December 31, 1941. Young Houston socialite Tracy Truworth, Apprentice P.I., can’t imagine a better way to send off the old year and ring in the new than by dancing through the night with her fella, Pete Stalwart. But a swell evening soon takes a terrible turn when a fellow dancer with moves like Fred Astaire ends up dead on the dance floor. And before the hands on the clock can point to midnight, a finger is pointed at Pete, accusing him of murdering the young man.

Then after Pete is hauled away in handcuffs, the night goes from bad to worse . . . and Tracy’s sweet grandmother is accused of stealing an ancient artifact from the museum. Now Tracy must team up with her boss and mentor, Sammy Falcone, in order to find the stolen statuette, unmask the real murderer, and restore the reputations of those she loves the most.

Yet as America becomes embroiled in another world war, the risks and sacrifices intensify—even on the homefront. And Tracy soon finds her own home invaded by a near parade of questionable characters, while unsavory suspects lurk in the shadows, and a ruthless reporter makes her life miserable. With time ticking against her, Tracy must be willing to swing past the setbacks and hop through the hazards if she hopes to solve a mystery that involves a lot of dancing . . . and a lot more danger.

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Y'all know that I've been a long time fan of Cindy's writing. I would read Buckley and Bogey all day, every day if I could. This is my first foray into her Homefront Mystery series though. In fact, this is book 2 and somehow I haven't read book 1 yet! Luckily, while reading book 1 may help with knowing the characters a bit more, this book completely works as a stand alone.

Outside of my son's love of Jazz, I don't really know a lot about the 1940s so seeing all of the references within the book really helped for me to feel as if I were alongside the characters as they worked to solve the mystery of who did what and to who! I love the individuality of each of the characters. It really brings them to life.

If I had one complaint, it would be that Tracy spends an incredible amount of time referencing her favorite book series. It got a tad old for me but as soon as I'd sigh, the story would move on and I'd be sucked right back into the pages! If you're in the mood for an old timey mystery, this series would be a great one to start with.

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Now for even more excitement! The author is doing a giveaway during this blog tour and you don't want to miss out on the opportunity to win some goodies, so be sure to enter! Oh! And silly me, I forgot to mention that she's made this book free on Kindle for the duration of the blog tour! Head on over to Amazon and get it today!



a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck and happy reading!


I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own. 

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After helping Prince Kung avert an international disaster and negotiating with Inspector Gong's mother for his betrothal to Concubine Swan, Lady Li takes a well-deserved evening to enjoy the first public performance by a female Peking opera performer. But her relaxing night out takes a dramatic turn when a murder is committed on stage during the performance.

Inspector Gong's attempt at finding a distraction from the troubles in his heart is thwarted when he and Lady Li attend the same opera performance. Thankfully, a murder in front of hundreds of people plunges him into a world usually hidden behind curtains and costumes.

The empress has decreed that women can now play female roles in Peking's beloved operas. But few women have been willing to undertake the challenge and risk the wrath of the more conservative opera patrons. When the first woman willing to step into the role of the "dan" becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her co-star, Lady Li begs Inspector Gong to delay in arresting the actress and find the real killer before the woman is executed for the crime. With the future of Chinese theater hanging in the balance, Inspector Gong must try to find the truth among people who mask their real faces for a living.

Will Lady Li and Inspector Gong discover the killer? Or will the empress's first attempt at social change lose its head before it finds its footing?

Take a peek behind the curtain at the fascinating world of Chinese opera in Murder at the Peking Opera, book 3 in the Qing Dynasty Mystery Series.

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I've never read anything by Amanda Roberts before but I can't resist a good mystery. Let's jump in and see if I found one!

The Good:

The Bad:

The Summary:

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Jimmy Doyle is an honorable man who took a bullet for his country and returned home to become a private detective. His boss, Lucius Fogg, is the preeminent occultist who dabbles in solving the more macabre crimes of 1950s New York City. As Fogg’s legman, Doyle is thrust deep into the world of the supernatural, pitting him against everything from disembodied spirits to demonic possessions with a few vampires and werewolves thrown in. He often has to face these dangers alone, for even though the enigmatic Fogg is extremely powerful he can’t take one step outside of his home or he will die instantly.

The first in a new series of novels from comic book writer Dan Wickline.

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Do you ever see a book description and think wow, I'd like to check that out and then go to buy it and Amazon says, "Hey, you already bought this ages ago?" No? Just me? Well, shoot. That's exactly what happened with this book.

The Good:

The Bad:

The Summary:

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Years ago, Emily's childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, scandalized polite society when she eloped to Venice with an Italian count. But now her father-in-law lies murdered, and her husband has vanished. There's no one Emma can turn to for help but Emily, who leaves at once with her husband, the dashing Colin Hargreaves, for Venice. There, her investigations take her from opulent palazzi to slums, libraries, and bordellos. Emily soon realizes that to solve the present day crime, she must first unravel a centuries old puzzle. But the past does not give up its secrets easily, especially when these revelations might threaten the interests of some very powerful people.

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Another of my free library shelf finds! The title captured my attention and so I tossed it into my bag and on my last "make myself take downtime day", I picked it up and read the whole darned thing before I realized it! That's a good sign that I enjoyed the book, but let's break it down a little bit more.

I'm a sucker for a mystery and this one was really well written. Even though the chapters switch between present and past, there was absolutely no confusion and it was easy to see how they were tied together. The characters felt true in their interactions and even though this was the only book in the series that I've read so far, I still felt as if I knew them.

Now, if I have to find a complaint, it's only that the ending seemed off to me. I don't mind being surprised by who the bad guy is, but somehow it just didn't feel right to me. Still, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book.

So, if you like mysteries, check out the Lady Emily series. I know I'm going to try to track down another one and if I spot one on the free shelf, it's going home with me.




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Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.


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Lately I've had some periods where I've needed to sit around and wait on the boys to finish whatever they're up to. It's given me some bonus reading time that I completely grabbed up. It gave me the chance to finish a couple of books that have been calling out for me to read them...

The first is The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason. I picked this up from a free shelf at the airport a couple of months ago and the title alone had me from hello. Then, I read the description and discovered that the two main characters were a Stoker and a Holmes and that was it. It left the shelf and went with me.

The Good: 
This book was fun to read. The characters were easy to relate to and while I've seen it said that Mine especially seemed judgmental for someone who was supposed to be brilliant, I have to say that it seems very much within a teenage girl's personality. Just because you're brilliant doesn't mean that you don't sometimes make assumptions. Aside from all of that, the story is very much plot driven and it's a plot that had me picking the book up whenever I had a few minutes to squeeze in some reading.

The Bad:
This book is a steampunk novel and while I don't mind that per se, I did mind that the author reminded us of it every other page or so. It wasn't necessary to the story building. The book also felt slightly unfinished. We don't know who was behind what was happening. We don't really know why the time traveling character was brought there or if he ever made it home. I know that this is book 1 of a 4 part Holmes/Stoker series so I'm hoping that the author revisits these in future books and resolves them.

The Summary:
Overall, this is a really fun book. It's certainly geared towards the teenage set, but as a not quite a teenager anymore, I enjoyed reading it and I'm going to try to track down book 2 to see what happens with this pair next.




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Poppy Denby, Arts and Entertainment Editor at The Daily Globe, covers an exhibition of Russian Art, hosted by White Russian refugees, including members of the surviving exiled Romanov Royal family. There is an armed robbery, a guard is shot, and the largest Faberge Egg in the collection is stolen. The egg itself is valuable, but more so are the secrets it contains within - secrets that could threaten major political powers. Suspects are aplenty, including the former keeper of the Faberge Egg, a Russian Princess called Selena Romanova Yusopova. The interim Bolshevik Russian ambassador, Vasili Safin inserts himself into the investigation, as he believes the egg - and the other treasures - should all be restored to the Russian people. Poppy, her editor Rollo, press photographer Daniel, and the other staff of the Globe are delighted to be once again in the middle of a sensational story. But, soon the investigation takes a dark turn when another body is found and an employee of the newspaper becomes a suspect...The race is on to find both the key and the egg - can they be found before the killer strikes again?

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When I chose this book to review, I had no idea that it was book 2 in a series. Thank goodness I didn't or I might have missed out on what turned out to be a fantastic book! It works just fine as a standalone. There, now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's roll on to the actual review!

This book starts out with lots of explanation type stuff. There's a map, a list of characters, and and explanation to do with the differences between the White and Red Russians. Taking the time to read this really helped me get into the book. It helped me "investigate" alongside Poppy and while the results weren't totally what I thought, I also wasn't horribly surprised. I'm good with that. I'm not a giant fan of books where I feel like a total dingbat at the end.

The story is easy to read and Poppy is a fantastically likable character. The tidbits of history were one of my favorite bits but that's not surprising because I love history. All in all, this is a book that you're going to want to pick up if you're a lover of history and mystery.


I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.

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Lord Gilbert Talbot must provide soldiers for Prince Edward's battle in France. He wishes his surgeon--Hugh de Singleton--to travel with the war party to tend any injuries. Among those on the road is Sir Simon Trillowe, Hugh's old nemesis, who had once torched Hugh's house.

Finding himself in the same war party, Hugh resolves to watch his back in the presence of the knight, who is still holding a grudge. But it is Sir Simon who should not have turned his back....

When Trillowe's body is found, many suspect Hugh has wreaked revenge on his adversary. To clear his name, Hugh must once again riddle a reason for murder.
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Sometimes there is nothing better than to get lost in a good book and this book provided me just the escape that I needed. I've only read one other book in this series. After reading this one, I'm going to have to try to figure out why that might be.

While this book only clocks in at 148 pages, that isn't a bad thing. It's the perfect size to tuck into a bag or to curl up with on a cool evening. While the author uses historical terms in the book, he also provides a fantastic glossary at the start of the book so you won't be lost among strange words you may have never seen before. As for the story itself, it moves along at just the right speed and while I had figured out parts of the mystery, parts of it took me by surprise. As a mystery lover, I appreciate this. Books where I feel clueless or far too smart just aren't as much fun to read.

My recommendation? Pick up this book or heck, the entire series! This book stands perfectly on its own, but I highly suspect that you'll enjoy the entire series and with those cold winter nights ahead, why not build up your books to be read by the fire pile?



I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.

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At first glance, the young woman found in the early hours of the morning where bombs have landed is just another casualty of the previous night's air raid. But when the post-mortem shows signs of strangulation, Detective Inspector Jago is called on to investigate.

The dead woman is smartly dressed but carries no identification. However, a local engineering company reports a staff member has failed to appear at work that morning and the body is quickly identified as that of Miss Mary Watkins.

DI Jago's initial interviews yield little fruit; no one can think of a reason why Mary would be murdered. But as the investigation continues DI Jago begins to uncover a trail of deception and betrayal.

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As someone who has read everything Agatha Christie has ever written and every Sherlock known to man, I couldn't resist a good mystery when it was offered to me. I'm glad I didn't. While it took me a little bit to get into it, by the time I reached the end, I was regretting that I hadn't read the first book in this series.

Let me explain. This book is the second book in the Blitz Detective series. Why did I regret not reading the first book? Not because I needed to for this one to make sense, but because this one was good enough to make me want to go back. The author does a fantastic job of painting a picture of what London was like during the blitz. The characters were real and there were plenty of them for you to try to figure out the "whodunnit". I'll confess! I figured out tiny pieces of it but the whole picture took me by surprise. For me, those are the best kind!

So, if you get a chance to pick up this book, I can happily say that I think you should!



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.
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My life would have been more tranquil in the days after Martinmas had I not seen the crows. Whatever it was that the crows had found lay in the dappled shadow of the bare limbs of the oak, so I was nearly upon the thing before I recognized what the crows were feasting upon. The corpse wore black.Master Hugh is making his way towards Oxford when he discovers the young Benedictine - a fresh body, barefoot - not half a mile from the nearby abbey. The abbey's novice master confirms the boy's identity: John, one of three novices. But he had gone missing four days previously, and his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death: the lad has been stabbed in the back. To Hugh's sinking heart, the abbot has a commission for him . . .

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If you enjoy series, medieval mysteries and whodunits, then this could be the series for you. While this book is the 7th in the series, it works wonderfully as a standalone. That being said, if you enjoy things like Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I'd suggest that you find the other books and enjoy them all. I love that this book stays true to the time period that it was written for. After all, who of us would investigate a murder in exchange for a Bible these days? It would be much easier to leave it to the police...oh wait, there wasn't an official police force back then. I really enjoyed the variety of characters in this book...everything from Sir Hugh (a surgeon and bailiff) to the various characters within and outside of the monastery. It seems that every type of person you could expect was represented. The book moves along at a good pace and before you know it, he's solved the crime and you're left wondering when the next book is coming out!



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.
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The mystery surrounding Celia's home in Savannah threatens her family reputation . . . and her very life.

Celia Browning is counting the days until her childhood sweetheart Sutton Mackay returns to Savannah after two years in Jamaica looking after his family's shipping interests. She's certain he will propose marriage, thus joining two of the city's most prominent families. But just as Sutton returns, an unsavory newspaper reporter arrives in town, determined to revive interest in the secret tragedies that occurred in the Browning mansion on Madison Square when Celia was a child.

A series of mysterious notes arrives at the house, followed by an anonymous gift--a bracelet imbued with a sinister message. Is it merely a coincidence, or is someone out to harm her?

As war clouds gather over Savannah and her beloved father's health worsens, Celia determines to uncover the truth about what really happened all those years ago.

Inspired by actual events in one of Savannah's most prominent 19th-century families, "The Bracelet "combines romance, rich historical detail, and breathtaking suspense as one young woman embarks upon a dangerous quest to free herself from her family's tragic past.

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When it comes to historical fiction, the history needs to be a part of the story and in this case, it certainly was. The author did a great job in keeping the story right where it should be. We learn of the early rumblings of the Civil War through the character's conversations and of the time itself throughout the descriptions in the book. The story has a wonderful pace to it and I admit that it was the mystery that had me coming back to see what happened. The characters themselves were a bit too perfect in their roles. I found Sutton to be the worst..I don't think the book showed a single character flaw and we all know that nobody is perfect. Overall, I'd say to read the story for the story..the characters are just a piece of it.



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