THE BLACK THUMB by Frankie Bow

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: BLACK THUMB by Frankie Bow

Quite probably Frankie Bow is one of my top favorite cozy mystery authors. I leap at any opportunity to review her novels, and once I open one, it's full-on read through to the end. BLACK THUMB is a great read, very entertaining, with excellent character evolution and plenty of tension and what-will-happen-next excitement. Especially tense were the confrontations between protagonist Molly and her well-meaning but currently misguided friends. This is a wonderful and endearing series.

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Cover Reveal: DANDELION DEAD by Chrystie Fielder

Dandelion Dead: A Natural Remedies September 27, 2016 by Chrystle Fiedler In a spicy cozy mystery filled with herbal remedies readers will love, a sustainable winery becomes the backdrop for murder! Fortunately, solving crimes comes naturally to charmingly unconventional homeopath and amateur sleuth Willow McQuade, as she looks for clues that will reveal a killer’s true essence. Pre-Order today – Amazon – B&N - IndieBound

MURDER IN THE MANSION_Tour

Murder at the Mansion 

Cozy Mystery 

Lyrical Underground (June 7, 2016) 

Paperback: 190 pages 

ISBN-13: 978-1616509323 E-Book ASIN: B015MA6EDO 

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 Fortunes, fineries, and foul play . . . It’s whale-watching season in Redwood Cove, and B&B manager Kelly Jackson’s battening down the hatches for the tourist rush at Redwood Heights—a Victorian-style estate owned by her boss. And due to recent jewelry thefts, her duties include keeping track of the many dust-covered artifacts spread throughout the property. But when Kelly finds Sylvia Porter’s lifeless body, menial tasks don’t seem so terrible. Enlisting the help of a ragtag group of brainy retirees, aka the “Silver Sentinels,” Kelly’s on the hunt for clues hidden behind the mansion’s glamorous façade. . .and for a killer who may want to make history of her next! 

 janet finsilver

About the Author Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY best-selling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet majored in English and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. She loves animals and has two dogs–Kylie and Ellie. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. MURDER AT REDWOOD COVE, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Her second book, MURDER AT THE MANSION, was released on June 7, 2016. 

 Author Links Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/janetfinsilverauthor/?fref=ts Twitter – https://twitter.com/JanetFinsilver Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/janetfinsilver/ Web – http://janetfinsilver.com/ Purchase Links Amazon –Barnes and Noble 

Murder at the Mansion by Janet Finsilver
My rating: 0 of 5 stars 

Review of MURDER IN THE MANSION by Janet Finsilver

When Kelly Jackson gratefully accepts the position of manager at the newly renovated Redwood Heights B&B on the Northern California coast, she's expecting a new start in an exciting job in a beautifully scenic locale. She gets all that, plus reunion with the Silver Sentinels, a group of 5 feisty and smart seniors. She isn't expecting to stumble over death, but when it happens, Kelly and the Sentinels team up. 

First-person narrative, gorgeous description, and endearing characters, both adults and children, plus canines, combine in a warm-hearted, comfortably delightful, cozy mystery. 

 Tour Participants August 15 – Bea’s Book Nook – REVIEW August 15 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW August 16 – Sleuth Cafe – REVIEW August 16 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – INTERVIEW August 17 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW August 18 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW August 18 – Classy Cheapskate – SPOTLIGHT (Sharing previous review) August 19 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW August 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW, GUEST POST August 20 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 21 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW August 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW August 22 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW August 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 23 – Mysterious InkSpot – REVIEW August 23 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT August 24 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW August 24 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST August 25 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW August 25 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT August 26 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW Rafflecopter Giveaway

CHARLOTTE AND THE MYSTERIOUS VANISHING PLACE by Charles A. Salter_Review

About the Book:
One day, nine-year-old Charlotte has two surprises—she notices a patch of the forest slowly vanishing and discovers a lost puppy caught in a bramble bush. She rescues it and takes it home. Returning to the woods, she notes the sinking area getting wider and deeper. Her parents and the authorities caution her to stay away, but Charlotte worries the sinking will allow other puppies to escape the kennel and get lost, too. When another puppy escapes and becomes trapped in the now enormous sinkhole, Charlotte can find no one else to help it. As a fierce rainstorm arises, and the fallen tree the pups cling to begins to disappear through the opening at the center of the sinkhole, she realizes it is up to her to save the pups.

Can she rescue the pups and get out herself before the giant sinkhole swallows everything?

Review of CHARLOTTE AND THE MYSTERIOUS VANISHING PLACE by Charles A. Salter Kare Kids Adventures #2

This is a really exciting children's series by an accomplished author, suitable for upper elementary through middle grade readers. (Younger readers may enjoy having the books read to them.) There's plenty of adventure and suspense, including a few heartstopping moments. In CHARLOTTE AND THE MYSTERIOUS VANISHING PLACE, Charlotte, nearly 10, rescues expensive purebred puppies, and in fact, acts to save the neighborhood of her home.

BEST IN SHOW by Maria Grazia Swan_Review

Best in Show by Maria Grazia Swan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review of BEST IN SHOW

Will our girl finally settle down and mature? Or will her consistently painful heartache over the "love of her life" and her frequent instability based on her past history and its suffering continue to keep her a virtual transient? Finally, finally, something is working right for her: the Furry Friends Foundation, the no-kill shelter she founded for cats and dogs, is successful and productive. Not enough for Mina, though, she sets up yet another business, Ritzy Cats B&B, and there more trouble starts. Of course! And equally of course, the mysterious, elusive, Diego, her life-long, must disappear undercover once again...and...what after all is a girl to do, when all she wants is stability, in home, love, and profession.

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THE BLUEBONNET BETRAYAL by Marty Wingate_Review

The Bluebonnet Betraya by Marty Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review of THE BLUEBONNET BETRAYAL

An intriguing cozy set in England, specifically the Chelsea area of London, by accomplished and prolific author Marty Wingate, whose mysteries are right on target every single time. Transplanted Texan Pru Parke is tapped to help out at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. She isn't sure why, but an opportunity to garden is never rejected, and she's delighted to assist. She certainly is not expecting to be the temporary person-in-charge, nor could she expect a vicious murder to occur in the confines of the area being prepared by the Austin [TX] Rock Garden Society. But Pru also cannot resist a mystery on her very doorstep (figuratively) especially when the deceased continues to address her. So with the help of husband Christopher, former Met Detective Chief Inspector, she is off to discover and uncover the truth.

I especially appreciate this series. the Potting Shed Mysteries (this is #5) because the protagonist Pru is fiftyish, married for the first time, deeply in love with an equally devoted husband, and although an American native, feels at home in England. I am exposed to so much of the scenery and culture of the English through reading these excellent stories.

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CRACKED TO DEATH Tour

Cracked to Death (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Kensington (June 28, 2016) ISBN-13: 978-1617737640 

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 Synopsis When a treasure hunt leads to deadly plunder, it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb and her trusty investigative posse to map out the true motives of a killer . . . It’s the dog days of summer in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Webb’s Glass Shop proprietor Savannah Webb has an eco-friendly plan to help locals escape the heat–a recyclable bottle-crafting workshop taught by reticent store manager Amanda Blake. Turns out, the class is a bigger smash than expected, thanks in part to a pair of staggeringly old bottles brought in by snorkeler Martin Lane . . . Linked to a storied pirate shipwreck, the relics definitely pique Savannah’s interest. But intrigue turns to shock when Martin’s lifeless body washes ashore the next morning, another glass artifact tucked in his dive bag. With cell phone records connecting Amanda to the drowning, Savannah must voyage through unchartered territory to exonerate her colleague and capture the twisted criminal behind Martin’s death . . . 

 CHERYL HOLLEN ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks. Visit her online at http://cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N IndieBound Cracked to Death by Cheryl Hollon


Review of CRACKED TO DEATH by Cheryl Hollon

(A Webb's Glass Shop Mystery #3)

I really enjoy this series, which is in the "crafting cozies" category. Although stained glass work and restoration is likely not something I will ever take up, still I find it fascinating and love to read about the process and the beauty of the results. Author Cheryl Hollon has thoroughly researched and experienced this topic, and makes the enthusiasm, sometimes even obsession, of her character artisans so easy to comprehend.

Additionally, her characters are (mostly) likable. I think she does especially well with the character of Jacob, the young man who has Asperger's Syndrome, but yet is a talented, almost genius, artist at working with stained glass. Protagonist Savannah Webb is the scion of a stained-glass family, now with her in its third generation, following her father's untimely death. Relocating from Seattle to Florida, she has not only preserved her family's legacy of Webb's Glass Shop, but has also remodeled an abandoned warehouse to offer studio rental space, and she is an important component of the city's art community.

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Participants August 1 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT August 2 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW August 3 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT August 4 – OFF August 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT August 6 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW August 7 – OFF August 8 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW August 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW August 10 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT August 11 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT August 13 – A Blue Million Books – SPOTLIGHT August 14 – OFF August 15 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW August 16 – OFF August 17 – Sleuth Cafe – REVIEW August 18 – OFF August 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT August 21 – OFF August 22 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW August 23 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – REVIEW August 24 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW August 25 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – SPOTLIGHT August 26 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW August 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT August 28 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW August 29 – The Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW August 30 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW August 31 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW Rafflecopter Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway