Tag: Mysteries

Amanda in Ireland by Darlene Foster: Indie Spotlight

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

Indie Spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. See below my review of Amanda in Ireland, part of a wonderful series for middle-graders by Darlene Foster that takes kids (and adults) all over the world with Amanda as she travels and solves mysteries.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Twelve-year-old Amanda Jane Ross is invited to be a bridesmaid for her cousin’s wedding in Ireland! She falls in love with the Emerald Isle the moment she lands in Dublin. The warm, friendly Irish people immediately make her feel at home. Towering castles, ancient graveyards, and the stunning green countryside are filled with fascinating legends, enthralling folktales, and alarming secrets.

Things take a dark turn when disaster strikes. Amanda wonders if there will be a wedding at all. As she joins the search for a missing horse, she stumbles upon a world of screaming banshees, bloody battles, and dangerous peat bogs. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous things become. Will she become another body in the bog?

BOOK REVIEW

This is another wonderful installment of the Amanda series. We travel with Amanda to her cousin’s wedding in Ireland, and immediately plunge into a mystery, as a valuable horse is missing, and so is the bride! Amanda begins to investigate, but along the way she (and we) learn so much about this beautiful country.

Readers learn something on almost every page as Amanda tours important Irish museums and landmarks, visits a farrier who explains his job to her, and learns about figures in Irish folklore, such as Cu Chulainn, a mythological warrior. One of the most devastating periods of Irish history, the potato famine, is explained to Amanda as well. The mystery is well written and engaging. There are insightful discussion questions at the end of the book which are great for retaining the information learned.

Mystery, history, and travel fans of all ages will enjoy this latest Amanda adventure. Although this is Book 11, they can all be read as standalones. I highly recommend this series to kids, parents, grandparents, and everyone who loves history and travel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Growing up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, traveling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places. Readers of all ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When not traveling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia. http://www.darlenefoster.ca

PURCHASE LINKS

LINK TO AMANDA IN IRELAND

LINK TO THE WHOLE AMANDA TRAVELS SERIES

BEFORE YOU GO

If you read the book, be sure to leave a review on Amazon and/or wherever you purchase books. Reviews are so important to Indie authors, as Amazon will promote a book depending on how many reviews it has. Also please remember to share this post with all your social media followers so this book gets as much exposure as possible.

Indie Spotlight: Free Book: Songbird by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites13 Comments

Gail Meath, author of The Jax Diamond Series, is offering the ebook of Book 1, Songbird, for free for the next month! If you haven’t started this series, which features a 1920s detective, Jax Diamond, and his sidekick, a German Shepherd named Ace, this is a great way to begin–for free! See the links below. The first link will you to the Amazon ebook, and the second link will take you everywhere else! The ebook is free everywhere!

Songbird Universal Book Link

Link to the Whole Jax Diamond Series

BEFORE YOU GO

Remember, if you read this free book, be sure to leave a review. It means so much to authors and will help with the book’s success. Please also share this free book offer with all of your social media followers.

Blog Tour and Book Review:

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In the unforgiving heart of the Old West, the peaceful lives of frontier settlers are in turmoil as the vengeful figure known as Shadow Hawk strikes under cover, spreading darkness.

His brutal campaign, marked by Bible verses foretelling divine retribution, leaves fear in his wake as he seeks to settle a long-buried score.

Amid the rising terror, Josh and Amy must face yet another ruthless threat—a relentless pursuer bent on taking Josh’s life. Their trials deepen when a devastating grasshopper swarm ravages their land, leaving their livelihood at stake.

Desperate to protect her family’s future, Amy pins her hopes on a legendary treasure—the fabled Jesuit gold, a prize that could pay for her younger brother’s education back East and provide for her ailing father. Together, Josh and Amy must conquer foes both human and natural to reclaim peace and secure a brighter future

BOOK REVIEW

This is the second book in the Devil’s Mountain Dames series.  It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting with Book One for the full effect.. The setting, Devil’s Mountain, appears to be fictitious, and the book doesn’t really pin down its location, except it’s in the “Old West.” The exact year the book takes place is not specifically defined either, as far as I can tell, but it appears to have been fairly soon after the Civil War.

The main characters are easy to connect with, and the mysteries are compelling and certainly held my attention.  The author easily weaves significant events into the story–the Jesuit-connected treasure search, the Shadowhawk mystery, a devastating grasshopper plague, and more. The struggles of life on the frontier are definitely well portrayed, and I did feel transported there. The cast of characters at the Broken Horseshoe Ranch is a group of folks I would enjoy visiting again.  The villain is certainly worthy of the title, and surprises await.  I love seeing new series’ in the Western genre, and I recommend that readers check it out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janey Clarke writes charming, witty, cosy mysteries. From septuagenarian shenanigans in Cornwall to the intrigue of Regency-era whodunits and now to her newest venture into the rugged drama of the Wild West. When not plotting her next twist or researching historical details, she can be found exploring the stunning Jurassic Coast in Dorset with her loyal spaniel by her side. With a passion for tea, old books, and well-timed humour, Janey Clarke creates stories she hopes will whisk readers away to delightful worlds where solving a mystery is always the order of the day. And always solved by a feisty heroine! Visit her at http://www.janeyclarke.com to learn more about her books.

Janey’s Social Media

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Links

Goodreads | Purchase Link

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours!

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

Thank you to The Book Date for hosting It’s Monday!

This week is a catch-up week for me as I have several books on Netgalley that are past their publishing date, and I’m determined to get those completed. At the same time, I only want to read books I’m enjoying, so I no longer hesitate to DNF and move on if I don’t like something.

Click on the covers for their links to Amazon.

WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW

Dare you enter the stone circle . . .? The world’s most unlikely ghost-busting duo – actress Diana and handsome young bishop Alistair – are back in this spine-tingling paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author

There are stories about the dilapidated stone circle at Chipping Amesbury, going back centuries. Of people going missing, never to be seen again. Of people found dead inside the circle. Of monsters, and of demons. The villagers may tell the tales with relish to visiting tourists, but a careful observer will notice that there is no transport to the stones, no tours on offer, and the locals stay well away.

Alistair Kincaid, the youngest ever bishop of All Souls Hollow, is an expert in Britain’s ancient stone circles. That’s why, when landowner Sir Neville Chumley announces his plans to restore the circle to its ancient glory, he agrees to take part in a documentary about the project.

WHAT HAVE YOU JUST FINISHED

Stuck in a dead-end bar job in central Tokyo and barely making ends meet, Naomi Kihara’s life turns upside down when her American father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a toddler, dies. Having been brought up to believe he abandoned her, it’s a shock to learn she is his heir. But there’s a catch: Naomi must go live in his hometown for one year. Felix, Nebraska couldn’t be any more different from Tokyo, Japan. And besides, not everyone in town is happy the Johnson property now belongs to the Japanese daughter everyone forgot Mike ever had in the first place. But with the help of her new friends and neighbors, Naomi discovers a strength in herself she never knew existed.

WHAT ARE YOU READING NEXT?

Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she’s wandered throughout the South, escaping a mental hospital in Alabama, working for a Louisiana circus, and dancing at a hoochy-kootch in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she’s allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.

She intends only to visit briefly – to pay respects to her buried loved ones and leave. But a chance meeting with a haunted young Vietnam vet reconnects her with the remnants of a family she thought long gone, and their union becomes a catalyst for change and salvation. An abused woman and her daughters develop the courage to fight back, a ghost finds the path away from life, and a sanctimonious predator becomes the prey. In the process, Genevieve must choose between her longing for meaningful connection after years as an outsider and her equally excruciating impulse to run.

Written by a naturalist and set on the land where her family roots stretch back two centuries, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a haunting story about letting go and the things we leave behind, the power of names, and the ties that bind. It is both harrowing and triumphant, a visceral Southern debut as otherworldly and beautiful as it is unflinching and wry.

HOW ABOUT YOU? WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Book Review: The Wind Chime

BonnieReadsAndWrites1 Comment

This is the first of the books I reviewed for the November 2021 edition of Historical Novels Review Magazine, and it is one of my favorites. Historical Novel Society just made this book an Editor’s Choice.

I had to wait to share these with you, but now that it’s November 1st, I can start posting the reviews I wrote two to three months ago. Enjoy.

In Windsor, England, 2019, Amelia is completely without family, having lost her daughter and then her parents to serious illness.  Without any surviving relatives, she is adrift and contemplates selling the family home in Windsor.  When fulfilling the last request of her mother to clear out the attic, she finds some intriguing photographs of a large estate in Pembrokeshire featuring the Attwater family.  When Amelia uncovers the diary of Osyth Attwater, she realizes she may have discovered some family secrets.  

In Pembrokeshire, Wales, 1883, young Osyth Attwater is a dreamer and writer who awaits the gathering of the Attwaters, her storytelling family, at their oceanside mansion each year.  There is a wind chime in the garden that signals the arrival of relatives, and she greatly looks forward to the tales they will tell.  But then she overhears a conversation that will shatter her world.

This dual timeline novel of family secrets, fairy tales, missing pieces, and a special wind chime is both enchanting and compelling.  In their separate timelines, Osyth and Amelia both search for answers.  The theme of mental health, and how it was managed in 1883 versus the present, is explored.  The secrets that families keep and the reasons they keep them is examined in heartbreaking detail. The pace and flow of this book are gorgeous, and we are caught up in the beauty of Wales, the magic of fairytales, and the mystery of family secrets.  With Amelia, we piece together puzzling bits of family history and try to see the whole picture. The Wind Chime will engage all of your senses as you see the gorgeous Victorian mansion, feel the heartbreak, smell the ocean air,  taste the tears of grief, and hear the wind chime calling you home.  This is a soul-touching and captivating read.  Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from Sapere Books via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Walsh

From tales spun for her teddies when she was a child (usually about mermaids) to film scripts, plays and novels, Alexandra Walsh has always been a storyteller. Words are her world. For over 25 years, she has been a journalist writing for a wide range of publications including national newspapers and glossy magazines. She spent some years working in the British film industry, as well as in television and radio: researching, advising, occasionally presenting and always writing.

Books dominate Alexandra’s life. She reads endlessly and tends to become a bit panicky if her next three books are not lined up and waiting. Characters, places, imagery all stay with her and even now she finds it difficult to pass an old wardrobe without checking it for a door to Narnia. As for her magical letter when she was 11, she can only assume her cat caught the owl!

Alexandra’s other passion is history, particularly the untold tales of women. Whether they were queens or paupers, their voices resonate with their stories, not only about their own lives but about ours, too. The women of the Tudor court have inspired her novels. Researching and writing The Marquess House Trilogy (Book One: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy) has brought together her love of history, mysteries and story telling.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON

AMAZON UK

Book Review: Murder at Wakehurst

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

After the death of her uncle, Cornelius Vanderbilt, in 1899, Emma Cross is in mourning and has no desire to accompany her cousin Neily (Cornelius Vanderbilt III) to a decadent and rousing party. The party will be held in Newport, Rhode Island, at the home of a member of one of America’s richest and most powerful families. But Neily had been estranged from his late father, and his wife Grace implores Emma to attend to help keep him out of trouble. Then, during an elaborate jousting ceremony, a distinguished judge is murdered, and Emma finds the body. Police detective Jesse Whyte does not seem to be on the case as usual. There is a new detective, and he wants no help from Emma. Emma, a reporter, continues to investigate the crime anyway, with the help of Derrick Andrews, heir to a Providence newspaper fortune. This is the ninth book in the Gilded Newport series.

This fantastic series continues with another installment, and plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings. The life of opulence lived by the Gilded Age’s privileged families is richly described. As a Vanderbilt cousin, Emma has access to elegant parties and mansions, but she is also looked down upon by some as a poor relation who has to work for a living. While sometimes hanging with the high-flyers, Emma keeps her feet firmly on the ground. Her position as an outsider with connections is an intriguing one, as she can hold her own amongst the elite, but is also accepted in the staff kitchens. This is another gripping and clever mystery about a sleuth who inhabits two worlds at once, and it will transport you to a time of luxury, greed, and the quest for power. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own. 

Murder at Wakehurst will be released on August 31, 2021. Books 1 – 8 in the Gilded Newport Mysteries are available now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alyssa Maxwell

Alyssa Maxwell knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles drew her to the mystery genre. She is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries. She and her husband reside in Florida, where she is a member of the Mystery Writers of America-Florida Chapter, Sisters in Crime, and the Florida Romance Writers. 

BUY LINKS FOR MURDER AT WAKEHURST

AMAZON

APPLE

BARNES AND NOBLE

BUY LINK FOR THE ENTIRE GILDED NEWPORT MYSTERY SERIES

AMAZON

#Book Review: The Thin Place

BonnieReadsAndWrites2 Comments

This was another book I reviewed for the May issue of Historical Novels Review, and it was also an Editor’s Choice.

Scotland, present day. Reporter Ava is working on a story about Overtoun Bridge, outside Overtoun House in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Over the years, at least fifty dogs have jumped to their deaths from the bridge. Legends describe Overtoun Bridge as a “thin place,” where the boundary between Heaven and Earth is very thin. The locals will not cooperate, so Ava, pregnant with her first child, begins to investigate. Ava is also trying to get medical history from her mother, who was adopted, but she is uncooperative.

In 1929 England, Marion meets Hamish at a tea dance at the Savoy Hotel. She is swept quickly into marriage and is soon living in the huge and mostly unused Overtoun House in Scotland, sometimes visited by a very absent husband who has little love to share with her.

In 1949 in Scotland, Constance is confined to her room by her mother because she is very ill. Her mother and the doctor are the only people she sees, and she longs for contact with the outside world. When her mother brings her a puppy, some joy comes into her life.

This is a captivating but chilling historical mystery which combines the very real Overtoun house with fictional characters to create an intriguing story. The reports of dogs jumping to their deaths from Overtoun Bridge are heartbreaking but true facts that are spun into this fascinating mystery. The characters are well developed, and their connections begin to come alive. Overtoun House itself becomes a character, alternating between telling secrets and refusing to give them up. The bridge seems to live and breathe, hoping to lure captors to their deaths. This is a spellbinding novel that I highly recommend to those who enjoy historical mysteries with a touch of the paranormal.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Historical Novels Review. My review is voluntary.

NOTE: The mystery of dogs jumping off of the Overtoun Bridge is very real. At least 300, if not more, dogs have inexplicably jumped off the bridge. At least 50 of them have died. If you would like to read more about this mystery, check out this link.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.D. Major

C.D.Major is the pen name of Cesca Major – a novelist and screenwriter. 

Cesca has always been fascinated by mysteries from the recent past. 

Her book THE OTHER GIRL was a number 1 Amazon Bestseller and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award in 2021. It’s a historical thriller perfect for members of a book club. Set in an asylum in 1940s New Zealand it is inspired by the strange phenomenon of children claiming to have past life memories. Her latest book, set in the present day, THE THIN PLACE is based around the sinister happenings at Overtoun Bridge in Scotland – a place where dogs have been known to leap to their deaths. 

Cesca has presented shows for ITV West and Sky Channels in the past. She enjoys hosting or speaking on festival panels and films vlogs about the writing process. She runs writing retreats twice a year in the West Country and teaches creative writing courses for the Henley School of Art. She writes uplifting books under her own name and the pseudonym Rosie Blake, and currently has an original TV series in development. Cesca lives in Berkshire with her husband, son and twin girls.

She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to send her a message over at Twitter or Instagram.

Website

BUY THE THIN PLACE (Kindle Unlimited Members can Read and Listen to Audiobook for Free!)