Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn

  

Today I'm participating in the How to Book a Murder Great Escapes Blog Tour. In this post you'll find information about the book and author along with my review. And be sure to enter the giveaway contest via the link further below for a chance to win a digital copy of the book and a $20 gift card.

About the book . . .

How to Book a Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (December 7, 2021)

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1643858599

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1643858593

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08QVJFZZK

 

 

Synopsis . . . Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Kate Carlisle, in award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn’s series debut, small-town bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is out to close the book on a killer intent on crashing the party.

To help save her family’s floundering Colorado bookstore, Starlit Bookshop, newly minted Ph.D. Emma Starrs agrees to plan a mystery-themed dinner party for her wealthy, well-connected high school classmate, Tabitha Baxter. It’s a delightful evening of cocktails and conjecture until Tabitha’s husband, Tip—hosting the affair in the guise of Edgar Allan Poe’s detective C. Auguste Dupin—winds up murdered.

In a heartbeat, Emma and her aunt Nora, a famous mystery writer, become suspects. Emma is sure the party’s over for Starlit events, until celebrated author Calliope Nightfall, whose gothic sensibilities are intrigued by the circumstances, implores the bookseller to create a Poe-themed launch event for her latest tome. Throwing a bash to die for while searching for additional clues is already enough to drive Emma stark raven mad, but another shocking crime soon reveals that Silvercrest has not yet reached the final chapter of the puzzling case.

Someone in this charming artistic community has murder on the mind, and if Emma cannot outwit the killer, she and her beloved aunt will land behind bars, to walk free nevermore.

 

My review . . . When Emma Starr returns to her hometown of Silvercrest, Colorado after earning a PhD, she has no idea how busy and interesting her life is about to become. Helping her sister Lucy manage the family's bookstore and restore its profitability--and revising her own novel for publication--are enough to fill more hours than there are in a day. But spontaneously volunteering at the last minute to coordinate a Poe-themed mystery dinner party for the Baxters is not only a schedule-breaking decision, it's also a deadly one. There's a lot riding on the success of the dinner party both personally and business-wise given the fact that Tabitha is Emma's former high school nemesis and Tip is Emma's Aunt Nora's boss at Silvercrest College. 

Shockingly, Tip is murdered during the dinner, and Emma and Aunt Nora are considered prime suspects. Emma's overflowing to-do list now includes defending herself and her aunt  from murder charges and finding a killer--all while organizing a Halloween book launch for Aunt Nora's eccentric faculty colleague Calliope Nightfall, who insists on another Poe-themed event. 

Who killed Tip Baxter? As Emma discovers, there are many persons of interest among the Silvercrest faculty and his country club friends. And when the killer strikes again, it's a race against the clock to prove Emma and Nora's innocence and bring a murderer to justice.

How to Book a Murder introduces readers to Emma Starr, a relatable protagonist, and a well-defined cast of calculating faculty members, scheming self-promoters, artistic types, and everyday people. The novel's plot provides lots of action and red herrings, which are conveyed in timely, satisfying fashion. The  cozy bookshop setting and book-related activities contribute additional charm to this new series. Readers will find themselves rallying behind Emma as she returns to her childhood home, where she must reconcile with the mean girls of her high school years, while helping her family and planning her own future. This first book in the Starlit Bookshop mystery series is a delightful read. It nicely plants the seeds for future developments between characters and reader interest in upcoming installments. The next book can't come soon enough.

 

About the author . . . Cynthia Kuhn is an English professor and author of the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries and the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries. Her work has also appeared in Mystery Most Edible, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD, and other publications. Honors include an Agatha Award, a William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant, and Lefty Award nominations. 

 

 

 

Originally from upstate New York, she lives in Colorado with her family.

 

 

Author links . . .

Website: cynthiakuhn.net

Twitter: @cynthiakuhn

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiakuhnwriter

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/cynthia-kuhn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39587.Cynthia_Kuhn

Blog: chicksonthecase.com

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2MPiEMh

 

Purchase links . . .

 

            Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound – Bookshop 

 

 

Giveaway . . . Enter for a chance to win a digital copy of How to Book a Murder and a $20 Bookshop gift card by clicking this link. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Participants . . .

December 6 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

December 7 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 8 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

December 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

December 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 12 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 14 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

December 15 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

December 16 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

December 16 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW  

December 17 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 17 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST

December 18 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW

December 19 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of How to Book a Murder 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 blog tour read, How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn. The excerpt shared is from an advance eBook provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

First Chapter:  "To be surrounded by books is an exceptional joy," Lucy said.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I couldn't agree more with the opening paragraph of this first book in the new Starlit Bookshop mystery series, set in a small-town bookstore. This series is definitely off to a good start!

 

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 Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.   

Today I'm featuring the book I just finished for a blog tour, The Spirit in Question by Cynthia Kuhn.  The excerpt shared is from the electronic version I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

 

Chapter 1

"Commence the murder!" Everything went dark, a shot rang out, and something crashed to the ground.  

I held my breath, unable to move. 


What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

I did continue to read this humorous cozy mystery set on a college campus in Colorado, where English professor Lila Maclean finds herself serving as the assistant director of the play, Puzzled: The Musical, an outlandish post-modern mystery.  The play seems doomed from the start, as mishap after mishap unfolds.

If you'd like to know more about this book, click here, to read my review.  If you do click the link, be sure to enter the giveaway also. 





This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated. 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: The Spirit in Question by Cynthia Kuhn

 

Today I'm participating in the The Spirit in Question Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.

About the book . . .

 

The Spirit in Question (A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Henery Press (October 2, 2018)
Trade Paperback | 252 pages
ISBN 9781635114065, 1635114063
Digital ASIN: B07FDL54HG
 

Synopsis . . .

English professor Lila Maclean knew drama would be involved when she agreed to consult on Stonedale University’s production of Puzzled: The Musical.

But she didn’t expect to find herself cast into such chaos: the incomprehensible play is a disaster, the crumbling theater appears to be haunted, and, before long, murder takes center stage.

The show must go on—yet as they speed toward opening night, it becomes clear that other members of the company may be targeted as well. Lila searches for answers while contending with a tenacious historical society, an eccentric playwright, an unsettling psychic, an enigmatic apparition, and a paranormal search squad.

With all of this in play, will she be able to identify who killed her colleague…or will it soon be curtains for Lila too?

My review . . . Competing forces and agendas collide over the staging of a play at the Stonedale Opera House, the historic college theater in Stonedale, Colorado. On one side is the college faculty led by the outspoken Jean Claude Lestronge, the visiting professor directing the musical written by another professor.  On the other side are members of the Stonedale Historical Society represented by its equally outspoken president, Mrs. Clara Worthingham.  The Society fears the fragile facility will be further compromised by going forward with the play and seems willing to stop it by any means.  And there is another interested party: developer Chip Turner who has offered to purchase the aging theater from the college, with plans to replace it with a state-of-the-art performance space.

With such a backdrop, is it any wonder that Puzzled: The Musical, a post-modern murder mystery featuring iconic sleuths and their authors seems doomed from the start?  A series of accidents and mishaps ensue during its production, most troubling of which is the onstage death of the play's director during a rehearsal.

Who killed Jean Claude?  Professor Lila Maclean, the play's assistant director and Detective Lex Archer are determined to find out.  There are plenty of people with motive and opportunity.  Is someone with evil intent in their midst, or are otherworldly forces responsible?  Some believe the theater is haunted by the ghost of a former professor who died there years before.  Instances of flickering lights, unexplained noises, and moved objects during rehearsals lend credence to such a theory.  As Lila and Lex concentrate on credible facts, a psychic and a paranormal team pursue the supernatural aspect.

Beyond their search for the killer,  Lila and Lex also come closer to unravelling a mystery from the past that has significance to several of Stonedale's citizens, and deepen their own relationship as well.

In The Spirit in Question, author Cynthia Kuhn has woven an eccentric cast of characters and humorous scenes into an entertaining madcap read.  The story's insider look at the larger-than-life egos, creativity, and passions involved in staging a play made this reader feel a part of the production.

The book is the third entry in the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery Series, but can be read as a stand alone.  I find Lila's adventures in academia intriguing, and will now immerse myself in the series' previous novels -- The Semester of Our Discontent, winner of an Agatha Award for Best New Novel in 2016, and The Art of Vanishing, Lefty Award Nominee for Best Humorous Novel in 2017 -- while awaiting the next installment.


Giveaway . . . Enter the The Spirit in Question giveaway by clicking on this link.  


About the author . . . 

Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery series: The Semester of Our Discontent, an Agatha Award recipient for Best First Novel; The Art of Vanishing, a Lefty Award nominee for Best Humorous Mystery; and The Spirit in Question. She teaches in Denver, serves as president of Sisters in Crime-Colorado, and blogs with Chicks on the Case. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

Author links . . .

Webpage: cynthiakuhn.wordpress.com
Blog: mysteristas.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiakuhnwriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cynthiakuhn  
Twitter: @cynthiakuhn

 
Purchase links . . .

Amazon   B&N     Kobo  BookBub 

 

Tour participants . . .

October 8 – Island Confidential – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 8 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 9 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 11 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

October 14 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

October 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT  

October 16 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  

October 16 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 17 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 17 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

October 18 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – GUEST POST

October 18 – A Cozy Experience– REVIEW

October 19 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 19 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 20 – Jane Reads

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of The Spirit in Question from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.