My Books!

Showing posts with label cozy mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cozy mystery. Show all posts

Thursday, May 14, 2020

R.I.P. in Reykjavik


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A.R. Kennedy will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Traveling with your family can be murder.
One wedding party + one estranged mother = another vacation that goes array for Naomi.

Naomi is off on another international vacation. She thinks traveling with her mother will be the most difficult part of her trip until she meets the rest of the tour group—a wedding party. It only gets worse when she finds the groom dead. Everyone’s a suspect on her Icelandic tour of this stunning country.






Read an Excerpt

He looked at me pointedly. Mistakes made from a previous vacation, I had listened closely to Sigi’s instructions. I wondered if my mother had warned him I had a tendency to not listen.

He stepped off the platform, camera at the ready, and waved me in. I adjusted my face mask and took one last deep breath before putting the snorkel in my mouth. I lay prone on the water and took in the breathtaking sight the underwater view held for us. From above, you could not see the mesmerizing colors and depth.

The blue-green water was crystal clear. The jagged sides were lined with dark volcanic rocks. There was nothing but water and rocks to view. No fish. No coral. Nothing other snorkeling adventures would entail. And yet it was captivating. It held a range of blues and greens with occasional golden brown glistening off the rocks. The bottom seemed miles away.

The gentle current took me away. In a Superman-like pose, I floated in the glacial water between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. I didn’t even know such a thing existed before booking the trip.

I felt nothing. The water was the clearest I’d ever seen. The depth infinite.

As the depths along the edge varied, so did the colors. Some tans, some blues, some greens colored my vision. I looked back and saw the others starting to get in the water.

Sigi swam around them snapping photos.

I occasionally kicked when the current slowed. Sigi glided toward me and took a few photos. He took his head out of the water. Though muffled, I heard him say that the turn was coming up. Not wanting to miss any of the view, I didn’t look up. I gave him a thumbs-up.

Moments later, the crosscurrent hit me as the guide had warned. It was with more force than I had expected.

Visions of being swept away into some lake ran through my mind. I gently kicked, trying to fight it. It seemed to do little and I was farther from the left lava rock wall that I’d been instructed to stay close to. I thought I heard Sigi shout my name. I kicked harder and fought the current and, finally, I won.

As I made the turn, the crosscurrent eased and I returned to a relaxing float on the crystal-clear water. The depth was far more shallow after the turn but its beauty didn’t wane.

The sunlight glinted on the surface ahead of me, tinting the water with an orange hue. I hoped Sigi’s photos captured a portion of this beauty.

I saw the ending spot, the stairs ahead. I took a few more mental pictures before gently kicking my legs to propel me there.

As I got to the upright staircase, I grabbed the rails and climbed the stairs out of the water. I realized my face was frozen. Distracted by the beauty of the Silfra, I hadn’t noticed until I removed the face mask and snorkel.

I looked back at the water. I was first out of the water. Seven bodies, clad in black wet suits, lay along the water surface. I could only identify Sigi because of the camera. He often held his head out of the water and took note of his group.

My mother took more photos of me in my dry suit. I only wanted pictures of the Silfra fissure, not me in the unflattering suit. She reviewed her photos. “This may be the picture I use for the Christmas letter.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

The chill of the water hit me and my body began to shake.

I took off the gloves. It only made the chill worse.

Becca got out of the water next. “That was neat,” she said.

Jed was next. “So cool!”

I watched as, one by one, the group headed to the stairs. Except one, who didn’t seem to be making progress. He, or she, lay prone on the water. I couldn’t tell who it was. Everyone looked the same in their dry suits.

Callie, followed by her mother, then father, got out of the water. The wedding group huddled around each other, retelling their experiences.

I was the only one to see Milo wasn’t moving. I ran up to the guide, who had made it to the stairs, and pointed at Milo. “He’s not moving,” I told Sigi.

“We always get one straggler. Probably just enjoying the view. It’s spectacular, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Definitely.” I looked back at Milo. I had taken a few moments before getting out too. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I conceded.

But it didn’t feel right. Flashbacks from my safari hit me. I wiped them from my mind. Just because I found a dead body on the last trip did not mean I’d find one on this trip.

It was implausible really. Who goes on vacation and finds a dead body? Twice?

The guide looked at his watch and called out. “Milo, time to come in!”

No response.

He swam out to him. I saw him wave his hand underwater in front of Milo’s prone face.

The group had finally noticed one of them was missing.

“What’s Milo doing?” Frank asked.

“Joking around probably,” Jed answered.

Teresa looked at her watch. “It’s time to get back to the hotel. We have reservations at five.”

“We were already running late. I told you not to make that reservation so early,” Callie told her mother.

The guide poked Milo. There was no response. He poked him again, this time with more force, and Milo’s body flipped over. Sigi screamed.

“Stop joking around, Milo!” Jed yelled.

“Call 112,” Sigi yelled toward us.

Only my mother had her cell phone on her.

She fumbled with it and dialed 911.

“No!” I yelled. “Give it to me.” I dialed 112. I hesitated as the number rang. I couldn’t pronounce where we were. Would “Thing-something” be enough to locate us?

The wedding group started screaming and Jed jumped back in the water to help Sigi bring Milo to the stairs. The commotion brought others to the area.

Another guide ran up and took the phone from me. He spoke in Icelandic to the operator.

Frank ran to the ladder and helped Sigi and Jed pull Milo out of the water.

They started CPR. My mother and I stood helpless off to the side.

Callie screamed when Sigi announced, “He’s dead.”

About the Author:
A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life'. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08477CQTR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
https://books2read.com/u/bpOjP6

Website: http://arkennedyauthor.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/A-R-Kennedy/e/B00GOKCWHE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARKennedyauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ark_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ark_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382548.A_R_Kennedy
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-r-kennedy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, August 4, 2019

The Angel and the Seal


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour as well as 3 ebook copies of No Cowboys No Angels, Book 2 in the series. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Angel and the SEAL . . . a cozy mystery with romantic suspense from the Mystery Angel Romances series. An angel hidden in every book waiting for you to figure out who . . .

Navy SEAL Sean MacKay's teammate is murdered after stealing a deadly nerve-gas formula from Syrian terrorists. Naval Intelligence believes MacKay's teammate was a traitor and shipped the stolen formula to his sister in the states for safekeeping. MacKay is given orders to find the sister before the terrorists do and to retrieve the stolen formula at all costs.

Foreclosure looms for Cory Rigatero as she fights to keep her rustic resort near Mt. St. Helens afloat after her brother deserted her to join the SEAL Teams. Cory's whole world dives into a tailspin when Sean MacKay shows up at her resort with the news of her brother's death and the wild suspicion her brother may have sent her traitorous classified documents. No way will Cory trust MacKay -- the man who once seduced her and then vanished into the night without a trace.

Read an Excerpt

“Will you be careful with the sheriff too?” Mac asked.

“Why? Dane isn’t dangerous.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he protects everyone else.”

“That’s different,” Mac argued.

“How?”

“He’s after you. Who protects you from him?” he asked, growing indignant.

“Dane’s not after me,” she teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere sparking between them.

“Right, and Bunny’s not after me.”

That restoked Cory’s ire. “It’s a free country. If Bunny’s after you, you’re welcome to her.”

“And you’re welcome to Tyler, is that it?” he growled.

No, that wasn’t it, but he’d brought up Bunny and touched off Cory’s temper all over again. The two of them were arguing like a boyfriend and girlfriend, but the gorgeous man trifling with her was a complete stranger. Almost. So why did he feel like anything but a stranger? She had no answer for that.

Distance. That’s what she needed. Time to think this through before she made another disastrous mistake. One in her life had been enough.

“Sure. Why not?” she answered him, trying to sound nonchalant. “Like I said, it’s a free—”

His lips silenced hers. The moment his mouth touched hers, she was lost in the irresistible scent and taste of him once again. He devoured her mouth as though he wanted to become part of her. No gentle kiss this.

Her hands roamed up his broad chest and caressed his hard, roughened muscles. She felt him shudder. Amazed she held the power to create such a reaction in this strong unyielding man, she fisted her hands into the curls at his nape. The low growl deep in his throat rewarded her efforts, and he crushed her tighter still, his arms banded around her back as though he intended to squeeze all thoughts of Dane from her mind.

She leaned back only enough for much-needed air, and the sensual fog retreated. Coherent thought tried to regain purchase. Enough so, she felt the need to explain her . . . desire.

“I don’t usually . . . I mean, I barely know . . .” She took a deep breath and tried again. “I’m not sure why . . .”

“I know why.” He smiled against her lips. “I feel it too.”

Dropping all pretense of playfulness to the wayside, he took her mouth hungrily, like a starving man pouncing on the chief entrée at Sunday brunch buffet.

Need, hot and hard, spiked through her, and Cory reveled in the tingles buzzing up and down her spine. Tingles she hadn’t experienced in years. Tingles she had feared no other man’s kiss would ever give her. She rejoiced in their reappearance, previously buried with long-repressed emotions, and she wrapped her arms around Mac to center herself, fearful she’d fly off into the atmosphere so charged were all her nerve endings.

Even on that fateful night on this same lakeshore so many years ago, when she’d crossed an invisible line with a different guy, she had never been kissed like this. This was a man’s kiss. A hungry man, a powerful man.

About the Author:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.

http://www.petiemccarty.com
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://twitter.com/authorpetie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Angel-SEAL-Mystery-Romances-Book-ebook/dp/B07RYV7RXR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Book Review: Cakewalk to Murder


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. MK Scott will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bake-off fever is in full-swing and Donna can’t help but have visions of becoming the next great baking star, but the competition is stiff, and someone is willing to kill to win.

When one of the contestants is found dead, a twist of fate puts Donna at the center of the competition. That’s the perfect position to unravel the mystery, but only if she doesn’t get caught in the crosshairs.

Read an Excerpt

A petite brunette and a taller man with a city haircut that screamed expensive waited at the bottom of the stairs, giving each other weighted looks. If it was one of her married couples, then the anniversary weekend was not starting out well. The woman stepped in front of Donna before her foot could reach the floor.

“I’m Emily Featherstone.” The woman smoothed a hand down her the skirt of her navy suit. “I believe the show booked me here?”

“Yes.” Donna agreed and stepped around the woman. “I’ll get your key, and Ten can show you up to your room.” She put a slight emphasis on Ten’s name. If he wouldn’t check people in, then he’d haul them up to their rooms.

The woman moved closer and lowered her voice. “I don’t want my room next to that pretender.”

“Okay, but I’m not sure who you’re talking about.” Mentally, she sighed. While the idea of a bake-off might be fine for her, she had to accept she might be waist-high in demanding divas. That would be the price she paid. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Dalton Gallant,” the woman hissed the name through gritted teeth, then shot a toxic look at the man standing a few feet away.

“How about I put you on the third floor as far away from Mr. Gallant as possible?”

“Yes.” The woman pressed her hands together. “That’s the first thing that has gone right for me since I was chosen as a contestant.”

Personally, Donna would have considered being a contestant as one of those things that went right.


My Review:

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, let me tell you about The Painted Lady Inn mystery series. I had never heard of the series until I agreed to review Cakewalk to Murder, but apparently it’s the tenth book in the series. Here’s the official blurb for Cakewalk to Murder:


Bake-off fever is in full-swing and Donna can’t help but have visions of becoming the next great baking star, but the competition is stiff, and someone is willing to kill to win.

When one of the contestants is found dead, a twist of fate puts Donna at the center of the competition. That’s the perfect position to unravel the mystery, but only if she doesn’t get caught in the crosshairs.


Donna is an admirable main character. She used to be a nurse and married one of the local sheriff’s detectives, but she always wanted to run an inn, and she achieves that dream. She’s the type of person who seems to always be where some crime is committed, and Cakewalk to Murder is no exception. She’s a smart lady. I admired the way she figured out who the real killer was.  I’m glad she knew because I sure didn’t. The book had twists and turns in a very good plot. If you’re a fan of the Great British Baking Show, reality TV, and cozy mysteries you’ll like Cakewalk to Murder.


About the Author:
M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are fun series to create and read.

Website: http://www.morgankwyatt.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-K-Scott/e/B01M4JGK1A/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NVTX6V1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Bark Twice for Danger


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Comic Con is in full-swing and all is well. But no sooner does the biggest event of the year begin before a mysterious wave of identify thefts overshadows the grand affair.

While Nala tries to rein in Karly’s efforts to use the con for dating purposes, she also finds herself the target of a brazen thief. If she and her crime-solving canine companion don’t find the culprit, her bank accounts could be wiped cleaned.

Can Nala and Max bring an end to the chaos before it’s too late?

Read an Excerpt:

What happens to a girl who can’t say no? Most people would assume she’d end up pregnant before her fifteen birthday. The idea made Emma wrinkle her nose at the impossibility of that happening to her. It would involve someone asking her to do something more interesting than pet sitting their parrot or run papers to a client on her way home. Truthfully, she didn’t mind too much. She didn’t have children to drive to soccer practice or the need to start dinner for her partner when she got home from work. What she did resent was people assuming, since she had no life, she’d automatically do the things they had no time to do.

Delivering papers wasn’t in her job description. Technically it wasn’t on anyone’s in the office. The others were smart enough to make themselves scarce, while Emma merely took the papers and agreed to go out of her way to Carmel to deliver them before the end of the workday. The only perk was she got to leave early to arrive while the client’s office was still open.

After she delivered the papers, she exited the art deco building, only to almost bump into him. She couldn’t say she didn’t notice him. He was the type of male who drew all eyes to him by simply existing. He’d erupted into the parking lot riding a wave of sound and testosterone. Instead of a surfboard, his mode of transportation was a Triumph motorcycle. The bike drew her eye first. Back when she was barely thirteen, she longed for a motorcycle. Her fantasies, however, didn’t include her hanging onto some guy steering the bike. It was always her bike.

About the Author:
M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are a fun series to create and read.

Website: http://www.morgankwyatt.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-K-Scott/e/B01M4JGK1A/

The book is on sale for only $0.99!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bark-twice-for-danger-m-k-scott/1128614583
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/824618
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/bark-twice-for-danger/id1381454496?mt=11

The author is running a Rafflecopter on her blog for a $50 gift card... the contest is open until July 1.  Here's the link on her page to the giveaway:  

Here's the Rafflecopter link for the extra giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba5ba0f92/
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Chicken Culprit


CHICKEN CULPRIT
by Vikki Walton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:  cozy mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Moving to Colorado seemed like a great way to start over. In Carolan Springs, Anne plans to spend her days living the simpler life.

But when her neighbor is found dead in his compost pile, trouble comes knocking on Anne's  door. 

All the evidence points to Anne's other neighbor, Kandi Jenkins. As the young woman begs Anne for help, Anne finds herself thrust into a world of deceit and secrets.

Who had the most to gain from Ralph's death? As the suspect list grows, Anne finds her desire for the simple life may have led her to something sinister.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS:

Anne yawned and stretched her hands over her head. She unlocked the kitchen window, taking in a deep breath of crisp Colorado air and sighed loudly. No longer would she have to deal with divorce lawyers or Duke. She could finally live her life as she saw fit.

Anne surveyed her domain. Even though boxes cluttered every available space, it didn’t matter to her. What she cared about was that it was all hers. While the work ahead might seem daunting, the prospect of transforming the old Victorian house didn’t deter Anne.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, both hands cradling the mug, before deciding to drink it out on the back porch. Rays of sunshine had risen about the copse at the back of her property, and its golden warmth welcomed the day. Raising the mug to her mouth, Anne took a much-needed sip of the hot morning brew.

“Stop! Stop!” A woman’s voice carried over from the other yard.

Anne sloshed coffee onto her chambray shirt. “Shoot!” She set her cup down on the railing. The liquid turning cold began seeping onto her skin.

“Stop!” The piercing scream came again.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Vikki is a well-liked speaker and knowledgeable instructor on myriad topics such as fundraising, work quilting, creative writing, design, homesteading, travel, and getting what you really want out of life. Her diverse background and passions enables Vikki to speak and write about many subjects. She’s the author of Work Quilting, a top ten book on vocational guidance. She’s also a global house and petsitter, founder and travel blogger at girlswanta.com and upcoming book on women’s travel. 

 If Vikki isn’t off exploring the globe, you’ll find her at her home in Colorado digging in the garden, watching her chicken’s antics, reading a mystery or working on her newest project.

Connect with Vikki:
www.vikkiwalton.com
FB:
 https://www.facebook.com/VikkiWaltonAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/havensteader
Twitter
@havensteader

Buy Link: Now on sale for only .99.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079SS1C4S/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Vikki Walton will award a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter a $25 Amazon/BN GC.





a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, October 23, 2017

Halloween is Murder


Halloween is Murder -
McKinley Mysteries, Book 11
by Carolyn Arnold

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Beware of all that goes bump in the night…

Sean and Sara McKinley are excited about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to take on the investigation through their PI firm.

But this case is not without its challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinleys to get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.

As they troll for leads and work through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even be time for a little trick-or-treating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Chapter 2

SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS

IT WAS NEARING SIX O’CLOCK in the evening, and Sean and Sara were home in their media room on a large sectional couch, getting ready to watch their spotlight on the evening news with some friends and colleagues. They’d left the haunted house in the hands of some capable employees, who would be posted there until closing at eight.

Jimmy Voigt, their former sergeant when they worked for the Albany PD, also worked for them at the PI firm. He was on the couch next to his girlfriend, Meredith, for the viewing. Sara had told Sean more than once that it was a match made in heaven. He was pretty sure he’d rolled his eyes every time. Not because he didn’t believe in love—he was married to his soul mate—but he just found it hard to picture his former boss whispering sweet nothings to a lady love.

Helen was seated at the other end of the sectional, and Mia was on the floor at her feet, still dressed up as a princess. She really was a good kid—as far as kids went anyway. And it’s not that Sean had anything against children, but for now, he and Sara had decided they weren’t going to have any. And honestly, it was probably for the best, as they traveled a lot and solving crimes didn’t leave much free time.

“I’m going to be on TV.” Mia’s face lit up as she grinned. “I can’t wait!” She seemed more excited about this than she had been at the announcement that pizza was for dinner. Mia stared at the muted television. “That lady was so pretty.”

By “that lady,” Sean assumed she meant Chloe Parsons. Sean had to agree that based on appearances and initial impressions, she was good-looking. But he didn’t understand why she took such issue with Susannah when she didn’t want to talk.

Mia turned to Sara and flashed another smile. “You looked great, too.”

“Thank you.” Sara returned the smile and swept her long brown hair over her left shoulder. “Did you have fun today?”

“Oh yeah. My favorite part was the mummy.”

“That didn’t scare you?” Sara laced her voice with concern but couldn’t hide the underlying amusement.

Mia’s expression faded, and her eyes enlarged. She nodded. “I was, but I like to be scared. And I love mummies!” She bounded to her feet and jumped onto her mother’s lap. Helen let out a whoosh of air but quickly recovered.

“It’s the other kind of mummy, though, sweetheart.” Helen ran a hand over her daughter’s silky hair.

“Oh, it’s almost time,” Meredith said, obviously getting swept up in Mia’s enthusiasm.

Sean looked at the digital clock on the cable box: 5:59.

“It’s on!” Jimmy said, sitting up straighter.

Sean turned up the sound and sank back into the couch, putting an arm around his wife.

Mia wriggled on her mother’s lap.

“Come on, honey, back on the floor.” Helen’s voice strained with the desperation of her plea.

Sean smiled, not because of the woman’s discomfort but because he loved seeing how excited Mia was.

“My costume was the best. They have to show me!” The little girl’s eyes were wide and fixed on the screen.

“You are a beautiful little princess,” Sean said.

Mia glared at him. “I’m not little.” She held up both hands, fingers splaying as she counted them off. “I’m six.”

“My apologies,” he said with a slight bow of his head.

Sara laced her fingers with his, and he met her gaze, which said, You’re aren’t the best with kids…

Message received.

“Shh.” This came from Jimmy, and when Sean turned to look at him, he shrugged. “You want to hear it, don’t you?”

Sean increased the volume a bit more.

“We have some somber news this evening,” a chic reporter announced from the news desk. Based on the set of her mouth and the sad look in her eyes, she wasn’t reading from a script. “Your Source has just received word that one of our own has died.”

Sara tapped her fingers on the back of his, leaned in, and whispered, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

He didn’t look over at her, but his wife had this way of sensing things. He wouldn’t label her clairvoyant, but she certainly had strong intuition.

“Tonight, we say good-bye to”—the reporter, while she kept her tone modulated, was clearly battling with her emotions—“Chloe Parsons.”

The news was a sledgehammer to his chest, knocking the wind out of him.



My Review:

Halloween is Murder is a nice cozy mystery. It's a clean read with no blood and gore. The mystery is well thought out. It was hard to decide who the killer really was. The book flowed well with many twists and turns and was easy to read. I enjoy a touch of humor in a book, and Arnold included that in her story. This is book 11 in the series, but no worries. You can read it as a standalone. I give it four stars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website - http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

THE BOOK IS ON SALE FOR $0.99 DURING THE TOUR

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Murder-McKinley-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B073WJD6LY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=caroarno-20&linkId=b96d52ec4c1748be77147bd8ad697764

Amazon Universal: http://getbook.at/Halloween-is-Murder

Barnes & Noble: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7992314/type/dlg/https:/www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1126748119?ean=2940154707838

Apple iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/halloween-is-murder/id1258831056?mt=11&at=1001l5GE

Kobo: https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplinkid=a6K7IQYrfVY&mid=37217&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobo.com%2Fca%2Fen%2Febook%2Fhalloween-is-murder

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Ok0sDwAAQBAJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35722431-halloween-is-murder?from_search=true
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE


Carolyn will be awarding $15 through PayPal to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



a Rafflecopter giveaway