Book Review: Murder at Christmas

 

By Sara Steven

Private investigator Dan Armstrong, accompanied by his wife and his canine sidekick, Oscar, are spending the days before Christmas in a luxurious Alpine chalet tucked away in a hidden valley. It should be the perfect escape, except the owner is in fear for his life.

A house full of secrets...

Amid perfect winter wonderland scenery, the more Dan discovers about his host and the other guests, he realises that all is not as it seems. What should be a happy family party is riddled with rancour, mistrust and hatred.

A killer in the snow?

Then the snow falls – fast and heavy – and within moments, someone is dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? As the snow closes in, Dan has to work out if he's looking for a killer, or whether he and Oscar are barking up the wrong tree. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Ordinary, Dan is tasked with figuring out whodunnit, but this go around, his goal is to prevent a murder, which was an interesting change of pace for one of my favorite private investigators and his canine sidekick, Oscar! Another difference is the background scenery. While mostly all of this author’s stories takes place in fantastically sunny and warm locales that one can only dream of visiting someday, me included, this go around there is a lot of snow, adding a complex level for Dan when he tries to do some sleuthing. It’s remote and it’s far from modern civilization, the perfect place to commit a crime.

The primary question becomes: did a crime take place? The man he is set to protect becomes a tragic victim, all leads pointing to an accidental death or suicide. True to Dan’s nature, he sets out interrogating the other guests of the chalet, working methodically through his list in order to narrow down and figure out the truth behind the potential transgression. I’ve always appreciated the way Dan operates, showing his skill sets from his days as a former detective. It isn’t easy, and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way when one suspect comes up empty and leads turn into dead ends, making Dan question everything. It helped to keep the reader on the hook, too, never really knowing what was on the other end of Dan’s discoveries.

I say this a lot after reading a book from the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series, but Oscar is just the best partner for Dan, hands down! He is such a charismatic canine, always there to assist characters in their time of need, or to do all he can for Dan, whether it’s as a support system or at times, his protector. This go around, there was another dog for Oscar to play with named Winston, who was a sweet addition to the group. There was a pretty important moment involving Winston that really got the story moving forward.

The juxtaposition between the quiet, remote snowy Alpine chalet during a holiday no less, with the jarring events that take place there, really was a nice way to amp up the fear factor and add an element of mystery and suspense. Murder at Christmas was another great addition for Dan and Oscar and this series! 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Author bio (in his own words):

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I studied languages at Nottingham University a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to work in Italy for seven years. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only 13 years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

I started off writing romances but after 28 of them, I knew I wanted to try something different, and so the first of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, Murder in Tuscany, was born three years ago. I’ve been having a lot of fun ever since getting to know the dynamic duo (and introducing them to people all over the world). These books are cosy crime [a genre I didn't even know existed when I started writing them). They are murder mysteries, but not gory, over-violent stuff, but stories designed to exercise the brain of the reader and to put a smile on their face. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations all over my beloved Italy.

Visit T.A. Williams online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram 

Sign up for his newsletter.

More by T.A. Williams:
Dreaming of Venice
What Happens in Tuscany
When Alice Met Danny

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Book Review: Time Travel for Beginners

By Allyson Bales

*Skip over the synopsis if you want to go in blind like Allyson did.**

On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?

The guidelines are simple: you can go whenever you wish into the past, and there’s no fear of altering the present. Have tea with Jane Austen, scream at a Beatles concert, witness the Olympics in ancient Greece. Perhaps a more personal trip? Visit your long-lost grandmother, recapture the heady days of your youth, return to the idyllic time when your teen was a babbling baby—or watch yourself make the one decision that changed everything.

Is it a hoax? And if it’s real, what’s the catch?

When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy’s a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope.

In Jaclyn Moriarty’s incandescent novel, Anna, Teddy, and Jade leap headlong into time, hurtling on a crash course toward one another. At turns entertaining and illuminating, Time Travel for Beginners explores the moments, big and small, that shape our destiny. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I went into this book blind based completely on the title, because I am a HUGE fan of time travel and magical realism in stories, and the author. I suggest you do the same if you’re a fan of those things too! 

BUT if you can’t, I’ll share a few things with you. 

This is probably one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year. When I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t wait to be back with the characters. It almost felt like a show I was bingeing but had to stop to do life things and couldn’t wait to get back to it. There are multiple points of view, which is always fun. The story is very character-driven with deep development that is layered, vulnerable, emotional, and quite relatable. Lastly, I couldn’t get to the end fast enough! 

I really, really enjoyed this one and wish there was a Time Travel Agency in real life! 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Time Travel for Beginners here.

More by Jaclyn Moriarty:
The Year of Secret Assignments
Gravity is the Thing
A Corner of White

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Book Review: The Night Hunter

By Jami Denison

Last year, the manosphere erupted in fury when women who were posed the question “If you were alone in the woods, would you rather encounter a man or a bear?” almost always picked the bear. The logic behind the choice: Women knew bears were dangerous wild animals who would definitely try to kill them. The man could pretend to be friendly and helpful… and still try to kill them. 

In her gripping debut, Natalie Moss takes readers on a blood-soaked adventure in her ancestral country of South Africa. The Night Hunter proves that women are right to fear both bear and men in the woods.  

Danielle’s mother was a fierce conservationist, more devoted to protecting rhinos near her home in a South African preserve than caring for her family. Now that she’s dead, Danielle wants nothing more than to sell her mother’s house and get on with her life. But her younger sister, Grace, wants to keep the home and continue their mother’s mission. When the women decide to travel back to the house, each brings along two friends for the two-day safari. But Danielle doesn’t trust Grace’s friends, or Grace herself—she’s hiding a secret note her mother left for her eyes only. 

The contentious trip turns perilous when their guide is murdered, and a car crash means they need to continue on foot. As the group of five journeys through the brush, they must avoid wild animals who would definitely kill them and humans who might. While Danielle fights to survive, she ruminates on her contentious relationships with her mother and sister, her guilt over her sister’s childhood accident, and her inability to trust. 

Moss grew up going on safaris, and The Night Hunter shines with her attention to detail. The sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle are vivid and rich. Every description rings authentic and true. The story is completely Danielle’s, told in first person and present tense, and she’s highly believable as a competent guide through the brush and young woman conflicted about her relationships.

At its heart, though, The Night Hunter is a classic locked-room mystery. Fans of the genre know that Danielle is not wrong to be suspicious of someone in her group, although whom she should suspect will vary. The body count is deliciously high, and the twists are unpredictable and earned. By the end, readers will feel as if they just stepped off a roller coaster.

With her careful plotting and deep character work, Natalie Moss shines in her debut. I look forward to following the career of this talented author. 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Meet Me in Paris

Kristin Harmel's latest novel, Meet Me in Paris, is now available and we're excited to feature it here today! Melissa loved it and her review is available on Goodreads and Storygraph. You can watch Kristin talk more about it over at Friends & Fiction. Thanks to Gallery Books, we have FIVE copies for some lucky readers!

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time—but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she’s ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn’t toured in a decade. This week, he’ll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.

Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades—including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he’s ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died—but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he’s on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he’s written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other—and to tell her he came back for her?

Henry’s granddaughter has just discovered that her husband of twenty years is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?

These intertwining stories—plus several others—unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"Readers will turn the last page and want to start all over again. You'll feel comforted, inspired, and completely enchanted as you head to your computer and immediately book a trip to the City of Light." 
- Jo Piazza, bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance

"I devoured this book in a single sitting; it made me laugh and cry and seriously consider booking a flight to France. Paris may be called the City of Light, but in Kristin Harmel’s hands, it should be the City of Love. This is one book you don’t want to miss." 
- Ali Brady, USA Today bestselling author of Battle of the Bookstores

"Kristin Harmel has long been one of my favorite authors, and with MEET ME IN PARIS, she has taken her ever-masterful storytelling to even greater heights. Harmel’s prose shines as brightly as her beloved Paris in what is sure to be the must-read novel of the year!" 
- New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey

Credit: The Paris Photographer

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels translated into more than 35 languages. Many of her books have been optioned for film and television. A former journalist for PEOPLE magazine who began her career as a teenage sportswriter, Kristin is also the co-founder and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando with her husband and son. (Bio adapted from Kristin's website.)

Visit Kristin online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 4th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

By Allyson Bales

Antique store owner Callahan Leitner has an illegal taxidermy goose in his living room.

Why? It’s…complicated.

But it may end his career unless he finds a legitimate way to dispose of the bird ASAP. Except, there’s an unexpected wrench in his plans—the frustrating, effervescent Annie O’Neill.

Annie is happy to fill in for her uncle at his antique store; it’s the perfect opportunity to gain more experience before opening a shop of her own, plus she'll finally meet his handsome young business partner. Unfortunately, Cal is nothing like the charming man she expected. She’s tempted to take his apparent dislike personally, until she stumbles upon the source of his moodiness: the contraband waterfowl hidden upstairs.

When the goose goes missing, both of their professional reputations are on the line. As Cal and Annie attempt to track down the bird before it can be traced back to the store, their tentative alliance turns into something much deeper. Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I’m a pretty big Sarah Adler fan and will always read anything she writes! She had my heart with Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and has kept it with every book she has written since. Wild Goose Chase is no exception! 

Adler has a way with her romances and as someone that has grown a bit more picky with the genre, I am always so delighted by her stories and her characters. 

I loved meeting Annie and Callahan. They were both so quirky and I loved that they end up working together at an antique shop. I am a HUGE fan of antiques. There’s something so rewarding about shopping and I really loved their passion for it; who does love a little Antique Roadshow! 

Adler really knows how to write funny banter and this story is full of it! 

I also really loved the dual point of view and character depth. I really rooted for these two and had so much fun following along on their little goose hunt! 

This is the perfect quirky romance of summer that will definitely have you laughing out loud! 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Sarah Adler:
Mrs. Nash's Ashes
Happy Medium
Finders Keepers

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J.P. Tillbrook steps into the spotlight...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome J.P. Tillbrook to CLC today. Her debut, The Invisibility Problem, has been available for a few months and the second book in the Eliza Rae Chronicles, On the Line, will be available starting this Friday. For J.P., this series began with one simple question: What if the person everyone overlooked suddenly had no choice but to be seen? That idea grew into a series celebrating friendship, courage, humor and finding your place in the world.

We had fun chatting with J.P. about her books and getting to know her better. J.P. has a set of ebooks for one lucky reader!

J.P. Tillbrook believes the best stories stay with readers long after the final page.

Her novels are inspired by everyday moments, genuine relationships, and the quiet humour found in ordinary life. She enjoys creating characters who make mistakes, grow, laugh, fall in love, and discover more about themselves than they ever expected.

When she isn't writing, J.P. Tillbrook is planning her next story, developing new worlds, or enjoying a good cup of coffee while imagining what her characters will do next.

Visit J.P. online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok

Synopsis:

Eliza Rae has spent most of her life perfecting the art of being invisible.

Working in a busy call centre, she’s mastered the art of blending into the background—until one sarcastic internal email changes everything.

When the message unexpectedly goes viral across the company, Eliza is thrust into the spotlight and offered the chance to write the company blog. As her confidence begins to grow, she must navigate office politics, unexpected friendships and a slow-burn romance, while discovering that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let yourself be seen.

Warm, witty and full of heart, The Invisibility Problem is the first novel in the Eliza Rae Chronicles—a romantic comedy about finding your voice, embracing who you are, and discovering that being noticed isn’t always something to fear. 

**We're not sharing the synopsis of book two as to not spoil anything for book one.**

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
It has been a journey decades in the making, filled with self-doubt, perseverance and plenty of setbacks, but one that made holding my first published book all the more rewarding.

How is Eliza Rae similar to or different from you?
Eliza and I share the same dry sense of humour and the determination to keep going when life throws unexpected challenges our way. In many ways, though, she’s the personality that lives quietly inside me. While I’m generally far more outspoken and happy to say what’s on my mind, Eliza is quieter, more cautious and tends to observe the world before stepping into it. Writing her gave me the chance to explore that quieter side of myself.

If your books were made into movies, whom would you cast in the leading roles?

I’d love to see Florence Pugh as Eliza. She has the warmth, wit and emotional depth to bring her to life perfectly. For Alex, I’d choose Will Poulter. He has a natural charm, an understated sense of humour, and the kind of genuine kindness that I imagine Alex having.

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
The Nancy Drew books. I was about eight or nine when I discovered them, and I was instantly hooked. I loved trying to solve the mysteries alongside Nancy, and they sparked a lifelong love of reading. 

At school, English Literature quickly became my favourite subject, and I was forever making up stories whenever inspiration struck. Although those early stories never went any further, they laid the foundations for the novels I write today.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Olivia Colman. She could make the embarrassing moments hilarious, the emotional moments heartfelt, and somehow make even my daily coffee addiction sound interesting.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’d take you for a walk through Clyde Valley Woodlands Nature Reserve or Chatelherault Country Park—two of my favourite places to unwind and recharge. Afterwards, we’d find a cosy café for coffee and cake, where we’d inevitably end up chatting about books, writing and the little everyday moments that often inspire my stories.

Thanks to J.P. for visiting with us and sharing her books with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 2nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Buyer Beware

By Jami Denison

In the state of Florida, a seller does not have to disclose if someone died in their house (unless the death was caused by a property defect). If you’re buying a home here, and you believe in staying away from bad juju, you’ll need to do your own sleuthing to find out if a tragedy occurred within your walls-to-be. Luckily, Florida’s As Is contract offers an inspection period in which the buyer can cancel for any reason. After that, good luck getting your escrow back if you find out where that stain on the garage floor really came from.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s new thriller, Buyer Beware, is a captivating page turner about a woman who rolls up an old carpet in her new home and finds a body-shaped stain underneath. But the title is a bit of a misnomer. The book isn’t so much about the danger of buying the wrong house as it is about the danger of choosing the wrong man. 

Ellie has just moved into 1 Delaney Row, a small home in a row of cottages in a desirable Irish town. With secrets in her past, she’s not eager to get to know her neighbors. But when strange and scary things start to happen—and she finds that unfortunate stain—she’s forced to ask questions. Trouble is, people have lots of questions for her. And then the break-ins start. 

Two storylines in the past add more mystery to Ellie’s situation. Erin, a smart and driven high school student, becomes entangled with Jason, a manipulative loser who seems destined to pull her down to his level. And Hannah, a thirty-something business owner, gets swept off her feet by a man who might be too good to be true. How these three storylines intersect is the meat of the book.

All three characters are incredibly sympathetic, but as Ellie’s point-of-view is the only one in first person, she’s the character readers will identify with the most. The narrative is somewhat frustrating, because Ellie has a secret that she’s hiding from the reader, and waiting to find out exactly what that secret is provides most of the book’s tension. And there’s so much build-up toward this reveal that when Ellie finally tells readers what she’s hiding, it’s a bit of a letdown. Had Howard come clean in the beginning about what Ellie had done, readers could have focused completely on the dangers she faced in the present and the mystery of the house. 

Erin and Hannah’s plots are more straightforward. It’s clear that they’re both headed for disaster with the wrong man, and seeing them get pulled in is like watching a car crash in slow motion. 

Buying the wrong house is a huge mistake that can cost a person dearly, both literally and figuratively. But houses can be sold. Choosing the wrong man can ruin your life. 

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Catherine Ryan Howard:

The Nothing Man

Rewind

Run Time

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