A Pinch of Poison by Alyssa Maxwell @Alyssa__Maxwell #Historical #CozyMystery #Suspense

The Plot:

In post-World War I England, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, encounter an uncharitable killer at a charity luncheon sponsored by a posh school for girls…

Good deeds build good character, and good character is what the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies is all about. Lady Phoebe—with the tireless assistance of Eva—has organized a luncheon at the school to benefit wounded veterans of the Great War, encouraging the students to participate in the cooking and the baking. But too many cooks do more than spoil the broth—they add up to a recipe for disaster when the school’s headmistress, Miss Finch, is poisoned.

The girls at Haverleigh all come from highly respected families, none of whom will countenance their darling daughters being harassed like common criminals by the local police. So, Lady Phoebe steps in to handle the wealthy young debutantes with tact and discretion, while Eva cozies up to the staff. Did one of the girls resent the headmistress enough to do her in? Did a teacher bear a grudge? What about the school nurse, clearly shell-shocked from her service in the war? No one is above suspicion, not even members of the school’s governing body, some of whom objected to Miss Finch’s “modern” methods.

But Lady Phoebe and Eva will have to sleuth with great stealth—or the cornered killer may try to teach someone else a lethal lesson.

About the Author:

Alyssa Maxwell is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries, a historical series featuring the glamour of a bygone era and a sleuth who hails from a less “well-heeled” branch of the Vanderbilt family. The series debuted in March 2014 with Murder at The Breakers (a USA Today Bestseller week of Sept. 4, 2014), followed by Murder at Marble House in September 2014, and Murder at Beechwood in May 2015. Alyssa is also debuting an English-set historical series, A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries, set in the post WWI era. Murder Most Malicious released on Dec. 29, 2015. She and her family live in South Florida, and she is a member of the Florida Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Novelists Inc., and the Florida Romance Writers.

Please visit her at http://alyssamaxwell.com, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alyssa.maxwell.750

Review:

A Pinch of Poison is the second book in a series, yet it stands on its own quite well. There are enough references to the first book to give a reader a pretty good idea what happened, and to maybe pique one’s interest enough to want to go back and read it, without making it feel necessary to this story.

Lady Phoebe Renshaw, with the help of her maid, Eva Huntsford, has planned a charity event at their alma-matter, the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies. Eva attended on a scholarship, but did not graduate due to family issues. But the event is ruined when the headmistress is poisoned. Who did it and why? There are plenty of suspects for the young ladies to investigate before they figure out who did it and why, and Ms. Maxwell kept me on my toes trying to figure it out with them.

My only problem with A Pinch of Poison is the combination of the title and cover art, which was a cartoon. Looking at them, I thought the book would be a humorous murder mystery, but it wasn’t. Yes, it’s a cozy mystery, but I was expecting humor as well, and I believe the cover art was a bit misleading. While illustration can be less expensive than stock photography, sometimes it’s just not appropriate—and I believe this is one of those times.

So, don’t be deceived by the cover. A Pinch of Poison is a serious cozy mystery, but it is well worth reading, even if you haven’t read the first book in the series.

Author Website:  http://alyssamaxwell.com

Warnings:  None

Length:  304 Pages

Prices:

Hardcover:  $25.00

Digital:  $11.99

Buy Link:  https://amazon.com//dp/1617738344

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The Cutaway by Christina Kovac @christina_kovac #Suspense #Thriller #TVNews

The Plot:

The Cutaway draws you into the tangled world of corruption and cover-up as a young television producer investigates the disappearance of a beautiful Georgetown lawyer in this stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.

When brilliant TV news producer Virginia Knightly receives a disturbing “MISSING” notice on her desk related to the disappearance of a beautiful young attorney, she can’t seem to shake the image from her head. Despite skepticism from her colleagues, Knightly suspects this ambitious young lawyer may be at the heart of something far more sinister, especially since she was last seen leaving an upscale restaurant after a domestic dispute. Yet, as the only woman of power at her station, Knightly quickly finds herself investigating on her own.

Risking her career, her life, and perhaps even her own sanity, Knightly dives deep into the dark underbelly of Washington, DC business and politics in an investigation that will drag her mercilessly through the inextricable webs of corruption that bind the press, the police, and politics in our nation’s capital.

About the Author:

Christina Kovac managed newsrooms and produced crime and political stories in the District. Her career as a television journalist began with Fox 5’s Ten O’Clock News, followed by the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. For the last nine years, she worked at the Washington Bureau of NBC News. She lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.

Review:

I started out working at the National Public Radio affiliate in Charleston, S.C. One of our producers recognized my writing talent and mentored me. But one thing I learned while working with her was that I don’t have the attitude for hard news. If the Secret Service tells me to stand behind a certain line, I’ll do so. Mine won’t be the hand with the microphone snaking out of the crowd to get Prince Charles to answer at least one question before being dragged back behind the line—as my mentor was.

Virginia Knightly is who I’d like to be if I ever grow up. She’ll get behind that line and talk the Secret Service into letting her stay. In fact, she’ll convince Prince Charles he needs to talk to her. And if he’s done anything wrong, she’ll prove it, even if she has to risk her life to do so. As she does when Evelyn Carney goes missing.

Ms. Kovac created a cast of compelling, intriguing characters. Then she put them into a fast-paced book I couldn’t put down. In fact, when my granddaughter texted and said she was on her way to pick me up for my great-granddaughter’s birthday party, I texted “Okay,” and continued reading when I should have been grabbing my coat and running out the door. I was annoyed when she texted “Here.” That’s really bad.

Furthermore, I couldn’t figure out who did it. First I thought it was one person, and then another, and then someone else, and back again. It was difficult to tell who was telling the whole truth, part of the truth, or just flat-out lying. Plus, it was all mixed in with an upheaval back at the station. And did I mention she actually uses good grammar? Heaven!

Any book that almost makes me miss my great-granddaughter’s fifth birthday party is an absolute MUST READ!

Author Website:  https://www.christinakovac.com/

Warnings:  None

Length:  320 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $26.00

Digital:  $13.99

Buy Link:  https://smile.amazon.com/ dp/1501141694

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#Deception by Sue Myers #Suspense

The Plot:

Cook County forensic pathologist, Dr. Claire O’Shaunessy is an advocate for her patients, even if they are all dead. When the body of an unknown male discovered behind Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is linked to the remains of her childhood friend recently discovered in a rural cemetery, Claire is driven to solve these two murders. Although the blood of her police family lineage runs deep, her involvement in this investigation soon places her in mortal danger as she begins to discover a plot where money and power override human life. Can her brother, Detective Patrick O’Shaunessy and his partner, Jack Miller, keep her safe or will Claire become the next victim of this ruthless killer’s deception?

About the Author:

Sue (Schreck) Myers was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, and lives in the next town over with her husband, Gene, their cats, and a backyard full of birds and squirrels. Her first encounter with a dead body was in third grade. Whenever a classmate lost a relative, the nuns would march them up to the funeral home to say prayers over the deceased. Sue would stare at them, daring them to wink. Lucky for her, none did.

In her twenties, Sue worked as an ER Tech in a Chicago hospital between Rush Street and the projects. Because of the ER’s interesting clientelle, she was exposed to a whole array of situations involving the 18th District Police. Years later, Sue became a registered nurse, but her experiences in the ER never left her. She spent her nursing career in Labor and Delivery, Neonatal ICU and infertility. Her career in the medical field fueled stories which begged to be told. When Sue isn’t writing, she can be found in her garden or quilting.

Review:

Ms. Meyers tells a good story, but she does so with stilted dialog and the occasional misused/misspelled word. In fact, I changed one in her plot summary at the top of this review.

However, Deception caught and held my interest. Claire O’Shaunessy is a strong, feisty character with blue blood running in her veins. I don’t mean the watered-down noble kind. I mean the kind of strong blood passed down by generations of cops, including her big brother, Detective Patrick O’Shaunessy who raised her and her older sisters after her mother died when she was quite young and her father was killed a few years later. So when a body shows up on her table and she believes the murder is linked to the death of her childhood best friend, she just has to investigate—even if that’s the last thing Patrick and his partner, Jack Miller, want her to do.

Again, the book was fast-paced and the characters compelling and familiar. As a Chicagoan, I could have grown up with Claire, Patrick, and some of the other characters. In fact, Patrick works at Area One Homicide, and I know a detective in that office. There’s humor, too, as Claire enlists the help of other childhood friends, who may have some…connections. But, that’s Chicago. The guy on my block with the best fireworks was a cop. Just sayin’. In the future, maybe loosen up your dialog and get a better editor, Ms. Meyers. Meanwhile, Deception’s still well worth reading.

Author Website:  http://www.suemyers-mystery.com/

Warnings:  Dead Bodies & Autopsies

Length:  240 Pages

Print:  $14.95

Digital:  $2.99

Buy Link:  https://smile.amazon.com/Deception-Claire-OShaunessy-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B00H4DW0SG

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