4 out of 5 stars!

Welcome! Today, I’m hosting a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Broken Promises, the first in the Past Imperfect Mystery series by Anne Willow. I found this to be an easy, fun read and a good start to a new series!

Purchase Link: Amazon

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Synopsis

Julia was in a search of a way out…a way back to herself. The passing of her favorite aunt sends her to the small artist town of Grand Marais, nestled along the northern coast of Lake Superior. There she starts to weave the tattered threads of a new life, rediscovering her love of sketching, while running the antique shop, Past Imperfect. Everything is finally going right. Until a mysterious package arrives, tucked inside is an ornate Victorian silver letter opener bearing the initials E.C. along with an even more mysterious note. Julia’s natural curiosity peaked, but before she can discover who sent the letter opener, it’s found embedded in Tom Peterson’s chest. The tapestry of her new life begins to unravel as she is named a prime suspect. Now, left with few clues and a past not willing to let her go, Julia works to solve the mystery and the murder.

Infidelity through time and a curse that only she can break – once she figures out how.

Review

As I stated above, I found this to be a fun, light read and a good start to a new series. I really enjoyed our main character, Julia.  She seemed very well-rounded, complex, and even grew a bit of a spine in this book, which is good because while I, myself, am not the greatest at standing up for myself, I like the heroines in the books I read to be strong.

While she did take some risks in this book, they were thought out and not just off-the-cuff, who cares about the risk, moments. Also a good thing because I really hate heroes or heroines who are “too stupid to live” and are reckless with their sleuthing.

The setting seemed nice. I will admit to being slightly confused at first. I missed the little detail that we were in Minnesota. Michigan (where I live) also has a Grand Marais and it’s also on the shore of Lake Superior. However, it’s nowhere near Thunder Bay like the one in Minnesota so when I read that people were passing through on their way to Thunder Bay, I knew I’d missed something. I like the town and the store. For the most part I was able to imagine the settings. A tiny bit more detail would’ve been nice, but I’d rather an author err on the side of too little detail rather than too much.

The plot line was well-written and moved along at a decent pace. I did have some idea of the villain fairly early in the book, but the rest of the story kept me intrigued, so it didn’t really spoil it to know so early.

All in all, it was a fun read and I’d recommend it to cozy mystery lovers. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series!

About the Author

Anne has always loved the North Shore, especially Lake Superior near Grand Marais. She lives there with her husband and two children. When bringing the Past Imperfect series together, Anne couldn’t think of a better place to have Julia’s shop. If you find yourself traveling through, stop by Artist Point, you may just find her sitting on the rocks.

Author Links

Blog – https://www.annewillowauthor.wordpress.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/annewillowauthor

Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/cozymysteryanne

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17076742.Anne_Willow

Thanks for joining me today for this stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour! If you wish to visit other stops, please click on the banner below. It will take you to the main tour page where there is a listing of all tour participants!