Posts Categorized: Myster1

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Blog Tour Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein

December 10, 2015 Lily B Blog Tour, Review 11 ★★★½

Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective, #1) by Paula Berinstein
Series: Amanda Lester, Detective #1
Published by The Writing Show on May 22nd 2015
Pages: 386
Format: Paperback
Source: Author, Blog Tour
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

I received this book for free from Author, Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Twelve-year-old Amanda Lester wouldn't be caught dead going into the family business. Just because she's related to Inspector G. Lestrade, that bumbler who sometimes worked with master sleuth Sherlock Holmes, doesn't mean she should become a detective and give up her dream of becoming a filmmaker. Unfortunately, her plans are in jeopardy. Her latest project with the Stick Dog Filmmakers Club and Production Company isn't coming together, and her control freak tendencies have driven away all her actors. If she doesn't make a winning film soon, her parents will insist that she go into the L.A.P.D. young cadets training program, and her budding career will be over. So when Herb and Lila Lester suddenly send her to a secret English school for the descendants of famous detectives, Amanda resists-until she and her new friends notice drops of blood and weird pink substances in odd places. Are these strange happenings clues to a real mystery or simply part of the elaborate class project the teachers assign every year? The answer comes all too soon. When Amanda's father disappears and the school's cook is found dead with her head in a bag of sugar, the kids are certain that crimes are taking place. Now Amanda must embrace her destiny and uncover the truth. The only snag is that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty, a descendant of Holmes's nemesis Professor James Moriarty, might be involved, and he doesn't like nosy little girls interfering in his business.

Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy banner

This is my stop during the blog tour for Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 30 November till 13 December, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.
So far this series contains 3 books: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1), Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective #2) and Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective #3).

Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy, was a cute story. It had an interesting concept and room for development and growth of the characters. I do admit, while reading this my initial thought screamed, Harry Potter. A 12 year-old girl is forced away into a boarding school where she learns the skills she needs in order to become a detective. She gets sorted into one of the four houses, which ends up being a house she didn’t particularly want. Sounds fun right?

I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read. Amanda at first is very reluctant when it comes to going to the school. She does not want to be a detective, she wants to be a film maker. I have to admit, 12 years-old seems very young to be worrying about your career, and Amanda was very serious about growing her career. Once she gets to the school and meets a few friends, I think she slowly ends up warming up to the idea. Besides, the school offers her plenty of opportunities to help work on her film-making stuff, and when things start to go downhill in school, including a murder, Amanda and her friends find themselves in the thick of things.

As much as I enjoyed the story, there was a thing or two that did bother me.

As I pointed out before, I felt 12 years old Amanda was too focused on her career, and did not feel like a 12 year old. Maybe the book would have benefited if it was made for an older audience? The age and her ambitions sometimes did not match, but it was definitely written like a middle grade book, which clashed a bit for me. There was a scene about dead bodies, something I feel no 12 year old should witness. The character definitely should have been older. There had been instances that made her look older, and then there had been tantrum throwing that was age appropriate. There was also an attraction to a boy named Nick, once again the age kept swinging up and down for me.

There is a huge pet peeve in the book for me. The parent bashing as I like to call it. It suffers from the bad parent syndrome. The fact that this is a middle grade book made me frown a little. Amanda calls her mother stupid, there is a disconnect, and she hates the fact that her mother does not support her film-making career and is trying to send her away. The parents are portrayed badly in this too. Her mother says that film-making is dangerous, but she sends her off on a career path that can get her daughter killed.

Nonetheless, it has a lot of potential as Amanda carries on at the academy and grows as a character. Plus the artwork for the covers are stunning, absolutely adore them. As a middle grade book, it was also fast and easy to get through, but a few concepts felt a little heavy and confusing for the targeted audience.

Later books in the series:
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective #2)
By Paula Berinstein
Genre: Mystery/ detective
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: September 15, 2015

Blurb:
If only Sherlock Holmes’s great-great-grandson weren’t such a dork . . .

There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and would rather die than have anything to do with him.

But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.

Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals’ secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good

You can find Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis here:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback
- Barnes & Noble

Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective #3)
By Paula Berinstein
Genre: Mystery/detective
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: November 15, 2015

Blurb:
Purple rainbows, a mysterious crypt, and pots of gold . . .

Things are not going well for Amanda and the secret detective school. A priceless artifact has disappeared, a dangerous hacker is manipulating matter, and zombies are being seen all over the Lake District.

Then the real trouble starts. When her cousins go missing and her friend Clive is kidnapped, Amanda is forced to turn to someone she’d rather not deal with: her old boyfriend Scapulus Holmes. But then he vanishes too. Now’s she’s sure that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty is involved . . . or is he?

You can find Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle on Goodreads

You can buy Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle here:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback

About the Author:
Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.

You can find and contact Paula here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Paula’s blog on Goodreads
- The Writing Show podcasts

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy. These are the prizes you can win:
- paperback copies of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1), Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective #2) and Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective #3) by Paula Berinstein (INT)
- 2 winners will each win a paperback copy of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1) Paula Berinstein (INT)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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Review: Dead to the Last Drop: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle + Guest Post + Giveaway

December 7, 2015 Lily B Giveaway, Guest Post, Review 17 ★★★★½

Dead to the Last Drop: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle
Series: Coffeehouse Mystery series #15
Published by Berkley on December 1st 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Grind comes a new installment in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA “dead drop” decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her… Clare’s visit to the nation’s capital is off to a graceful start. Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America. Unfortunately, Clare’s new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit—until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President. Clare’s stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder. First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President’s daughter goes missing. Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play? After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend. Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end. Includes great American recipes!

Cleo Coyle strikes again as she brings a new exciting release in her Coffeehouse Mystery Dead to the Last Drop. Clare Cosi has taken a major step by moving to DC to be closer to her boyfriend Mike Quinn. In DC she is managing a new location of Village Blend, DC opened by her owner. Things aren’t going so great for Clare. The opening day was a bust and her Chef with his ironclad contract is causing Clare lots of problems. The problems start to seem minor when the First Daughter, going by the musician’s name on Abby Lane shows up at the coffee house to perform with Gardener and his band mates. Suddenly Clare gets more than what she was willing to bargain for. People who work for the government dying, and the violent kidnapping of the First Daughter has Clare wanted and on the run. Not to mention Mike Quinn, Clare’s boyfriend is having his own share of troubles with his boss and as the two find themselves on the run from special agents, they must find not only the person who committed the crime but also how Quinn’s boss might be connected to it.

Wow! This book literally started out in the middle of the action, hooked me and did NOT let me go. It was fun, it was entertaining, and for book 15 of the series, it was NOT boring.

Somehow Clare moving to DC has opened up like a new chapter not only in Clare’s life but also in the series. It definitely felt like a small revamp, but it was also oh so good.

Coyle really knows how to bring it, with well fleshed out characters that keep you smiling. Her writing has become so familiar, it’s like coming home with each new book, and catching up with old friends.

Clare and her employees are as spunky as ever. Clare and Mike are as wonderful as ever and fear not long time lovers of the Coffeehouse mysteries because Coyle has found and clever way to enfold the old characters into the new book and the new scene. So not only does Matt make an appearance in the book, but the banter between him and Clare is as easy, familiar, and funny as ever.

I loved the writing style. It was fast paced and the chapters are short which is great for a mom like me that absolutely hates putting the book down in the middle of a chapter. There is a lot going on, there is a bit of action, a mystery, and I enjoyed the scenes of Clare and Mike on the run as Clare is retelling Mike the events that happen prior to the kidnapping as they are trying to find who did it before Clare is brought in by the agents.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and have not yet read this series, I strongly suggest you give this one a shot. What are you waiting for?

On the Run in Washington with Cleo Coyle’s new Coffeehouse Mystery

There are worse fates than being on the run with a handsome federal agent—like spending the rest of your natural life in a federal penitentiary. That’s the dilemma Clare Cosi is facing when White House officials come to believe she aided and abetted kidnappers of the President’s daughter and conspired to end the life of a State Department employee.

These capital crimes are the last thing this hard-working single mom and coffeehouse manager expects to be accused of when she opens a new shop in our nation’s capital, but she must solve both mysteries—and discover who framed her—or she may discover firsthand…

Washington is murder.

If you are new to our long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series, don’t hestitate to pick up DEAD TO THE LAST DROP. You can read it as a stand-alone story, and if you like the ride, you have fourteen more in our series to enjoy. But don’t miss this Washington entry. It’s embedded with twists, turns, and hidden secrets about our nation’s capital that were inspired by my own experiences while living, studying, and working in D.C.

To read the prologue and first chapter, click here.

DEAD TO THE LAST DROP is also a culinary mystery, with an appendix of more than 25 wonderful recipes, including a fantastic version of Black Magic Cake with a “secret ingredient” chocolate frosting to die for.

To see the book’s free Recipe Guide, click here.

Here are some of the places Clare Cosi
will take you on her visit to Washington…

THE WHITE HOUSE

Clare makes two trips to this grand destination, one at the request of the First Lady, who shares a private lunch with her in the Diplomatic Reception Room, a magnificent oval-shaped space famously redecorated by Jacqueline Kennedy and once used by Franklin D. Roosevelt for his legendary fireside chats.

GEORGETOWN

This picturesque neighborhood boasts some of the finest examples of Federal period architecture in the country. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, and John F. Kennedy are among the past residents. It’s here that Clare lands a posh housesitting gig on “Cox’s Row” in a charming mansion that was once part of the Underground Railroad.

THE SMITHSONIAN

A glittering black-tie party brings Clare to “America’s Attic,” the nickname of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Clare witnesses a fateful meeting here, in front of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, one of the many fascinating artifacts that celebrate American culture, creativity, and cuisine. Yes, cuisine! As a master roaster and expert on the bean, Clare is asked to contribute her ideas to one of the museum’s newest exhibits, Coffee and the Presidency.

THE JAZZ SPACE

This fictional location is based on a real jazz club in Washington called Blues Alley. The mouthwatering menu of our Jazz Space becomes an important plot point in DEAD TO THE LAST DROP, and the recipes for many of the menu’s items are included in the book. You can even visit our Jazz Space online. Come to our website CoffeehouseMystery.com to learn more.

CLEO’S NEWSLETTER: Contests, recipes, news, fun facts, and videos. To sign up, simply write an e-mail that says “sign me up” and send it to CoffeehouseMystery@gmail(dot)com You will receive a reply with links to past newsletters that include free recipes.
TITLE CHECKLIST: Get a free title checklist with mini summaries of all 15 Coffeehouse Mysteries. To download the list as a PDF document, click here.

Rules

Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
Must be a follower of the blog
Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.

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About Cleo Coyle

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., and New York City, and has written young adult and children’s books. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

PHOTO CREDITS:

1 – Black Magic Cake photo by Alice Alfonsi

2—Alice Alfonsi and her husband, Marc Cerasini, who write as Cleo Coyle. Photo by Alice Alfonsi

3 – White House photo courtesy HiraV, Wiki Commons

4 – Cox’s Row of Georgetown courtesy Library of Congress

5 – Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers courtesy Wiki Commons

6 – Jazz Space photo, no credit

Review: Strange Girl by Christopher Pike

November 30, 2015 Lily B Review 16 ★★★

Strange Girl by Christopher Pike
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Simon Pulse on November 17th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Mystery
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike comes a brand-new fascinating and seductive new novel about a girl with a mysterious ability—but one that carries an unimaginable cost.
From the moment Fred met Aja, he knew she was different. And she was.
Aja had a gift. But her gift came with a price.
After a shocking sequence of events, Fred must look back at their relationship, and piece together all of their shared moments, so he can finally understand Aja’s precious gift…and its devastating repercussions.

I have to admit, from the moment I read the blurb, I was sold on this book. A girl with special abilities that carry an unimaginable cost? Yes, please.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. I was so hooked on the blurb I couldn’t wait to read it, but it ultimately fell a little short for me.

I want to talk first about what I liked about the book. I really liked that it felt like it was written as a sort of memoir told of the events of Fred’s life and how he met the mysterious girl named Aja. I really loved the way it reads. The idea behind the story was interesting enough, just I guess not what I expected and honestly I liked Aja more than I liked Fred.

There was romance in the story, but it did nothing for me. Honestly, it was kind of meh. Maybe it was because I honest to goodness disliked Fred. I did not like his attitude, I did not like some of the things he said or thought about Aja and overall I just did not love his character. I just could not connect on the romance, it was sudden, it was odd, and overall a bit boring.

The plot was interesting, but I felt like there was a dig at religion in a way. This is a YA novel I felt like that could have been left out of it.

The story progressed quickly, characters offered up the info quickly. Fred was annoying and boring, and flew off the handle way too easily. Honestly, I felt like the author was bored with his own writing because the twist that was added at the end felt out of place and so random my head was spinning. (Also, someone watches too many action movies - cough)

There was an interesting take on people being selfish and greedy, especially in the end and what it cost. I wanted to throttle the character for asking Aja for what she did, I did not think it was fair, it was greedy, and I guess a bit part of the human nature.

I wanted to love this book, I did and I tried, but it just fell quite a bit short with me. I did give it three stars because I did enjoy it, to an extent. Just some things did not work for me.

Review: Fear the Dark by Kay Hooper

November 11, 2015 Lily B Review 48 ★★★★

Fear the Dark by Kay Hooper
Series: Bishop/Special Crimes Unit #16
Published by Berkley on October 20th 2015
Genres: Mystery Thriller
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own Copy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

In New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper’s new novel, an SCU team investigates a troubling string of disappearances. But how do you find someone who has vanished without a trace?
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. It’s as if they simply disappear. Over the past few weeks, it’s happened to five men and women—and now a child.
The local police chief calls the FBI, and a team from the Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas possesses a unique ability to find the lost or abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but the mysterious events take a sinister turn when a body unrelated to the missing persons case surfaces and one of the SCU agents vanishes. Now, the team’s hunt for the lost has turned into something very personal…and very dangerous.

Fear the Dark was my first novel by Kay Hooper and therefor an introduction to the authors writing style.

At first glance, Fear the Dark looks like a thrilling mystery with a suspenseful storyline and captivating characters, and it was exactly everything I hoped for.

I picked this one up thanks to a wonderful review by Sophia @ Delighted Reader and boy was I glad I did that. I stepped into a world of atmospheric and spooky mystery with a criminal that had a thirst for revenge.

When people of Serenity, Tennessee start to disappear one by one into thin air, Jonah the local chief of police comes to a conclusion that he is way over his head and calls in Bishop SCU. Arrive at the scene two couple sent over by their boss to investigate the strange disappearances that seem to pulse with sinister energy. Lucas, Samantha, Dante, and Robbie are the four couples that must work together and use their hidden and special abilities in hopes of bringing the man behind these disappearances to justice.

The author does an excellent job setting up the small town and everything that was creepy behind this entire mystery. It literally left goosebumps on my arms anytime we got experience the tragic evil that drove the criminal to do what he had done. The story ended up being gripping and sad, and I couldn’t help but feel for Jonah and how he was connected to the entire thing.

Though there were couples in this book, I didn’t really get any sense of romance and I was okay with that. I liked seeing how each couple cared for their partner and the length they went to protect them. Lucas and Samantha are together and the care and connection between them is genuine and apparent. Robbie and Dante are a couple that started working together and Bishops main goal is for the couples to come to trust and rely on each other.

I love learning about their special abilities as mediums and how they used to uncover the culprit behind the disappearances. Each couple was different with their own special skills that aren’t perfectly refined but that is what makes the characters appear human, flawed and interesting.

The ending threw me. I was not expecting what had happened. Thought the conclusion felt a bit distressing, I too was a little surprised how quickly everything escalated and then ended so suddenly - I think an agreement Sophia and I shared on this.

Thought despite the sudden ending and what happens, I don’t believe this is the last book in the series.

This can be read as a stand-alone, I had no problems jumping in.

Trimmed With Murder: A Seaside Knitters Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum + Giveaway

November 6, 2015 Lily B Giveaway, Review 19 ★★★★

Trimmed With Murder: A Seaside Knitters Mystery (A Seaside Knitters Mystery, #10) by Sally Goldenbaum
Series: A Seaside Knitters Mystery #10
Published by NAL on November 3rd 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

All Izzy Chambers Perry wants for Christmas is to keep her brother out of jail—in this holiday yarn from the national bestselling author of A Finely Knit Murder…
In Sea Harbor the holidays mean cozy fires, festive carols, and soft skeins of yarn waiting to become hats and sweaters and scarves. And this year Izzy and the other Seaside Knitters are also knitting tiny ornaments to decorate a tree for the first annual tree-trimming contest.
Their holiday cheer is multiplied when Izzy's younger brother, Charlie Chambers, unexpectedly arrives to volunteer at a local clinic. He brings with him outspoken hitchhiker Amber Hanson, who is returning to Sea Harbor to claim an inheritance. She quickly reacquaints herself with the area--and forms an unlikely friendship with Charlie. But their bond is shattered when her body is found beneath the undecorated trees on the Harbor Green.
With Charlie a suspect in the murder, Izzy and her fellow knitters step in to uncover the truth. It's only by peeling away long-buried secrets that they can hope to restore joy to the season, and enjoy the shining lights of the newly decorated trees.

At First Glance: Trimmed With Murder looks like a great cozy mystery to bundle up with on a dreary day.

Though my days this week have not been as dreary, summer made some kind of a comeback, Trimmed With Murder was still a great cozy to bundle up at nights with. It was exactly what I was looking for starting this November. I love books with holiday themes around this time of year and Sally Goldenbaum delivered just that.

As Sea Harbor prepares for Christmas by kicking off a Christmas tree contest, two new strangers make way into the small town and create a bit of a disturbance. Amber is a woman that jumps into Charlie’s car in the middle of the night, in the middle of the road when he almost accidentally hits her coming into town. She is flighty, abrasive, and has somehow managed to wedge herself into Charlie’s life. Unfortunately, Amber ends up dead shortly after being included in a recent will reading that dumped some big news on this newcomer, and Charlie ends up being the suspect.

I enjoyed this one I did. The writing was well done, very descriptive and warm. Charlie has left Sea Harbor a while ago and it’s his first time back after being away. There is a bit of wariness between him, his sister and his aunt so it takes a bit for Charlie to try and mend this relationship in hopes to begin some healing. I couldn’t help but feel a little mad that Nell, his aunt, doubted Charlie at the beginning in light of the events.

The story was done a bit different. Goldenbaum introduces Amber into the story before the murder and really gives the reader a feel for the girl. You can’t help but feel sorry for Amber and what she was going through. Her grandmother and her family blamed her for her mother’s mistakes and kind of taking it out on her. She suffered and became a sort of a black sheep in the family. It was nice to see Esther, a town resident step up and take care of the girl during her short stay at Sea Harbor. I felt for Amber, I did, she seemed sort of lost and a bit of a tortured soul, misunderstood. When it turns out that she ends up the murder victim, the style that Goldenbaum introduced me to in this book is rare. We meet Amber, and it isn’t until almost 100 pages into the book that the murder finally happens and you just feel for you, you can’t help it. Or, at least I did.

Outside of that, there were plenty of warmth and friendship that you can’t help but adore and admire through the book. This is the first book for me in this series and I guess It could benefit from reading it from the beginning, but for me it did work as a stand-alone. I was able to learn about the characters quickly and it was nice to see how they stick up for each other, especially when it came to try and clear Charlie’s death.

There were a few other mysteries connecting to Amber that played a big roll in this book, which I liked. I also liked the whole holiday feel as well. It was definitely worth a read.

Rules

Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
Must be a follower of the blog
Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.
Sent by the publishers, so US only.

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Review: Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue (Gaslight Mystery #18) by Victoria Thompson + Giveaway

November 2, 2015 Lily B Giveaway, Review 59 ★★★★

Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue by Victoria Thompson
Series: Gaslight Mystery, #18
Published by Berkley on November 3rd 2015
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The author of Murder on Amsterdam Avenue returns to nineteenth-century New York City to find Christmas in the air, a police detective and a midwife with love in their hearts, and a wealthy newlywed with blood on her hands…
Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt are not the only ones who have recently tied the knot. Family friend Mrs. O’Neill was delighted when her daughter Una wed the seemingly wealthy and charming Randolph Pollock. She didn’t wonder why such an affluent man would want to marry a poor Irish girl, no matter how pretty she was. But now Mrs. O’Neill has a problem.
Pollock’s servants have found their employer bludgeoned to death with Una cradling his body. Rendered mute by the horror of her husband’s death, Una cannot explain what happened, so the police have charged her with murder and locked her away in the Tombs to await trial.
Mrs. O’Neill would like Frank to investigate the case and save Una, yet with Frank and Sarah still on their honeymoon, it’s up to the other members of their newly formed household to do some detective work. But solving the mystery behind Pollock’s death means first discovering the truth about who he really is…

When a woman shows up on Franks Malloy’s doorsteps, his midwife Maeve is weary of her appearance and think that this is just another person from her employers old neighborhood looking for a handout. When it turns out that Mrs. O’Neill is there on behalf of her daughter Una seeking Frank’s help to rescue her daughter for being accused of murder, Maeve jumps into the Malloy’s spot to handle the situation (as Frank is on his honeymoon and is unavailable). As Maeve tries to find the real killer, it will take the help of a few other friends in order to clear Una’s name, including the help of Gino Donatelli, a cop who happens to be very sweet on Maeve.

Excellent story, I thoroughly enjoyed Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue. Victoria Thompson does an amazing job of combining historical fiction with mystery, into a novel that’s so compelling, it is hard to put down. Character driven and fast paced, I found the 18th book of this series totally engrossing. Maeve was an excellent character. Do not be fooled by the blurb, though it does mention Frank and Sarah Malloy, the usual due of Gaslight mysteries, this one really stars Maeve and Gine. Maeve is fierce, out-spoken and tough as nails. She was such a joy to follow around this mystery and her relationship and banter between Gino Donatelli was both amusing and heartwarming. I loved the little romance brewing between these two.

“This is so much nicer than a cab,” Maeve said, stroking the fine wool lap robe.

“Much more private, too,” he said, remembering his claim that Maeve was his girl and wishing it were true.

He thought she gave him a look, but it was too dark to be sure. “Yes, we don’t have to worry about little ears hearing what we say. I think that’s why Mrs.Decker suggested we go to their house.”

Gino managed not to sigh his disappointment that she didn’t get his hint.

The story also featured a curious Mrs. Decker, who loves to butt in and her husband, Mr. Decker that finds his wife’s involvement, very amusing especially when she tries to hide it. I love their relationship mainly because of the way Mr. Decker reacts to his wife’s involvement, especially when he finds out that she is doing to sneak behind his back. He teases her, and lures her just to watch her reaction when she realizes that he knows her antics all along. Their interaction is easy, teasing, and can really put a smile on my face.

“How very clever,” Mrs.Decker said. “I must remember that.”

“Why?” her husband asked. “Are you planning to murder someone?”

The mystery was fun, and like I had already mentioned a bit hard to put down. Una is the woman accused of bashing her husbands head in. As we learn more about Mr.Pollock, her husband, you can’t help but feel a kind of resentment for the man and all of his wrong doings. Una was a really hard character to like, so if that was the case that Thompson was building, she had accomplished it because not only did I not like her, I downright hated her by the end of the book.

“But I didn’t kill him,” she repeated. Maeve would’ve been angry by this point, but Una just pouted prettily.

The woman grated my nerves, especially when throughout the entire book she was using her looks to sway people and to me she just seemed like a total nutcase.heh.

The only thing that disappointed me was that I was hoping for a bit more of a holiday feel to the book because the cover suggested that, but I didn’t get much of that at all.

Overall, if you are a fan of historical mystery, Victoria Thompson is a master at writing with memorable characters that grow with every book, an engrossing mystery and just simply wonderful writing.

The publisher is offering one copy to a US winner.

Rules

Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
Must be a follower of the blog
Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.

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Wicked Reads: The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe

October 28, 2015 Lily B Review, Uncategorized 54 ★★★★

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on September 15th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Paranormal, Young Adult Mystery
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A haunting, contemporary love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Conversion
It’s summertime in New York City, and aspiring filmmaker Wes Auckerman has just arrived to start his summer term at NYU. While shooting a séance at a psychic’s in the East Village, he meets a mysterious, intoxicatingly beautiful girl named Annie.
As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose petal lips and her entrancing glow. But there’s something about her that he can’t put his finger on that makes him wonder about this intriguing hipster girl from the Village. Why does she use such strange slang? Why does she always seem so reserved and distant? And, most importantly, why does he only seem to run into her on one block near the Bowery? Annie’s hiding something, a dark secret from her past that may be the answer to all of Wes’s questions . . .

From the moment I picked up The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen I knew I was going to have a difficult time putting it down. Howe’s writing alone was wonderful as she wove a story of heartbreak, love, and tragedy in a haunting ghost story.

Wes is starting his summer term at NYU and when he finds himself roped in to help a fellow friend film a séance, he meets a mysterious girl that he later learns is named Annie. But Annie is not like anyone he has ever met before, there is something different about her dark eyes, the outdated dress and her lingo. Why is she so hard to find?

The story was good. I really enjoyed it. This was more of an older YA novel as Wes himself is 19 years old and in college. He is a film student who finds himself fascinated with Annie and another girl in the book named Maddie. Maddie is a Goth girl he meets at the séance, who is also a squatter with an interesting past and becomes Wes’ love interest. Throughout this book felt like it had a love triangle in it, once you get to know Annie, you kind of realize it really isn’t.

Annie’s tragic past is just that, it’s tragic. It’s an unfortunate mistake that was meant to be for the greater good but ended up costing. I liked how this story was told from both Wes’ and Annie’s side of the story because not only do we get to see what Wes sees and how he experiences the phenomena that’s Annie, but we also get to see what Annie is experienced through her journey as well. I loved when all the pieces clicked together and painted the vivid picture of what was happening. Haunting and mysteries, the story was well done. If you are looking for something super scary, this is not, but if you love a ghost story, this might be right up your alley.

Thought I liked the characters and the bits of different mysteries about Annie’s life and what had happened to cause everything to go wrong. I found myself not connecting with the romance part of the book. I didn’t feel it, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, It just honestly the story could have done without it. I didn’t understand the attraction of Maddie either. Thought a sweet girl, there really wasn’t any spark between her and Wes, no tension, nothing.

I liked the mystery, thought it was simple and the big reveal that happens about Annie’s family feels like something that was recently done in a book I just read, so it was a bit of eye rolling, but I liked how Howe weaved history into this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I really liked Annie. I liked the interesting take on ghosts by Howe and the writing was great.

“Go away!” I shout at the fog.

Still it inches ever closer.

“Go away, I don’t want you! I want to stay here!” I shout.

A tendril of fog gently touches my toe, and I kick at it. The fog spreads and dissolves, but then re-forms itself and moves softly, smoothly over the top of my ft, sending a delicate finger up the hem of my dress

What about you? What ghost stories do you enjoy? Or which wicked read are you looking forward to this Halloween?

Penguins Teen is also holding #TwitterGhostStory, the week-long event (taking place 10/26-10/31) in which you can write a spooky story in 140 characters or less using #TwitterGhostStory to enter for the chance to win a prize pack of the featured titles. They also have two more Twitter chats taking place this Friday and next Friday at 4pm that are being hosted by @YAbookscentral and @mashreads, respectively. The authors participating are:

10/23:

Peter Kujawinski (twitter.com/kujawinski) author of Nightfall
Jake Halpern (https://twitter.com/JakeHalpern) author of Nightfall
Kim Liggett (twitter.com/kim_liggett) author of Blood and Salt
April Genevieve Tucholke (https://twitter.com/apriltucholke) author of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

10/30:

Danielle Vega (twitter.com/dvegabooks) author of The Merciless and Survive the Night
Peter Kujawinski (twitter.com/kujawinski) author of Nightfall
Kim Liggett (twitter.com/kim_liggett) author of Blood and Salt
April Genevieve Tucholke (https://twitter.com/apriltucholke) author of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Carol Goodman (https://twitter.com/C_Goodmania) author of Blythewood series
Sally Green (https://twitter.com/Sa11eGreen) author of the Half Bad series