First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon. 


Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, Wed, Read & Dead by V.M. Burns. The excerpt shared is from an eBook version I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

 

Chapter 1

"If you don't get your fanny out of that dressing room in the next thirty seconds, I'll come in and drag you out."  

I recognized the tone in my grandmother's voice well enough to realize she meant business.  Three hours of trying on every bubble-gum-pink bridesmaid dress in South Harbor's one and only wedding shop had left all of us in a foul mood.  I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror and resigned myself to my fate.  The hoopskirt under my ballroom gown was so large I had to turn sideways and wiggle to get through the dressing room door, but given this was the seventh or eighth dress I'd tried on, I had mastered the technique fairly well. 



What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

This is V.M. Burns's fourth Mystery Bookshop Mystery book.  The series features an inviting bookstore setting, many laugh-out-loud moments (like the one above), and a group of close-knit family members and friends who become more endearing with each new installment. 

You can read my full review of Wed, Read & Dead and enter a contest for an Amazon gift card by clicking this link. My review of the first book, The Plot is Murder is here.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Wed, Read & Dead by V.M. Burns

 

Today is publication day for Wed, Read & Dead and my turn to participate in the book's Blog Tour.  In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review.  And don't forget to enter the giveaway via the link in this post.

About the book . . . 

 

Wed, Read & Dead (A Mystery Bookshop Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (April 30, 2019)
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1496718291
ISBN-13: 978-1496718297
Digital ASIN: B07G6RDBRV

Synopsis . . . Bookstore owner Samantha Washington sells and solves mysteries in North Harbor, Michigan—including the murder of her mother's wedding planner...

Sam's mother can't wait to wed her wealthy beau, Harold Robertson. The big mystery is how they're going to pull off a lavish wedding in three weeks. Harold's snobby sister-in-law proposes a solution: engage flamboyant wedding planner Lydia Lighthouse. But their beacon of hope quickly sends everyone into a blind rage, most of all the groom-to-be. So when the maddening micromanager is strangled with her own scarf, it's a shock, but not a surprise.

It's a case of art imitating life as Sam pens her next historical mystery set in England between the wars. Lady Daphne Marsh insists on marrying Lord James Browning on Christmas Eve, three weeks hence. But when the fop planning their wedding ends up with a knife in his back, she vows to nab the backstabber before she walks down the aisle.

Meanwhile, when she's not writing, Sam and her beloved and boisterous Nana Jo rush to shine a light on Lydia's killer—so her mother's new husband won't spend his honeymoon behind bars...

 
My review . . . In Wed, Read & Dead, the fourth book in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, bookstore owner and author Samantha "Sam" Washington is juggling the holiday shopping rush at the bookstore and the upcoming wedding of her mother, Grace Hamilton to Harold Robinson, a member of one of Southwestern Michigan’s wealthiest families. With just three weeks until the nuptials, a wedding planner is hired to orchestrate the special day.  But Lydia Lighthouse, touted as the wedding planner to the elite is in reality a planner-zilla intent on staging an extravagant, outlandish affair, steamrolling over the bride’s wishes for a private, elegant wedding.  Harold is outraged by Lydia’s bullying behavior toward his beloved Grace and the mounting wedding expenses being incurred—and tells Lydia so in a very heated public conversation.  It is thus no surprise that Harold becomes the prime suspect when Lydia is found murdered soon thereafter.

With no time to waste, Sam—together with the formidable Nana Jo and her group of Sleuthing Seniors—springs into action to clear the prospective groom’s name before the wedding.  Implementing both the standard and non-conventional research methods they’ve honed through previous investigations, the resourceful team unearths a treasure trove of information, revealing a number of suspects with axes to grind against Lydia.  But who among these persons of interest is the killer?

While the Sleuthing Seniors work their connections to dig up dirt on the suspects, Sam once again takes to writing to help her process her thoughts. The latest British cozy mystery novel she’s working on features a plot similar to the crime at hand.  Through writing, Sam focuses her attention on connections between the clues, leading the way to resolutions in both “real” life and the novel she is creating. 

In the Mystery Bookshop series, Burns has established an inviting bookstore setting and team of close-knit family members and friends who become more endearing with each new book in the series.  Their laugh-out loud antics and loyal devotion to one another are delightful to behold.  Rounding out the cast of characters are Sam's two faithful poodles, Snickers and Oreo, who appear on the series' book covers.

Also of note is Burns’s "novel within a novel" technique, which has Sam writing cozy murder mysteries set in England between the two world wars.  It is thus that readers are actually following the developments in two murder mysteries—one in the present day and one in the last century. I've read three of the four books in the series (note to self: track down and read book #2), and am of the opinion that Burns’s novels demonstrate cozy mystery writing at its very best.

Giveaway . . . Enter the Wed, Read & Dead contest to win an Amazon gift card by clicking on this link.

About the author . . .   

 

V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs, British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the Midwest, she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of  Sisters in Crime.

Author links . . . 

Website:  http://www.vmburns.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Twitter:  @vmburns



Purchase links . . . 
Amazon    Barnes & Noble    IndieBound  
Books-A-Million   Hudson Booksellers

 

Tour participants . . .

April 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
April 24 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
April 24 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
April 25 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
April 25 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
April 26 – Carla Loves to Read – REVIEW
April 27 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 27 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
April 28 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
April 29 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 30 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
May 1 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
May 1 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
May 2 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT  
May 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Wed, Read & Dead from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated. 

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson, a book I received at a recent Book Club Girls' Night Out at HarperCollins headquarters in lower Manhattan.  The author recounted stories about growing up at West Point in New York's Hudson River Valley, which served as the inspiration for her novel.

 

Beginning: Winter 2000 // Columbus, Ohio

From the beginning, Dani McNalley wanted to be known for more than basketball.

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Page 56:  She wiped her dirty hands against the legs of her green and brown combat uniform and let her platoon mate help her up.  Eighteen, with dark hair buzzed completely to the scalp, Tim Nesmith had quickly become Dani's favorite person in their platoon, and one of the few reasons she hadn't quit.

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My thoughts:  I'm looking forward to reading this fictional account of three female cadets whose friendship is forged in the predominantly-male world of West Point.

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From Goodreads: Three women are brought together in an enthralling story of friendship, heartbreak, and resilience. Set at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, this is an amazing debut novel.   

Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.

Everyone knows Dani is going places. With athletic talent and a brilliant mind, she navigates West Point’s predominantly male environment with wit and confidence, breaking stereotypes and embracing new friends.

Hannah’s grandfather, a legendary Army general, offers a stark warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but she moves forward anyway, letting faith guide her path. When she meets her soul mate at West Point, the future looks perfect, just as planned.

Wild child Avery moves fast and doesn’t mind breaking a few rules (and hearts) along the way. But she can’t outpace her self-doubt, and the harder she tries, the further it leads her down a treacherous path.

The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future, or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter? 

Beyond the Point is a heartfelt look at how our closest friends can become our fiercest battle buddies. After all, the greatest battles we fight rarely require a uniform.


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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.  

Thursday Thoughts: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alicia Berenson is confined to a psychiatric hospital after brutally murdering her husband Gabriel. She has been silent and withdrawn since the horrific incident, despite therapeutic intervention. What happened leading up to the murder--as well as Alicia's motive--remains a mystery.

When psychotherapist Theo Faber takes over her case, he is determined to break Alicia's silence and make progress in her condition. But deep, destructive secrets lie buried below the surface, and exposing them will bring the dangerous truth to light.

This dark and twisty psychological thriller is a pulse-racing page turner guaranteed to send a chill up the spine. Alex Michaelides's debut novel is an impressive addition to the genre.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon. 


Today I'm featuring my current read, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. The excerpts shared are from an eBook version I borrowed from the library.  

 

PROLOGUE

Alicia Berenson's Diary 

 

July 14

I don't know why I'm writing this.

 

That's not true.  Maybe I do know and just don't want to admit it to myself. 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

 

Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband.

 

 

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

Both the prologue and opening line of the first chapter hooked me.  I'm half-way through this debut novel and am racing through the pages to find out why Alicia killed her husband and what her ultimate fate will be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, A Dream of Death by Connie Berry.  It's the first book in the new Kate Hamilton Series. The excerpts shared are from the eBook I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Beginning: Friday, October 28

I never wanted to return to Glenroth.  

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56% of eBook (approximately):  I ran for the door at the end of the hall, finding it firmly locked.  I peered outside.  No dark figure booking it toward the woods.

********************

My thoughts:  A Dream of Death, with its cast of eccentric islanders and remote atmospheric setting, is a captivating story infused with Scottish lore, a budding romance, and the elements of a classic British mystery novel.

You can read my review here and enter a giveaway.

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From Goodreads: On a remote Scottish island, American antique dealer Kate Hamilton sleuths a killing that eerily replicates a murder still unsolved after 200 years.

Autumn has come and gone on Scotland's Isle of Rothsay, and the locals gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Among the invited guests is American antique dealer Kate Hamilton. Returning to the island where her husband died is brutal, but Kate is determined to repair her relationship with her sister-in-law, Elenor Spurgeon, the proprietor of Rothsay's deluxe country house hotel.

Kate has hardly unpacked when a body turns up, murdered in an eerie recreation of an infamous unsolved murder two hundred years before. And the only clue to the killer's identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. When Bo Duff, the gentle handyman who had tried to save Kate’s husband's life, is taken into custody, she teams up with vacationing Detective Inspector Tom Mallory to clear Bo’s name. To accomplish that, they’ll have to unmask a killer who seems bizarrely fixated on the past…because two hundred years is an awfully long time to hold a grudge in A Dream of Death, the tantalizing series debut by Connie Berry.   



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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.  

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: A Dream of Death by Connie Berry

 

Today I'm participating in the A Dream of Death Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.  And don't forget to enter the giveaway.

About the book . . .

   

 

A Dream of Death (A Kate Hamilton Mystery)

Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Lane Books (April 9, 2019)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1683319877
ISBN-13: 978-1683319870
Digital ASIN: B07H7P2KTS

Synopsis . . . 

On a remote Scottish island, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton wrestles with her own past while sleuthing a brutal killing, staged to recreate a two-hundred-year-old unsolved murder.

Autumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high. A recently published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.

My review . . .Widow Kate Hamilton, an antique shop owner from Ohio, has spent the past three years picking up the pieces of her life following the unexpected death of her husband Bill. When she receives a frantic call for help from her frightened, estranged sister-in-law Elenor Spurgeon, proprietor of the Glenroth House Hotel, Kate returns to the Isle of Glenroth with a heavy heart and much trepidation. It was on this small Hebridean Island that her beloved Bill was both born and died. The isle is also a popular tourist destination, having gained notoriety for its connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie as well as the centuries-old unsolved murders of two young women.  

Kate arrives on the eve of the annual Tartan Ball, amid a flurry of activity and impending major announcements that will affect the future of the community. In the wee hours of the morning following the ball, the body of an islander is discovered in the snow.  Curiously, the murder scene is a recreation of the first long-ago death.  When a second victim turns up a few days later in a restaging of the second long-ago killing, Kate can’t help but wonder if there is a connection between the murders despite them having been committed two centuries apart.

As the police investigate the current crimes, Kate explores clues that might tie the present to the past. In collaboration with hotel guest Tom Mallory, a vacationing detective inspector with Great Britain’s Suffolk Constabulary, Kate unravels the complex history between the islanders and uncovers long-held grievances. What she discovers puts her own safety in jeopardy.  Will the killer be caught before Kate becomes the next victim?  And can the island's residents finally put the past to rest?

A Dream of Death, with its cast of eccentric islanders and remote atmospheric setting, is a captivating story infused with Scottish lore, a budding romance, and the elements of a classic British mystery novel.  Its resilient heroine Kate Hamilton is a woman who has adjusted to great changes in her life.  Will her life change yet again having met Tom Mallory?  There is definitely chemistry between them.  It remains to be seen where their relationship is heading and whether these two souls will find a way to bridge the vast physical distance between the American Midwest and the British Midlands.  For this reason I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.  

Giveaway . . .  Enter the A Dream of Death giveaway contest to win a signed copy of the book by clicking on this link.



About the author . . .  Like her main character, Connie Berry was raised by charmingly eccentric antique collectors who opened a shop, not because they wanted to sell antiques but because they needed a plausible excuse to keep buying them.

  

Connie adores history, off-season foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Millie.


Author links . . . 
Website:  www.connieberry.com
Facebook:  Author@Facebook.com
Twitter: @conniecberry
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18733373.Connie_Berry



Purchase links . . . Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Indiebound 

  

Tour participants . . .

April 15 – The Editing Pen – GUEST POST
April 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 16 – I’m All About Books – GUEST POST
April 17 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT*
April 17 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
April 18 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
April 18 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 19 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
April 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
April 20 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 20 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 22 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
April 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
April 23 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
April 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 24 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 24 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
April 25 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 26 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 26 – My Devotional Thoughts – SPOTLIGHT

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Murder Between the Pages from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated. 

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon. 


Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The excerpts shared are from the hardcover edition I purchased.  

 

Part 1

The Marsh

Prologue

1969

Marsh is not swamp.  Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky.  Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea, and long-legged birds lift with unexpected grace--as though not built to fly--against the roar of a thousand snow geese.

* * * * * * * 

1.

Ma

1952 

The morning burned so August-hot, the marsh's moist breath hung the oaks and pines with fog.  The palmetto patches stood unusually quiet except for the low, slow flap of the heron's wings lifting from the lagoon.  And then, Kya, only six at the time, heard the screen door slap.  Standing on the stool, she stopped scrubbing grits from the pot and lowered it into the basin of worn-out suds.  No sounds now but her own breathing.  Who had left the shack?  Not Ma.  She never let the door slam. 






What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

I've heard all the buzz, I've seen the 60 Minutes interview of the author, and now that one of my book clubs has selected this novel for its next discussion, I'll have the chance to personally find out what all the hype is about.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.