BLOG TOUR – FLOWER POWER TRIP – REVIEW

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Greetings! Today, I’m excited to be hosting a spot on the Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tour for Flower Power Trip, the third book in the Braxton Campus Mystery series by James J. Cudney. I love this series so I’m excited to be bringing you a review of this third book!

About the Book


Flower Power Trip (Braxton Campus Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Creativia (March 30, 2019)
Print Length: 270 pages
Digital ASIN: B07NDK76WF

Purchase Link: Amazon

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Synopsis

At a masquerade ball to raise money for renovations to Memorial Library, Kellan finds a dead body dressed in a Dr. Evil costume.

Did one of Maggie’s sisters kill the annoying guest who’d been staying at the Roarke and Daughters Inn, or does the victim have a closer connection to someone else at Braxton College?

As Kellan helps school president Ursula bury a secret from her past and discover the identity of her stalker, he unexpectedly encounters a missing member of his family. Everything seems to trace back to the Stoddards: a new family who recently moved in.

Between the murder, a special flower exhibit and strange postcards arriving each week, Kellan can’t decide which mystery in his life should take priority. But unfortunately, the biggest one of all has yet to be exposed – and when it is, Kellan won’t know what hit him.

Review – 4.5 stars out of 5.

As I stated above, I love this series!  The characters, the setting, the plot lines, everything. This book was no exception. Between the twists and turns of the plot and the subplots becoming more and more mysterious, I was riveted to this book!

I had deliberately saved it as a kind of reward to look forward to after having minor surgery on my wrist. It didn’t disappoint and I read it in one afternoon because I just couldn’t put it down!

The ending surprised me even though looking back I could see the clues throughout. I was still surprised and that to me is the sign of a truly great mystery.

highly recommend this series to everyone. The mysteries themselves are stand-alone but if you want to truly understand the intrapersonal relationships and goings on, you need to start with the first book, Academic Curveball. Either way, you should rush and order this book from your local independent bookstore or Amazon as soon as you can!

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About the Author

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.

When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball,, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!

List of Books & Blog

Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)

Father Figure (April 2018)

Braxton Campus Mysteries

Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)

Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)

Flower Power Trip – #3 (Early 2019)

Websites & Blog

Website: https://jamesjcudney.com

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Social Media Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4

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

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4

Thanks for joining me today! If you want to visit other spots on the tour, please click the banner below which will take you to the main tour page!

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BLOG TOUR – Murder Between the Pages – REVIEW

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Welcome! Today I’m hosting a spot on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder Between the Pages by Linda Hope Lee. It was a fun read!

About the Book

Murder Between the Pages (The Nina Foster Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (Crimson Rose) (December 19, 2018)
Paperback: 264 pages
ISBN-10: 1509223673
ISBN-13: 978-1509223671
Digital Print Length: 190 pages
ASIN: B07JKZT5TM

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo

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Synopsis

It’s a sad day for librarian Nina Foster when she discovers her good friend, bookstore owner Wildeen Bergman, dead on her office floor. Worse yet, another friend, romance writer Zelma Duke, becomes the police’s prime suspect. Nina knows Wildeen had something on Zelma. Was it enough to warrant murder? Handsome Stephen Kraslow, owner of the local newspaper, joins forces with Nina to find out the truth. The quest takes them on a dangerous journey of twists and turns before they reach the final outcome.

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Review

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were fairly well-rounded and complex. I’m hoping we learn even more about them in the next few books. The settings were beautifully described and it was a fun read!

The plot had plenty of twists and turns to it and I had NO clue who the villain was before it was revealed. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to the next in the series!

 

BLOG TOUR – Broken Bone China – REVIEW

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Welcome! I’m hosting a spot for the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Broken Bone China by Laura Childs. This is one of her Tea Shop mysteries which I love!

About the Book


Broken Bone China (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
20th in Series
Berkley (March 5, 2019)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 0451489632
ISBN-13: 978-0451489630
Digital ASIN: B07DMZPLWY

Purchase Links: AmazonB&NKobo

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Synopsis

Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out.

As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers.

Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview she learns that one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn that he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag that several people were rabidly bidding on.

Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO’s soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO’s personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques’ dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia’s dear friends, who turns out to be an employee—and whistle-blower—at SyncSoft?

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

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Review

I love this series and this one did not disappoint! In fact, I thought it was one of the better ones of the series, perhaps even my favorite.

Our wonderful, quirky, loveable characters are back and up to their own tricks of snooping, though I certainly can’t blame them after the things they witnessed! No spoilers! You have to read for yourself what happened!

It was a terrific plot with some great red herrings. It wasn’t until just before Ms. Childs had Theodosia figure it out that I started wondering about the villain. All in all a great edition to the series!

 

BLOG TOUR – Murder Once Removed – REVIEW

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Greetings! Today I’m hosting a spot on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins.

About the Book

Murder Once Removed (An Ancestor Detective Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Minotaur Books (March 19, 2019)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1250189039
ISBN-13: 978-1250189035
Digital ASIN: B07D2BJ2JT

Purchase Links: AmazonB&NKobo

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Synopsis

S.C. Perkins’ Murder Once Removed is the captivating first mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, in which Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster uses her skills to solve murders in both the past and present.

Except for a good taco, genealogist Lucy Lancaster loves nothing more than tracking down her clients’ long-dead ancestors, and her job has never been so exciting as when she discovers a daguerreotype photograph and a journal proving Austin, Texas, billionaire Gus Halloran’s great-great-grandfather was murdered back in 1849. What’s more, Lucy is able to tell Gus who was responsible for his ancestor’s death.

Partly, at least. Using clues from the journal, Lucy narrows the suspects down to two nineteenth-century Texans, one of whom is the ancestor of present-day U.S. senator Daniel Applewhite. But when Gus publicly outs the senator as the descendant of a murderer—with the accidental help of Lucy herself—and her former co-worker is murdered protecting the daguerreotype, Lucy will find that shaking the branches of some family trees proves them to be more twisted and dangerous than she ever thought possible.

 

 

Review – 4 out of 5 stars.

I had a hard time getting into this book but I really feel like this is just due to where I am right now in life, how my chronic illnesses/mental illnesses are affecting me right now, and the weather/time change.  Normally I would jump at a book like this.

The book is well-written. There’s nothing wrong with it in that sense. If you like genealogy and cozy mysteries, I’m pretty sure you will love this book. The characters are quirky and well-rounded. The plot is excellent and the genealogy angle adds a nice unique touch to it.

I will certainly read the second book in the series when it comes out as I really think it’s just me and not the book that’s the problem!

 

BLOG TOUR – Eclairs, Scares, & Haunted House Repairs – REVIEW

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Greetings!! My apologies for getting this post up very late today. I’ve spent most of the day with a migraine. But I do apologize to Erin for it not being up sooner!  I’m excited to be hosting a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Eclairs, Scares, & Haunted Home Repairs by Erin Johnson!  I just love this series and this installment was no different!

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About the Book

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs (Spells & Caramels)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Self Published (February 15, 2019)
Print Length: 298 pages
ASIN: B07NLJS93J

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Purchase Link: Amazon

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Synopsis

A bakehouse in the making. A dangerous ghost in the tower. Will their welcome to the neighborhood be short-lived?

Imogen wants nothing more than to complete her sweet dream. With her adoring fiancé Hank at her side, the witch and her friends dive into renovations for their new home and soon-to-be bakery. But all their efforts seem futile when they wake to find the house eerily ripped apart all over again…

As Imogen examines her humble abode’s shady history, she discovers evidence for a malevolent spirit living inside. But with less-than-welcoming neighbors keeping a close, suspicious watch, she wonders if it’s not the dead but the living who pose the biggest threat…

Will Imogen root out the culprit, or will her culinary future collapse under the weight of an unsolved murder?

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs is the ninth book in the charming Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like lovable characters, chilling twists, and enchanting adventures, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s marvelous tale.

Buy Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs to solve a magical whodunit today!

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Review – 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you’ve seen any of my other reviews of books in this series, you will know that I absolutely LOVE this series!  I’ve been hooked from beginning and have always stayed on top of when the next one was coming out because I just adore them! This one was no exception.

I love everything about this series – the characters, the settings, the plots, all of it. This one finds our illustrious characters trying to fix up a house that was said to be haunted. It sure seemed like it since things that were done the day before seemed to be undone the next morning and all sorts of weird things were happening!  The ending was almost more surreal than the thought of it being haunted!

There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, there was a new twist on the subject! I did finally figure out the villain before it was announced, but not without a lot of following red herrings!  And that’s one of the signs of a great mystery.

To read this series, you do need to start at the beginning with Seashells, Spells, & Caramels, but I highly recommend that you start your journey today! It’s one of the best cozy series I’ve read.

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About the Author

Erin Johnson is a native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh. In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).

Website: www.erinjohnsonwrites.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/EJohnsonWrites. Twitter:@EJohnsonWrites