Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany

 

Today I'm participating in the Deadly Summer Nights 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. The entry link appears further on in this post.

 

About the book . . .

  

Deadly Summer Nights (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (September 7, 2021)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 059333437X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593334379
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08NT3JCXQ
 

 

Synopsis . . . A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.

It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.

When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed. 

 

My review . . . Haggerman's Catskills Resort in Summervale, New York is the perfect mountain destination for city folks seeking an escape from the oppressive summer heat. Days are spent participating in outdoor activities and lounging by the pool; and evenings are the time to dress to the nines while enjoying cocktails, dancing, and shows. Regardless of time of day, another major activity is gossiping--and the discovery of Harold Westenham's lifeless body in the lake provides lots to talk about. This being no accidental drowning, everyone wants to know, who killed the mysterious guest in Cabin 19, a retired college professor who was writing a novel during his stay? And what was the motive? Manager Elizabeth Grady must do major damage control before the incident impacts the resort's reputation and viability. 

In the two years since Elizabeth's mother--former star of the stage and screen Olivia Peters--inherited Haggerman's, they have worked hard to attract both a loyal staff and customer base, despite competing with popular nearby hotels that aren't beyond using dirty tactics to cut into Haggerman's business. The current situation gives the competition more ammunition, and rumors have the community in an uproar. Is the killer another guest, someone from the area, or a person from the victim's past? With the help of close staff members, Elizabeth sets a trap to catch the killer, putting both her personal safety and business on the line.

Vicki Delany--no stranger to creating successful cozy mystery series--has done it again, introducing a new setting and intriguing cast of personalities. In Deadly Summer Nights, she revives the Catskills of the 1950's--then a moderately glamorous nearby getaway that New Yorkers flocked to every summer. The story is rich in period detail--bringing back to life the fashion, customs, attitudes, and politics of the time. The plot of the mystery is slow-burning, with carefully placed red herrings and clues that keep readers engaged. With signature style, Delany delivers a small town vibe, strongly investing in character development, creating humorous moments, and building relationships that lay the ground work for future installments of the series. All in all, this series is a welcome addition to the genre from one of the great storytellers in the field, and I eagerly await the next book.

 

About the author . . .  

  

 

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than forty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Catskill Resort mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.
 

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

 

 

Author links . . . 

Website:  www.vickidelany.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor;

Twitter:  @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor

Instagram: vickidelany

Bookbub: Vicki Delany Books – BookBub

 

Purchase links . . .  Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

 

Giveaway . . . Enter for a chance to win a print copy of Deadly Summer Nights by clicking this link.

 

  

Tour Participants . . .

September 1 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 2 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

September 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 3 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

September 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 4 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 4 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

September 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 5 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

September 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, RECIPE

September 6 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 7 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

September 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 8 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

September 8 – My Journey Back the Journey Back – RECIPE

September 8 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 10 – View From the Birdhouse – REVIEW

September 10 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 11 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 11 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 12 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

September 12 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

September 13 – Reading Reality – REVIEW

September 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 14 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

September 14 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Deadly Summer Nights 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.