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 read, The Power Couple by Alex Berenson. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning: Prologue

Marriage is a mirror.

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Page 56:  He twisted forward to look at her face. He was enjoying himself, she saw. He wanted to feel her fear.

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My thoughts:  On a family vacation to Barcelona with their teenage children, Rebecca and Brian Unsworth discover just how deep the fault lines of their marriage are when their daughter Kira disappears without a trace. The couple present a united front as they work together toward obtaining Kira's release from unknown abductors, but each harbors untold secrets that threaten Kira's safety, the status of their marriage, and their careers.

This fast-paced novel is chilling and breathtaking as ambition and personal agendas play out. What are Rebecca and Brian willing to sacrifice for the safe return of their daughter...and how will their actions and decisions affect their marriage and family?

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From GoodReads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Alex Berenson comes a supercharged thriller about marriage and the dangerous secrets spouses keep.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.

However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.

They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. Over the course of a single weekend, the Unsworths will do everything possible to find her—as Kira herself discovers just how far she’ll go to break free of the trap that’s been set for her. And even as Rebecca and Brian come together for Kira, they realize their marriage is more tenuous than they realized.

The Power Couple is both a fast-paced, globe-trotting espionage novel full of surprising twists and a nuanced look at modern marriage—the challenges of balancing career, parenthood, sex, and love. 

 

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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 an upcoming read, The Glass House by Beatrice Colin.  It's historical fiction set in Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

Prologue: Argyll, Scotland, June 1911

It was so still on the day of the funeral that you could hear the church bell echo back from the other side of the loch. The light was soft, diffuse, as if the sun itself had been wrapped in a white mourning veil. While fields of wheat whispered consolation to themselves, the hedgerows were filled with the bright shout of buttercups and campion, bluebells and cow parsley. Even in the shade the air was warm. It would be a good year for honey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First Chapter:  Glasgow, June 1912

At the taxi rank on Gordon Street there was a small queue: three old ladies who fussed over a cat in a basket, a man with a wooden cane that tapped on the curb to some music he alone could hear, and a woman and a young girl with a trolley stacked high with bags and suitcases.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I like the descriptive writing in both the prologue (I can picture the flowers) and the first paragraph (a vivid image of the people comes to mind). And I am looking forward to a story set in a town I have visited and where my mother's family lived for a time (both she and my grandmother were born in a neighboring Scottish town). 

 

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 has been stolen and is used without permission. 

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveway: A Game of Cones by Abby Collette

 

 

 

Today I’m participating in the A Game of Cones 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 for a chance to win an ice cream maker--details below.  

About the book . . .

 

A Game of Cones (Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Series) 

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Berkley (March 2, 2021)
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 0593099680
ISBN-13: 978-0593099681
Digital ASIN: B089S6SPKB
  

 

Synopsis . . . Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.

After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win's closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win's aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it'll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.

 

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My review . . . Bronwyn "Win" Crewse has comfortably settled back into her hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, concocting mouth-watering ice cream treats from her grandmother's recipes and spending time with her family. It isn't long, however, before her daily routine is disrupted by three unexpected visitors: Zeke Reynolds, an outside developer with plans to build a mall in the town triangle; Rory Hunter, a former coworker from New York; and Win's Aunt Jack, the woman responsible for nearly ruining Crewse Creamery with her misguided ideas.

Most of the community is opposed to the mall, and when the developer's lifeless body is found in an alley, the search for a killer begins. To make matters worse, Rory discovered the body, making her the the prime suspect. Win is determined to clear Rory's name, and teams up to do just that with her best friends, Riya, an inquisitive doctor and Maisie, a die-hard television detective series junkie, whose television addiction has give her a false level of sleuthing ability.

Who stands to gain from Zeke's death? There is no shortage of suspects, but will the questions the sleuthing trio ask put them in a killer's crosshairs? And closer to home, how will Win deal with the possibility of Aunt Jack regaining control of the management of the family ice cream parlor?

A Game of Cones is equal parts murder mystery and family drama, with a healthy sprinkle of humor. Colette's cast of ethnically and age diverse characters are quirky and interesting, and the setting is appealing--making Chagrin Falls and Crewse Creamery favorite locations for cozy mystery readers to return to again and again.

  *******************

 

Giveaway . . . Author Abby Collette is giving away an ice cream maker. To enter the A Game of Cones giveway, click here.

About the author . . . 

 

 Abby L. Vandiver, also writing as Abby Collette, is a hybrid author who has penned more than twenty-five books and short stories. She has hit both the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller list. Books one and two, A Deadly Inside Scoop and A Game of Cones, from her latest cozy series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery, published by Penguin Berkley, are available now.

Author links . . .

Website: www.authorabby.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorabbyl.vandiver

Twitter: www.twitter.com/abbyvandiver

Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbylvandiver

 

Purchase links . . .  Amazon   B&N   Kobo   Google Play   IndieBound 

 

 

 

 

Tour Participants . . .

March 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

March 1 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 1 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

March 2 – Reading Is My SuperPower =- REVIEW

March 2 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

March 2 –My Journey Back the Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW  

March 3 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 4 – Mysteries with Character– GUEST POST

March 4 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

March 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 5 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

March 6 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

March 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

March 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

March 9 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

March 10 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

March 10 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 11 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 12 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

March 12 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 12 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW

March 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

March 13 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 14 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

March 14 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

 

 

 

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of A Game of Cones 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.

 

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, A Game of Cones by Abby Collette, the latest book in the Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Series. The excerpts shared are from an eBook provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Beginning: A wave of discontent settled over the dusty, low-lit room.

 

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

56% of eBook:  "And how did you come to that conclusion?" Rory said, then she looked at me, leaning over her plate ready for another mouthful. "And how did you know that's what she meant?"

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

My thoughts . . . The small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland, is once again the backdrop for a suspicious murder. And when she's not serving up mouth-watering scoops of ice cream at Crewse Creamery, Bronwyn "Win" Crewse teams up with her friends to find the guilty party. Quirky villagers and family members make this a fun cozy mystery series.

 ***************

From GoodReads:  Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.

After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win's closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win's aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it'll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.

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

 

 

 

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 an upcoming read, Into the Water by Paula Hawkins.  It's a psychological suspense novel from the author of The Girl on the Train.

Beginning:  The Drowning Pool

LIBBY

"Again! Again!"

The men bind her again. Different this time: left thumb to right toe, right thumb to left. The rope around her waist. This time, they carry her into the water.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

Based on the opening lines, I'm not sure what to think. Why is this happening? And, is it reality or a dream? I'm definitely curious and will be reading on to find out what's going on.

 

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 has been stolen and is 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 upcoming read, Flowers Over the Inferno by Ilaria Tuti. It's the first book in the Teresa Battaglia trilogy. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

Beginning:  Austria, 1978

There was a legend that haunted that place, the kind that clings like a persistent odor. It was rumored that in late autumn every year--before the rain turned to snow--the mountain lake would begin to exhale sinister murmurs.

********************  

Page 56:  She had always been entranced by the eternal battle between light and dark, but these days her fascination was mixed with the more pressing need to see the end of the winter (though it had barely begun), and with it the end of these premature evenings.

********************  

My thoughts:  The opening lines are very atmospheric--and I wonder what secrets will be brought to light by "sinister murmurs."

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From GoodReads:  In this thrilling series debut set in the Italian Alps, an instinct-driven detective won't let her aging body and mind prevent her from tracking a brutal killer.

Superintendent Teresa Battaglia has fought for nearly four decades to earn rank and respect on a testosterone-heavy Italian police force. When she’s called to investigate a gruesome murder near a mountainside town, she’s paired with a young male inspector she’s not sure she trusts. But she has no choice—in this remote town full of secrets, eerie folktales and primal instincts, the killer seems drawn to a group of local children, who may be in grave danger.

As Teresa inches closer to the truth, she must confront the possibility that her faculties, no longer what they once were, may fail her before the chase is over.

 

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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 an upcoming read, For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black.  It's the first book in the Antique Bookshop mystery series. The excerpt shared is from an eBook borrowed from the library.

First Chapter:  I sat in my car, squinting into the darkened alleyway. The streetlamp my uncle had mentioned seemed to be burned out, as no light cut through the moonless night. He'd said we weren't supposed to park behind the businesses, but an eerie chill skittered up my spine at the thought of parking here in the assigned lot at the end of the street and walking up the alley in the dark with only a flashlight and a duffle bag to protect myself.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I find that opening quite ominous and am curious about what will happen next.

 

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 has been stolen and is used without permission.