Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble

 

Today I'm participating in the Tell Me No Lies Blog Tour.  In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review.  And be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a print copy of the book.

About the book . . . 

  

Tell Me No Lies: A Lady Dunbridge Mystery

 Historical Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Forge Books (November 5, 2019)
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 0765398745

 ISBN-13: 978-0765398741
Kindle ASIN: B07LF6FR2L

Synopsis . . .

Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey in Tell Me No Lies, part of the critically acclaimed Lady Dunbridge Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble.

Rise and shine, Countess,  you're about to have a visitor.

Lady Dunbridge was not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s come to New York City, ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. The social events of the summer have been amusing but Lady Phil is searching for more excitement—and she finds it, when an early morning visitor arrives, begging for her help. After all, Lady Phil has been known to be useful in a crisis. Especially when the crisis involves the untimely death of a handsome young business tycoon.

His death could send another financial panic through Wall Street and beyond.

With the elegant Plaza Hotel, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opulent mansions of Long Island’s Gold Coast as the backdrop, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.

My review . . . In Tell Me No Lies, the second book in the Lady Dunbridge mystery series, author Shelley Noble reprises her winning formula of spinning a tale with the most irresistible elements: Gilded-Age Manhattan high society, romance, rogues, scandal, intrigue, and delicious gossip.

Since relocating to New York City, Lady Philomena Dunbridge has proven herself to be a trustworthy and resourceful confidant—one to whom wealthy women turn when they find themselves or their families at risk of scandal and ruin.  Thus, when Perry Fauks, the young heir apparent to a manufacturing company fortune is found murdered at the Pratt mansion after an extravagant gala, Gwen Pratt calls upon Lady Phil for guidance.  Indeed, just the slightest hint of scandal can undermine patriarch Luther’s prospects for an appointment to the Banking Commission and daughter Agnes’s social reputation.

Just who stands to gain from the murder of Perry Fauks?  Detective Sergeant John Atkins is formally assigned to the case, but it is soon apparent that powerful people are determined to derail his investigation.  Reluctantly, he turns to Lady Phil for assistance.  She proves to be an astute ally, using her access to the scene of the crime and her social connections quite effectively.  Phil discovers that Perry was a cad in both his personal and business lives, operating outside of acceptable norms.  Was Perry’s murder revenge for his personal peccadillos, or retribution for a shady scheme that caused financial devastation for several in his circle?  In either case, there is a substantial number of suspects.

Tell Me No Lies is filled with vivid historical detail and a lively cast of above- and below-stairs characters—a veritable New York-style Downton Abbey.  Protagonist Lady Phil is a force to be reckoned with, and her playful banter with DS Atkins is highly spirited and entertaining.  Moreover, Noble uses the classic technique of drawing room questioning of the assembled group of characters to great advantage, and the daring chase to capture the fleeing killer after the identity is revealed is icing on the cake.

Author Shelley Noble has created an exciting series with massive appeal for fans of cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and old New York.  And while Tell Me No Lies brings Lady Dunbridge’s latest adventure to a satisfying close, it also leaves readers pondering ongoing mysteries still swirling around our heroine: Who is her faithful lady’s maid Lily?  Who is the anonymous donor responsible for funding Phil’s lavish apartment at the Plaza Hotel? And who is Mr. X, the mystery man and master of disguise watching over Phil, providing perfectly-timed clues for her investigations?   Such curiosities give ample reason to anxiously await the further escapades of Lady Philomena Dunbridge.

Giveaway . . . Enter the Tell Me No Lies Giveaway of a print copy of the book by scrolling down the tour page using this link.

 

About the author . . . Shelley Noble is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction (Beach Colors, Whisper Beach, Lighthouse Beach), and the author of the Lady Dunbridge Gilded Age Manhattan mysteries. Tell Me No Lies is the latest of the series.

She has written eighteen amateur sleuth and historical mystery novels and novellas as Shelley Freydont (The Sudoku Murders, Celebration Bay mysteries), and The Gilded Age Newport mysteries.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore where she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses, vintage carousels, and the past.


 

Author links . . .

Website:  https://www.shelleynoble.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyNobleAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShelleyNoble3
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shelleynobleauthor/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5560617.Shelley_Noble


Purchase links . . .      Amazon     B & N      Kobo

 

Tour participants . . .

November 4 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Reading Reality – REVIEW

November 5 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

November 5 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 6 – Here’s How It Happened – GUEST POST

November 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

November 7 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

November 7 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

November 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 8 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST

November 8 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW

November 8 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

November 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 9 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

November 10 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

November 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 11 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW

November 12 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  

November 12 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

November 13 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 13 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Tell Me No Lies 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 Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated. 

 

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 a recent blog tour read, Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble. The excerpt shared is from an eBook version I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Chapter 1

Philomena Amesbury, Dowager Countess of Dunbridge, slowly opened her eyes and peered around the darkened room.  She let out a sigh of relief, a ritual she'd gone through every morning since the death of her erstwhile husband, the Earl of Dunbridge, rest his decadent, malicious, morally corrupt soul.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 
Tell Me No Lies, the second book in the Lady Dunbridge mystery series, is an engaging and entertaining tale with the most irresistible of elements: Gilded-Age Manhattan high society, romance, rogues, scandal, intrigue, and delicious gossip.  The series features a  high-spirited protagonist and is filled with vivid historical detail and a lively cast of above- and below-stairs characters—a veritable New York-style Downton Abbey.  

And I love the cover!

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 with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & 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 Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble, which I read for a recent blog tour.  The excerpts shared are from an eBook I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Beginning:  England 1907

Lady Philomena Dunbridge's father slammed the newspaper on the tea table.  "This is an outrage."

**********

1

"Ay, Dios mio."

Philomena Amesbury, Lady Dunbridge, glanced at her lady's maid, who stood beside her, clutching the rail of the SS Oceanic, her eyes wide.

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

56% of eBook:  The men's mouths fell open just like those mechanical banks that flipped pennies into a tank.

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

My thoughts: The opening lines hint at the start of an adventure. And, indeed, Lady Philomena takes fate into her own hands by leaving the bleak prospects of widowhood behind in search of brighter prospects across the pond.  Eager to begin a new life chapter, she sets sail for America, where she reunites with Bev Reynolds, her former school friend and prominent member of New York's elite. But before Phil gets a formal introduction to New York Society, she is caught up in a murder investigation . . .

You can read my review of Ask Me No Questions, the first book in the Lady Dunbridge mystery series set in Gilded Age Manhattan, and enter a giveaway here.

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

From Goodreads:  Murder and scandals abound in Noble's fresh look at the dazzling world of 1907 Manhattan, from the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, with an amateur sleuth as scandalous and sparkling as Old New York itself.

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

 

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. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble

Today I'm participating in the Ask Me No Questions Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.

About the book . . .

 

Ask Me No Questions: A Lady Dunbridge Mystery

 Historical Cozy Mystery

New Series

Forge Books (October 16, 2018)

Hardcover: 352 pages

ISBN-10: 0765398710

ISBN-13: 978-0765398710

Digital ASIN: B078X2BSDR

Synopsis . . . From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble, Ask Me No Questions is the first in the Lady Dunbridge Mystery series featuring a widow turned sleuth in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City.

A modern woman in 1907, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm.

From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.


My review . . . Life has been very limited thus far for Lady Philomena (Phil) Dunbridge, whose parents married her off at age 17 to an older titled man of means. When her husband, the Earl, dies suddenly of a heart attack after years in an unfulfilling marriage, Phil's future seems bleak.  Her family expects her to either return home or live nearby with a chaperone.  Longing for independence and excitement, Phil is determined to leave England and begin her life anew.  She sets sail on the SS Oceanic for New York City, where she will reunite with Beverly Reynolds, a dear friend from her finishing school days in Paris.

Bev is from a wealthy, well-established New York family and the plan is for the girlhood friend to introduce the young widow to New York Society and brighter prospects.  But things go terribly wrong from the very start when Bev's husband Reggie, who is at the pier with Bev to meet Phil's ship, is shot and killed in his car. Beverly is considered a prime suspect in Reggie's murder, and after a second murder victim turns up in the library at the Reynoldses' Manhattan brownstone, Phil feels compelled to clear her friend's name. Her inquiries reveal that Reggie was a bit of a rogue, and his associations and activities are most likely what led to his death.  As the list of suspects grows, so does Phil's focus on unravelling the truth.

Set in New York's Gilded Age and brimming with delicious society scandals, illicit affairs, losses of fortune, corruption, and falls from grace, Ask Me No Questions introduces readers to a lively cast of upstairs and downstairs characters revolving around a clever amateur sleuth.  Lady Philomena Dunbridge is an astute observer with a flair for piecing together clues and forming working relationships at all levels of the social strata.  Phil's further introduction into New York Society and the identity of a mystery man whose subtle hints were integral to solving the case heighten the interest for further installments in this series.


Giveaway . . . Enter the Ask Me No Questions giveaway by clicking on this link.



About the author . . .
SHELLEY NOBLE is the NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author of women’s fiction (BEACH COLORS, WHISPER BEACH, LIGHTHOUSE BEACH).
 

As SHELLEY FREYDONT she writes cozy mysteries (CELEBRATION BAY FESTIVAL MYSTERIES, THE SUDOKU MYSTERIES), and the NEWPORT GUILDED MYSTERIES, beginning with A GILDED GRAVE, an RT Reviewer’s Choice nominee for Best Historical Mystery of 2015 and Macavity Finalist.

ASK ME NO QUESTIONS is the first of a Manhattan Gilded Age series and written as Shelley Noble.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves to discover new lighthouses and vintage carousels.

Author links . . .

Website:  https://www.shelleynoble.com

Website:  https://www.shelleyfreydont.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyNobleAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShelleyNoble3
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shelleynobleauthor/


Purchase links . . .

Amazon     B&N     Kobo     Google Play     IndieBound 

Tour participants . . .

November 26 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  
November 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 27 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
November 28 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 29 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
November 29 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 30 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW*, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 1 – The Power of Words – REVIEW*
December 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW*, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 5 – Laura s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
December 5 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
December 6 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
December 7 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW*

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Ask Me No Questions 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.