First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring a recent read, The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson. The excerpt shared is from an advance reader copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First Chapter:  You can tell a lot about a person from the library books they borrow.

June liked to play a game when things were quiet at work. Shed pick a patron and make up their life story based on the books they read. Today she'd chosen a middle-aged lady who took out two Danielle Steel novels and The Rough Guide to Iceland. After some consideration, June decided that the woman was trapped in a loveless marriage, perhaps with a boorish, aggressive husband. She was planning to run away to Reykjavik, where she'd fall in love with a rugged, bearded local. But just as she thought she'd found true happiness, her husband would track her down and announce--

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

This was a four star read for me, and I share my review below.

Library assistant June Jones has always been painfully shy, and has become more withdrawn after the death of her mother, librarian Beverley Jones, eight years ago. Since that time, June has retreated into her world of books, venturing only as far as the Chalcot Library, her place of employment, and the Golden Dragon, her local Chinese restaurant. She is a creature of habit who re-reads her favorite classics and orders the same takeaway meal every Monday night. June has resigned herself to living a quiet existence without close friends or outside interests, having given up her dream of being a writer when her mother became gravely ill. Her entire life now revolves around her job at the library, where she performs her assigned tasks while doing her best to limit her interactions with the patrons. June's world is about to turn upside down, however, when the Dunningshire Council announces its plan to close the Chalcot Library as part of its budget reductions.

The library patrons are quick to denounce the Council's plans and organize petitions and protests to save their beloved local library, expecting June to support them in their actions. June is petrified at the thought of participating in any public activities, even though her job is threatened. Can she find it within herself to move beyond her comfort zone and stand up for what she believes in, at the risk of facing her vulnerabilities and connecting with like-minded souls?

The Last Chance Library is a heartwarming tale of love and loss; resourcefulness and new beginnings; and opportunities for personal growth and reinvention. Freya Sampson has created a charming English village populated with an eclectic mix of characters who connect in ways that provide equal measures of light-hearted humor and drama as they interact with each other and rally around a common cause. The resilience of the human spirit is on full display as the ups and downs of these villagers comes to life in the pages of this novel.

That said, The Last Chance Library is also a tribute to books and libraries. It has numerous book references for bibliophiles to delight in; acknowledges the importance of library services beyond book lending; and underscores the library as the day-to-day heart of the community. It is a truly touching and uplifting read.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring The Cape Doctor by E.J. Levy. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version of the book borrowed from the library.

First Chapter:  Fortunate Son

She died, so I might live. Margaret. I owe her my life. Not a day goes by when I don't think of it. Of her. As not a day goes by when I don't think of him.

She died, so I might live, but isn't that the lot of women? To sacrifice, as our Lord was said to have done. Few speak of Mary's sacrifice, of course; that, we are to assume, was unexceptional. To martyr oneself for others is the expected lot of mothers and daughters. It's rarer in sons, except in war. So naturally, given the choice, I chose to be a son. Given the choice, who would not?

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

This novel is a work of historical fiction about a poor Irish girl who pursues her dream of attending medical school at a time when females were not accepted as students by hiding her gender. As Jonathan Perry, this brilliant student becomes an eminent doctor during the nineteenth century. The story is inspired by the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry, born Margaret Anne Bulkley, whose deception wasn't discovered until after death. 

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Death by Leprechaun by Jennifer S. Alderson

Today I'm participating in the Death by Leprechaun Great Escapes Blog Tour. In this post you'll find information about the book and the author along with my review. 

There's also a giveaway contest--be sure to enter for a chance to win Kindle copies of Books 1-3 in the series. The entry link appears further on in this post.

About the book . . . 

Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick's Day Murder in Dublin

Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series

Publisher: Traveling Life Press (June 18, 2021)
Paperback: ‎ 186 pages
ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8513907220
Digital ASIN: ‎ B08P5DS5JY

Synopsis . . . When an old friend is arrested in Dublin, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to clear him of the crime.

Lana is thrilled her friend Jeremy and his wife are on her tour to Ireland. The couple are having the time of their lives exploring the country’s rich literary and cultural history, until they run into Guy Smith, a reporter Jeremy recently exposed as a fraud.

A tussle turns into a fight and leaves each man vowing to destroy the other. Yet cross words and dirty looks tell Lana that Jeremy is not the only client on her tour who has a grudge against the reporter.

When Guy is murdered at the same pub Lana’s group is present at, Jeremy is the police’s number one suspect. But did he really murder the reporter? Or was it one of her other guests?

Lana keeps their tour going and her ears open for any clues that might help free her friend. Can she discover the true killer’s identity before their trip to the Emerald Isle draws to a close?

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.

Books in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series:
Book 1 -  Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book 2 – Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 – Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 – Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 – Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 – Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Books 8-12 – Coming Soon!! 

My review . . . Lana Hansen's latest travel assignment takes her and a group of tourists from the Emerald City of Seattle to the Emerald Isle of Ireland. She is excited to share the opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin's pubs, explore local landmarks, and visit the picturesque Irish countryside with her fellow travelers. Among the guests on this tour is Jeremy Tartal, Lana's friend and former colleague from her days as a journalist. 

The tour appears to be off to a good start given its lively mix of solo and married travelers, and Lana does her best to engage each tourist, smoothing the way for a harmonious experience for all. Despite her best efforts, the tour takes an unpleasant turn after Lana's friend Jeremy has an ugly public encounter with Guy Smith, a disgraced Seattle journalist who is now working for the Dublin Chronicle. When Guy's lifeless body is later found by Jeremy in the alleyway of the pub Lana's tour group is visiting, police arrest Jeremy for the crime. After all, the two have a history, and Guy held Jeremy personably responsible for exposing his unscrupulous reporting. Contrary to appearances, Lana knows the police have the wrong man--but if Jeremy is innocent, then who killed Guy? 

Eager to clear Jeremy's name and set the tour back on track, Lana finds herself in investigative mode. She discovers that Guy was a truly obnoxious man whose newspaper articles ruined numerous solid reputations, leaving a long list of enemies in his wake. In fact, Guy's actions adversely affected the fates of several people in the tour group. Could one of them have evened the score by murder? Or is one of Guy's new coworkers the culprit?

Death by Leprechaun is an entertaining addition to the Travel Can Be Murder mystery series. As in the previous novels -- all of which can be read as stand-alones -- Jennifer S. Alderson creates a lively fictional cast of characters and an engaging plot set in a real-world vacation destination. The series showcases the author's talent as a cozy mystery writer and her love of travel. With Alderson as travel guide, readers experience an itinerary that is so richly accurate in detail that they can imagine themselves there. In these days of restricted travel, this series provides a welcome escape to faraway places. For all of these reasons, this is one of my most favorite cozy series, and I eagerly await the next story and destination.

About the author . . . Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. Jennifer's love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her standalone stories.

When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

Author links . . . 

Website/Blog: http://www.jennifersalderson.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferSAldersonauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JSAauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JennifeSAlderson
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-s-alderson
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-S.-Alderson/e/B019H079RA/

Purchase link . . .  AMAZON

Giveaway . . . Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Books 1-3 contest . . . 

Travel, anyone? Here is your passport to murder – three clean cozy mysteries set in Budapest, Paris, and Amsterdam! 

Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly. The Book 1-3 Collection includes Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest, Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris, and Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win Kindle copies of Books 1-3 in the series by clicking this link.

Tour Participants . . .

August 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 18 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
August 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 19 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
August 20 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
August 21 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 23 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 24 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
August 25 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
August 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
August 30 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Death by Leprechaun from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This Blog Tour post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. It cannot be republished without attribution.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick's Day Murder in Dublin by Jennifer S. Alderson. The excerpts shared are from a Kindle copy of the book I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beginning:  To Your Health

March 11 -- Dublin, Ireland

"Slainte!" Wanderlust Tours guide Lana Hansen cried out, mangling the Irish version of "cheers," as she held her pint up high. 

********************  

56% of eBook:  Even though it was a long shot that anyone would talk to her about their recently deceased colleague, she couldn't sit around and do nothing. Lana was certain Jeremy, despite having been caught red-handed, had not killed Guy.

********************  

My thoughts:  So starts another tour in the Travel Can Be Murder cozy mystery series, this time to Dublin, Ireland and the surrounding countryside. Tour guide Lana Hansen finds herself yet again solving a murder on foreign soil while taking in the local tourist attractions. This is one of my most favorite series, particularly now when travel is still restricted. Each book (and they can be read as stand alones) is set in a different location -- perfect for those longing to visit or revisit a dream destination from the comfort of home while also guessing whodunit.

********************  

From GoodReads:  When an old friend is arrested in Dublin, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to clear him of the crime.

Lana is thrilled her friend Jeremy and his wife are on her tour to Ireland. The couple are having the time of their lives exploring the country’s rich literary and cultural history, until they run into Guy Smith, a reporter Jeremy recently exposed as a fraud.

A tussle turns into a fight and leaves each man vowing to destroy the other. Yet cross words and dirty looks tell Lana that Jeremy is not the only client on her tour who has a grudge against the reporter.

When Guy is murdered at the same pub Lana’s group is present at, Jeremy is the police’s number one suspect. But did he really murder the reporter? Or was it one of her other guests?

Lana keeps their tour going and her ears open for any clues that might help free her friend. Can she discover the true killer’s identity before their trip to the Emerald Isle draws to a close?

The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.

*******************

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 

© 2021 Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post has been stolen and was used without permission.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

Today I'm featuring a an upcoming read, Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon. The excerpt shared in from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

First Chapter:  Oliver

This is a f***ing mistake.

My heart beats against the back of my sternum like it might knock itself still.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The buzz about this book has really piqued my interest. I hope to start reading this thriller soon.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring An Ambush of Widows by Jeff Abbott. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version of the book borrowed from the library.

Beginning: Thursday Evening

Kirsten North was doing what she normally did when Henry was gone on a business trip: finishing her own work on her laptop on the couch, ordering in Chinese food from that place Henry didn't much like, and watching a British baking show that was like a televised tranquilizer.

********************  

Page 56:  She looked over at the warehouse. There. The last place he saw. The last place he knew. The answers were there.

********************  

My thoughts:  I am intrigued by the mysterious plot description, which has me curious about the secrets that lead to the fate of the husbands and the aftermath facing their wives. The novel sounds like a real page turner.

********************  

From GoodReads:  In New York Times bestselling author Jeff Abbott’s latest novel of riveting psychological suspense, an uneasy alliance forms as two widows delve into their husbands’ deadly and dangerous secrets—as they try to protect their own.

Henry North is a down-on-his-luck cybersecurity expert from New Orleans. Adam Zhang is the cofounder of one of Austin’s most successful venture capitalist firms. These two men didn’t know each other. They had never met. Yet they died together, violently, in a place neither had any business being.

When Henry doesn’t return from a business trip, his wife, Kirsten, panics—and then gets an anonymous phone call: “Your husband is dead in Austin.”

Flora Zhang knew her husband was keeping secrets. She suspected an affair, but she had decided she could forgive him for his weakness—until her husband ended up dead. And with no explanation for her husband’s murder, the police begin to suspect her.

Together, these two widows will face a powerful foe determined to write a false narrative about the murders. In doing so, neither Flora nor Kirsten will remain the women the world thought they were.

*******************

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 

© 2021 Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post has been stolen and was used without permission.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring another book club selection, A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. The excerpt shared is from an eBook version borrowed from the library.

First Chapter:  Bao

Hoisin sauce is not paint.

We need a sign that says that, because our customers don't get it. Today's latest work is a misshapen star on the wall. A five out of ten, if you ask me. The kid's parent probably did a double take, snatched the bottle away, then paid the check and left before Me could notice. To be honest, it's not like the sauce makes our wall look worse; it's just hard to wipe off when it dries. But I try, I really do--sometimes. Maybe.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

Bao and Linh are the teenage children of Vietnamese immigrants who work in their families' competing pho restaurants, located on opposite sides of the same street. Other than an encounter in a temple when they were much younger, their paths have seldom crossed, even though they attend the same school.  A recent encounter, however, has the potential to bring them closer together in a meaningful way--if they can overcome the objections of their families.

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a book club selection, Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover edition borrowed from the library.

Beginning: Prologue

It was always possible that the Devil was present.

********************  

Page 56:  Yes, that was dabbling in something dangerous, too, but was it evil?

********************  

My thoughts:  I have enjoyed many novels written by this author, and admire his diverse subject and time range. 

********************  

From GoodReads: A young Puritan woman--faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul--plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive historical thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant.

Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life. But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary--a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony--soon finds herself the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage, but also the gallows. A twisting, tightly plotted thriller from one of our greatest storytellers, Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying novel of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt. 

*******************

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 

© 2021 Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post has been stolen and was used without permission.

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Much Ado About Nauticaling by Gabby Allan

Today I'm participating in the Much Ado About Nauticaling Great Escapes Blog Tour. In this post you'll find information about the book and the author along with my review. There's also a giveaway contest--be sure to enter for a chance to win a print copy of the book (U.S. residents only) by typing your name, email address, and interest in the contest in the Contact Me section in the right hand column of this web page. Entries must be submitted by midnight Eastern Time on August 10, and the winner will be notified on or about August 12, 2021.

About the book . . . 

Much Ado About Nauticaling (A Whit and Whiskers Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 27, 2021)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1496731069
ISBN-13: 978-1496731067
Digital ASIN: B08TB5M4K8

Synopsis . . . Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that's to die for—only to find it's a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan's Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the "Whit and Whiskers Mystery" series.

After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim?

The self-proclaimed Master of the Island, Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother's name, Whit will have to investigate Jules's shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit's ex-boyfriend who's looking to rekindle their relationship.

My review . . .  Whitney Dagner has left behind a dull corporate desk job in mainland California for a more laidback existence running a gift shop and giving tours on her family's glass bottom boat in Santa Catalina Island. It's anything but smooth sailing, however, when Whit finds herself adding sleuthing to her job description after her brother becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local businessman. 

Jules Tisdale, the self-styled business guru and island bigwig who has just been named Person of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce, celebrates his accomplishments with a group tour on The Sea Bounder, the Dagners' glass bottom boat. Mere hours after disembarking, Whitney and her brother Nick find Tisdale's lifeless body floating beneath their boat. Is this a tragic accident, or is foul play involved? Nick's evasiveness and lack of alibi make him the lead--and only--suspect when Jules's death is ruled a homicide.

Who killed Jules? Whitney knows her brother isn't responsible, despite a recent altercation between the victim and suspect over a contentious business deal. Whit learns through the gossip mill that other island business owners have tangled relationships with Jules, and she is determined to convince the police to expand their investigation and suspect list, especially after a second victim is discovered. As Whitney delves deeper, she finds herself in the killer's crosshairs. Will the police find the guilty party before Whitney becomes the next victim?

Much Ado About Nauticaling is a captivating caper with an amusing cast of characters whose ties to the murder victim ensure an engaging read, as does the picturesque island setting, where locals zip around on golf carts. Author Gabby Allan has created a nice sense of community centering around Whitney, her best friend Maribel, her brother Nick, and their grandparents Goldy and Pops. And the return of Whitney's old flame Felix adds another layer of storyline to unfold as the series continues. The Whit and Whiskers mystery series is off to a very good start indeed.

About the author . . . After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, GABBY ALLAN finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. 

This California girl now lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Author links . . .

Website: http://www.gabbyallan.com

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

Purchase Links . . . Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound 

Giveaway . . . Enter the giveaway contest for a chance to win a print copy of the book (U.S. residents only) by typing your name, email address, and interest in the contest in the Contact Me section in the right hand column of this web page. Entries must be submitted by midnight Eastern Time on August 10, and the winner will be notified on or about August 12, 2021.

Tour Participants . . .

July 30      Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 30      Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
July 31      The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 31      Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 1   Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 1   eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
August 2   Novels Alive – GUEST POST
August 2   I Read What You Write – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 3   Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  
August 3   Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 4   Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR  INTERVIEW
August 4   Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 5   Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 5   Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 6   Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 6   Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 7   Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 8   Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
August 9   StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 9   Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 10 Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – GUEST POST
August 11 Novels Alive – REVIEW
August 12 BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Much Ado About Nauticaling from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.