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Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder at the Wedding by Christine Knapp

MURDER AT THE WEDDING

by Christine Knapp

September 8 – October 3, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER AT THE WEDDING (Modern Midwife Mysteries Book #1) by Christine Knapp on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Promoamp giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Birth, death, mayhem, and murder…..

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington loves her job as a nurse-midwife at Creighton Memorial Hospital in the quintessential New England seaside town of Langford. Nothing could bring her more pleasure than helping women usher new life into the world… except possibly having a child of her own with her husband, Will. In the meantime, she’s happy to celebrate the families of those she treats, and content to support her husband in his newly formed catering business.

However when Creighton Memorial’s Chief Obstetrician suddenly drops dead at his daughter’s extravagant wedding reception, catered by Will, Maeve’s two worlds collide in the worst possible way. Suddenly murder is on the menu, and Maeve is desperate to help her husband and find out who killed the doctor.

With the help of her wealthy, acerbic sister Meg and quick-witted Boston Irish mother, Maeve sets out to solve a murder and clear her husband’s name. Can she stay one step ahead of the killer? Or will they strike again… this time closer to home?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61719247-murder-at-the-wedding?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2S2asuC83i&rank=2

Murder at the Wedding

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication Date: June 10, 2022
Number of Pages: 249
ISBN: 9798835432134 (pbk)
Series: Modern Midwife Mystery Series, Book 1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER AT THE WEDDING (Modern Midwife Mysteries Book #1) by Christine Knapp is an exciting and intricately plotted start to a new cozy mystery series featuring a nurse-midwife who becomes involved in a murder investigation with her family and friends. This new to me author pulled me into the story, and I was so involved with the clues, crimes, and the entire cast of characters that I read this book completely in one sitting.

Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is a midwife at a New England hospital. She loves her work, her husband, and her family. The head of her OB department’s daughter is getting married, and her husband’s new catering company is handling the reception. Suddenly, the father of the bride collapses and dies after giving his toast to the newlyweds. It was not natural causes.

Maeve is determined to help her husband prove his company or employees were not responsible, and she also wants to find out who killed the doctor. Her police detective brother tells her to stay out of the investigation, but Maeve and her sister Meg are determined to get to the truth. Can she discover the killer before the killer decides she knows too much?

This is a wonderful read with fully developed characters and a perfectly paced cozy mystery plot. Maeve and her family are realistically written with the foibles of any large loving family. Maeve’s family is contrasted well by her rich and snobby in-laws and their family who wish Will would enter the family investment company rather than be a caterer. Maeve’s profession as a midwife is intertwined throughout the story with many different situations she encounters, both emotionally difficult and easy, and all are described with medical details. This is just one of those stories you begin to read, and you become immediately immersed in the characters and plot. I love it when that happens.

I highly recommend this new cozy mystery and cannot wait for the next in the Modern Midwife Mysteries series!

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Excerpt

The parking lot at St. Andrew’s Episcopal was filled almost to capacity. Despite a recent visit to the car wash, my Jeep looked out of place next to all the Mercedes, BMWs, Range Rovers, Jaguars, and Porsches.

I took out and quickly scanned the engraved linen cream invitation. It read:

Matrimonial Ceremony of

Charlotte Alexis Whitaker

and

Brooks James Hawthorne IV

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Langford, Massachusetts

Saturday, the eighth of June, at two o’clock in the afternoon

As I approached the massive church, I saw all the pink plantings and railings wrapped in white tulle with pink peonies at precise intervals. It was a floral tour de force that must have taken an army of gardeners and florists a few days to accomplish. Inside there were pink roses, peonies, and hydrangeas everywhere. The scene was right out of InStyle Magazine. I wondered, were there any pink flowers left on the East Coast? On the West Coast?

As I squeezed into the last row, a large choir serenaded the full house in the loft above the congregation.

The choir began to sing “My Spirit Sang All Day” as Mrs. Whitaker, resplendent in a strapless, rose silk Carolina Herrera with a vibrant pink cabbage rose behind one ear and a necklace of marble-sized, green South Sea pearls, was ushered to the left front pew. Really? Strapless for the mother of the bride? Well, she does look amazing.

A hush fell over the crowd. The stained-glass doors closed, and the groom and his men filed to the altar.

Did one have to be six feet two, gorgeous, and ripped to be in this wedding party?

As the first strands of Wagner filled the air, the doors opened, and down the aisle came Anastasia Bleeker. She was one of the bride’s four-year-old charges at Miss Bloomfield’s School, where wealthy, pregnant women enrolled their offspring-to-be to claim a coveted spot. Anastasia was wearing a white tulle fairy-tale gown with a dark rose-colored sash. A circle of petite, light pink roses and baby’s breath crowned her chin length, straight, white-blonde hair. She carried a small, white wicker basket in one hand, and with the other, she started to drop pale pink rose petals down the long aisle.

Channeling Lady Di, I thought.

Next came the ring bearer, Barrington Cabot. He was another nursery school trust-fund-baby-in-the-making in white linen shorts and jacket and a head of black, curly hair. Then six breathtaking models, or rather bridesmaids, dressed in rose-colored tulle skirts and pale pink lace wrap blouses, floated down the aisle carrying white and pink hydrangeas wrapped in rose-colored ribbons. They looked like an upscale version of an ad for the United Colors of Benetton.

After a slight pause, the stained-glass doors parted again, and Dr. Whitaker appeared in his morning suit, standing at Charlotte’s right side. She was breathtaking in a Vera Wang white silk ball gown glittering with thousands of tiny seed pearls. A deep rose satin ribbon wrapped around her bouquet of white peonies. Her Belgian lace veil trailed behind her down the aisle.

The ceremony went on amid candlelight, roses, and organ music. It was like being in a dream, albeit a very, very expensive dream.

Finally, vows were exchanged, there were no objections, and Charlotte and Brooks were off to the photo-taking session in a vintage, white Bentley. As they left, the guests milled about outside the church for a bit and then headed to the reception.

Evelyn Greyson, the sixtyish director of Obstetric Nursing, stood at the top of the church stairs as I exited. She was dressed in a powder blue suit with a short jacket with peplum and knee-length, fitted skirt. A pearl necklace, her ever-present pearl brooch, and small pearl stud earrings completed the look. Her graying hair was, as usual, in her trademark chignon.

“Beautiful wedding,” I said.

“Magnificent,” Evelyn replied. “Dr. Whitaker wouldn’t have it any other way. See you at the reception, dear.” And then she strode off to her car.

Evelyn always agreed with everything Dr. Whitaker said and did. She worshipped him. Did she also have an unrequited crush on him?

I quickly greeted a few colleagues but didn’t linger because I wanted to see how Will was doing.

The Country Club was buzzing with activity when I drove through the porte cochère, pulled up to the main entrance, and handed my keys to a valet. The grand foyer was glittering with hundreds of candles and still more massive floral arrangements in blush pink. A string quartet played Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” beside the grand staircase.

Out on the veranda, the wedding party was taking pictures before an expanse of green lawn and brilliant blue sky and sea. It would be a wedding album worthy of its own issue of Town & Country.

Large silver serving trays were circulated among the guests, offering tiny crab cakes topped with dill aioli, mini beef Wellingtons, smoked salmon pinwheels, and tomato and goat cheese on toast points. There were massive silver bowls of fresh shrimp on ice on round marble tables.

“Maeve! Maeve! Over here!” one of the midwives called. Looking around the ballroom, which held table settings for six hundred guests, I saw that the Creighton Memorial staff was on the right side of the room while family and friends were on the left. I waved to the midwives but walked over to the table where Grand, Will’s grandmother, was sitting with Will’s parents, Will’s sister, Eloise, her husband, Taylor, and Will’s younger brother, Teddy.

“Hello, Maeve.” William stood and extended his hand. Never a hug, never a kiss on the cheek, just a handshake.

“Hello, so nice to see you all,” I replied, shaking his hand as I nodded to the table. I saw that Lydia, my mother-in-law, was outfitted in a mint green silk cocktail dress with a large diamond necklace and matching drop earrings. She tilted her head toward me and smiled but said nothing.

“The Country Club is such a perfect wedding venue,” I offered.

“Quite lovely,” she replied.

“You look beautiful, Maeve,” Grand said.

“Thanks, Grand.”

“Sweet dress,” Lydia said.

Sweet dress? What, am I five years old? Lydia was a master of the backhanded compliment, and she was not my biggest fan. Keep it together, Maeve.

Eloise was in a sleeveless, pale green and cream striped dress with an emerald and diamond pendant and earrings. Like mother, like daughter.

“Well,” I said, “enjoy the meal. Will has been creating a masterpiece.” I saw William’s and Lydia’s smiles tighten. They did not respond. They were not pleased with Will’s chosen profession.

“I can’t wait,” Grand said.

I gave a little wave and headed over to find my table.

Scanning the room, I saw my sister, Meg, cross her eyes and raise her wine glass in a mock salute. Meg was the Langford real estate agent of choice for the wealthy and had been invited along with other top business leaders of the town. She knew I had just navigated a minefield with my emotionally distant in-laws. As soon as I reached my table, I quickly sat down and took a long drink of chardonnay.

Herend Chinese Bouquet china in pink, Gorham Newport Scroll sterling, and Baccarat crystal decorated each setting.

My gosh, they’ll have to pat everyone down before they leave.

Murray Alfond, the famed orchestra leader, turned on his mic and said, “Please be seated while the bridal party arrives.”

There was sustained applause as Charlotte and Brooks triumphantly paraded into the ballroom. “The bride and groom will dance to a classic personally chosen by Brooks,” Alfond announced.

“The Very Thought of You” wafted through the room as Charlotte and Brooks took to the floor. They obviously had attended many ballroom dancing classes in preparation for this moment, and they danced impeccably.

Then the entire wedding party sashayed to “Fly Me to the Moon.” It was like watching La La Land. They were all perfectly coiffed, dressed, and ready for filming. Plus, they could dance.

When they were done and returned to their seats, Alfond intoned, “Please bow your heads while Reverend Lucas Mathers says grace.”

The Episcopal pastor of St. Andrew’s, Reverend Mathers, was slightly rotund with flushed pink cheeks. He ran his hand through receding black hair, obviously feeling the weight of this moment. Then he bowed his head.

“Dear Holy Father, thank you for this glorious day! What a wonderful celebration! We ask you to bless Charlotte and Brooks, as well as their families and friends, and we beseech you to grant this special couple a life together that is happy and blessed. We further ask you to bless this fabulous repast and grant your blessings on all present. Amen.”

Gee, that was short. He must be hungry.

A phalanx of waiters served the first course of spring green and white asparagus spears with shaved red onion. As we started in on the delicate vegetables, the best man, Ry Farmington, took the microphone and asked all to raise their glasses in a toast to the couple.

“Brooks has been like a brother to me since our first day at Hollis in Harvard Yard. We’ve seen many adventures together—none of which, out of respect for your patience and his reputation, I will go into here.”

He paused for applause and a few knowing hoots.

“In the words of the Bard,

No sooner met but they looked;

No sooner looked but they loved;

No sooner loved but they sighed;

No sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason;

No sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy;

And in these degrees have made a pair of stairs to marriage

Please rise and toast to their lives together.”

Six hundred guests rose and toasted the couple.

Then came truffle-scented tenderloin with dauphinoise potatoes and tender baby carrots. I snuck a look first at the Whitaker table and then at William and Lydia. They all seemed to be enjoying the meal, and I prayed that all the reviews would be excellent.

For dessert, a chocolate mousse with a crème brûlée center was placed at each setting. I knew the wedding cake would be cut and served later.

Just then, the wait staff re-entered the room. They set a Baccarat champagne flute filled with pink champagne at each place. A hush came over the ballroom. Dr. Whitaker was standing at the head table, staring the crowd into silence. Then he picked up his glass and smiled adoringly at Charlotte.

Everyone listened as he gave a long, loving toast to his daughter. Finally, he took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, “Charlotte, your mother and I found this magnificent champagne in France a few years ago and had it shipped in for your wedding.”

Mrs. Whitaker stared at Dr. Whitaker with a huge Miss America smile.

Dr. Whitaker continued, “Would everyone please rise and toast my lovely daughter Charlotte and her husband, Brooks.” He lifted his crystal flute to his lips and took a sip while beaming at Charlotte.

Immediately, his cheeks turned scarlet, and he started to wheeze. The crystal dropped from his hand and shattered on the ground. He clutched at his throat while making extensive gasping attempts to pull in a breath. Then he went limp and collapsed to the floor. The room erupted into pandemonium.

***

Author Bio

Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years. A writer of texts and journal articles, she is now thrilled to combine her love of midwifery and mysteries as the author of the Modern Midwife Mysteries. Christine currently narrates books for the visually and print impaired. A dog lover, she lives near Boston.

Catch Up With Christine Knapp

ThoughtfulMidwife.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @cwknapp4478
Instagram – @maevecw
Threads – @maevecw
Facebook – @Christine Whelan Knapp
TikTok – @maevecw

Purchase Links

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/kAq44F5h

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/1xVcWXw3

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/d3tCDWIa

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/QPqIkDpq

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/Byk1QG20

Gemma Halliday Publishing – https://pictbooks.tours/7kGtfwGx

Modern Midwife Mystery Series Links:

Amazon https://pictbooks.tours/xHgZdDiW

BN https://pictbooks.tours/U8csGI9d

Goodreads https://pictbooks.tours/wGp6eKcT

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/nKCYCziV

Gemma Halliday Publishing https://pictbooks.tours/7kGtfwGx

Murder on the Widow’s Walk Book 2

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/dIZ0E9PG

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/IFeGIW9f

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/S8K6aIJr

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/TeohujSc

Murder on the Books Book 3

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/VRXu6w81

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/Q8wmAERK

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/tLcnchQ9

Audiobooks.com https://pictbooks.tours/8rojKUSe

Murder at First Light Book 4

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/EJ732ePd

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/gF2Rd7iG

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/vAvWbW6c

Murder on the Green Book 5

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/ldh7Wtpt

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/OvE39IE1

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/4rLSUPW

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PROMOAMP GIVEAWAY

https://www.promoamp.com/c/murder-at-the-wedding-by-christine-knapp

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Last Seen and The Wolves Come Out at Night by J.T. Ellison

Both books are riveting and gripping novels. The twists and turns will keep readers guessing to the very end.

Book Description

Come here. Come closer.

Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.

No one can hear you. No one can help you.

She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered—and her father lied about it all these years.

I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?

Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Last Seen by J. T. Ellison is a standalone novel. Her protagonist, Halley James, is not having a good year. She is getting divorced, has lost her job at the forensics lab, and her dad needs emergency surgery after a fall. But the biggest blow is when she discovers her mother died, not in a car accident, but was murdered by her sister. Since she was six years old her dad had lied to her, refusing to tell her the truth about her mother’s death. Halley is now looking for answers and knows she must find her missing sister to get to the bottom of what happened to her mom. Luckily, her soon to be ex-husband is willing to help her and protect her.

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Book Description

A detective on the brink.
An assassin out for revenge.
A desperate mother racing against the clock.

While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city’s border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don’t know if she’s run for cover or been taken…or if something more sinister is happening.

The truth will shatter Taylor’s career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.

Taylor Jackson is back. And you’ve never seen her quite like this.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Wolves Come at Night has two storylines that come together at the end. It may at first seem like each storyline is not related but they turn out to be connected in the end. One story has the murder of a country music singer by a supposed serial killer. The other story has Taylor making some big changes plus must team up with assassin Angelie Delacroiz. Taylor, now a Captain, is frustrated at having basically a desk job and during an impulsive moment she quits over a disagreement on how to pursue another case assigned to her, the disappearance of a murder witness.

It seems that Carson, the witness to the murder of country singer Georgia Wray, has disappeared. Worse, her mom, Dr. Avery Conway receives a ransom note. Through the course of the investigation, it is discovered that the same people who kidnapped Carson, also killed, her dad, Richard. Taylor suspects that the murder of Georgia Wray relate to Carson Conway’s disappearance. Along with Angelie’s help they pursue the kidnappers before they have a chance to do harm to Carson.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story in Last Seen?

J. T. Ellison: I dreamed this one. It happens sometimes. I had this wild dream about a romance in this town. I found a way to darken it up. I decided to use the same town of Brockville. I was with my sweet little cat Jamison. It was her last night, and we knew we would have to put her down the next day because she was sick. This was the original title for this story, ‘Her Last Night.’ She sat in my lap while I wrote the story. I swear she gave me the story. The main character, Halley James, finds out everything she knew about her life is a lie including the death of her mother by her sister.

EC: How would you describe Halley?

JT: I moved the entire story up ten years, so she is now 34. She is a trained forensic scientist. Her whole life is falling apart with a failed job, a failed marriage, not having a child she desires, her mother dead, her dad is in the hospital because of a fall, and her sister disappeared. She is still having grief. I wrote the book from a place of bereavement, having lost one of my furry muses. I was so sad and unhappy that I channeled that grief into the story. Halley is curious, suspicious, has a moral compass, and is damaged. She had a head injury and continues to have memory issues, blackouts, that make her feel panicky, fearful, and anxious.

EC: How would you describe Cat, the sister?

JT: She is a highly functioning well adjusted sociopath. She is jealous, mean, cruel, smart, stubborn, aggressive, has an impulse disorder, and is full of rage. Although things might not be as they seem.

EC: What is the relationship between Halley and Cat?

JT: Halley is obsessed with finding her because she wanted to know why she killed her mother. They have a very complicated relationship. Cat exists and functions in the darkness that is represented by Ian, while Halley is lightness. Cat is Ian’s servant.

EC: How would you describe the antagonist, Ian?

JT: He is a monster. He is evil. He is immoral. One of the darkest characters I have ever written.

EC: How would you describe Halley’s estranged husband Theo?

JT: He loves her deeply. He has his own demons. Theo supports her. He is gentle, concerned, caring, but stubborn. He is willing to lose his marriage instead of compromising his morals. Because he sees such horrible things in his job, he does not want to raise a child in this world.

EC: What role does the dad play in the story?

JT: He is Halley’s mentor. He is her savior and protector. The dad brought Halley up after her mother died and kept her safe. He had a big miscalculation in judgement in that trying to keep her safe he lied to her. He broke her heart and trust.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Whiteout and The Wolves Come at Night?

J. T. Ellison: It is part of an anthology I wrote, and the theme was having a white-out blizzard that crisscrossed a large portion of the county, to create isolation. The anthology written with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava features all our main characters in separate stories. Whiteout is a novella, the opening for the book, The Wolves Come at Night. Whiteout is a closed circle mystery, while Wolves is a bang-out thriller.

EC: What is the battle between the “two wolves?

JTE: It is the duality of the heroes. Both Angelie and Taylor struggle with doing immoral things for moral reasons. They both must kill, face evil, and must decide if they choose the good or choose the evil.

EC: How would you describe Angelie?

JTE: I wanted to explore how her backstory affected her and how this formative moment made her the person she is. Angelie Delacroix’s backstory is based on a real crime in France where a little girl watched her parents executed in front of her. Angelie is fearless, a predator, has a temper, can be reckless, has a darkness, unstable, ruthless, but has a sense of humor, and is a rogue assassin. I do not think she is a sociopath because she was made into someone who she is and was not born that way. She is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

EC: How would you describe Detective Taylor Jackson?

JTE: She is an idealist, instinctive, loyal, can read people, not a rule follower, sarcastic, wants to rid the world of those who do harm, and seeks justice. She is in a place she does not want to be. In the previous books she was traumatized. She was shot in So Close the Hand of Death, and in the book Where All the Dead Lie, she could not speak, incredibly traumatized. In this story, it appears she has lost a step. The Nashville Metro Police Department did not want to lose her, so they promoted her, because they did not want her in the field due to her unpredictability. She does not want to ride a desk but wants to be on the streets with her team.

EC: Do both characters have similarities?

JTE: Yes. In many ways they are a lot alike, but also completely opposite. Taylor always wanted to be a protector. Angelie would have gone down that road, had she not experienced such trauma. She idolizes Taylor and is obsessed with her and fascinated with her. Angelie looks in the mirror and sees a very dark version of Taylor. Yet, Taylor looks in the mirror and sees her own darkness. Taylor gets annoyed by her but respects her as an intelligent operative. Taylor learns from her. Both butted heads because they do not like how each questions the others authority. Taylor is old-fashioned, more predictable, while Angelie does not worry about legality and morality. This is why Taylor is a detective and not an assassin.

EC: What role did the Macallan Group play in the story?

JTE: It is an off-book organization that works for the government. It is a private powerful organization.

EC: Next books?

JTE: Taylor Jackson will be back in some capacity as a Lieutenant or a Private Investigator, based out of Nashville.

The next book is a standalone titled You Know Why. It should be out this time next year. It is the story of two women. One woman is going on a vacation with her husband and while on a plane another woman sees the murderer of her sister. When the married couple are heading for a connecting flight, the husband disappears. It all collides.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Book Review: Not They Who Soar by Amanda Flower

Book Review

Summer 1904. Katharine and her best friend from Oberlin College, Margaret Goodwin Meacham, are thrilled to attend the St. Louis Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, for the centennial celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Not only is it a grand, international event, it’s also the first time the young women have seen each other in quite a while, and they are giddy with excitement—despite warnings from Katharine’s old family friend, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, to be careful of the fair’s less seemly side.

Undaunted, the girls have a lovely time—until the exposition turns from a girls’ trip to a misadventure when Katharine stumbles upon a woman in distress. It’s obvious that she has been attacked. Katharine does her best to save her, but tragically, before help can arrive, the woman dies. Yet just before her last breath, she utters the words aeronautics competition. . . . Katharine’s brothers Wilbur and Orville were asked to enter the competition with their successful 1903 flyer but declined. Katharine wonders how this young woman could be connected to such a prestigious event.

Now, unable to get the woman’s face out of her mind, Katharine convinces Margaret to join her investigation—and it’s soon clear that the race to be declared the first in flight might just be the deadliest competition of them all.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218155554-not-they-who-soar?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PnPTkqviH0&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOT THEY WHO SOAR (Katherine Wright Mystery Book #2) by Amanda Flower is the cozy historical amateur mystery I have been waiting for and is the second book in this smart series. Katharine Wright, the youngest sibling of the legendary Wright Brothers, is back and once again places herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This book is easily read as a standalone mystery, but the first book, To Slip the Bonds of Earth, is also an excellent read.

It is the summer of 1904, and Katharine has taken the train to meet her best friend from college, Margaret, to attend the St. Louis Exposition. While her brothers turned down the opportunity to share their flying machine at this event, she is still interested in seeing the aeronautics competition which has a hundred-thousand-dollar first prize. As they check out the hangers for the flying machines, Katharine stumbles upon a woman who has been fatally stabbed.

Even as Katharine and Margaret take in the many sights of the World Fair, Katharine cannot stop wondering who the young woman was who was killed and why. Katharine discovers the young woman was a mechanic interested in flight and everything seems ties back to the aeronautics competition. Can Katharine sort through all the evidence and suspects before she becomes a victim also?

I am very excited to see this series is going to continue. Katharine is an intelligent, inquisitive protagonist who while she may seem over-shadowed by her brothers’ notoriety, she is not intimidated by it and is a woman ahead of her time. This story took her out of Dayton and was full of interesting facts, both good and disturbing, regarding the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis which also hosted the Olympics at the same time. Ms. Flower’s descriptive writing of attractions at the fair demonstrated her extensive research for this story. Katharine’s intricately plotted mystery investigation is full of red herring, surprises, and multiple suspects which kept me guessing and turning the pages all the way to the end.

I highly recommend this cozy historical amateur mystery featuring Katharine Wright and am looking forward to many more in this series!

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About the Author

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.amandaflower.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramandaflower

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/not-they-who-soar-a-katharine-wright-mystery-book-2-by-amanda-flower

Feature Post and Book Review: The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton

Book Description

Why Are Baking Contestants Disappearing?

Mysteries have a way of following Fannie Miller, so when she makes it into the finals of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest and contestants start disappearing, she calls on her old friend Foster Bates, a retired cop and part-time private investigator. Could it be that other finalists are somehow responsible for these disappearances, thinning out the competition? Like the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money, or the three Beiler sisters, always in a huddle whispering. One thing is for certain—Foster and Fannie will stay on the case until the end, and everyone involved will have learned something important about baking contests, solving mysteries, and life.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221213979-the-rise-and-fall-of-miss-fannie-s-biscuits?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cnU7QtB1p1&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE RISE AND FALL OF MISS FANNIE’S BISCUITS by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton is a heartwarming character driven genre mash-up of Amish cozy mystery and sweet Amish romance. This is a difficult story to describe without giving away the outcome because it does not strictly follow genre rules to be considered a traditional cozy mystery or a traditional sweet romance. It is an Amish fiction story with elements of a cozy mystery, of an enduring friendship that does not cross over to more, and faith in God.

Fannie Miller is a single Amish woman who runs the local quilt store in Sugar Creek, Ohio, and has a love of mystery books. She has finally made it to the finals of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest with her grandmother’s biscuit recipe after trying other recipes for the last ten years. When other contestants begin to disappear, she calls on her old friend, Foster Bates, a retired Chicago detective turned private investigator, for help.

With a fun cast of characters and possible suspects, Fannie and Foster work together for a resolution to the missing contestants as everyone anticipates the announcement of the winner of the baking contest.

This is an easy read with a charming pair of sleuths. Fannie is a sweet Amish woman who is always trying to help others, and Foster is a retired detective who has seen the worst and just wants to relax and only hangs his private eye shingle out to give him something to do besides stay at home in this quite area. Fannie continues to mention a previous case where the two worked together, but I could not find a previous story, so that was a little frustrating. Their friendship is entertaining and while more is thought about or dreamed about, they never cross the line between Amish and Englisher. The story has a slow start, but you get introduced to all the main characters, so it is understandable and there is not a dead body, just missing people to investigate. The references to the Amish religion and life, and the scripture references and prayers are interspersed throughout the story and never feel preachy or overdone.

Overall, a charming and sweet Amish fiction story with entertaining protagonists. This is a standalone, but if it becomes a series, I will read more.

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About the Author

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 12 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

Wanda’s fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda’s desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.

All of Wanda’s novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

Wanda’s primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues so many modern “Englishers.” Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too. For more information, visit: www.WandaBrunstetter.com

About the Author

Martha Bolton was Bob Hope’s first female staff writer, writing for his television specials, personal appearances, and military shows for approximately fifteen years (in the 1980s and 90s). She is an Emmy nominee, Dove Award nominee, and WGA Award nominee. DEAR BOB… Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of WWII (University Press of Mississippi, March 2021) was written with Linda Hope, Bob’s daughter and producer, and was named Christian Market Book of the Year and Golden Scrolls Memoir of the Year at the 2021 Christian Product Expo. It also won First Place in the 2022 Selah Awards for Memoir, and First Place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) for Military & Front-Line Division. An ABC story about Dear Bob… produced by George Pennacchio of ABC won third place in the National Journalism Competition and first place in the Los Angeles Journalist competition. The book was also featured on Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.

Martha’s latest book, THE RISE AND FALL OF MISS FANNIE’S BISCUITS, just released from Barbour Publishing and is #1 in Amish Romance on Amazon. Written with New York Times Best-Selling author, Wanda Brunstetter, the book has also been turned into a musical which will open in 2025 in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania and Shipshewana, Indiana.

Beginning with her first “book” at age 9, titled NO FUN BEING YOUNG, about being the youngest in her family, Martha has now written 89 books, including JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT and THE HOME GAME. Both novels have also become musicals, with scripts penned by Martha.

Martha has also written for such comedians and entertainers as Phyllis Diller, Wayne Newton, Mark Lowry, and Chonda Pierce.

The winner of four Angel Awards, Martha playwrighting credits continues to build, with over a dozen musicals having been produced since 2010. THE HOME GAME, JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT, DEAR SOLDIER BOY, STOLEN, A SIMPLE SANCTUARY, and THE CONFESSION are a few of the titles. The musicals are produced by Dan Posthuma and Mel Riegsecker of Blue Gate Musicals.

Martha’s novel, THE HOME GAME, received a 2017 Golden Scroll Merit Award for Fiction by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Her Christmas offerings are a new favorite, THE CHRISTMAS CANDY CAPER, as well as numerous children’s musicals: A LAMB’S TALE, co-written with Dennis Allen, BETHLEHEM OR BUST, co-written with Andy Cundiff, Darrell Bledsoe, and Ted Wilson, and BETHLEHEM’S BIG NIGHT, co-written with Bill Wolaver.

A trademark of Martha is that she loves to find the humor in life, as evident in her popular book series for middle-agers: DIDN’T MY SKIN USED TO FIT? and COOKING WITH HOT FLASHES, THE WHOLE WORLD IS CHANGING AND I’M TOO HOT TO CARE), just to name a few.

Martha was named the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association Member of the Year for 2021 and lives by her life statement of: “Life’s tough, God’s good, and laughter is calorie-free.”

Feature Post and Book Review: Deep Freeze by Anne Louise O’Connell

Book Description

Susan Morris is relishing the artificial cold of Ski Dubai, an indoor ski hill in the middle of the desert, with fellow ex-pat Pat Thornton when she sees the chairlift carrying Pat’s husband detach from its cable and plummet to the ground. After an attempt is made on Barry Thornton’s life while he’s in hospital, Susan begins to suspect the chairlift crash was no accident. Then the Thorntons’ home on the Palm Jumeirah is broken into and their Sri Lankan maid goes missing. Feeling the tell-tale prickling at the back of her neck, Susan is certain all these incidents are connected, but how?

In this second book in the Deep Mysteries series, the innate drive to help others puts ex-nurse Susan Morris in precarious positions. Her very life is threatened as she pokes her nose into places it doesn’t belong.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223847530-deep-freeze?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DwWAUdAQLy&rank=2

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

DEEP FREEZE (Deep Mysteries Book #2) by Anne Louise O’Connell is an engaging amateur sleuth mystery featuring an ex-nurse set in the exotic city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This is the second book and is easily read as a standalone story, but I enjoyed Deep Deceit, book one in the series as well.

Susan Morris worked as a psychiatric nurse for thirteen years in a New Jersey hospital. She is now living as an ex-pat in Dubai with her husband, Mitch, who is working as a pilot for Emirates. It has been a major personal adjustment to the cultural differences and the divide between the ex-pats lives and the native Emirati.

Susan is out with other ex-pat wives for lunch and to help her friend, Pat Thornton, learn to ski at Ski Dubai, an oasis of cold and snow in the desert. They witness Pat’s husband, surgeon Barry Thornton, plummet to the ground when his chairlift detaches from its cable. As Susan and Pat watch over him in the hospital, Susan begins to suspect this was no accident when there is a break in at the Thornton home and their Sri Lankan maid goes missing. There is an attempt on Barry’s life and questionable activity by hospital staff members, which has Susan determined to find out if the attempt on Barry’s life and their missing maid are tied to the secrets in a locked lab at the hospital.

This is such an interesting and captivating mystery in many ways. First, the author does a great job of putting me in Dubai with her vivid descriptions of not just the architecture, but also the culture and differences between those who are born there, ex-pats who have upper class jobs and those immigrants brought in for menial labor and jobs. I found it all fascinating, while also making me appreciate our freedoms, especially for females, more. I was sorry that Susan’s personal life took such a turn, but I know it was necessary to move her to a place that is more conducive for future books in the series for a female to solve mysteries on her own. Susan is an intelligent and inquisitive protagonist who must deal with the rules of another culture and country which made it necessary to bring in a male detective from the city to deal with the government and native males for a solution, which for some readers may feel like a cheat in the plot, but I felt it was necessary to remain true to the location. The medical crimes/mystery plot itself is well paced with plenty of red herrings and twists that surprised me throughout.

I highly recommend this captivating amateur sleuth mystery and I am looking forward to following Susan in future adventures.

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About the Author

Author, developmental book editor and partner publisher, Anne Louise O’Connell, was a long-time expat, returning to Canada in 2016 after enjoying the sun and sand of Florida, Dubai and Thailand over a span of 23 years. Anne worked in the PR field for 17 years and then decided it was time to just write. From 2007 to 2016, Anne was writing books while freelancing, editing, author mentoring and social media consulting, along with conducting writing retreats and workshops. In 2013, she began facilitating the annual Paradise Writers’ Retreat. In 2016, she founded OC Publishing and she continues to write her own books while mentoring other authors and providing developmental book editing, writing coaching and publishing services.

While living the expat life, she contributed regularly to the Wall St. Journal Expat Blog, Global Living Magazine and Expat Focus. She has a passion for travel and that adventurous spirit has taken her all over the world. Anne grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and has a bachelor of public relations and an early childhood education certificate, both from Mount St. Vincent University. She is the author of @Home in Dubai… Getting Connected Online and on the Ground; Mental Pause, her first novel, a 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Award winner; and her latest novel, Deep Deceit, which launched March 8, 2015 and is the first in a planned mystery series. She has also contributed short stories to the Phuket Island Writers’ anthologies and has published a collection of travel and expat life stories called Swimming with the Elephants and Other Adventures. Blog: www.anne-writingjustbecause.blogspot.com.

Social Media Links

Website: www.ocpublishing.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocpublishing

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Freeze-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0DTLY26YZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39I9MPPVB8XVV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5fX73k4q9Rh

Book Tour/Feature Post: The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post for THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY (The Secret Detective Agency Book #1) by Helena Dixon on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour bog post.

Below you will find a book description and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!

London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur’s country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand.

In the sleepy Devon village, someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died?

No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…

But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222675067-the-secret-detective-agency?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8gOfL4Q901&rank=2

Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0DQLTGRGFsocia l

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Author Bio

Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.nelldixon.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nelldixonauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenadixonuk

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-secret-detective-agency-a-totally-gripping-historical-english-cozy-murder-mystery-by-helena-dixon

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