Saturday Spotlight: Blog Tour/Giveaway/Review: Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson

 

  

  

I'm thrilled to participate in the Murder the Tey Way Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information together with my review.

About the book . . .

  

Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson

Cozy Mystery

Publication date: October 29, 2014

Paperback: 244 pages

ISBN-13:  9781502413260


Synopsis . . .

Professor Lexie Driscoll is leading a Golden Age of Mystery book club discussion of Josephine Tey’s novels, when her sister arrives in a state of agitation. The sisters aren’t close, and Lexie wonders why Gayle has driven from Utah to Long Island to stay with her. The following morning, Gayle awakens Lexie to say there’s a dead man lying in her backyard. Gayle confesses she’s on the run because she witnessed a murder and the murderer is out to get her. Gayle takes off after begging Lexie not to tell the police she’s been there. This presents a problem because Lexie’s boyfriend, homicide detective Brian Donovan, is initially put in charge of the investigation. The murder victim turns out to be a minor criminal suspected of having burgled several homes in the area. Lexie wonders if her sister killed the man, believing he was sent to kill her.

Lexie and her friend Joy Lincoln, a former FBI agent and now a stay-at-home mom, soon discover that all of the book club members either have secrets or are in situations involving the wrong side of the law. An older couple, Marge and Evan Billings, are at the mercy of the criminals they’ve hired to extricate their young granddaughter from Peru. Tim Draigon has lost his attorney’s license for illegal activities. He and Sadie Lu, a guidance counselor, owe money and have borrowed large sums from money lenders connected to the murdered man. Lexie’s neighbors, the Roberts sisters, are strange birds. Corinne dominates her slow sister, Felicity, and berates Lexie whenever she comes to Felicity’s aid. And who is this Johnny Scarvino Felicity fears? Another club member is murdered, one is knocked unconscious, and old and new secrets impact the lives of the members of the book club. Lexie must find the murderer before more lives are destroyed. 

My Review . . . 
Ryesdale, a normally quiet suburb of Long Island, New York is the setting for Marilyn Levinson’s new cozy mystery and sequel to Murder a la Christie.  In this latest installment, members of the Golden Age of Mystery book club and their facilitator Lexie Driscoll reconvene to discuss the classic mysteries of Josephine Tey.  This group’s meetings have come to be known for unusual occurrences—including odd behavior and sudden deaths—and true to form, their discussion is interrupted in the opening chapter by an unknown man peering in the window and the arrival of Lexie’s sister Gayle, who is fleeing a murder scene.  When the unknown man—later identified  as Len Lyons, aka Leo Lionni, a petty criminal with ties to the mob—is found stabbed to death the next morning in Lexie’s back yard, the plot thickens in a neighborhood recently beset by a series of home burglaries.  

As the story unfolds, the secrets and troubles of individual book club members are revealed, making many of them suspects in Lyons’s murder.  The plot thickens yet again when one of the book club members is shot and killed.  While the police are conducting an investigation into both murders, Lexie can’t resist the urge to sleuth and enlists the help of fellow book club member and former FBI agent Joy Lincoln.  Lexie draws on the plots and characters in Tey’s novels, where nothing is as it appears, to piece the clues together and unveil the truth.  

Murder the Tey Way applies a touch of Tey’s theatrics to a modern-day mystery with delightful results.  References to Tey’s novels and style give this story added richness and pay homage to a beloved author of the mystery/crime genre.   

Levinson has created a likeable, returning character in Lexie Driscoll.  In this latest adventure—which kept me guessing until the very end who the murderer was—Lexie’s romantic life takes a turn for the better, leaving readers curious about how her budding romance will proceed and where her inquisitive nature will lead her next.

Note:  I received an ebook copy of Murder the Tey Way in exchange for an honest review.

GIVEAWAY

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Murder the Tey Way

About the Author . . .

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and books for kids. Her first book in the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, Murder a la Christie, is out with Oak Tree Press. Untreed Reads has brought out new e-editions of her Twin Lakes mysteries: A Murderer Among Us, awarded a Suspense Magazine Best Indie, and Murder in the Air. Uncial Press e-publishes her ghost mystery, Giving Up the Ghost, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations. All of Marilyn’s mysteries take place on Long Island, where she lives.

Her books for young readers include No Boys Allowed; Rufus and Magic Run Amok, which was awarded a Children’s Choice; Getting Back to Normal, & And Don’t Bring Jeremy.

Marilyn loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her granddaughter, Olivia, on FaceTime. She is co-founder and past president of the Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links
Webpage: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Blog: Makeminemystery the first and third Monday of every month.
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/
Purchase Links:
Amazon  Barnes & Noble

Saturday Spotlight: Blog Tour/Giveaway/Review: Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution. 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #63

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts from a current or upcoming read 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 my current read, Murder the Tey Way, which is for a blog tour.  I'll be posting my review tomorrow (Saturday, December 6), and hope you'll stop by again to find out more.

 

 

 

Beginning:  "Who's clever enough to solve a fifteenth century murder by studying a portrait in his hospital bed?" I asked in my most professorial tone.

 

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Page 56:  "'I've an idea I'm working on.  Meanwhile, I've learned a few things about our fellow members you'll find interesting.'"

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My thoughts:  This second book in the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series is as engaging as the first one, Murder a la Christie, was.  I'm 100 pages from the end, and no clear suspect has emerged, although there are lots of possibilities . . .

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?
 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #63 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Lillian on Life

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring Lillian on Life by Alison Jean Lester.

  

Publisher:  Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

Publication Date:  January 13, 2015

From barnesandnoble.com:  Smart, poignant, funny, and totally original, Lillian on Life is as fresh and surprising as fiction gets.

This is the story of Lillian, a single woman reflecting on her choices and imagining her future.  Born in the Midwest in the 1930s; Lillian lives, loves, and works in Europe in the fifties and early sixties; she settles in New York and pursues the great love of her life in the sixties and seventies. Now it’s the early nineties, and she’s taking stock. Throughout her life, walking the unpaved road between traditional and modern choices for women, Lillian grapples with parental disappointment and societal expectations, wins and loses in love, and develops her own brand of wisdom. 
 

Lillian on Life lifts the skin off the beautiful, stylish product of an era to reveal the confused, hot-blooded woman underneath.

Which book are you waiting for?

...Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday: Lillian on Life was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #84 and Teaser Tuesdays

   It's Tuesday . . . time to share book excerpts with:
         

• First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

• Teaser Tuesdays hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, where bloggers post two (2) random “teaser” sentences--no spoilers allowed--to try to entice others to seek out these books.

Today I'm featuring the opening and a teaser from one of my next reads, Secrets of the Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore, which I borrowed from the library.

  

Prologue

It is autumn and yet it feels more like summer.  The sun is bright and warm, the sky a translucent, flawless blue.  Ringed plovers and little terns cavort on the sand, and bees search for nectar in the purple bell heather, for the frosts are yet to come and the rays are still hot on their backs.  Hares seek cover in the long grasses, and butterflies, hatched in the unseasonal weather, flutter about the gorse in search of food.  Only the shadows are longer now, and the nights close in early, damp and cold and dark.

Chapter 1

Ellen Trawton arrived at Shannon Airport with a single suitcase, fake-fur jacket, skinny jeans, and a pair of fine leather boots, which would soon prove highly unsuitable for the wild and rugged countryside of Connemara.  She had never been to Ireland before and had no memory of her mother's sister, Peg, with whom she had arranged to stay, under the pretext of seeking peace and solitude in order to write a novel.  As a London girl, Ellen rather dreaded the countryside, considering it muddy and notoriously quiet, but her aunt's was the only place she knew where her mother would not come looking for her--and the only place she could stay without having to spend a great deal of money.  Having quit her job in marketing for a small Chelsea jeweler, she was in no position to be extravagant.  She hoped Aunt Peg was rich and lived in a big house in a civilized part of the country, near a thriving town with shops and cafes.  She didn't think she'd last if she lived in the middle of nowhere with only sheep to talk to.

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Teaser:  "Ellen felt uplifted by Oswald's advice.  She was used to her mother squashing her enthusiasm."

~ p. 36

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What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

My thoughts:  I'm wondering why Ellen left her job and is removing herself from life as she knows it.  And having just returned from a week in Dublin, I'm looking forward to extending my "stay" in one of my favorite countries, even if only by reading.

 

What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #84 and Teaser Tuesdays was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #62

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts from a current or upcoming read 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 library book that I just started reading:

 

   

Evil Librarian 

by Michelle Knudsen

Beginning:

Italian class.  The shining highlight of my Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Not because I am any good at Italian (I'm not), or because I like the teacher (I don't).  It's because Ryan Halsey sits one row over and two rows up from where I sit, which is absolutely perfect for forty-five minutes of semi-shameless staring.

 

******************** 
Page 56:  "Ms. Bennett looks instantly concerned.  Her worry about what sort of emergency might involve a phone call in the middle of class conveniently distracts her from asking if I have a pass from the principal's secretary, or anything like that."

*********************   

 

My thoughts:  

Based on the title, I couldn't resist this book.  Reading the opening paragraph reminded me of the high school crushes I had oh so many years ago . . .

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?
 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #62 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.    

 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Magician's Lie

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister.

  

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated

Publication Date: January 13, 2015

From barnesandnoble.com:  Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician's Lie, a debut novel in which the country's most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband's murder —and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden's husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless-and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free... and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

Which book are you waiting for?

...Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday:The Magician's Lie was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #83 and Teaser Tuesdays

   It's Tuesday . . . time to share book excerpts with:
         

• First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

• Teaser Tuesdays hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, where bloggers post two (2) random “teaser” sentences--no spoilers allowed--to try to entice others to seek out these books.

Today I'm featuring the opening paragraph and a teaser from one of my next reads, Goodbye Piccadilly, the first book in the War at Home Series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, a book I recently borrowed from the library:

 

Chapter One

July 1914

It was another beautiful summer day, clear and hot.  The distant wooded hills were brushed with shadows of mauve and indigo, the dusty road shimmered, and behind the hawthorn hedges to either side, the hayfields, long cut, were beginning to flush again with flowers.  Swallows were skimming back and forth above them; their shrilling and the faint rustle of the hedgerow were the only sounds in Sadie's world, aside from Arthur's steady hoofbeats.  One motor-car had passed them since they had left the forge; and they had passed a cart loaded with straw coming the other way, scattering golden chaff in its wake.

 

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Teaser:  "In summary, she was his beloved sister and a constant worry to him.  He came round the desk to greet her, noting that she was particularly bright-eyed that morning." ~ p. 50


What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

 

What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #83 and Teaser Tuesdays was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.