Tag: #bookblurb

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder Under the Mistletoe by Liz Fielding

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #2) by Liz Fielding on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Book Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

Abby Finch heads to the old church hall armed with mistletoe and holly ready to help decorate in time for the festive season. But she arrives in time to witness a horrifying sight. Edward Marsh reaches to test the antique star at the top of the tree. There’s a fizz and the lights go out.

Abby hears the sickening thud of a body hitting the ground. When the lights turn back on Edward is dead.

It soon becomes clear it was no accident.

The real victim should have been Gregory Tatton, a dapper silver fox, popular with the ladies of the seniors’ lunch club. And a known blackmailer . . .

Abby is desperate to know the truth, but putting herself in danger isn’t on her Christmas list. Who’s been naughty? Who’s been nice? Who’s hiding the fact they’re a murderer?

MEET THE DETECTIVE

Brilliant gardener and the busy mum of three, Abby Finch’s dreams of winning gold at Chelsea Flower Show were put on hold by an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. These days she’s kept on her toes looking after her beloved family, running her own business and dealing with her imminent divorce. In an effort to keep things cordial, she’s allowed her ex to bully her into restoring the garden of his family home. Thankfully she’s surrounded herself with a great group of friends to lean on.

THE SETTING

Pretty Maybridge is a charming village set in the sheep-dotted Cotswolds hills, with a long history stretching back to Tudor times. It’s the type of place where everyone knows each other, but there’s a wonderful bookshop on the corner of the bridge, a popular riverside café and a bustling market at Christmastime. And with Bristol nearby and a big supermarket round the corner.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199527169-murder-under-the-mistletoe?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7FSLDiMmLD&rank=1

A MAYBRIDGE MURDER MYSTERY

Book 1: MURDER AMONG THE ROSES

Book 2: MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #2) by Liz Fielding is an entertaining trip back to the small English town of Maybridge for another murder mystery set at Christmas and once again featuring Abby Finch and all her friends. This second book in the series can be read as a standalone, but it is as wonderful as the first and I suggest reading both to get the introductions, interactions, and backgrounds of the main characters right from the start.

Abby Finch is asked to drop off some mistletoe and holly to decorate the church hall for the season. Abby is in time to reconnect with an old high school teacher before he climbs a ladder to place the star on the top of the tree, and with a pop, the lights go out. When the breaker is switched back on, Abby’s old teacher is dead on the floor.

Immediately after giving a statement to the police, Abby is confronted by another senior, Gregory Tatton. She feels threatened by him even though all the senior ladies seem to love him. Abby begins asking questions with the help of some close friends and discovers Tatton was blackmailing some members of the senior’s club as well as prospecting for a third wealthy wife. The electrocution was meant for him, but he does not get away. One of the ladies who cleans for him finds him dead in his home.

Abby is once again questioned by the police when they discover Tatton was killed with ricin from the seeds of the castor oil plants which she has in her garden . She is determined to find the real killer before she is implicated. The killer may have other plans though to eliminate Abby and any of her discoveries.

Even though this is only the second book in the series, I already feel at home in Maybridge and I love all the main characters. Abby is a wonderful protagonist and I love that she is so realistic as a businesswoman, single mother, and possibly on the verge of a new relationship with an old friend. The characters are fully drawn and believable and the descriptions of plants and gardens are vivid. The mystery itself has plenty of red herrings and plot twists that kept me guessing because even when I felt I knew the solution, I was wrong.

I highly recommend this cozy holiday murder mystery, the entire series, and this author.

***

Author Bio

Award winning author Liz Fielding was born with itchy feet. She was working in Zambia before her twenty-first birthday and, gathering her own special hero and a couple of children on the way, has lived in Botswana, Kenya and the Middle East, all of which have provided rich inspiration for her writing.

She has written more than seventy books, several of which have won awards, and sold over 15 million copies. In 2019 she was honored with the Romantic Novelists’ Association Outstanding Career Award. She lives in West Sussex.

Social Media Links

Website: https://lizfieldingblog.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.fielding/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizfielding

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-fielding

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Before I’m Gone by Heidi McLaughlin

Before I’m Gone


Author: Heidi McLaughlin
Genre: Contemporary/ Women’s Fiction
Release Date: November 7, 2023

Hi, everyone!

Release day! Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for BEFORE I’M GONE by Heidi McLaughlin on this Buoni Amici Press Release Blitz.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

Palmer Sinclair has never needed anyone’s help. A successful loan officer, she’s all work and no play. But when splitting headaches and blurred vision begin to affect her job, she begrudgingly sees a doctor and receives a diagnosis that leaves her shaken to her core and with little time left. Facing an uncertain future, Palmer makes a bucket list, determined to do the things she’d only dreamed of before she goes.

Kent Wagner has dedicated his life to helping others. An army medic turned paramedic, he’s a regular at Palmer’s bank who makes his monthly car loan payments in person just to see her radiant smile. After responding to not one but two 911 calls involving Palmer, he learns about her bucket list. Touched by her circumstances—and needing a distraction from his own—Kent offers to take Palmer to the places on her list.

Neither is prepared for the emotional journey ahead…or how little time they have left together, but the friendship they find in that brief time might be the most lasting legacy of all.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123170573-before-i-m-gone?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=d4yFI4Xc7e&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BEFORE I’M GONE by Heidi McLaughlin is an emotional romance/women’s fiction that left me swinging between beautiful and heartfelt to devastated and ugly crying. This is a story that reminds everyone to live life to the fullest because you never know what tomorrow will bring. (When you sit down to read this make sure you have a full box of tissues close at hand.)

Palmer Sinclair has always taken care of herself, from aging out of the foster care system to working her way up the corporate ladder in a bank. She begins to have terrible migraines and blurred vision which she tries to take care of on her own until she falls at work. Taken to the hospital, she has a cat scan that reveals the worst possible outcome. Now, with a limited future, she makes a bucket list but feels hopeless to accomplish it on her own.

Kent Wagner was an Army medic who is now a paramedic with the local fire department and a regular at Palmer’s bank. He is the responder when Palmer falls at the bank and in her home. He discovers Palmer’s secret when he accidentally pockets Palmer’s bucket list. Kent is having personal problems of his own and decides helping Palmer with her bucket list will help keep him from focusing on his life.

The connection they find in their time and travels together is an emotional journey you will not be able to forget.

What a tear-jerker, and yet hauntingly beautiful story with characters that I will never forget. This is an emotional rollercoaster that feels so real and raw, but you do not want to get off the ride and there are moments of humor to occasionally give you a break from the tissues. Palmer is a heroine that you want to wrap in your arms and Kent was the perfect hero for her. How many of us continually put off what we want, our bucket list, until it is too late? Even if you do not do something on a bucket list, this friendship/love story reminds you to live every day to the fullest.

I highly recommend this emotional journey!

***

About the Author

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

Social Media Links

Website: https://heidimclaughlin.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiJoVT/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-mclaughlin

Purchase Links

AMAZON

 BARNES & NOBLE

 AUDIBLE

 BAM!

 BOOKBUB

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Danger on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DANGER ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #11) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. This series never disappoints. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

The Island of Guernsey isn’t exactly a favourite destination for adrenaline junkies.
But it does have one thing that attracts a new breed of adventure freaks.

Cliff jumping is taking off on the island, and June appears to be the best time of year for those that way inclined to choose to partake in the sport.

When a young woman is killed after a jump, her death is judged a tragic accident, but when her body is retrieved, and the remains of another corpse is found on the rocks below, the Island Police are brought in.

It’s the last thing Detective Liam O’Reilly feels like. Still feeling the effects of a case that almost broke him, he really doesn’t need this.

But when he drags himself back to where he once was, and starts to understand what he’s dealing with he wakes up enough to realise he’s dealing with something much more dangerous than the cliffs that people are jumping off.

There is someone on the Island who likes to take things to the extreme, and O’Reilly is damned if they’re going to do it on his island.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127541869-danger-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Z2JAu9hEPC&rank=1

DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES

Book 1 – Blood on the Island

Book 2 – Lies on the Island

Book 3 – Fear on the Island

Book 4 – Malice on the Island

Book 5 – Revenge on the Island

Book 6 – Christmas on the Island

Book 7 – Silence on the Island

Book 8 – Secrets on the Island

Book 9 – Chaos on the Island

Book 10 – Sadness on the Island

Book 11 – Danger on the Island

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

DANGER ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #11) by Stewart Giles is an exciting, intricately plotted serial killer mystery featuring the feisty Irish DI Liam O’Reilly and his police team on the island of Guernsey. This book can be read as a crime mystery standalone, but the main characters continue to evolve with each book, and I feel they are best read in order. Every book in this series is amazing and will not disappoint.

Guernsey is usually a laid-back place to live and vacation, but this summer a new phenomenon for thrill-seekers is occurring on the island – tombstoning – which is the activity of jumping into the sea from high cliffs or other high points. When a group goes out early for a jump, the first girl off the cliff hits the jagged rocks instead of the sea and when the Coast Guard go to retrieve the body, they find a second female body impaled on the rocks.

O’Reilly is back to work after a terrible motorbike accident because he refuses to sit at home. As more bodies are found at the farthest points of the island with no identification, O’Reilly and his team are at a loss. No clues but footprints until a young boy films one of the murders, but the perpetrators are wearing masks. O’Reilly knows he and his team are being led and he is determined to turn that around and find what is really going on with this sudden bout of murders on the island.

I absolutely love every time I get to take a book trip to Guernsey and revisit all these characters. O’Reilly and all the recurring characters after these eleven books are fully drawn and I feel as though I am visiting old friends while also trying to figure out a well plotted and always surprising crime mystery. I was on the edge of my seat, as usual, reading this book and could not put it down. I know when I get an Island book that I had better have several hours to sit and get immersed because I never stop until the last page.

I highly recommend this gripping and exciting serial killer crime mystery book! I never miss one of these DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries books.

***

Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Sadness on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #10) by Stewart Giles on the Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

Detective Liam O’Reilly has reached a low point in his life.

The love of his life has just been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and his daughter is about to move out of the apartment they’ve shared for the past year.

Even his cats are bringing him down, and he doesn’t think life can get much worse.

But then everything is suddenly put into perspective when news of a horrific incident comes in.

A man has arrived home to find his entire family slaughtered. His wife and children have been brutally murdered. The family dog has also been viciously attacked.

O’Reilly soon forgets his own woes and throws himself headlong into the case. His own sadness can wait.

But soon, O’Reilly realises things are rarely as they appear to be. Not all sadness is real. Sometimes there is something much deeper running beneath the surface, and as he gets closer to the truth, his own misery is forgotten when he comes face to face with an evil so dark, he starts to wonder if sadness is destined to be the norm from now on.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/114470601-sadness-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fIWAMdG51L&rank=1

DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES

Book 1 – Blood on the Island

Book 2 – Lies on the Island

Book 3 – Fear on the Island

Book 4 – Malice on the Island

Book 5 – Revenge on the Island

Book 6 – Christmas on the Island

Book 7 – Silence on the Island

Book 8 – Secrets on the Island

Book 9 – Chaos on the Island

Book 10 – Sadness on the Island

Book 11 – Danger on the Island

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #10) by Stewart Giles is an intricately plotted murder mystery/police procedural that had me reading this book in the series from start to finish in one sitting. While it is not necessary to read the previous books to follow the criminal investigation, the recurring characters personal lives and circumstances continue to evolve in each book, and I am glad I read them in order.

DI Liam O’Reilly has noticed a general feeling of sadness, not only in his personal life, but throughout the island of Guernsey. His girlfriend has been diagnosed with cancer, his daughter has moved into a home of her own, and his cats are in revolt.

And then he is called to a triple homicide. A mother and her two children have been brutally murdered and set on display. When O’Reilly arrives the family dog is barely alive in the backyard and the husband is sitting at the dining room table with a blood covered shirt playing chess.

As O’Reilly and his team investigate the murders, not all the clues are adding up and when they do, O’Reilly does not believe the easy resolution. This crime is so dark and twisted that sadness may be the norm.

I love this protagonist and all the recurring characters in this series. It is as if I am just catching up with old friends when I get a new book, but with the added bonus of a new crime mystery to solve. O’Reilly’s personal issues were more prevalent in this book, and it is interesting to read his personal evolution which has been a lot since the first book in the series. This crime mystery and the subsequent police investigation are extremely well plotted around the game of chess with many twists and red herrings that kept me guessing. No spoilers, but I believe you will agree that the resolution of the mystery is brilliant, and the resolution of O’Reilly’s personal issues is believable. Nothing though prepared me for the emotionally charged ending. I need the next book immediately!

I highly recommend this addition to the series.

***

Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Book Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Opal by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for OPAL (GEM Series, Book #1) by Freya Barker on this Buoni Amici Book Blitz.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

GEM: A PRIVATELY-FUNDED ORGANIZATION OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SEARCH FOR—AND THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF—MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH, AT TIMES WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, GEM AIMS TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS RECEIVE JUSTICE…BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY.

GEM Operator Opal; multifaceted, versatile, a chameleon.

She hides in plain sight, adapts, and infiltrates.

When Opal goes undercover in a youth center several teenagers have disappeared from, she’s shocked to find a ghost of her own traumatic past at the helm. However, her worry for the missing kids is greater than her concern being recognized and she risks her own safety to discover the truth.

To complicate matters, a familiar FBI agent shows up conducting his own investigation and almost blows the whistle on her. It takes some doing to convince him to join forces with her but as it turns out, they work well together.

In the course of uncovering an organized group of child molesters, they find themselves falling—for each other.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123164624-opal?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=sG57GGf5Ga&rank=1

OPAL (GEM Series, Book #1)

Author: Freya Barker

Genre: Romantic Suspense – slow burn romance

Release Date:  May 22nd

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

OPAL (GEM Series, Book #1) by Freya Barker is an exciting and fast-paced first book in a new romantic suspense trilogy with each book featuring a female operative, Opal, Pearl, and Onyx from GEM. These three operatives share a traumatic past and are now working to locate, rescue and save missing and exploited children and teens without the constraints of working for a law enforcement agency.

Kate is GEM operative Opal and a master at blending into any type of environment and a master markswoman. She is back in Kentucky in the town from her own private nightmares to investigate the disappearance of the sheriff’s grandniece and several others from the community youth center.

FBI Agent Mitch Kenny is investigating the same case as Opal and as they cross paths, not only do they agree to a certain amount of cooperation, but there is an attraction between the two. As the investigation heats up, so does the danger, surprises, and romantic heat.

Ms. Barker never disappoints! Opal is a talented, intelligent, and strong GEM operative with a terrible past, but the horror also brought the three friends together. Mitch is a strong, dedicated, and caring FBI agent who is described by Opal as a “silver fox”. Ms. Barker does a great job of bringing them together under terrible circumstances at a believable pace with a few bumps in the road. Opal. Pearl, and Onyx are brought together by the mysterious Jacob Branch and while some of the childhood and teen exploitation scenes are tough to read about in spots, I kept occasionally smiling at other scenes because the set up with Jacob and the women reminds me of Charlie’s Angels, but the middle-aged edition. I really loved Opal and Mitch’s story, and I am looking forward to finding out who Pearl and Onyx are paired with.

I highly recommend this first gripping romantic suspense in the GEM trilogy!

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. 
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook

Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter

Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram

Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorfreyabarker

Purchase Links

Grab your copy of Opal! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Vhlw4L 

Apple: https://mybook.to/Ck1463

BN: https://bit.ly/40Lb4DG 

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ACW8N3

Preorder Pearl

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oGKpdP

Apple: https://apple.co/41BdRQN

BN: https://bit.ly/3LDmyoc

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3NoHXmE 

Preorder Onyx

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nd5BCd

BN: https://bit.ly/3Nmv6Bb

Kobo: https://bit.ly/42pj8LF

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder Among the Roses by Liz Fielding

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER AMONG THE ROSES (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #1) by Liz Fielding on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Book Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

In the peaceful village of Maybridge, you wouldn’t expect to find a dead body in the rose garden. And certainly not two.

Abby Finch is horrified to discover the bones of a baby long-since buried under a rose bush in the garden of her soon-to-be ex-husband Howard’s family home.

She immediately calls the police but she can’t get hold of Howard. He’s off on a jolly with the very pregnant soon-to-be new Mrs Finch.

Abby will do whatever it takes to keep things cordial for the sake of her three children. But when Howard learns the press have found out, he’s livid. He accuses Abby of sabotaging his fledgling political campaign.

And then, just two days later, Abby finds Howard himself.
Lying dead in the very same rose garden.
Throat slashed with her own garden spade.

Now Abby is the prime suspect.

Somebody in this quiet village is hiding a dark secret. And Abby will have to dig deep to uncover the truth.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123811844-murder-among-the-roses?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9lCYlbptgo&rank=2

###

MEET THE DETECTIVE
Brilliant gardener and the busy mum of three, Abby Finch’s dreams of winning gold at Chelsea Flower Show were put on hold by an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. These days she’s kept on her toes looking by her beloved family, running her own business and dealing with her imminent divorce. In an effort to keep things cordial, she’s allowed her ex to bully her into restoring the garden of his family home. Thankfully she’s surrounded herself with a great group of friends to lean on.

THE SETTING
Pretty Maybridge is a charming village set in the sheep-dotted Cotswolds hills, with a long history stretching back to Tudor times. It’s the type of place where everyone knows each other, but there’s a wonderful bookshop on the corner of the bridge, a popular riverside café and a bustling market at Christmastime. And with Bristol nearby and a big supermarket round the corner.

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER AMONG THE ROSES (Maybridge Murder Mysteries Book #1) by Liz Fielding is an outstanding cozy mystery start to a new series set in the quiet and quaint village of Maybridge featuring a unique protagonist. From the beautiful cover to the resolution of the mystery, I was unable to put this book down.

Abby Finch loves her gardening business and is trying to remain civil with her soon to be ex-husband for the sake of their three children, but he has coerced her into cleaning up his family’s estates gardens after the death of his grandmother. As she is digging up a rose bush, she discovers the small bones of an infant. She immediately reports the find to the local police.

When Harold Finch returns from a weekend trip with his fiancée, he immediately confronts Abby about going to the police and accuses her of trying to destroy his budding political aspirations. After Abby has a run in with his fiancée, she goes looking for Harold and finds him over the baby’s grave, dead.

Even with several people in and out of the garden that day, Abby, the soon to be ex, is the prime suspect. As she begins to investigate estate records researching the time the bones of the baby could have been buried, she begins to bring to light dark secrets Harold’s family tried to keep buried.

This is a fantastic cozy mystery. The author does not begin immediately with the murder, but introduces Abby, her family and friends and other characters associated with Harold and the divorce. It was fascinating to read how Abby went about researching the estate and journals from the past to bring to light the murderer in the present. The story pulled me in with characters that are fully developed and believable. I feel the pacing of this cozy mystery plot is flawless, and the twists and red herrings are perfectly placed. I am very interested in how the author will move forward in this series and cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery!

***

About the Author

Award winning author Liz Fielding was born with itchy feet. She was working in Zambia before her twenty-first birthday and, gathering her own special hero and a couple of children on the way, has lived in Botswana, Kenya and the Middle East, all of which have provided rich inspiration for her writing.

She has written more than seventy books, several of which have won awards, and sold over 15 million copies. In 2019 she was honoured with the Romantic Novelists’ Association Outstanding Career Award.  She lives in West Sussex.

Social Media Links

TWITTER
FACEBOOK
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