Old Bones Never Die-Lesley A. Diehl-Book Review-Giveaway

About the book (provided by Great Escapes Book Tours)

Just before Walter Egret is killed in a hit-and-run, he phoned his half-brother Sammy to report that he’d unearthed their missing father’s pocket watch, along with a pile of human bones. The project is put on hold until it can be determined if the site is an Indian burial ground. Then the bones disappear.

Now Sammy and his brother’s three orphaned children want Eve Appel to go pro, applying her innate snoopiness to the trade of private investigator.

Eve already has her hands full with her two consignment stores. What is she going to do? Sammy and Walter are Miccosukee Indians, and Walter was employed as a backhoe operator on a construction site for a sportsmen’s resort. Was Walter’s death murder or an accident? If the bones belong to Sammy’s father, how did they get there? Delving into these mysteries, Eve is aided by her usual crew of friends and family. This adventure will not only up the stakes for Eve as an investigator, but it will also open her eyes to life possibilities she never imagined.

Available

Amazon

About the author 

Lesley retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York.  In the winter she migrates to old Florida—cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office, and gators make golf a contact sport.  Back north, the shy ghost inhabiting the cottage serves as her literary muse.  When not writing, she gardens, cooks and renovates the 1874 cottage with the help of her husband, two cats and, of course, Fred the ghost, who gives artistic direction to their work.

She is the author of a number of mystery series (Microbrewing Series, Big Lake Mystery Series, Eve Appel Mystery Series and the Laura Murphy Mysteries), a standalone mystery (Angel Sleuth) and numerous short stories.   

Connect with the author

 Visit her on her website:  www.lesleyadiehl.com

Blog: www.lesleyadiehl.com/blog 

Twitter: @lesleydiehl     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesley.diehl.1

And I thought...

I loved my introduction to Eve Appel and her snooping friends. 

Old Bones Never Die is book 5 in the Eve Appel series.

I found myself a few pages in wondering where I've been. How could I have missed this author and this series?

Apparently I haven't been in the swamps of Florida where you'll find Eve and her group of friends solving crimes.  

Although Old Bones is book 5 I didn't feel like I needed to read any of the prior books in the series.  But I ended up wanting to. 

I wanted to see how Eve's unique friendship with mobster Nappi 

came about.  I mean who has a  mobster buy you an R.V.  with no strings?  And then there's her ex husband who works for Nappi but has no conviction to help out 'Evie' (there is a story there) when asked.   Even 'watching her back' literally when Eve has a dinner date with a suspect.  

Old Bones begins when Walter Egret a construction worker digs up human remains on a construction site and then just a few hours later is killed in a 'hit and run' accident?  

Eve takes the so called 'accident' personal as Walter is her 

boyfriends brother and father to three young boys who insist upon hiring Eve to find out who caused their fathers death.  

With a retainer of some 30 plus dollars Eve and her friends investigate.

 The reader is taken along through the questions and twists and turns of the mystery in an entertaining and comical ride.  

Coffee With A Character

I enjoyed the characters in Old Bones Never Die.  Eve has quite a collection of wanna be sleuths helping her or trying to solve crime.  One character I would love to have coffee with is her 
friend mob boss Nappi who was introduced in previous books.  
I sure would like to sit down for coffee or maybe some Vino and hear 'his' story.

The story is wrapped up in the end with a little cliff hanger making this reader waiting with bated breath for book 6.   

I am adding the Eve Appel series to my list of must reads. 

I received a complimentary copy from Great Escape Tours

This review will appear at My Journey Back.

This review will be posted at Amazon and Good Reads. 

Visit Great Escapes to enter Giveaway. Click Here

On My Reading Pile. . .

I have some great reads on my pile.  First up one I just finished.
 Read and reviewing for the Litfuse tour.  Click here to visit the tour.  I'll be posting my review on the 20th.

And a few on the Great Escapes Tours for March . . . 

   

And on  I Read Tours. . . 

All these and more are reviewed on My Journey Back come over and read the reviews.  Click Here.

Linking with;

Create With Joy,  and The Sunday Post 

A Fine Year For Murder-Lauren Carr

About the book (provided by I Read Book Tours)

After months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~ Add on Goodreads ~ Barnes & Noble

And I thought...

Get ready for forget the laundry and cooking super!  Once you pick up this second book in

the Thorny Rose Series you won't be able to put it down!  

I met the characters Jessica and her husband Murphy in the Mac Faraday series.  I was super excited 

that they are the main characters in A Fine Year For Murder.  

I've found in reading the books by Lauren Carr that I really like all the characters in each story.   

I was super excited that the characters from the Mac Faraday series and the Lovers In Crime series books were coming together but I was disappointed that there was only a small snippet of Mac and Archie and David from the Mac Faraday series.  Murphy's family from the Lovers in Crime series were only briefly mentioned.  I was kind of expecting the 'whole' gang to jump in and solve the crime. 

A Fine Year For Murder was a super fast paced keep you on the edge of your seat mystery.

Jessica and Murphy are caught up in several different events while investigating the cold case murder. 

This was another great one filled with and twists and turns and some great characters!

I received a complimentary copy.  

Coffee With A Character sometimes characters just jump of the page.  And when they do I just want to have a chat and learn more about them.  Usually I choose a character other than the 

main characters.  But I just can't help but want to chat with Jessica over coffee or maybe a glass of wine. 

When I met Jessica and Murphy in a one of the Mac Faraday books I couldn't help but like Love them.  And the virtual butler Nigel and Tristan Jessica's brother.  But Jessica kind of took my breath away.  Her past and her present became more clear in A Fine Year For Murder.  

Her character is strong yet vulnerable.  Super sweet and super intoxicating according to Murphy.  

And a girl that knows how to dress, shop and choose a car.  And a dog!

I look forward to more Thorny Rose Mystery's and sharing a glass or maybe do a little shopping with Jessica. 

To read more reviews visit the book tour at I Read Book Tours.  Click here

  

This review will be posted on Amazon and Good Reads.

This review will appear on My Journey Back

Death By Chocolate Lab-Book Review & Giveaway

Scroll to bottom for the giveaway

About the book (provided by Great Escapes Book Tours)

Pet sitter Daphne Templeton has a soft spot for every stray and misfit who wanders into the quaint, lakeside village of Sylvan Creek. But even Daphne doesn’t like arrogant, womanizing Steve Beamus, the controversial owner of Blue Ribbon K-9 Academy. When Steve turns up dead during a dog agility trial, Daphne can think of a long list of people with motives for homicide, and so can the police. Unfortunately, at the top of the list is Daphne’s sister, Piper—Steve’s latest wronged girlfriend.

Certain that Piper is innocent, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, Daphne sets out to clear her sister’s name—and find Axis, Steve’s prize-winning chocolate Labrador, who went missing the night of Steve’s death. Aided by Socrates, her taciturn basset hound, and a hyperactive one-eared Chihuahua named Artie, Daphne quickly runs afoul of Detective Jonathan Black, a handsome and enigmatic newcomer to town, who has no appreciation for Daphne’s unorthodox sleuthing.

Can a free-spirited pet sitter, armed only with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and her two incompatible dogs, find the real killer before she becomes the next victim?

Includes recipes for homemade dog treats!

Available 

 Amazon B&N

About the author 

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.

Author links

Webpage  BookBub    Twitter    Facebook

And I thought

Another new series to enjoy.  I loved Death By Chocolate Lab.

I enjoyed meeting Daphne and Socrates (he dog he's pictured on the cover).  

This fun little cozy mystery is full of twists.  I thought I knew who 'did it'.  And I thought I figured it out.  Then I talked myself out of my 'accusation' only to find in the end I was correct in my first thought.  

This reader was kept guessing.  

I am looking forward to more books in the series.  Especially because I want to see the 'infatuation' between Daphne and the handsome Detective Black turn into a real romance.  They are so cute and funny together.  Each try's not to 'get involved'.  But circumstances and Daphne's meddling in 'his case' keep bringing them together. 

Daphne is a fun quirky 'free spirit' who tends to run out of gas and tends to be meddlesome when it come to proving that her sister 

Piper isn't the murder.  

There a few other characters in town that become suspects for various reasons.  Each of the characters are a fun part of the story. 

I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about the book and the concept of a mystery revolving around a bunch of dogs.  I was afraid it would be a little corny.  

But it wasn't  I was delighted as I read the story.  It was much more than I expected.  The addition of the various dogs made the story fun. 

The author did a great job of telling a story that kept this reader 

interested all the way to the end.

I usually try to choose a character in the book that I would like to meet and have coffee with and interview for a future blog post. 

The character I chose I wouldn't be able to share a cup of coffee but I might could offer a dog treat.  And see if I could get him to 'talk'.  I enjoyed Daphne's dog Socrates.  His character was adorable.  He was a laid back dog that 'thought' alot.  Hence his name.  He was Daphne's constant companion.  And in the end he turned out to be one of her hero's saving Daphne from becoming another victim.   

I am looking forward to reading many more books in the series. 

I received a complimentary e-copy. I read the book on my phone. 

This review will appear on the retail sites where is available.

This review will appear on Good Reads and My Journey Back

Click Here to visit the tour and read more reviews and interviews

                                            Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Priority Unit-Susan Page Davis-Book Review

This is the first time I have posted a review on Sunday

About the book (provided by Amazon)
A missing man. 
A mysterious computer program – 
Even the people constructing it don’t know what it will do.
On the worst night of Harvey Larson’s life, his partner is killed and his wife, Carrie, walks out on him. Ten years later, the Portland, Maine police detective has learned to cope with his grief and depression. When he and the Priority Unit investigate the disappearance of software designer Nick Dunham, he meets a young woman who will change his life. Jennifer Wainthrop was the last person to admit seeing Dunham alive.
Harvey and his partner, Eddie Thibodeau, stay a step ahead of a bomber and put together the clues that tell the truth: Dunham’s kidnapping and the bombings are one case, and Jennifer is caught in the middle. News that Carrie has committed suicide may plunge Harvey back into despair. Harvey turns to God for help untangling his complicated life. He finds strength in his faith as he attempts to save Jennifer from the same grim fate that claimed Nick. But Jennifer must depend on her own wits and God alone when the killer gets too close

About the series 

Police detectives in Portland, Maine solve mysteries while getting their own lives in order and falling in love.

Meet Detective Harvey Larson, a world-weary genius of criminal investigation, and his brash young French-Canadian partner, Eddie Thibodeau.

Harvey’s life has taken several turns for the worse–until he meets the intriguing Jennifer Wainthrop, a witness in his challenging case in Book 1,The Priority Unit.

Everyone around him is suddenly in danger because Harvey dug too deep. Join him in serving up Maine Justice.

 One of Maine’s most famous authors is murdered the night after his class reunion, and Harvey and his partner, Eddie Thibodeau, must solve the crime. A cold case burglary that became fodder for Martin Blake’s first novel is somehow related to his death. While Harvey and Eddie look for answers, Jennifer plans the wedding. She’s working for the summer in the police department’s records office, and she manages to hand the detectives some important clues. Can a visit to the park at Fort Point answer some questions? Everything threatens to fall apart when the Priority Unit learns the police chief has had a tragic accident. The mysterious, romantic, and spiritual journey continues.

Available

Amazon click here. I wish this book was available in retail stores. 

Visit the author.  Click here

And I thought...
I did some thinking about this one.  The Priority Unit is a Christian Romantic Suspense title. 
The thing that had me thinking was that the main characters were not 'Believers'.  They were 'Seekers'.  I have never run across a book 'Christian' or 'Inspirational' book where the main characters were not already Believers.  Most of the stories I have read have had the characters at least one in more of a  fallin' away type of existence.
It took me awhile to decide how I really felt about the 'Seekers'.  
I don't say this in a bad way at all just a questioning manner much like the characters are seeking answers with their questions about God.  
The more that I've thought about this I feel like The Priority Unit
is a wonderful story and possibly one of the best approaches to introducing someone to a 'real' relationship with Christ that I've ever seen/read. 
I enjoyed the characters.  I enjoyed the plot.  It was a bit slow in the beginning (the first few chapters) but once it picked up I was drawn in for a fast and furious ride.   The ride takes the reader through car bombing(s), missing persons, espionage and drug dealers.  
All the plots and subplots worked together for a suspenseful
story with twists and turns and a happy ending!  
I especially enjoyed going to church for the first time with 
Harvey and Jennifer and seeing their eyes open as they are introduced to God.  
The Priority Unit was a great book.  I am anxiously waiting to read more in the series. 

Coffee With A Character...
The character that I would most like to have coffee with is 
Harvey.  His character starts out lonely and sad after his divorce.  As the story unravels and he begins 'investigating' God 
he begins to learn to be happy and basically return to 'real living'.  
He is a 'real' good guy before God.  And then after.  We'll have to wait for Book 2.  

The Character I want to meet again ...
This is a new prompt/topic for my reviews.  I enjoyed 
Carrie's (Harvey's ex-wife) grandmother.  She is delightful character.  In a few short pages she captured my heart.  I am sure we will capture yours. 

I received a complimentary copy from the author.

Thank you Susan Page Davis for introducing me to your world

This review will appear on Amazon, Good Reads and 
My Journey Back. 
This review will be linked with blog parties, tweeted and shared and pinned.  

A Fine Year For Murder-Lauren Carr-Book Author Spotlight

About the book (provided by I Read Book Tours)

After months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~ Add on Goodreads

Author's Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Enter to win the giveaway.  Click here

Read my review on March 1

Westbou Gold-Hawk MacKinnery-Book Review

 

About the book. . . (provided by I Read Book Tours)

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold. Empires rose; empires fell, the centuries passed. Legend became fireside myths, but no treasure was ever found. Yet, among the grey-green drapes of wisteria and wild jasmine along the misty shrouded lowlands of bayous and marshes of the Westo River, the folktales persist.

In the lazed creep of a near-tropical dawn lit the pungent Turkish coffee permeates Moccasin Hollow. Beyond the kitchen door Lucky, Craige Ingram’s German shepherd gnaws a favorite bone. Looted burial mounds seem a world away until plundered mounds on Moccasin Hollow land brings amateur archaeologist PI Craige Ingram into the cross-hairs of kidnapping. Stealthy hideaways are concealed in old colonial brick-lined river grottoes beneath the big house of Ardochy plantation. Sex-tape underage blackmail and thrill killings on federal land spur a medical examiner’s preliminary postmortem to more than a hired cleaner’s quickie cover-up passed off as drug deals gone sour. Greed tangles a witch’s pigswill of illicit affairs and murder-to-hide-murder. Shady investigators and shadier politics stir an unexpected concoction that threatens the lives of those at Moccasin Hollow in a spiteful plot against ex-SEAL Craige Ingram and the woman he loves.

I Read Tour (includes author interviews and additional reviews)

Jan 16 - Books for Books - review

Jan 17 - The Autistic Gamer - review

Jan 18 - Books, Dreams, Life - review / guest post / giveaway

Jan 19 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway

Jan 20 - Rainy Day Reviews - review

Jan 23 - Olio by Marilyn - review / giveaway

Jan 24 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway

Jan 25 - Readers Muse - review

Jan 26 - Nighttime Reading Center - review / giveaway

Jan 27 - My Reading Journey - review / giveaway

Jan 30 - Bound 4 Escape - review / giveaway

Jan 31 - T's Stuff - review/ author interview / giveaway

Jan 31 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review / giveaway

Feb 1 -   JBronder Book Reviews - review

Feb 2 -   Elsie's Audiobook Digest - review / giveaway

Feb 3 -   Jessica Cassidy - review / author interview / giveaway

Buy the book . . .

 Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Giveaway . . .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And I thought. . . 

I was looking forward to reading this book.  Last fall I was introduced to the author and had a chance to ask a few questions about the book.   

From my research about the book and the previous book I became 

interested in the main character Craige Ingram.  I enjoyed his character.  The author did a wonderful job of developing his character.  I felt Craige could actually walk off the page

The story; well I wasn't quite as enamored with the story.  I really thought I would like it but I just didn't.  It was o.k.

The story is suspenseful.  I was kept on the edge of my seat through the fast paced twists and turns in the storyline. 

I was rooting for Craige to solve the mystery and make it out alive!

Westbou Gold is about murder, blackmail, suspense and explicit sex scenes.   The story is dark.  

The story was very well written and filled with some great characters that aren't all very likeable.  I like(d) the authors writing style and I am interested in reading the 1st book in the series because I did really like the main character. 

I received a complimentary copy from I Read Book Tours.