Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Hazards in Hampshire by Emma Dakin

 

Today I'm participating in the Hazards in Hampshire Blog Tour.  In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review.  And be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle copy of the book.

About the book . . .

 

Hazards in Hampshire (A British Book Tour Mystery)

 Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Camel Press (October 15, 2019)
Paperback: Number of Pages 190
ISBN-10: 1941890601
ISBN-13: 978-1941890608
Digital ASIN: B07V2K7QTB

Synopsis . . .  Moving to a quiet English village should have been tranquil, but Claire Barclay learns that even an invitation to tea can be deadly. Who killed Mrs. Paulson, the president of the local Mystery Books Club? Was the motive for murder located in the archives of the book club? The members of the books club might have reason to want Mrs. Paulson out of the way. She had lived in the village all her life, been involved in many organizations and societies, and knew many secrets of the villagers. Was one secret too dangerous for her to keep? She had been wealthy and left her money to a member of the club. Could the legatee have been impatient for her inheritance? Who cared enough to want her dead? Claire, an expert in solving problems in her job as a tour guide, decides to delve into the archives and into the lives of the villagers—and find out.

My review . . . Claire Barclay is an avid fan of British mystery novels, and has parlayed that love into a dream job leading tours of mystery aficionados to the settings of classic series throughout England.  She has never imagined living an actual murder mystery as part of a tour, yet she does just that in her current tour with a group of four American women from San Francisco. 

It all begins when Claire receives a sizeable inheritance from her stepfather, which she uses to relocate from Seattle back to her native Great Britain, where she buys a home in the picturesque Hampshire village of Ashton-on-Tinch and starts her own tour business.  As she settles into her new residence, Claire receives an invitation to tea from one of her neighbors.  Upon arrival, she finds the lifeless body of the hostess, Isobel Paulson, sprawled on the floor of her garden gazebo.  Mrs. Paulson was a prominent villager who served as president of the Ashton Mystery Books Club and the local Women’s Institute.  Given her age and the condition of the scene, it is initially thought that Mrs. Paulson died of natural causes.  

When the police confirm that Mrs. Paulson’s cause of death is poisoning, Detective Inspector Mark Evans is assigned to the investigation.  Who killed Mrs. Paulson and why?  Suspicion immediately falls upon Claire as an “outsider.”  Claire teams up with DI Evans to clear her name, and together they explore the usual motives of classic mystery plots—greed, revenge, and jealousy.  

Hazards in Hampshire, the first book in the British Book Tour Mystery series, weaves a story around a lively cast of villagers, relatives, and tourists; an archive of Agatha Christie memorabilia; and noteworthy social relationships and events.  The novel’s main appeal lies in its armchair travel to the English countryside, use of uniquely British phrases, and mention of other mystery authors and series set in England (a great resource for adding to one’s personal reading list).  All of these aspects make it an enjoyable read.

Giveaway . . . Enter the Hazards in Hampshire Giveaway of a Kindle copy of the book by using this link.

About the author . . . This is Emma Dakin’s first series, set in Britain the homeland of Emma’s grandparents. Emma channels her mother’s inherited English culture along with the attitudes and sayings of the modern Brits. She travels widely in England and at one point this May while travelling through the Yorkshire Moors she had all the tourists in a tour bus looking for a good place to hide a body. 

 

As Marion Crook, she has published many novels of adventure and mystery for young adult and middle grade readers as well as non-fiction for adults and young adults and non-fiction on social issues. Firmly in the cozy mystery genre now, and committed to absorbing the culture and changing world of Britain, she plans to enjoy the research and the writing of cozies.

Author links . . .  

Webpage/Blog:  emmadakinauthor.com
Facebook:   http://tiny.cc/ilk3az
Goodreads:  http://tiny.cc/ttk3az


Purchase links . . .
Amazon Digital       Amazon Paperback      B&N      Kobo       IndieBound

  

Tour participants . . .

November 11 – Reading Is My SuperPower – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 11 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 12 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
November 13 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 14 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
November 15 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW, RECIPE
November 15 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 16 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
November 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 19 – Carole’s Book Corner – GUEST POST 
November 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
November 20 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 21 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 21 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
November 22 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, RECIPE
November 23 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT 
November 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Hazards in Hampshire 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 Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.