Teaser Tuesday: A Twist of the Knife by Becky Masterman

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

Pale as sandstone, either from lack of sunlight or his asthma attack, he reminded me of a splendid ruin, its surface crumbled by time and the winds of fortune, but showing all of its former glory through the wreckage.

This week I am reading A Twist of the Knife by Becky Masterman. Here is the description of this third Brigid Quinn mystery from Amazon:

Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, now happily settled in Tucson, doesn’t visit her family in Florida much. But her former partner on the force, Laura Coleman―a woman whose life she has saved and who has saved her life in turn―is living there now. So when Laura calls about a case that is not going well, Brigid doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane.

On leave from the Bureau, Laura has been volunteering for a legal group trying to prove the innocence of a man who is on death row for killing his family. Laura is firmly convinced that he didn’t do it, while Brigid isn’t so sure―but the date for his execution is coming up so quickly that they’ll have to act fast to find any evidence that may absolve him before it’s too late…

A Twist of the Knife, Edgar Award and CWA Gold Dagger finalist Becky Masterman’s third Brigid Quinn novel, is the masterful follow-up to Fear the Darkness and Rage Against the Dying.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 13, 2017)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading... 

This week was a cold and busy one. We had Parent-Teacher Conferences Monday and Thursday evenings and then had Friday off. I set or tied my conference record when I spoke with the parents of 5 of my students. That's 5 out of 330 possible students. No one wants to talk to their child's media teacher unless their child is failing!

I was supposed to have my taxes done on my day off but my tax preparer had a family emergency and resheduled for Monday after school. So, instead, I met with the realtor who will be listing my house for a first consultation. She did a quick walk-through and took some notes. We'll meet for longer this coming Wednesday evening. Also on tap for this week after school is a dentist's appointment for my semi-annual cleaning.

I used my extra time this weekend to go through my bedroom drawers and closet to sort out things to donate. I brought three grocery bags of stuff to the Salvation Army on Friday afternoon and have three more that I'll be dropping off on Monday. I'm paring down the wardrobe of clothes I haven't worn for a year but still have more paring down to do. I don't think I need 25 fleece cardigans of various colors and patterns but I couldn't decided which ones I did want to keep.

We are supposed to have a snowstorm rolling in Sunday afternoon that will last into Monday. I hope I can make it into town for my tax appointment Monday afternoon. I also hope that school isn't cancelled. A cancellation Monday will likely mean that we will be working Easter Monday instead of having it off as it is on the current schedule.

Read Last Week

I read The Sight by Chloe Neill this week it is the second book set in post-apocalyptic New Orleans where the magical barrier broke and paranormals flooded the city and began a war. I enjoy Neill's writing and characters and can't wait for the next book in this series. My review will be posted April 1.

Currently

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick jumped ahead in line on my Review pile. Since I got this DRC from First to Read via Adobe Digital Editions which expire after a limited number of days, I moved it up to avoid any chance it will expire before I read it. So far I'm enjoying this romantic suspense title set in the 1930s - a new time period for the author. This is a May 9 release.

Next Week

Back to review books debuting in April....

• Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen 
• Alice & the Assassin by R. J. Koreto

Reviews Posted

• Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany
• Purr M for Murder by T. C. LoTempio

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

New additions to the Review Stack:

Change Agent by Daniel Suarez (April 18)

Big City Heat by David Burnsworth (April 25)

Edited Out by E. J. Copperman (May 16)

Murder in Mayfair by D. M. Quincy (July 11)

Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima (August 8)

Dead Man's Bridge by Robert J. Mrazek (August 8)

Among the Dead by J. R. Backlund (August 8) 

New Purchases (All for my Kindle this week):

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (Keeper Copy)

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

The Final Cut by Catherine Coulter and J. R. Ellison

Kill Without Shame by Alexandra Ivy

Gemini Cell by Myke Cole

Veiled Eyes by C. L. Bevill

City of Beads by Tony Dunbar

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

ARC Review: Purr M for Murder by T. C. LoTempio

Purr M for Murder
Author: T. C. LoTempio
Series: A Cat Rescue Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (March 14, 2017)

Description: Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat--along with Littleton's dead body.

Local homicide detective Will Worthington--who just happens to be Sydney's old high school crush--is highly suspicious of the sisters' involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton's death--until the killer notices she's pawing a little too closely at the truth.

Delightfully clever and charming, Purr M for Murder, the first in a new series from nationally bestselling author T. C. LoTempio, will leave readers clawing for more.

My Thoughts: After a relationship fell apart, Sydney McCall is back home in Deer Park, North Carolina to be the publicity director at her sister's animal shelter. Her plan to run a cat cafe at a friend's bakery. But Trowbridge Littleton who happens to own an art gallery nearby and is the local rich person thinks a cat cafe will be bad for everyone's business.

When Syd and her sister Kat go to reason with him at his gallery, they find him dead and still warm. Syd has always wanted to be a detective and gets right on the case. Her incentive is that Kat is looking like the number one suspect. It doesn't take long for Syd to uncover a bunch of other suspects from the wife, to the stepson, to a few of Littleton's ex-lovers, to his business partner, and to most of the other shopkeepers who are Littleton's tenants.

The new detective in town - Will Worthington - was a good friend of hers in high school but they lost track as they went off to college tries his best to discourage her. But Syd is determined and finds a number of clues that are useful to Will.

Another big part of this story has to do with Syd's new feline companion. Toby has been living at the shelter for a while waiting for his perfect person. He's decided that Syd is that person. There are lots of cute cat moments as Toby and Syd interact. He also helps her find some clues.

This was fun. I liked Syd. I liked the small town setting. I see possibilities for Syd and Will to rekindle their relationship and work together to solve mysteries in future books.

Favorite Quote:

"I know. I know. My inner Nancy Drew kicked in. It won't happen again," I assured him.

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Purr M for Murder by T. C. LoTempio

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"Sir Walter Scott said it best -- cats are mysterious kind of folk."

Friday 56 (from 56% in the eARC):

"Oh." Kat's cheeks flushed a bright scarlet. "I know I always said I hated to poison animals, but I'm not sure I can consider that gopher a friendly animal any more."

"Gopher?"

This week I'm reading Purr M for Murder by T. C. LoTempio. I got this eARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat--along with Littleton's dead body.

Local homicide detective Will Worthington--who just happens to be Sydney's old high school crush--is highly suspicious of the sisters' involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton's death--until the killer notices she's pawing a little too closely at the truth.

Delightfully clever and charming, Purr M for Murder, the first in a new series from nationally bestselling author T. C. LoTempio, will leave readers clawing for more.

ARC Review: Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany

Elementary, She Read
Author: Vicki Delany
Series: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (March 14, 2017)

Description: Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight in the sleuthing duo of Gemma and Jayne in Elementary, She Read, the clever and captivating series debut by nationally bestselling author Vicki Delany.

My Thoughts: Gemma Doyle runs a bookshop on Cape Cod specializing in Sherlock Holmes. When she finds a priceless copy of the first Sherlock Holmes story hidden on her book shelves, she uses her phenomenal and nearly photographic memory to figure out who left it there. When she and her friend Jayne who runs Mrs. Hudson't Tea Room next door go to find her, they discover that she has been murdered.

Gemma is not particularly pleased to find that one of the investigators is Ryan Ashburton. She and Ryan had a close relationship until they unexpectedly broke up and he took a job in Boston. His partner is Louise Estrada who seems to take an immediate dislike to Gemma. Now Gemma not only has to fend off a detective who is certain she is guilty but also collectors who have heard rumors that she has possession of the priceless Sherlock Holmes artifact.

Gemma is busy investigating and has a lot of suspects. Is it the new book dealer who moved into town? Is it someone in the family of the man who left the priceless artifact to the nurse who cared for him in his final illness? Is it the son of the nurse (and murder victim) who inherited the story?

I liked Gemma who was perceptive and clueless at the same time. I liked her relationship with her friend Jayne. When I learned the reason that Ryan left her, I took a real dislike to him but he did grow on me as the story progressed.

I would be eager to read more adventures for Gemma and her friend Jayne.

Favorite Quote:

"I'll do the talking," Jayne said.

"Why?"

"Because you sometimes say inappropriate things."

"Me? I only ever tell the truth."

"My point exactly."

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: Cause to Fear by Blake Pierce

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for. I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

Cause to Fear

Blake Pierce

April 15

From Amazon: When a body turns up floating beneath the frozen Charles River, the Boston Police summons its most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black—to close the case. It doesn’t take Avery long, however, to realize that this is no isolated murder: it is the work of a serial killer.

Other bodies begin to turn up, all of them sharing one thing in common: all are trapped in ice. Is it all a coincidence—or the signature of a particularly deranged killer?

As the media converges and Avery suffers pressure from her bosses, she struggles to crack the inexplicable case, too bizarre even for her brilliant mind. At the same time she tries to keep her own depression at bay, as her personal life spirals to a new low. And she does it all while trying to enter the mind of a psychotic and elusive killer.

What she will find will shock even her, and make her realizes that nothing is what it seems—and that the worst darkness may sometimes be closest to us.

A psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO FEAR is book #4 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Teaser Tuesday: Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser (from 10% in the eARC):

As usual, customers had picked up books to read the inside cover or the first page and, finding it not to their liking, returned them to the shelves in the incorrect place so that many were now out of alphabetical order. That would never do.

This week I'm reading Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany. I can't resist any mystery with a connection to Sherlock Holmes. Here is the description of this eARC:

Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight in the sleuthing duo of Gemma and Jayne in Elementary, She Read, the clever and captivating series debut by nationally bestselling author Vicki Delany.