Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts

Monday, December 16, 2024

Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder

1850 England - years ago two wealthy upper society friends were pledged by their parents to each other. He fought his family and moved to America, but his former life found him there. Murder, lies and deception form a great mystery for both, engulfing them. He's come back to England and is determined to uncover it all and find justice and revenge, but it doesn't go smoothly. They have a lot to uncover - at great personal risk - including their feelings for one another. Tense, engulfing read that gets harder to put down the more you learn. Excellent read!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NeverForgotten #HannahLinder #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BarbourFiction

About the Book

Book: Never Forgotten

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Regency Romance

Release date: November, 2024

All He Wanted was Justice. All She Wanted was His Heart.

Georgina Whitmore, not accustomed to any man being unaffected by her charms, is plagued with the disappearance and rejection of Simon Fancourt. Twelve years later, Mr. Fancourt returns to British society with two children and a mad hunger for justice.

Racing against time, Simon works to uncover the men responsible for his wife’s horrific murder, protect his children, and fulfill his father’s unexpected will by marrying Georgina—the last thing in the world he wants to do.

Though her heart throbs to accept, she would rather lose him again than have his name without his love. She denies his proposal of matrimony, knowing it will cost them both. But as tragedies unravel and secret enemies narrow their sights on Simon, Georgina risks her life—and her reputation—to protect him and the children. Will the danger scorch them alive? Or will it, for the first time, open his heart to her?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

More from Hannah

We seldom know anyone. I mean, really know them. We brush hands with people, laugh with them, tell them our stories, listen to theirs, and think we know them.

But we don’t.

We have no idea what thrums in their heart, late at night, when they burrow their face into a wet pillow. We have no idea what they fear. We have no idea what beautiful thoughts dance in their mind, or what ugly mysteries harden like lava in the pit of their chest.

“We all have secrets,” Georgina Whitmore, our heroine in Never Forgotten, once said to Mr. Simon Fancourt. He didn’t understand. He didn’t even suspect.

Because he’d sat beside her a hundred times.

Played whist with her.

Rode alongside her in summer carriage rides.

Smiled at her—emptily—and cringed a little when she smiled back.

If you had asked him, at seventeen years old, if he knew Georgina Whitmore, he would have been earnest in his answer. “Yes.” Lovely. Soft. Teasing. Ridiculous. Shallow. All attributes he professed to know only by their brief, passionless courtship.

She was more than he had ever noticed.

Deeper than he had imagined.

Perhaps if he had looked longer, prodded harder, he might have seen a glimpse of what dwelled in the heart of the woman he was betrothed to marry. How long is too long? How many years may blindness, ignorance, and prejudice be forgiven? Even if Simon finally discovers the loveliness of her heart, will it be too late?

If you walk away from Never Forgotten with nothing else, I hope you feel challenged to look deeper. As you’re brushing hands, laughing, telling stories—I hope you stare into people’s eyes and search for a bit of their soul.

We’re all more than what we seem.

We all have secrets.

Like Simon, you may discover the people around you are more beloved, dear, and wonderful than you ever imagined.

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, December 6
Book Looks by Lisa, December 6
Inspired by Fiction, December 7
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 8
Stories By Gina, December 9 (Author Interview)
Pens Pages and Pulses, December 9
Texas Book-aholic, December 10
Cover Lover Book Review, December 11
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 11
Betti Mace, December 12
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 13
Mary Hake, December 13
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 15
Pause for Tales, December 16
Books You Can Feel Good About, December 16
For Him and My Family, December 17
An Author’s Take, December 18
Sylvan Musings, December 18
Holly’s Book Corner, December 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Hannah is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54111

My reviews

Monday, September 30, 2024

Saving Miss Swan by K. Lyn Smith

Quite a mystery. Maria's sister has been murdered and she's trying to solve what happened and find her baby niece in the process. A shipwreck and more murders enter the scene, and it gets quite involved, which makes it hard to put down. Satisfyingly brought to a romantic conclusion. Excellent way to spend your time both for the romance and the mystery.

I received this book free from the author and Book Sirens book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#SavingMissSwan #KLynSmith #BookSirens #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #DavenwoodPress #HistoricalFiction

My reviews

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Summerlin Groves: A Sweet Second-Chance Romance by Elizabeth Camden

I rarely read contemporary novels. They're not my forte but I really enjoyed this one, and really learned a lot about orange groves. There's some historical storyline, mystery, sadness, upheaval as well as hope and painful romance. Keeps you turning the pages as they're uncovering the mysteries and then to see what they are going to do. You have to feel involved with the characters. Excellent read!

I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#SummerlinGroves #ElizabethCamden #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CleanWholesomeRomance #DorothyMays

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.

Synopsis

Elizabeth Camden's first Contemporary Romance!

Jenny Summerlin is struggling to save her dying orange grove when a baffling mystery upends her world. A skeleton buried with a priceless treasure has been found on her land, which brings of flood of investigators onto her property to study a decades old crime.

Captain Wyatt Rossiter is charged with solving the puzzling discovery. Unfortunately, he is also the man who broke Jenny's heart two years earlier. Plagued with regrets and unresolved feelings for Jenny, Wyatt resists getting drawn back into her world, but he cannot rest until he solves the unusual crime.

The former lovers are trapped on a case neither of them wants. Soon they awaken a fifty-year old mystery involving Cold War espionage and a forbidden romance. Will resurrecting the old secrets endanger the survival of her grove and everything she holds dear?

My reviews

Monday, September 9, 2024

What I Left For You Launch Team

I'm feeling blessed to be on Liz Tolsma's launch team for her new book coming out this fall! Yay! This is the third book in the series - I loved the previous two - they're so interesting. It's a WWII novel set in Poland and about love, loss, family, and the meaning of home. You can preorder the book. Here’s a link: https://amzn.to/3XhS1AX.

#LizTolsma #BarbourFiction #ChristianHistoricalMystery&SuspenseRomance #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Friday, August 9, 2024

The Women of Wynton's: A Classy 1950s Mystery by Donna Mumma

What a great story to get wrapped up in. I love the 1950s setting. 3d characters, women who work at the store, each with different backgrounds, who see each other's gifts and strengths and come together to solve a mystery that has impact on them all. Murder and subterfuge surround them, yet they are all grateful for the store and the support they receive from each other. So hard to put down. The mystery snowballs until you just have to know what happens next, all while rooting for these girls. Another fave story!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheWomenOfWyntons #DonnaMumma #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianMystery&Suspense #BarbourFiction

About the Book

Book: The Women of Wynton’s

Author: Donna Mumma

Genre: Mystery/Christian Fiction

Release date: July, 2024

Mid-Century Glam Meets Murder Mayhem

Get swept away to the glamor of a 1950’s department store where four women’s loyalties, vanity, friendship, and detective skills are put to the test.

Audrey Penault once led a glamorous life as a model but now works as devoted secretary to Mr. Wynton. To her fellow employees, she is too vain and uppity.

Mary Jo Johnson, a wife and mother, longs to find her worth in the cosmetics department, but it may take a while for the shy housewife to discover her voice.

Vivian Sheffield owns and runs the bridal salon within Wynton’s. She is proud of her accomplishments and won’t let anyone take them away.

Gigi Woodard dislikes her job as waitress in the store’s lunchroom, but she is determined not to let her secret shortcomings cause her to lose the position.

These four women have much to dislike about each other, but they unanimously agree that Mr. Wynton is the best of employers and must be protected at all costs from someone who seems determined to see him gone for good. When other employee deaths occur, can the women band together to solve the murders, or will they discover it is one of their own bent on destroying Wynton’s from within?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Donna Mumma perfected storytelling in her first grade classroom, spinning tales exciting enough to settle a roomful of antsy six-year-olds. She is an award winning author who loves to blend history, mystery, and a dash of hope in stories that explore ordinary people who learn extraordinary life lessons. Donna is an active member of Word Weavers International, serving as president for the Tampa chapter as well as a mentor for chapters around the country. She was recognized as the Word Weavers traditional groups president and mentor of the year in 2022. She also serves as a line editor and contributor for Inskpirationsonline.com, a site featuring devotions written for writers by writers. An avid believer in education, Donna earned her M. Ed in elementary education and writes educational blogs and articles to assist teachers overseas for the International School Project. A native Floridian, she loves sharing life with her husband and her energetic collie, Duke.

More from Donna

Two models posed in red, flowy iconic 50’s dresses, white gloves, and classy hats. Perfect makeup and hair. Years ago, this picture hung in the dressing rooms of my favorite clothing store.

I was hooked.

Every time I entered the store, I’d walk to the dressing rooms to stare at the picture whether I had something to try on or not. There was something about that image that drew me in.

A few years later, I happened upon the same picture from the store on a social media page I’d joined featuring fashions from the 1950’s. I discovered my beloved photo came from a cover of Vogue magazine issued in 1955.

Then my imagination started churning. Every movie I’d watched with Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Kim Novak came to mind. I pictured four women, wearing the classy, tailored suits, full-skirted dresses, and the beautiful gowns from the 50’s. They were going to work in a department store because I grew up on a dairy farm, way out in the country of central Florida, and the big department stores like Burdines, Maas Brothers, and Robinsons were the most glamourous, luxurious places I’d ever seen.

These women were going to have to deal with a few murders. And the fact they don’t care much for each other.

As I researched, departments stores, history, fashion, and life in Florida in the 1950’s these characters came alive. First was Audrey, a former fashion model and the personal secretary to the owner of Wynton’s Department Store who may be the most hated woman around town. Miss Vivien, the owner and designer for Wynton’s bridal salon, who fights being set aside because she’s growing older. Mary Jo, a young wife and mother who longs to be at home but must take a job at Wynton’s to save her family. Lastly, Gigi, a girl who’s tired of the tough breaks in her life and hopes a new job at Wynton’s will bring her better fortune.

I wanted their experiences in the story to be true-to-life for that period and drew from stories and memories my own mother shared with me when I was growing up. I had so much fun writing about The Women of Wynton’s as they worked their way through mayhem, murders, and a Christmas parade, but also learned much about the women in this period of history. It is my hope my readers will too.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 2
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 2
Stories By Gina, August 3 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 3
Pause for Tales, August 4
Texas Book-aholic, August 4
Inspired by fiction, August 5
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 7
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, August 7
Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 8
Books You Can Feel Good About, August 9
Simple Harvest Reads, August 10 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Paperbacks and Throwbacks, August 10
Book Looks by Lisa, August 11
Cover Lover Book Review, August 12
For Him and My Family, August 13
Lights in a Dark World, August 14
Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 14
Labor Not in Vain, August 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2d090/the-women-of-wynton-s-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

The Gentleman Thief by Camille Elliot

Smoothly written mystery with deep plots within and wonderful 3d characters. Excellent prequel to a great series. Go along for the ride and thoroughly enjoy it!

I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheGentlemanThief #CamilleElliott #CamyTang #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My Reviews

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

The Girl From The Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder

A Regency murder mystery. Tense, heartbreaking, keeps you on your toes to the end. At 5 years old, Eliza is taken away as she sees her mother murdered, to a place hidden deep in the Balfour Forest. Fifteen years later, Fenton wants to clear his family's name, finds her and brings her back. She remembers in very small increments as suspicions surround her and more attempts are made on her life. Their relationship is very strained as she tries to fit in with society's demands and please the people around her. False stories overlap truth, muddying the answers as to she can trust. A slower read, not wanting to miss a word, thoroughly but comfortably drawn out to the solution.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheGirlfromtheHiddenForest #NetGalley #HannahLinder #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BarbourPublishing #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarBooks

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.

Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.

That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.

When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?

As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

My reviews

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

WW2 Christian Historical romance. Expertly written. I became attached right away to Aleida as she's trying to take her son and secretly run away from her husband and also from Netherlands because of the German invasion. Her plans are derailed, and she finds herself in an awful situation as she loses her son to strangers. When she gets to England and her wealthy family she continues to search for her son. Her son has a deformity that her husband hated. Hugh works for the BBC as a broadcaster reporter and is hiding that he has asthma. There are murders of people whom they care for and a mystery to solve as they search for her son. Smoothly written, small bits of information expertly woven into their story so that you can almost figure out who the murderer is. Tense and heartbreaking all the way through as they deal with the war as well as their personal problems. Excellent read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#EmbersInTheLondonSky #NetGalley #SarahSundin #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Revell #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarBooks @SarahSundinAuthor @sarahsundin

My reviews

Thursday, September 21, 2023

A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White

I don't very often have something to take away from a book no matter how entertaining, but this time I was moved, touched by the dialog, especially faith lessons from a missionary. Amazingly entertaining and unexpected mystery, romance and introduction to wonderful characters who will be in a series... one I'm very much looking forward to continuing to read. Very realistic, quite detailed so very easy to see the settings. Not a formula romance story. I loved it!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #ABeautifulDisguise #RoseannaMWhite #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

My reviews

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green

1925 Lauren is a Doctor of Egyptology at the Metropolitan Museum. She always wanted her father's approval, and to be like him, but he stayed distant throughout her life, mostly in Egypt. Joe is a detective and comes to her for help with some forgeries. Quite a mystery unfolds, full of deception, crime, danger and suspense, leaving you unsure of suspects till the end. Three-D characters, realistically draw you in. You have to feel for them as they struggle through the mystery and their relationship, learning to trust. Excellent read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #MetropolitanAffair #JocelynGreen #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction

Author Jocelyn Green

My reviews

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Matthews

London 1843 Wonderfully delicious story with uppercrust social class and ancestral inheritance pressures. Kate and Charles are of course more grounded and love being in the country. Charles has just returned from resigning his commission in the navy. He becomes entangled with Kate when chasing a stray dog through the streets. Family pressures, secrets and mystery propel them into danger. I would love to see the dresses described throughout. Excellent read!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #ReturntoSatterthwaiteCourt #MimiMatthews #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #PerfectlyProperPress

My reviews

Saturday, April 22, 2023

The Fossil Hunter by Tea Cooper

1847 and 1919 New South Wales, Australia

Beautifully told timeslip story. Very intricate mystery that unfolds slowly back and forth through time in a deep gorge where fossils were found from a time when the area had been at the bottom of the ocean. Women were restricted as to where they could go, what they could do. For a woman to be given credit for the find of a significant fossil was rare. Mellie was a very young girl in 1919, taken in by a doctor's family after an illness and her father had been taken away. She had other traumatic experiences as well. When she goes with the doctor's family to visit a family friend, she begins to learn about fossil hunting. Australia is a very wild place in the gorge, flora and fauna, and has its secrets which are unveiled little by little. It and the woman who owned it bring healing to Mellie.

Many years later PJ has her own reasons for going to the gorge. She and her friend had been ambulance drivers in the war. As the mysteries unfold in both time frames, truth is revealed that impacts both women and their families. Sometimes painful, you can't help but cheer Mellie on. Excellent read that holds your interest to the end.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #TheFossilHunter #teaCooper #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HarperMuse

My reviews

Monday, April 17, 2023

A Summer at Sagamore by Lisa M. Prysock

Very good read, would make an excellent summer book. Such likable characters, wealthy but down to earth people with clothes beautifully described. Who wouldn't like a girl who reads Grace Livingston Hill? I once camped on an island near Sagamore, it's a very beautiful area. Lots of piney beauty and fresh air. A mystery threads through the rocky and sigh-able romance and Christian wisdom, life lessons.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ASummerAtSagamore #LisaMPrysock #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: A Summer at Sagamore

Author: Lisa M. Prysock

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: March 14, 2023

Can summer love survive amid mystery and mayhem?

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks, all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?

When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor of the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some of his posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can’t he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes both Christian Historical Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance books—”Romance with a Dash of Food, Fashion, Faith, & Fun.” She writes both traditionally and indie published novels.

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. Happily married to her husband of more than 24 years, she homeschooled two of their five children, now grown. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cross stitch, crochet, sew, scrapbook, read, swim, dance, take walks, travel, explore historical homes, garden, cook for her family, learn to play the piano and violin, and read great books.

More from Lisa

Behind the scenes at A Summer at Sagamore

When a dear writing friend approached me about writing a contribution for Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts, my heart leapt. The Gilded Age is my favorite time to write. Ask me to write anything from 1870 to 1910, and I’m hooked. I love the way traditions are colliding with progress and changing the world in this era.

An exciting time for women, I knew the heroine, Abigail, would be a writer, enthralled with her new, clunky, heavy manual typewriter. Independent, set to inherit her grandmother’s wealth, she would not be looking for romance. I wanted Abby’s grandmother, cousin, and sister to give us plenty of humor and fun along the way. Meanwhile, Abby, would portray a young woman on the brink of writing about her faith, inspired by a few pioneer writers and a previous experience to join the endeavor to pave the way for others to do the same.

Along comes our hero, Jackson. Jack has this Clark Gable kind of vibe, only younger, more handsome. He has strong faith, but it’s quiet, stifled by his position in society. Abby brings out the best in him. I loved watching their romance blossom and their trust in God grow amid the mystery of all the happenings at the Sagamore. More themes came out of the book than I expected. I can’t wait to share it with you.