COZY WEDNESDAY - With Author Kylie Logan(Giveaway too!!)

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday.  I was blown away when I received the guest post from today's guest.  The author information is curiously missing from today's featured book so I knew it was probably an author I knew using a pseudonym.  The question was who was it? You will find out below! 

Button Holed (Button Box Mystery) is the first installment of a brand new series and I loved it!!! My full review will follow Kylie's Guest Post.  Please help me give a warm welcome to Kylie Logan!

Welcome Kylie!! 

Thank you so much for the invitation to blog on your site.

Not everyone is lucky enough to not only have more than one personality, but to be able to celebrate it. As Casey Daniels, I write the Pepper Martin mystery series about a cemetery worker who investigates for the ghosts in her cemetery. The seventh book in that series, "A Hard Day’s Fright" came out in April and book #8, "Wild, Wild Death," will hit shelves on January 3.

But I’ve got a new alter-ego, and she’s just recently made her first official appearance.

She’s Kylie Logan, author of the Button Box mystery series. Book #1, "Button Holed," hit store and virtual shelves early this month.

Cover Illustration
by Jennifer Taylor
Cover Design
by Annette Fiore Defex

It’s been an interesting road to publication for Kylie and it all started, quite simply, because I like buttons. As Josie Giancola, the heroine of the new series comments, buttons are little bits of history, and tiny works of art. They say something about a person’s style, and that person’s social class. Many antique buttons display incredible workmanship, dazzling jewels and even say something about a wearer’s love life; back in the nineteenth century, it was fashionable for a young lady to have a photograph of her beau put on her coat buttons!

Still, I never thought about actually writing a mystery series about buttons until a couple years ago when I visited Ann Arbor, Michigan. I’d just finished lunch at a charming coffee shop and I was alone on the front porch, sipping coffee and knitting, when a couple sat down at the table next to me. There are a couple operative words in that last sentence, namely, alone and next to. You see, they decided to pick that very moment to break up.

I listened to it for ten minutes or so and honestly, I expected them to apologize. After all, there was no doubt I could hear everything they were saying. They didn’t. Instead, they went on and on and I’d had enough. I gathered up my knitting and went next door to an antique shop.

What I didn’t know until I opened the door was that it was an antique shop that specialized in buttons.

Thousands and thousands of buttons.

I was in heaven, and the nice lady who owned the place was only too happy to tell me stories and answer my questions.

It was that encounter that gave me the idea for the Button Box mysteries. Josie owns an antique button shop, too, though hers is in a Chicago brownstone. It’s there that she meets a famous actress who’s come to Josie for the buttons she’ll put on her wedding gown when she marries a European prince. And it’s that actress who is murdered in the shop. When Josie’s cleaning up, she finds an unusual button–one she knows didn’t come from her collection.

As for those multiple personalities of mine . . . readers who enjoy the Pepper Martin mysteries can expect much the same light and airy reading experience and the same sort of humor and intricate plotting. However, there are no paranormal elements in Kylie’s books as there are in Casey’s.

Because Kylie is a new person, she has her own, new blog. You can find her at:

http://kylielogan.blogspot.com

Email her at:

mailto:  kylielogan@rocketmail.com

or friend her on Facebook.

~Kylie

Thank you so much for being here today.  You are always welcome to come back no matter what alias you are using.  Kylie also shared with me that she also writes as Miranda Bliss, author of the Cooking Class Mysteries, another of my favorites.  She has other nom de plumes as well but I won't give out all her secrets here today. J

Button Holed (Button Box Mystery) 

A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

The Berkley Publishing Group

Published by The Penguin Group

A Brand New Series

Josie Giancola is known as a button expert for all kinds of buttons and has even worked in Hollywood.  Today she is opening  her new button shop, The Button Box, set up in a Chicago brownstone. She also has an appointment with a well known Hollywood starlet who wants to find the perfect buttons for her perfect wedding dress.  Josie arrives extra early on her opening day to make sure everything is ready for her appointment only to find that her store has been broken into and ransacked.  There are buttons everywhere.  Buttons she had spent many days sorting and categorizing and displaying with flawless precision.

Things don't get any better when the next day the starlet is found dead right in the middle of The Button Box.  The homicide detective seems to be looking for clues in all the wrong places and the murderer has now set his sights on Josie.   She has no choice but to follow the clues she has and get this murderer all buttoned up before she finds herself "Button Holed"!

My Thoughts

This story could not have been more perfect.  Wonderful characters, a delightful complex plot, and thoroughly engaging humor.

I fell for Josie on the very first page. I come from a family of seamstresses and they all had button bowls and boxes. As a child I spent hours sorting, stacking and separating my favorites.  I have my own button box around here somewhere from my sewing days and I know there are some buttons in there from my ancestors as well. Button Holed (Button Box Mystery) and The Button Box brought back some wonderful memories. Thankfully none of my memories include a dead starlet.

There is also a very interesting thread throughout the story about some very special buttons that I really enjoyed.  

I was truly entertained from the first page to the last!  I am patiently waiting for Kill Button, the next book in The Button Box Mystery Series coming soon, but never soon enough!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

NOW ARE YOU READY FOR A GIVEAWAY!!
Thanks to Berkley Prime Crime 
I have 2 copies to share!!

U.S. and Canadian Residents Only

Followers will receive

2 Bonus Entries

Leave a comment for Kylie and

receive 5 Bonus Entries

Publicize this giveaway and

receive 5 More Bonus Entries

Contest will end October12 at 11:59 p.m. CST

Good Luck!!

COZY WEDNESDAY - With Author Ella Barrick (Giveaway too!!)

Dancing With The Stars premiered Monday night, I was really impressed by Chynna Phillips. The results were announced last night but I am writing this in advance so I don't know who was sent packing, but I think it is awesome that Ella Barrick is her today talking about her brand new book Quickstep to Murder. It is the first book in the new Ballroom Dance Mystery Series.  Put on your dancing shoes and help me welcome Ella!!!

Hi Ella!!!

Hi Everyone!!!

I am happy to be here!

Series-ous Inspiration

By Ella Barrick

One of the questions I get asked most frequently at book events is “Where do you get your ideas?”  Frequently, I can’t pinpoint where a particular plot or character idea came from, but in the case of the Ballroom Dance mystery series, I can say with certainty that I got the idea from watching Dancing with the Stars.

For those of you who might not know the show, ABC airs it on Monday nights and it features famous (or infamous) non-dancers paired with professional ballroom dancers.  The pros and their partners perform a different ballroom dance—tango, waltz, salsa, etc.—each week and get scored by three judges and voted on by the American public.  The last pair left standing gets a cheesy mirror ball trophy at the end of the season.

Part of me hesitates to confess to liking a reality show, but the truth is my daughters and I enjoy the show, and my mom even comes over on Monday nights to watch with us.  My husband tolerates it. I don’t know if it’s the glitzy costumes and make-up, or the Cinderella-ish idea of transforming an actor or astronaut or athlete into an elegant, electric ballroom dancer, but the show sucked us in around Season Five or Six and we’ve watched ever since.

It might seem like a leap to go from liking DWTS to setting murder mysteries in a ballroom dance studio and having a professional ballroom dancer as the amateur sleuth who must find the killers, but I think there’s some logic to it.  There’s a lot of passion in ballroom dance; in fact, there’s a lot of emotion involved in any competitive endeavor.   Viewers can see the anger and frustration and jealousies playing out every Monday night between professional and “star” partners, between dancers and judges, and between the competitors themselves.  It didn’t take much imagination on my part to envision a murder happening in the world of ballroom dance.

My protagonist in Quickstep to Murder: A Ballroom Dance Mystery, Anastasia “Stacy” Graysin is a professional ballroom dancer who co-owns a studio, Graysin Motion, in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  Her success at sleuthing comes not from any knowledge of detective techniques or investigative practices, but from her intimacy with the ballroom community.  She’s not a cerebral Nero Wolfish or Sherlock Holmesian sort of detective; she’s impulsive, physical, intuitive.  Her thought processes, to some extent, reflect her dancing.  

When the co-owner of Stacy’s studio, Rafe Acosta (who happens to be her ex-fiancé), turns up dead on the ballroom floor, the police immediately suspect Stacy.  He cheated on her, they quarreled over the studio, and he was shot with her gun.  An open and shut case, the detective thinks.  To keep the cops from waltzing her into the nearest jail cell, Stacy must find the real killer.  Throughout, she must continue teaching her dance classes, practice with students who pay for private lessons, compete in ballroom competitions, and find ways to keep Graysin Motion solvent.

   

Going from the idea of creating a mystery series in the world of ballroom dance to actually learning enough about the sport—it’s called dance sport, sometimes, in an effort to reflect the athleticism and discipline necessary to compete successfully—to make it come alive for readers took a lot of research and effort.  But that’s a whole ’nother blog post . . . 

If you’re a DWTS fan, or a fan of mysteries with humor and fun characters and a twisty plot, check out Quickstep to Murder.  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll drag your spouse down to the local ballroom dance studio and sign up for foxtrot lessons before Stacy uncovers the murderer!

~Ella

Thank you Ella, my daughters and I are big DWTS fans and every year we think we are not happy with the chosen stars but we keep watching and loving it.  Let's face it with Maks and his brother on this year how could we not watch!!

About This Author

Ella Barrick grew up in the South, but has since migrated West.  She spent some time working for Uncle Sam and taught English at the college level before turning her hand to writing mysteries. She also writes under another pseudonym too, or this is a pseudonym and she writes other stories under her real name.  One of the joys of being an author. 

Ella and her husband took exactly two ballroom dancing lessons on the quickstep before Ella’s bruised ankles and crushed feet forced them to retire.  (Her husband is a wonderful guy, but he doesn’t have a single ballroom dance gene in his whole body.)  Thus, Ella relies on the kindness of competitive ballroom dancers and friends who foxtrot fabulously for the dance details in her Ballroom Dance Mysteries. And, of course, as she said above, she watches Dancing with the Stars for costume and choreography ideas! 

Besides writing, Ella enjoys reading, gardening, home decorating, traveling, and long walks or hikes. 

My Thoughts on Quickstep to Murder

I rarely give a first book in the series 5 stars but this book embraced me from the first page. The setting was something I knew I would like as soon as I heard the title and the characters and the mystery plot did not disappoint. They were perfectly choreographed with all the right moves and set the perfect tempo, fast.  Once you start this book you will not be able to put it down. 

The staring character Stacy was very multifaceted dealing with the grief of her ex being murdered in the middle of her studio and strong when she had to be to keep the business going, dealing with wide range of problems with students and instructors.  But the true treasure was when he softer side just started to break through in the end when she could let her guard down a bit.

I can't wait until June for the next installment of this series, Dead Man Waltzing. It will be a true delight to take another twirl on the dance floor and have Ella lead us into her next mystery.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

 

   

 

 

Would YOU like to win a copy of this wonderful book?

Thanks to the wonderful people at Penguin 

I have 2 copies to give away

U.S. & Canadian Residents Only

Followers will get 2 bonus entries!

Leave a comment for Ella and receive 5 bonus entries!

Contest Ends October 5 at 11:59 p.m. CST

Winners will be chosen by Random.org

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime, A Division of The Penguin Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

COZY WEDNESDAY - With Author Sofie Kelly (Giveaway too!!)

I am really excited about today's guest and contrary to what you may have heard just because my cats Sherlock and Professor Moriarty look just like Owen and Hercules on the cover of Sofie's books Curiosity Thrilled the Cat and the latest Sleight of Paw they have no magical powers unless hiding from an almost 4 year old little boy is magic.  Kathleen's cats are really magical and I love them!!!

Now back to Sofie, she is a wonderful writer and I am so glad she is because as you will see in her post below her life could have turned out quite differently.

Welcome Sofie!!

Thanks Lori, I am happy to be here today!!!

My Life As An (Almost) Criminal

I get asked at least once a week why I like to write mysteries. And generally I talk about my love of puzzles, my strong sense of right and wrong, my interest in the psychology of the criminal mind, and even my control freak personality that likes to make everything work out just so. And all of those reasons are true. But it’s also possible that my interest in mystery writing comes from an event in my childhood. Yes, I was almost a criminal. In fact if I’d had more upper body strength at six I could be making license plates in the big house instead of writing books on my computer.

First some background. As a child I spent a lot of time with the sons of my mother’s closest friend. Let’s call them Bill and Stephen because, well, those are their names. Bill’s a year older than I am, Stephen is a year younger, the baby of the family. They lived up a winding dirt road, across from woods that led up a slope to an open blueberry field. There were scrabbly bushes and a small pond just beyond their backyard. At the bottom of that narrow, dusty road was a little country store.

We weren’t allowed up in the blueberry field by ourselves. We weren't allowed down at the pond by ourselves. We certainly weren’t allowed to walk down that road that wasn’t much more than two parallel ruts in the dirt to the store at the bottom. So of course we did all of it. We caught frogs at the pond and shoved them down each other’s shirts. We threw handfuls of mud at each other. We ate berries until our mouths were purple blue. We foraged in the ditch on both sides of the road, looking for pop bottles tossed out of passing cars, until we had enough to exchange for a popsicle. And every once in a while we’d hide and scared the crap out of Stephen because wasn’t that the point of having a little brother, even if he wasn’t yours?

The thing is, little brothers, no matter whose little brothers they are, will only take that for so long and then they will RAT YOU OUT. Which is what Stephen did one summer day.

Remember that strong sense of right and wrong I mentioned earlier? It was a lot stronger when I was six, especially with respect to tattletales. So when I found out what Stephen had done I took action.

I hit him with a hammer, smack in the middle of his forehead. I was saved by three things. One, it was a kid sized hammer. Two, I really had no upper body strength and I had a swing like a girl because, well, I was a girl. And three, Stephen has always had an extremely hard head.

So I didn’t kill him. In fact I maintain I didn’t even really hurt him other than the small divot the hammer left in his forehead. Of course my mother didn’t see it that way. Neither did his. I don’t remember what the punishment was, but I was a law-abiding citizen from that day on. I stopped committing crimes and started making up stories about them.

Stephen never ratted anyone out again as far as I know. Today he’s about the size of a defensive lineman and I’m pretty sure he could squeeze my head between his thumb and forefinger and make my brains come out my nose. So I’m planning on sticking to writing about crimes. Although, I do still have that hammer.

~Sofie

Oh My Gosh, this story had me laughing so hard! I am so glad you are a writer and not a criminal.  I would miss your stories!!! Thank you Sofie for being here today!

Want to find out all about Sofie be sure to visit her web page!

Sleight of Paw: A Magical Cats Mystery

Obsidian

Published by New American Library

A Division of the Penguin Group

Second in the Series

Agatha Shepherd was an educator and over the years she helped almost everyone in town in one way or another.  When she is found dead outside a local cafe people are certainly shocked. Who would do this and why???

Kathleen hopes that with the help of her feline friends and maybe a little assistance from a handsome detective she may find the answers.  Of course having a cat that can walk through closed doors and another that can become invisible at will makes Kathleen investigation a little easier as long as no one notices their cute little tricks. You won't believe the secrets a cat can cough up.

My Thoughts

Cats are so much fun and they convey so much with a flick of the tail, a certain meow, or a twitch of the ear. Magical cats are even more special.  It's difficult enough to write for people, there is a special place in my heart for authors that write for animals.  All the characters are well written in this story. The mystery is also extremely well written with many suspects and motives.  The very first chapter had me laughing out loud and the humor in continually interspersed throughout the story.  The friendships Kathleen has made in Minnesota are going to be lifelong and I am sure one special one will continue to develop making it very hard to leave when her short term contract with the library is complete.  I plan to enjoy many more trips to Mayville Heights!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Obsidian. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Would you like to win a copy of this delightful mystery?

Thanks to the wonderful people at Penguin 

I have 2 copies to give away!

U.S. and Canadian Residents Only

Followers will receive 2 bonus entries!

Leave a comment for Sofie and you will 

receive 5 bonus entries!

Contest will end at 11:59 p.m. CST on September 28.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org

COZY WEDNESDAY - With Author Krista Davis (Giveaway too!!)

I love Cozy Wednesdays and hope you do too.  Today my special guest, Krista Davis, author of The Domestic Diva Mysteries. is here and I am really excited.  The latest book in the series, The Diva Haunts the House  is the perfect fall read because "This Halloween A Murderer Is Up To Mischief".

With yesterday being New Release Tuesday and Krista's book coming out you know she has been extremely busy getting ready for her big day.  I am so happy she is here today to spend some time with us!

Welcome Krista!!!

Thank you for inviting me!

We’re Watching You!

A dear friend gave me a T-shirt that says Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel. I love that shirt. There’s a little bit of truth in that saying. People often ask writers where we get our ideas. We get them from you!

People are fascinating, and writers are people-watchers. We observe the argument between boyfriend and girlfriend at a bar. We notice the adoring smile of a grandmother in the park with her grandchild. We watch the harried mom on her cell phone in the grocery store who doesn’t realize that her three young children are tossing their favorite candies into her shopping cart.

Even animals draw our attention. A baby snake made its way into my house recently. I’m not a snake person, and this little guy was moving fast. I tossed the closest thing, a dog dish, over top of it so it wouldn’t disappear. Ugh. What’s worse than a snake in the house under a dog dish? A snake on the loose in the house! A normal person eventually forgets about that little snake. A writer uses it in a book.

When I was writing THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE, I came to a part where I needed something spooky to happen. An event that couldn’t be explained, yet, Sophie, my protagonist, had to be able to figure out how it happened. While I was mulling over the possibilities, I heard a creepy voice in my house. I figured out where it came from right away, but no one else was home. What set it off? I won’t spoil the fun -- you’ll recognize the event toward the end of the book. It’s something that really happened to me.

Of course, we also draw information from the news. In THE DIVA COOKS A GOOSE, Christmas gifts are stolen right out from under the tree. Two days before the book was released, a local man was arrested for stealing wrapped Christmas gifts from someone’s house. They identified him because he dropped his cell phone! Now seriously, aside from the just plain meanness of stealing Christmas gifts, who would steal a wrapped gift? It could be socks or underwear or a talking fish. He was willing to risk jail time for that?

Then there are the fun characters. Do you have some of these in your life? The relative who puts his foot in his mouth every holiday? The co-worker who thinks she’s always right? The boss whose secretary runs the show while he takes the credit? The distant relative who only turns up when he needs a favor? The mom who thinks her angelic child can do nothing wrong, even when the chocolate evidence is smeared all over his mouth?

People are funny, and mean, and deceptive, and clueless, and kind. And since no one is perfect (in spite of the fact that some people think they are perfect), most of us are all of those things at one time or another. Writers are always thinking about what makes people tick because they make life, and mysteries, interesting.

~Krista

Be careful, writers are watching!!! I Love It!!!

Thank you so much Krista for sharing how authors get their ideas.  If you have a friend that is an author you could end up in their book and it will probably be for something you don't even know they observed until you read it in a book and you say, "hmmmm, that same thing happened to me once." and then realize OMG, they are writing about me!!!  

Cover Illustration
by Teresa Fasolino
Cover Design
by Diana Kolsky

The Diva Haunts the House 

(A Domestic Diva Mystery)

5th in the series

A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Published by The Penguin Group

Domestic Divas Sophie Winston and Natasha Smith are trying to outdo each other with their Halloween plans.  Sophie is in charge of the community haunted house while Natasha is planning a huge Halloween Bash at her home. Sophie is worried the fake haunted house is really haunted and Natasha has costumes and caters on her mind. 

Sophie was not really planning to attend Natasha's party but she ends up there to try to solve a small problem.  When she arrives she discovers a much bigger problem, one a Natasha's guests, part of an elaborate Halloween display in the front yard, is not just playing dead,  he is actually, really, very dead and he has two puncture marks on his neck!

Is there a vampire loose in Old Town?  As people stock up on garlic, Sophie is going to figure out who is responsible for all this mischief and murder!! 

This entire series has been terrific, but The Diva Haunts the House is so much fun. You could say it's "SPOOKTACULAR"!  I caught myself laughing out loud several times.  All the kids involved in the haunted house brought back some wonderful memories from way back when.

The constant neediness of Natasha to independent Sophie is such a great contrast.  How could the same man have fallen in love with both these women? The dialogue between any of the two or all three together is perfectly written whether serious or hilarious. The mystery my have you laying in a supply of garlic.

I like that this book is being released well in advance of Halloween. There are wonderful tips, recipes and ideas for your own Halloween party, without the dead body in the front yard of course.

Please take a moment to check out Krista's Web Page. There is even a cool map there of Sophie's neighborhood!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Are you ready for a giveaway!!!
Krista has sent some special things to include!!

There will be three winners!
The first winner chosen will receive an autographed copy of
The Diva Haunts the House

and fabulous swag!
The second and third winners will receive
a copy of The Diva Haunts the House
and some fabulous swag as well!!!


U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
Followers will receive 2 bonus entries for their
favorite way to follow Dollycas's Thoughts!!
Leave a comment for Krista and you 
will receive 13 Bonus Entries
Winner will be chosen using Random.org
Contest will end September 21 at 11:59 p.m. CST

COZY WEDNESDAY - Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley

There are no authors visiting this week so that I can tell you 

about two new cozies coming out next week!

Cover Illustration
by Griesbach/Martucci
Cover Design
by George Long

Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Published by The Penguin Group

A Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery

A Brand New Series

Release Date: September 6, 2011

ISBN-13: 978-0425243770

Set in Finn's Harbor, Maine, Stephanie Quinn Dowd owns The Raven's Nest Bookstore.  Her cousin, Clara Quinn, has returned to Finn's Harbor unexpectedly without much of a plan.  Stephanie has convinced Clara to help her out at the bookstore until she finds another job.

These cousins have always been close but it is not just being family or friendship that keeps them together.  It is what Clara calls the family curse.  Clara has "Quinn Sense".  Little voices in her head that make observations, enable Clara to read other people's thoughts and even see into the future.  Clara has spent her life shutting out the voices and willing her "Quinn Sense" to go away.  It is the very reason she left Finn's Harbor in the first place.  She thought the further she got away the less effective the family curse would be.  Stephanie wishes she had the gift and Clara wishes she didn't.

Raven's Nest Bookstore is located downtown among a variety of shops and stores.  Right next door is Ana Jordan's stationary store. She is extremely upset with Stephanie because she carries books dealing with the occult in her store.  Ana believes Stephanie is corrupting the youth of the town with those books and she has let everyone in the town know of her outrage.  Stephanie's employee Molly ends up having a very public argument with Ana on the subject. 

The next day Ana is found dead in the bookstore storeroom.  She has taken a fatal blow from a bust of Edgar Allan Poe made by Molly.  All the evidence seems to point to Molly as the killer, but Stephanie knows it can't be true.  She begs Clara to use her "Quinn Sense" to track down the real culprit.

My Thoughts:

Allison Kingsley is another pseudonym of a very well know author. Dorren Roberts Hight also writes as Kate Kingsbury and Rebecca Kent. This is her first contemporary mystery series. Mind Over Murder is a fine debut to this series.

I am not usually a fan paranormal but have been reading a few mild ones lately like this one and I am really enjoying them. I don't have a problem with visions or friendly ghosts or "Quinn Sense" but still not a fan or the undead, vampires or werewolves.

"Quinn Sense" is very subtle, helping Clara piece together the clues and make observations clearly. I enjoy the process of Clara learning about her gift.  I am sure it she will continue learning in future editions.  

The dialogue between the characters is very real and at points quite humorous.  Stephanie's high expectations of Clara's gift kept me laughing as if Clara could just will the murderer to come forward.  It is also set in a small town where everyone knows or thinks they know everyone's business and in Finn's Harbor this turns out to be a good thing as even the best laid plans can go awry.   

I would say the author's first contemporary mystery is destined to be a huge success as will others in this series!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”