Invitation To A Killer by G. M. Malliet My Revi

 

About the book 

Description

Crime writer turned sleuth, Augusta Hawke finds herself drawn into her second mystery when a celebrity doctor is found dead at a party she is attending!

Callie Moore is no ordinary aspiring writer. Notorious wife of a Washington lobbyist, Callie believes no publicity is bad publicity and that publishing her scandalous memoirs will help her achieve her heart's desire: a diplomatic posting. She just needs crime novelist Augusta Hawke to be her ghostwriter.

It's hard to say no to Callie, but Augusta does agree to attend her dinner party. The guest list is impressive, and it's Augusta's chance to meet celebrity doctor Doc Burke. But before Augusta really gets a chance to chat with the famous humanitarian, the evening ends in his untimely death.

Signs point to a heart attack, but Augusta isn't convinced. Especially when his niece tells Augusta about the mystery woman who claimed the doctor's remains.

Augusta decides to host a writers' retreat and invite all the suspects, most of whom are connected in some way with writing. Isn't that what Agatha Christie would do? But the remote lodge soon becomes snowed in and the group starts to crack when it becomes clear the killer may not be finished killing. Can Augusta flush out the culprit before anyone else gets hurt?

And I thought  

If I had been reading the print copy I would have been turning the pages at break neck speed and reading into the wee hours of the night. 

As it was I was listening to the audio version even while my phone was plugged in charging. 

I am glad I got the chance to be introduced to the author and this fun series. 

And getting in at book 2 made it even better.  I only have 1 title to backtrack  too.  (book 1 is on my wish list) 

Invitation To A Killer was indeed a page turner.  

From the first page I was drawn into the main character  and the unfolding drama. 

Augusta North the main character  isn't  your normal Cozy Mystery Character.   She is not reluctant  to investigate.   She's ready and up to the task to find the clues once she realizes  the death of a doctor might not be what it appears. 

It was easy for this reader to keep up with the suspects all 10 or more.  I lost count but each character  was well described and it was easy to keep them all straight.  

From the Flamboyant Callie who is trying to get an appointment as an Ambassador to Felicity always seems to have a gun at the ready to Nell who unknowingly gives Agatha the clue she needs to release THAT the good doctor was indeed murdered.  

In The epilogue Agatha hints Nell just might be back in the future.  I enjoyed how Agatha retells the story to her editor in the end. 

I enjoyed and liked Detective Narducci and the building relationship with Agatha.  It was refreshing to see the cop accepting the sleuths help and even working together.  

There were a couple of different  story's to solve that intertwined around the murder(?). 

Not having been a reader of Aga Christy I didn't  get all the references  and probably  missed alot.  I suspect  a fan would love reading this book. 

I look forward  to reading book 1 and I will be reading other series by the author when I get a chance. 

I received  a complimentary  copy from Net Galley.  

My review will appear  on Amazon,  Good Reads and NetGalley.  

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Author Book Spotlight Excerpt Her Surprise Cowboy Groom by Cathy McDavid

 

Excerpt from

 HER SURPRISE COWBOY GROOM

“So, you’re both three?” Laurel smiled at the pair of little girls, completely smitten.

They nodded vigorously, their crooked ponytails bouncing.

“And you’re twins?”

More nodding. The one in purple plopped down in front of Jelly Belly and hugged the dog’s neck. Jelly Belly’s attempts to crawl into her lap produced an eruption of giggles.

The office door again flew open. Laurel fully expected a typical, casually attired, millennial couple to emerge, parents of these girls and Jelly Belly’s owner. Or, perhaps, a harried mother who’d stopped in for a quick meeting to go over some detail on her new house design.

Laurel was wrong on both counts. A tall, broad-shouldered cowboy filled the doorway. With his dusty boots, weathered hat, worn work shirt and jeans that had traveled thousands of miles in the saddle, he couldn’t possibly be these adorable girls’ father.

“Daddy, Daddy!” They rushed over, pulling on his hand and belt loops in a bid for attention.

Jelly Belly yipped and stood on her hind legs, pawing the air.

Okay. Wrong again.

He stepped onto the boardwalk and placed a hand atop each girl’s head. “I’m sorry if these two are bothering you.”

“Not at all. They were telling me about Jelly Belly.”

He flashed a smile that lit up his entire face, especially his eyes. Were they green or golden brown? Green, she determined on closer inspection. Definitely. And very compelling.

Suddenly aware of her own appearance, Laurel tugged on the brim of her bonnet. Why had she chosen this wretched old thing? And when had she last applied lip gloss?

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The Game is A Footnote by Vicki Delany My Review

 

About the book 

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany's eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.

Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat.  

 

Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit.

 

Despite Gemma's determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot.

 

Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it?

And I thought 

This was my first chance to read a book in this series.  Actually I didn't read I listened.  I was glad to get it an audio version ARC copy thru  Net Galley. 

Even though the title is #8 in the series I had no trouble getting to know the characters.  

There was references to Gemma's (the main character) mom and uncle who were off on their own adventure.  They are apparently big players in the series. 

I enjoyed all the characters I met (well most of them)  (the one's I really didn't like were just sub characters that live in town) I couldn't help but wonder if Robin the President of the historical society (and one character I didn't like). Might end up with some mystery of her own that needs solving in a future book. 

The author kept this reader guessing with more than one mystery to solve.  After the first victim dies a shop clerk disappears leaving everyone wondering if there is a connection.  

The plots/storylines we're really good and there were some great characters. 

I look forward to reading more in this series.  

I received a complimentary copy form Net Galley. 

My review will appear on Amazon, Good Reads and Net Galley.

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Mailbox Monday feat Author Cathy McDavid

 Good Morning 

I have a special treat!  Today is the first Mailbox Monday of the new year   I am featuring my author friend Cathy McDavid. 

Cathy invites you all to her fun monthly newsletter she calls 

Cathy's Chatterbox 

Each month Cathy shares fun photos with her readers . . . 

And of course book news . . . 

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Cathy always shares what her assistant/boss is up to in . . . 

Ozzy's Corner

Author newsletter are a fun way to keep up with new releases.   And just fun to read. 

Sign up today! 

www.cathymcdavid.com

About Cathy 

In the third grade, NY Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Cathy McDavid made it her goal to read every Black Stallion book ever written. Who knew such an illustrious ambition would lead to a lifelong love of all things western, including riding Arizona’s most remote trails, owning a stagecoach pulled by six mules, and a career writing contemporary romances for Harlequin? With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million-plus books sold, Cathy is also a member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll. A mother of grown twins, Cathy is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world seven years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about good looking cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money. It a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.

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Cozy Mystery New Releases

 

The Game is a Footnote

 by Vicki Delany (Cozy)

Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat. 

Available on Amazon

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Masquerade Party Murder

 by Leighann Dobbs 

When Juniper Holiday invited guests to her latest party to see the new year in with a bang, she didn’t mean from a gun. But when Mayor Berkshaw is shot dead at the stroke of midnight, that’s exactly what they get. Amidst champagne corks, fireworks and a house full of masked guests, it’s impossible to know who pulled the trigger. 

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Dial M for Meow

 by Ruth J. Hartman 

When children’s book author, Christy Bailey, receives a call from her aunt Betty to help out at her bookshop, she drops everything to go. Christy packs up her two cats—Milton and Pearl, the stars of her children’s mystery books—and leaves busy Philadelphia for tiny Green Meadow, Indiana. The timing of the call is perfect, as Christy’s letch of an ex-boyfriend has just cleaned out her savings, leaving Christy with a pile of unpaid bills and a desire to start over. And what better place to do that than a charming small town in Middle America? 

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Homecoming and Homicide

 by Jody Holford 

Rainbow Falls newcomer Annie Abbott is finally feeling settled in town with her veterinarian boyfriend and their two curious kittens. The local high school is raising money for their drama program and, eager to help, Annie volunteers for the carnival’s photo booth, using her graphic design skills to create fun backdrops and mentor a group of students. The only dark cloud is a run in with an unpleasant teacher who’s critical of her teenage neighbor, Tate, and his girlfriend. 

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Snuffed Out

 by Valona Jones  

30-year-old fraternal twins Tabby and Sage Winslow own The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah. Sage is hot-headed and impulsive while Tabby is calm and collected, making them the perfect partnership. When one of their customers is found murdered, from a blow to the head, that partnership is put to the test. 

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Just Murdered 

by Katherine Kovacic 

Phryne’s gone missing in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Only her pearl handled gun and a note arrive back home. She’s left instruction that say, that should not turn up in six months’ time, a letter must be sent to next of kin. Peregrine, summons in hand, arrives in Melbourne to Greenwood mansion where she will inherit her aunt’s wealth. 

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River of Fallen Angels

 by Laura Joh Rowland 

When the severed torso of a woman washes up on the bank of the river Thames, London believes a serial killer from the past has struck again. Crime photographer and investigator Sarah Bain Barrett is on the scene with her friends Mick O’Reilly and Lord Hugh Staunton. This is their chance to solve a grisly cold case and deliver a monster to belated justice, with help from Sarah’s husband Detective Sergeant Thomas Barrett; her sister Sally Albert, an intrepid newspaper reporter; and Hugh’s psychologist, Dr. Joshua Lewes, who’s a pioneer in the new science of criminal profiling. 

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Faith Books New Releases, Sales & Free

 

Grave Pursuits 

(Pennsylvania Parks Book 1) 

by Ellie E. Kay

Subgenre: Romantic Suspense

Tension builds as the body count increases.

Emily Davis stumbles across a skull while searching for a missing hiker in Hickory Run State Park, and someone goes to great lengths to keep her away from the case.

Boulder Field’s national landmark status and its popularity makes it impossible to keep the story out of the national press, and a viral video puts Emily in the cross-hairs of a serial killer.

The sergeant assigned to investigate the case is none other than her high school sweetheart, Wade Brunner. The Butcher of Boulder Field must be stopped. Emily and Wade will need to work together to end his reign of terror.

Available on Amazon

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Her Mail Order Mix-up 

Brides of Lone Hollow Book 1  

by London James

Subgenre: Historical

Cullen McCray has no desire for marriage and love after the death of his first wife. A self-proclaimed lone wolf, he only wishes to spend his life in his cabin in the mountains, far away from his family’s ranch and his brother. But when Clint dies in an accident, he leaves behind a young daughter, and it's up to Cullen to pick up the pieces to help the girl. The question is, can he also pick up the pieces for the woman, whom he knows nothing about, coming to marry his dead brother?

When Maggie Colton steps off the stagecoach in the small town of Lone Hollow, she’s unaware of her intended husband-to-be’s accident. She also doesn’t know about his brother or the condition of the cattle ranch she believed was something other than what it is. Clint hadn’t exactly been honest about everything, leaving Maggie to rough it in an older ranch house, an even older guest house, and a barn that has seen better days. Not to mention hundreds of cattle, dozens of chickens, pigs, horses, and what she is sure is the fattest cat she’s ever seen.

Will Cullen send her back before her bags are unpacked? And if she stays, will Maggie be able to not only win his heart, but survive this new life she’s found herself in?

Available on Amazon

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The Spark Brothers Boxed Set 

by Liwen Y. Ho

A Single Spark (Book One): A pop singer running from his past. A deejay who's given up on men. Will the sparks igniting between them end up in flames or romance?

A Sudden Spark (Book Two): A writer too shy to speak to women. A single mom who’s sworn off men. Will a marriage of convenience end their friendship or spark a lasting romance?

The Sweetest Spark (Book Three): A fun-loving ice cream shop owner looking for more than a fling. A straight-laced food critic too scared for love. Will an accident be the spark that drives them apart for good or gives them their sweetest taste of romance yet?

At First Spark (Book Four): A tender-hearted firefighter who’s been burned by love. An optimistic bookstore owner determined to heal his heart. Will the spark that drew them to each other be enough to keep their love burning or will their short-lived romance go down in flames?

An Extra Spark (Book Five): An actor pressured to risk everything for his job. An actress struggling to fit into the Hollywood scene. Will the hazards of show business spark new insecurities or strengthen their bond of trust?

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When I Met You

 (Waters Edge Christian Romance Series Book 1) 

by Juliette Duncan

A barmaid searching for purpose, a youth pastor searching for love.

Since leaving home at the age of seventeen, Amelia Anderson has wandered from town to town, city to city, looking for meaning and purpose. Due to her upbringing and experience, the only jobs she lands are in sleazy bars where inappropriate remarks and unsolicited invitations from the male patrons are everyday occurrences. When she arrives in the small town of Water’s Edge, she’s had enough.

After fleeing the bar one evening, she meets a kindly, grey-haired woman who invites her to church. With nothing to lose other than her job, she agrees to go.

Lucas Kelley hasn’t always been the squeaky-clean Youth Pastor at Water’s Edge Community Church, but he now walks in the freedom that comes with having his sins forgiven. Passion to help the local youth stay firm in the Lord and not stray into trouble as he did burns strong inside him. But something, or someone, is missing from his life. Someone special. Someone to share his passion with.

He’s trusting God to bring the right person into his life at the right time, but he longs for that day to come. When he meets the attractive ex-barmaid his good friend Charlotte brought to church one evening, his heart quickens. Could she be the one?

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Time of Enduring Love 

(Pacific Cove Legacy Series Book 3) 

by J.E. Grace

Continuing after the wedding of Peter and Amanda, the Saunders family discovers more joy and sorrows in store for them.

A hired ranch hand isn't who he appears to be. But what secret is he hiding? Will the Saunders family be able to discover it in time?

When a new rancher moves into the area, problems arise for Naomi and Jason. Can their marriage withstand it, and their faith pull them through unscathed. Only God knows for sure. 

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Cozy New Releases

 

A Ruff Week 

by Lorraine Bartlett 

When five abandoned puppies were found behind Victoria Square, merchants and Artisan Alley vendors scrambled to claim them. But one of those adoptions hasn’t worked out. Katie Bonner has one week to find Lily a new home or she’ll be turned in to a kill shelter. When door after another slams in her face, Katie fears she won’t be able to stop what seems inevitable, as the only person interested in saving Lily has plans that would destroy this sweet dog’s nature. 

Available on Amazon

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Nothing To Die For 

by Richard Houston 

Jake Martin solves a locked-room murder with the help of his Golden Retriever, and seventy-year-old neighbor. It looks like a Fremont county commissioner has committed suicide because no one could have left the room after shooting her, but Jake isn’t buying it.   

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Fatal Fascinator 

 by Jenn McKinlay 

It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony. 

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Of Mushrooms and Matrimony 

by Amy Patricia Meade 

Literary caterer and owner of Cookin’ the Books café Tish Tarragon is pushing thoughts of her impending eviction aside to prepare an appetising welcome buffet for a wedding weekend at Abbingdon Green Bed and Breakfast. While there, Tish witnesses one of the guests, controversial TV chef and restaurant critic, Gunner Randall, threatening staff after missing breakfast and making do with a mushroom omelet. 

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Murder, She Wrote: Death on the Emerald Isle

by Jessica Fletcher/Terrie Farley Moran 

Jessica Fletcher is quick to accept an invitation to replace a speaker who couldn’t attend a Book Festival in Belfast, Ireland. When her Cabot Cove neighbor Maeve O’Bannon hears about the trip, she asks Jessica to deliver some paintings to her family in the village of Bushmills. Happy to extend her travels and see more of the Irish countryside, Jessica agrees. 

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A Murderous Persuasion

 by Katie Oliver 

Phaedra Brighton has her life all figured out—she has a profession she enjoys, a wonderful (if exasperating) cat, and a cozy carriage house on the grounds of her aunt’s inn. She needs no Captain Wentworth to sweep her off her feet (though, she would not mind a Mr. Darcy).

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The Summer House at Larkspur

 by Kay Pritchett 

When Mosey Frye, real estate agent and amateur sleuth, hunts for a summer house on the grounds of an abandoned plantation, she finds not only the house but also skeletal remains at the bottom of an old cistern. That same day, news of the horrific stabbing death of an eremitic nun leaves the citizens of Hembree in hang-jawed shock. Given that the tumble-down estate belonged to the dead nun’s family, Mosey insists there must be a connection between the two events. 

Available on Amazon

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