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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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. 

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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.

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, Much Ado About Nauticaling by Gabby Allan. It's the first book in the new Whit and Whiskers mystery series.

First Chapter:  Quietly opening my front door to avoid being followed by my cat, Whiskers, or waking up my roommate, Maribel Hernandez, I ran through all the excuses I could give to my brother, Nick, for being late to work--if he was there to ask me why I wasn't on time.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The first paragraph tells us a little bit about Whitney Dagner, the protagonist in a new cozy mystery series set in Santa Catalina Island, California. Whitney has left behind a dull corporate desk job on the mainland to pursue a more laidback existence running a gift shop and giving tours on her family's glass bottom boat. It's anything but smooth sailing, however, when Whit finds herself adding sleuth to her job description after her brother becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local businessman. 

 

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.