucker-Up IPA.” This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can’t help but be green with envy at their success.

But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro’s competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac, is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

******** 

 "A 'hopping' good cozy mystery, overflowing with yeasty details about beer and brewing. Sloan may be torn between her cheating husband and her handsome new boss, but readers will enjoy listening to local gossip and tracking a killer along with her in the charming German-style "Beervaria" setting of Leavenworth, Washington." --Meg Macy, author of Bearly Departed

-A 'hopping' good cozy mystery, overflowing with yeasty details about beer and brewing. Sloan may be torn between her cheating husband and her handsome new boss, but readers will enjoy listening to local gossip and tracking a killer along with her in the charming German-style -Beervaria- setting of Leavenworth, Washington.- --Meg Macy, author of Bearly Departed

"A 'hopping' good cozy mystery, overflowing with yeasty details about beer and brewing. Sloan may be torn between her cheating husband and her handsome new boss, but readers will enjoy listening to local gossip and tracking a killer along with her in the charming German-style "Beervaria" setting of Leavenworth, Washington." --Meg Macy, author of Bearly Departed
 
"Hoist a stein to a Ellie Alexander's delightful new series! Brewmaster Sloan Krause is the perfect cozy protagonist: vulnerable enough to keep her heart guarded, yet capable enough to brew ales with the big boys, whip up beer-inspired treats, and of course, solve a murder." --Cindy Brown, Agatha Award-Nominated Author of the Ivy Meadows mysteries


"Ellie Alexander's prose bubbles like the craft beers her protagonist Sloan Krause brews--a sparkling start to a new series" --Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries

"In Death on Tap, Ellie Alexander brews up a tasty concoction containing a charming setting, sympathetic characters, and a compelling heroine that kept me turning pages way past my bedtime."--Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries

"The mountain village of Leavenworth, Washington is hopping and trouble is brewing in this first in a new series by Ellie Alexander. Smooth yet yeasty, with a strong finish, like Sloan Krause's best brew, Death on Tap is an entertaining sip of the world of brew pubs and tourist towns. Sloan, a foster child-turned chef, brewer, and mother, is an intriguing protagonist. Pour me another!" --Leslie Budewitz,
two-time Agatha Award winning author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries

"A 'hopping' good cozy mystery, overflowing with yeasty details about beer and brewing. Sloan may be torn between her cheating husband and her handsome new boss, but readers will enjoy listening to local gossip and tracking a killer along with her in the charming German-style "Beervaria" setting of Leavenworth, Washington." --Meg Macy, author of Bearly Departed
 
"Hoist a stein to a Ellie Alexander's delightful new series! Brewmaster Sloan Krause is the perfect cozy protagonist: vulnerable enough to keep her heart guarded, yet capable enough to brew ales with the big boys, whip up beer-inspired treats, and of course, solve a murder." --Cindy Brown, Agatha Award-Nominated Author of the Ivy Meadows mysteries


"A charming new series featuring Sloan Krause, a clever protagonist and a talented brewer whose knowledge of the science and art of brewing beer is both fascinating and fun. The cozy village and the quirky characters who inhabit it are a delight, and the intriguing mystery will keep readers enthralled to the very end." --Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries

"Ellie Alexander's prose bubbles like the craft beers her protagonist Sloan Krause brews--a sparkling start to a new series" --Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries

"In Death on Tap, Ellie Alexander brews up a tasty concoction containing a charming setting, sympathetic characters, and a compelling heroine that kept me turning pages way past my bedtime."--Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries

"The mountain village of Leavenworth, Washington is hopping and trouble is brewing in this first in a new series by Ellie Alexander. Smooth yet yeasty, with a strong finish, like Sloan Krause's best brew, Death on Tap is an entertaining sip of the world of brew pubs and tourist towns. Sloan, a foster child-turned chef, brewer, and mother, is an intriguing protagonist. Pour me another!" --Leslie Budewitz, two-time Agatha Award winning author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries

"A 'hopping' good cozy mystery, overflowing with yeasty details about beer and brewing. Sloan may be torn between her cheating husband and her handsome new boss, but readers will enjoy listening to local gossip and tracking a killer along with her in the charming German-style "Beervaria" setting of Leavenworth, Washington." --Meg Macy, author of Bearly Departed
 
"Hoist a stein to a Ellie Alexander's delightful new series! Brewmaster Sloan Krause is the perfect cozy protagonist: vulnerable enough to keep her heart guarded, yet capable enough to brew ales with the big boys, whip up beer-inspired treats, and of course, solve a murder." --Cindy Brown, Agatha Award-Nominated Author of the Ivy Meadows mysteries

About the Author

 Ellie Alexander, author of the Bakeshop Mystery Series (St. Martin's Press), is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.

The 6th book in the Bakeshop Mysteries, A CRIME OF PASSION FRUIT coming June 2017. And a new series debuts fall 2017 with DEATH ON TAP!

Find out more about Ellie and her books by visiting her websites at: http://www.elliealexander.co/ or following her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexand...

My Review


 Death on Tap is the first Sloan Krause Mystery by Ellie Alexander. I have read the Bakeshop Mysteries by this author, Ellie Alexander, and have enjoyed all of them. This is the first book featuring Sloan Krause, who lives in Leavenworth, Washington and brews beer.

Leavenworth, Washington is the perfect setting for a cozy mystery series. I usually visit Leavenworth once a year and found that the author Alexander portrayed it perfectly. Leavenworth is a Bavarian theme town set in the Cascade Mountains. It really does look like a Bavarian village. Even the McDonalds and Safeway have Bavarian themes. It is filled with shops aimed at tourists, great restaurants and craft breweries and many hotels. It is a great weekend destination. They have many festivals there so like I said, a perfect setting.

I like Sloan Krause our main character. She has just kicked her husband to the curb after she caught him cheating. But could he be a murderer? Sloan doesn't think so. She was the one who found the dead man at her employer's craft  brewery, Nitro. Nitro's owner has developed a new citrus infused beer that everyone seems to want the recipe for.

Great debut! Highly recommend this new series! Death on Tap is a must read!