Thursday, October 26, 2023

Friday Focus: Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts via 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. 

Today I'm featuring Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Bright Young Women 


Book Beginning:  Pamela

Montclair, New Jersey, Day 15,825

You may not remember me, but I have never forgotten you, begins the letter written in the kind of cursive they don't teach in schools anymore. I read the sentence twice in stinging astonishment. It's been forty-three years since my brush with the man even the most reputable papers called the All-American Sex Killer, and my name had long since fallen to a footnote in the story.

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My thoughts:  The compelling opening foreshadows the story of innocence shattered and lives irrevocably changed by the actions of a depraved man. Beyond the at times disturbing content, I'm finding it challenging to follow the timeline and relationships between characters which are years apart because of the way the chapters are structured.

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From GoodReads: An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.

January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

 

 

 

 

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This Friday Focus: Bookish Memes to Start the Weekend post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com. It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

 

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew

 

Today I'm participating in the Murder by the Seashore Blog Tour. In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review. And be sure to enter the giveaway below.

About the book . . . 

 
 
Murder by the Seashore (A California Bookshop Mystery)
 Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639104933
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639104932
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BSKSHZF5

Synopsis . . . Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Scarlett Gardner’s dream was to open a bookshop in Southern California, but it soon becomes a nightmare when she finds the dead body of a customer—and becomes the prime suspect.

Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she moved there and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookshop that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.

After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But when a lawyer, representing someone named Lorelai Knight, tells Scarlett that she now stands to inherit a small fortune, she’s left with more questions than answers. Before she can make sense of any of it, the police bring her in for questioning; the body she found was Lorelai Knight. And the evidence they have against Scarlett doesn’t look good. Business is booming as Scarlett returns to Palm Trees and Page Turners, but for all the wrong reasons – curious tourists don’t want books, they want a glimpse of the Bookshop Killer.

Who could really be behind all of this? And why frame Scarlett? To clear her name, she’s going to have to get creative—and hope she can remain one page ahead of the killer. 

 

My review . . . Scarlett Gardner never imagined the dream life she worked so hard to build would fall apart just as it was getting off the ground. Newly relocated to Southern California to join her boyfriend and business partner in a new bookshop venture along the beach, Scarlett is blindsided by Connor, who abruptly leaves her and the business for a more lucrative startup opportunity. As if picking up the pieces isn't heartache enough, Scarlett discovers a dead body along the pier near her store. The police quickly name Scarlett as their prime suspect when the murder victim is identified. Lorelai Knight had not only visited the bookshop recently, she had named Scarlett the sole heir of her vast estate.

Who is this mystery benefactor that Scarlett seems to have no connection to and has never met before and who is responsible for her untimely death? Scarlett must find out quickly, not only to clear her name, but because it's been clearly demonstrated that she's also in the killer's crosshairs. Which of the many possible murder suspects killed Lorelai and why? 

Murder by the Seashore is a challenging puzzle filled with red herrings galore and strong suspects to be eliminated. As I turned the pages, I was sure I knew whodunit, only to have my theory disproven more than once. The ultimate reveal took me by surprise. 

The new California Bookshop cozy mystery series is off to a great start with its ideal locale that surrounds readers with books and the beach, an intrepid protagonist, and a feisty support network. The first installment establishes plenty of room for character development, personal growth, and relationship possibilities as the series continues. I see myself gladly returning to the SoCal setting for future "chapters" in the story and to find out if Scarlett will get the happily every after she deserves.

 

Giveaway . . . Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a hardcover copy of Murder by the Seashore and bookmarks by clicking this link.

 

About the author . . . Samara Yew is a cozy mystery author who writes about adorable bookshops and dead bodies. A full-time mom, full-time dog servant, and part-time writer, Samara lives in British Columbia, Canada, where she can often be found watching Psych reruns.

 

Samara loves to travel, especially visiting her husband’s home country of Singapore or donning Mickey ears in Disneyland. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers.

 

Author links . . .

Website: https://samarayew.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samara.yew.books

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/samarayewauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samara.yew.author

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24259604.Samara_Yew

 

Purchase Links . . . 

Amazon   PenguinRandomHouse   B&N    Chapters Indigo

 

 

 

Tour Participants . . .

October 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 11 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – REVIEW

October 12 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 12 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 14 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 17 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 18 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

October 19 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

October 19 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 21 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 24 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

October 24 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  



Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Murder by the Seashore from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Weekly Book Recap

As one week ends and another begins, it's time to share my latest reading updates with these weekly memes. . .

 Banner

. . .   Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer, The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date . . .

 

It's been a somewhat slow reading week for me. Although the weather is very conducive to curling up with a book (we've had seven straight weekends of rain), I suspect it's because I've devoted more of my time to knitting. I was never more than a beginner when I learned the basics as a pre-teen, so it's a huge learning curve getting back into it. But I've got the support of a crafty group and some very experienced coworkers to help me along.


Above is a scarf in progress, one of the easier projects I've undertaken to get me back into the swing of things.


Finished reading . . .

 

First book in the new California Bookshop mystery series. My review will be posted on October 24th as part of a blog tour.


Still reading . . . 

         

The dual time lines related to similar crimes are slowing me down . . . I'm having a bit of difficulty keeping the details and characters straight in my head.

 

Planning to read next . . .


Arrived in my mailbox . . .  



All new nonfiction ARCs from publishers this week.


Thanks for reading my updates. Now I'm off to discover what all of you are currently reading and what books are in your queues.






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

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Weekly Book Recap

 It's time to share updates from the past week and the upcoming week with . . .

Banner 

 

. . . Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer and It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date

I used to participate regularly in both of these memes in the early years of my blog. But as life in general got busier, I found myself cutting way back on my weekly blog posts. This past week, I celebrated Book Club Librarian's eleven year blogaversary and thought it would be fitting to return to Sunday memes. I missed all of you and am happy to be back!

 

Finished reading . . .

   

Historical--I read it for my next book club meeting. 

 

Cozy mystery--blog tour reading. My review and giftcard giveaway.

 

Started reading . . .

  

Contemporary fiction--got curious after seeing this book everywhere.


Planning to read next . . . 

  

Cozy mystery--I'll be reading it for an upcoming blog tour. 


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

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Friday Focus: Bookish Memes to Start the Weekend

16

 

 

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.
  • First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My SuperPower

Today I'm featuring Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

 

Book Beginning/First Line:  Salem was meant to be a new beginning, a place where the sharp scent of cinnamon and tea perfumed the air with hope; a place where the colors could be safe and alive in me.

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Page 56:  "I'm grateful." I try again to show that I mean to be a friend. "I'm glad to have you as my neighbors."

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My thoughts:  This very imaginative and harrowing fictional account of a relationship between a young Scottish woman who emigrates to Massachusetts and Nathaniel Hawthorne, future author of The Scarlet Letter, is a realistic depiction of the power structure and plight of women and immigrants in America in the nineteenth century. 

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From GoodReads:  A vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and a journey into the enduring legacy of New England's witchcraft trials.

Who is the real Hester Prynne?

Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country's complicated past, and learns that America's ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel's story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a "real" American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of "unusual" women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined,
Laurie Lico Albanese's Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down.

 

 

 

 

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This Friday Focus: Bookish Memes to Start the Weekend post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com. It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Book Review, and Giveaway: The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating by S.K. Golden


Today I'm participating in the The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating Blog Tour. In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review. And be sure to enter the giveaway below.

About the book . . .

The Socialite's Guide to Death & Dating (A Pinnacle Hotel Mystery)

 Historical Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – 1958 New York City
Crooked Lane Books (October 10, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639104852
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639104857
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BS2SG88V

 

Synopsis . . . Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver, the second Pinnacle Hotel mystery finds another murder that strikes too close to home, and hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy knows she’s the only one who can save the hotel before it’s lights out.

New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father’s hotel. With Malcolm (Mac) Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it’s throwing a big fundraiser with the who’s who of New York City.

The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm’s offer to visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn’s car. But Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car—with a needle in his arm.

Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there’s a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn’s face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn’s got another problem, too—her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.

With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she’s checked out of the hotel—this time, for good. 

 

My review . . . Evelyn Murphy, amateur detective and heiress to the Pinnacle Hotel, is back for more sleuthing in The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating, the second book in author S.K. Golden's historical cozy mystery series. Evelyn has a new beau, Malcolm (Mac) Cooper, and with the help of a therapist, has made strides in dealing with her agoraphobia and anxiety, allowing her to travel farther afield from the Pinnacle.

Evelyn has channeled her talent for event planning into organizing a posh political fundraiser at the hotel for New York City's prominent leaders and their supporters. At the end of the wildly successful party, however, Evelyn finds one of the attendees--a judge--slumped behind the steering wheel of his car, the victim of an apparent drug overdose. When a woman who was in the car with the judge also dies under mysterious circumstances, the police investigation intensifies.

To make matters worse, Evelyn's father detests her new beau, Mac and is threatening to cut off her inheritance if she doesn't immediately end the relationship. Soon after Mr. Murphy issues his ultimatum, he is found in his hotel suite barely conscious--the victim of an attack--along with a maid who has been strangled. When Mac becomes the prime suspect and is arrested, Evelyn undertakes her own investigation to clear her lover's name.

Are all these crimes at the hotel related? Evelyn is convinced that they are and won't rest until she determines whether there is a connection between the victims. And when she puts a dangerous plan in motion to catch the killer, Evelyn risks becoming the next victim.

The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating is a delightful return to the elegant Pinnacle Hotel, with its cast of colorful staff and guests. This second installment has the components that keep readers engaged--an endearing protagonist; balanced amounts of romance and drama; strong character development; a well-constructed plot; an unexpected motive; and hints of what future books in the series may bring. For all of these reasons, I eagerly anticipate the continuation of this series.

For my review of the first book in the series, click this link: The Socialite's Guide to Murder.


Giveaway . . . Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon eGift Card by clicking on this link.

 

About the author . . . S. K. Golden is the author of the Pinnacle Hotel cozy mystery series. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she married a commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls — including identical twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. 

 

She graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. Sarah worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy technician, and an executive assistant at her father’s church. She is delighted to be doing none of those things now.


Author links . . .

Website: https://www.skgoldenwrites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SKGoldenWrites/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/skgoldenwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skgoldenwrites/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22010011.S_K_Golden

 

Purchase links . . . AmazonB&NKoboBookshop.org 

 

  

 

Tour participants . . .

October 5 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

October 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

October 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 10 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

October 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 10 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

 Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

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