Review: A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley

Goodreads Blurb

An aspiring suspense novelist lands in the middle of a real crime in the first Writer’s Apprentice mystery.

Lena London’s literary dreams are coming true—as long as she can avoid any real-life villains…

Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.

But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.

Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good…

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

When mystery and murder are not just in a book but occur simultaneously with the characters’ real life!! That is brilliant. This book was amazing. Loved that the author started each chapter with a clip of the book Camilla and Lena were working on. While they worked on their mystery novel, Lena and Camilla were in the middle of a murder scene and the mystery of the missing Victoria West. The very moment I started the book, my mind was wrapped into each page. Very fun book with mystery and murder.

Author Biography

Julia Buckley is a Chicago-area writer. She has written three mystery series with Berkley Prime Crime, including the best-selling Writer’s Apprentice Series, which Mystery Scene calls “engaging, enjoyable, and surprising,” while Kirkus dubs it “pleasantly old-fashioned.” The Library Journal called Buckley “a writer to watch.”

Buckley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Chicago Writers Association. She blogs about writing and mysteries at Mysterious Musings, where she has interviewed almost 200 other mystery writers about their work.

She teaches high school English and enjoys reading, playing Words With Friends, and spending time with her husband and two sons, along with their menagerie of animals.

Cover Reveal: So Hectic by Eve Dangerfield

BOOK DETAILS:

So Hectic
by Eve Dangerfield
(Silver Daughters Ink, #3)
Publication date: May 23, 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

A Super Spicy, Enemies to Lovers, Playboy, standalone romance from critically acclaimed author Eve Dangerfield

Tabby DaSilva’s life sucks. Her dad’s AWOL, her Prosecco-themed music festival ‘Sparkling Whine’ bombed, and her big sister’s pregnancy means she’s officially transitioning from ‘youngest kid’ to ‘weird aunt.’ But hardest to take is her best friend Toby Tennant becoming pure evil.

Relieving him of his virginity was supposed to seal their alliance. Instead, Mr Nice Guy vanished only to resurface as a full-blown finance douche, complete with Lamborghini and a podcast shilling creatine every five minutes.

Frankly, it’s a fate worse than death.

But Tabby has the perfect solution: run away! All she needs is enough cash to start a new life in Colombia, and since Toby’s petitioning for her to tattoo him, what’s a girl to do but slowly inject ink into her enemy’s rippling Ken doll torso?

Little does she know that her ex-best friend doesn’t really want a tattoo. Toby wants her, mind, body, and soul. He’s spent the last two years becoming the Sugar Daddy of Tabitha DaSilva’s dreams, and he’s finally ready to show her that he can take care of her and dominate her in ways she can’t even imagine…

SO HECTIC is a full-length contemporary novel and is the third and final book in the Silver Daughters Ink Series.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52687447-so-hectic

Pre-order:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4b2RWa6

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/so-hectic-eve-dangerfield/1145483988

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/so-hectic/id6499218623

AUTHOR BIO:

Eve Dangerfield’s novels have been described as ‘genre-defying,’ ‘insanely hot’ and ‘the defibrillator contemporary romance needs right now’ and not just by those who might need bone marrow one day… OTHER PEOPLE! She lives in Melbourne with her beautiful family and can generally be found making a mess.

Author links:

https://www.instagram.com/evedangerfield/

@evedangerfield

https://www.facebook.com/evedangerfield

https://www.evedangerfield.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14427168.Eve_Dangerfield

Publication Party Day: Mask of Deception by Karen Furk

Blurb

“Not only elven kings carry secrets – ancient artefacts do too.

Fifteen-year-old storm rider Haydan has never wanted the mask of the gods or the responsibilities that accompany it, but whether he likes it or not it’s his destiny. Now he’s discovering that unless he plays to his strengths and quickly he stands no chance as the threats to him and his soul family are growing.

Rumours have always circulated about the dangerous dark gods, but now they’re showing interest in Haydan. As King Tallin’s masquerade ball approaches, excitement builds and Haydan finds himself trapped between Tallin’s magical games, a mysterious hidden adversary in the elven king’s court and feuding dark gods who want him and the mask at any cost.

The only way Haydan will survive is if he places his trust in his feisty chosen one and misbehaving warrior and works with them to capture the realms connected to the mask. Can he figure out the clues and start claiming realms to protect everyone he cares about before it’s too late? Or will the dark gods take him prisoner?

Buy Link

Publication Day Party: Into The Old by Claire O’Connor

Blurb

Will she emerge triumphant, or will the shadows of the past consume her once more?

Eighteen agonizing months after her daring escape, Keziah seizes the opportunity to go undercover, to infiltrate the heart of the cult that once enslaved her. After months of clandestine training, she’s ready to face those she left behind.

Doubts spread like wildfire, and Mother Abi, the carer who brought Keziah up like her own daughter, reveals cracks in the foundation of The Genus. Keziah realizes everyone seems to be questioning their revered leader’s abilities after a strange appearance in the dining hall.

When she stumbles upon a secret enclave within the cult, a revelation shatters her hopes of succeeding in her mission. A strange new leader introduces himself, and workers in the forest are ill and hungry. The detectives go cold and offer cryptic advice, leaving Keziah to navigate the treacherous environment alone. While guards enforce new rules, secrets multiply, and the stakes deepen. Keziah’s quest for justice and redemption becomes a maelstrom of fear and conspiracy . Her focus shifts to getting a few chosen loved ones over the wall and safe, before things escalate. Will she make it on time?

In this heart-stopping second instalment of the Over The Wall Trilogy, Keziah’s adventure unravels complexities she never imagined, and fuels her determination to disband The Genus.

Publication Party Day: Stolen Pieces by S.K. Golden

OCEAN’S 8 meets Janet Evanovich, this fast-paced crime caper features one badass mother, with a certain set of skills who is forced to come out of retirement to protect her son, and teach a few men a few lessons!

Ex-con artist Bee Cardello is going legit. Divorced from her mafia boss husband, she is determined to stay on the straight and narrow. So, when ex-hubby Charlie steals $37.5 million from a dangerous kingpin, who puts out a hit on Bee and her ten-year-old son Oliver, she finds herself pulled back into the life she’s worked so hard to escape.

Part of that old life being one Adam Gage – an old flame and all-round sexy badass who Charlie’s now employed to keep her and Oliver safe . . . well, that’s what he tells her. Bee has been in this game long enough to know that everyone is in it for themselves, and she’d be stupid to trust Adam . . . again.

When Oliver is snatched from right under their noses, rather than risk losing him forever, Bee gathers her old team, dusts off all her old grifting tricks, and comes out of retirement to get her son back!

Author Bio

S.K. Golden writes cozy mysteries and crime capers. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she married a commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls — including identical twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. Sarah graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. She’s worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy technician, and an executive assistant at her father’s church. Sarah is delighted to be doing none of those things now.

Author’s Website: skgoldenwrites.com

Buy Links

Review: Murder at Dolphin Bay by Kathi Daley

Goodreads Blurb

Kailani Pope wants nothing more than to be a proud member of the Honolulu Police Department. Both her father and grandfather were cops, her five brothers are cops, and the only thing she has ever wanted from the time she can remember wanting anything, was to be a cop. She has passed all the requirements to be selected for the police academy but somehow her number never seems to come up.

While she is waiting for her name to work its way to the top of the list she works as a lifeguard for the Dolphin Bay Resort. When a guest of the resort is found murdered, Kailani decides that if she can solve the murder before her brother who has been assigned to the case by HPD, then the department will have no choice but to take her application seriously and move her to the top of the list.

Murder at Dolphin Bay is set on the beautiful island of Oahu providing a perfect backdrop for the perfect beach read.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed this amazing read at the beach. Was so happy to read this new series that has amazing characters. Kailani wants to be a cop which is her every dream. Her dad and grandfather were a cop and all her five brothers also. She has tried to get into the force but feels like her brothers are setting her back, plus her height is in the short side. She runs into a suspicious death and starts doing her investigation on her own, not knowing what dangers await her. I was happy that this series occurred in Hawaii. It’s such a beautiful place that would want to harm anyone in a happy place. Can’t wait to see how Kailani and Luke add more flame to the fire. Great read for the beach.

Author Biography

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Publication Party Day: Allison Consents by D Accord

Blurb

When recently widowed Allison tells her new found friend that her marriage had been one of convenience, not love, Heather gifts her a book.

Aroused by the four short steamy and romance stories about bondage and submission, the previously unexplored sexual sensations force forty-two year old Allison to examine herself and realise her sexually dead marriage was, in part, her fault. She decide’s she’s ready to break free of the self-imposed and restrictive morality inherited from her family’s Brethren background.

After an online dating disaster Allison runs into Peter, a former colleague. She decides it’s time to take a chance on love.

Author bio

D Accord is the author of an exciting new Erotic Romance Novel, Allison Consents. She is currently working on a sequel to the book, Allison Explores. Thank you for following and commenting on my books. D Accord also writes as Liza Miles for Cosy Murder Mystery, YA and Women’s Fiction. Her other pen name is Mary-Beth Mazzini for children’s books

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/Allison-Consents-Steamy-Romance-Accord-ebook/dp/B0D1VJJTN

Upcoming Book Event With Author Riley Sager

On June 27th at 7 pm, Riley Sager will be talking about his upcoming book Middle of the Night at the Barnes and Noble in Princeton, NJ.

Goodreads Blurb

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

Cover Reveal: Sand, Sea, and Second Chances by Catherine Michaels

Sand, Sea, and Second Chances by Catherine Michaels

Cover Reveal: 2nd May

Genre: Contemporary/Romance/Up-Market Fiction

Instagram

@catherinemichaels.author

@lovebookstours

#CoverReveal #Romance #UpMarketFiction #Contemporary #LBTCrew

TikTok

@Lovebookstours

Blurb

Kate Fiore is eager for a fresh start. Unemployed after a corporate takeover and scarred from a failed marriage, she hopes a temporary contract as an aquarium marketing manager will be a breath of fresh air. But a lockout and awkward misunderstandings plague Kate’s arrival at her summer rental.

Luke McAllister will fight to preserve his family and tight-knit coastal North Carolina community. So when he’s paired with Kate to lead the big local fundraiser and sea turtle patrol, the ardent islander clashes with the accomplished city woman. But even as their disagreements heat up, he can’t deny their irresistible attraction.

Sparks fly between the two as she learns to appreciate his passionate environmentalism and he slowly lets down his wall. But when Kate’s contract ends and silence follows, Luke fears letting her go may have cost him his one chance at forever.

Can their hearts rekindle across miles and months?

Sand, Sea, and Second Chances is the swoon-worthy first book in the Gull Island series of contemporary romance. If you like quirky characters, small-town settings, and classic cultural clashes, then you’ll adore Catherine Michaels’s breezy tale.

Dive into the enchanting world of Gull Island where city meets shore and hearts collide.

Publication Party Day: Storm of Magic: Shadows of Chaos Book 1 by Cassie Greutman

Blurb

Something sinister lurks beneath the bright lights of Los Angeles. Rookie cop Jayla Nofsky thought she’d seen it all. But then a routine patrol spirals into chaos when she encounters a fae, Ghira, opening a portal to Faerie. Ghira’s plan? Bring through her psychotic husband and set him loose on the world. Jayla destroys the portal, leaving Ghira stranded on Earth, but not powerless. She can control minds, proven when she turns Jayla’s partner against her. For reasons unknown, her ability won’t work on Jayla. Ghira would do anything to reopen the portal, and she only needs one thing. Jayla’s blood. The key to getting Jayla to cooperate is an easy target. Jayla’s three-year-old daughter, Kenzie. As the line between ally and enemy blurs, Jayla doesn’t know who to trust. Her police captain? A sketchy fae who knows so much more about the situation than she does? Her estranged husband? Jayla’s allies’ loyalties are uncertain, and every choice she makes could be her last. One immune cop against a fae who can control minds—the odds are stacked against her. But she’ll fight. Because if Jayla fails, not just her city, but her daughter will pay the price.

Author bio

Cassie Greutman is a small town Ohio girl who has always loved stories in any form. You can usually find her typing away at her computer or playing out in the barn with her ponies.

Buy Links