Audiobook Tour ‘n’ Review – All Lies (The Lies Mystery Series #1)

Author: Andrew Cunningham

Narrator: Greg Hernandez

Length: 7 hours 20 minutes

Series: Lies, Book 1

Released: Dec. 22, 2017

Publisher: Andrew Cunningham

Genre: Mystery, Modern Detective

“I come from a long line of idiots.”

Those were the last words his father uttered before dying, and from what he knew of his family tree and the unfortunate end that came to so many of his ancestors, Del Honeycutt couldn’t disagree. What he didn’t know was that his family held dark secrets – secrets that were about to come crashing down upon him.

A seemingly innocent date gone tragically wrong plunges Del into a web of murder, lies, greed, and a hidden fortune dating back to a crime committed 85 years earlier by his great-grandfather. Accompanied by Sabrina, the sister of Del’s brutally murdered date, a violent journey of discovery and fear begins. Pursued by vicious killers intent on eliminating anyone with knowledge of the 85-year-old crime, their only hope of survival is to find the reason behind the original crime and why, decades later, someone is still willing to kill to keep it hidden. But Sabrina is concealing a monstrous lie of her own. Is she who she says she is?

By the author of the Amazon best-selling thriller, Wisdom Spring.

I’m the author of novels in several genres, including, mystery, thriller, and post-apocalyptic science fiction. Under the name A.R. Cunningham, I’ve also written the Arthur MacArthur series of mysteries for children.

I was born in England, but have spent most of my life living in the U.S.—including 25 years on Cape Cod before moving to Florida. A former interpreter for the deaf and long-time independent bookseller, I’ve been a full-time freelance writer and copy editor for many years. A 4th-degree Master Black belt in Tang Soo Do, I finally retired from active training when my body said, “Enough already! Why are you doing this to yourself?” I’m married, with two grown children and two awesome grandsons. My wife and I spend as much time traveling as we can, and are especially fond of cruising the Caribbean.

​I have been gratified by the response to my books. When I published Eden Rising back in the spring of 2013, I had no idea what to expect. When I sold my first few copies, I was excited beyond belief that someone was willing to take a chance on it. Numerous books and thousands of copies later, I am still humbled by the emails I get from readers telling me that my books kept them up late into the night.

In October of 2014, Wisdom Spring made me an official Amazon Bestselling author, a thrill I never thought would happen. But it still comes down to being able to bring a few hours of escape to a reader. That’s what it’s all about for me.

I hope you will try my books. Please feel free to email me with your comments.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Amazon

Author-preferred Narrator of Mysteries & Thrillers

Narrating audiobooks is highly gratifying. I immerse myself into an author’s story in order to bring it to life for the listener. I’ve enjoyed working with Andrew Cunningham for several years. His books are filled with rich characters, and the stories keep me turning the pages.

I also work as a background actor in movies and TV shows.

For more than 20 years, I worked as a radio news reporter and news writer. I spent half of my broadcasting career at ABC News Radio in the Washington, D.C., bureau. I covered all the federal agencies as well as Congress and the White House. I reported on a wide range of stories during my career, including financial and entertainment industry news.

For nearly 24 years, I worked as a federal government spokesman at three separate agencies—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Mint and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Twitter

A very enjoyable story with lots going on, so much so that the story held my interest from start to end.
Delmore (Del) Honeycutt is merely going through the motions when an online date changes his life. Not in the way you might imagine though. He didn’t click with Izzy Worth and found her questions about his grandfather most puzzling, especially when he had no answers for her.
So, imagine his surprise when he is asked by police to prove his whereabouts when Izzy is found dead.
Nothing is the same after that, as he is shot at, robbed, threatened all within a few days.
Spurred on by his neighbours and mother, he gives up his boring job and takes times to explore the ideas churning in his mind since Izzy’s questions. What did his grandfather have to do with what was happening to him now?
Cue the mystery author sister of Izzy (with her own troubled back story), an art heist from the 1930s, a treasure hunt and lots of interested parties eager to block him by any means necessary.

Great narration: Del’s inner thoughts come through with the perfect amount of sarcasm, and there’s no confusion as to who’s speaking when it comes to dialogue ( even when the scenes include multiple characters).

Recommended to mystery fans who enjoy a tangled web of clues all held together by strong protagonists.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Greg Hernandez. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL 21-DAY SCHEDULE!

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

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Blog Tour – A Spotlight on “Patch Lane”

Ooh this cover just gives me chills! Welcome to the blog tour for Patch Lane, a brand new thriller by S.F. Barkley! Read on for an exclusive excerpt, and a chance to win a Kindle copy of the book!

Patch Lane

Publication Date: October 22, 2019

Genre: Thriller

Sarah Hastings is a rookie cop who works the night shift in Amber Forest, a small rural town nestled in the Western Pennsylvania mountains. After repeatedly responding to an abandoned and allegedly haunted farmhouse for 911 hang up calls, she discovers a dead body in a secret room. The forensic investigators determine that the body has only been dead for three to four days, but the case takes an unexpected turn when Sarah runs the victim’s fingerprints and finds that her Jane Doe actually died 20 years ago.

The murder investigation is complicated with a sloppy autopsy and delayed forensic reports. When the US Marshals and FBI join the case, Sarah realizes that she is caught in a web of jurisdictional politics that seem to care less about the victim and are more concerned with a larger confidential case. Sarah soon realizes that she may be closer to the victim than she thought and finds herself drawn deeper into the case, threatening not just her career, but her life.

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Excerpt

The house was in total disrepair. The exterior had white wooden siding with loosely attached, rotting black shutters. The moonlight highlighted the chipping paint, making the shutters appear two-toned. The old brick chimney was pulling away from the side of the house, and small trees were growing on the lower roof. There were no signs of life inside—no lights, no sound, not even a car parked on the property. It was the only house on the lane, so I deduced this was once a running farm. This must have been the original farmhouse. I slowly made my way around the house, trudging through the overgrown grass, to check the perimeter. With no evidence of life or habitation, I was beginning to question if Dispatch had gotten the address wrong. I got on the radio. “1034 to Dispatch.”

“Dispatch, go ahead.”

“I’m at 52 Patch Lane. Can you confirm this is the address?”

“Stand by.” After about a minute, Dispatch got back on the air. “1034, yes, that’s the correct address. Do you need backup?”

“Negative. It appears no one is home, but I’ll update.”

At this point, I knocked on the front door and announced myself. “Officer Hastings, Amber Forest Police Department!” No answer. All of the windows were closed, so I tried the front door. Locked. I didn’t have any extenuating circumstances that would allow a warrantless entry, so all I could do was leave. There wasn’t even enough for me to write a police report.

“1034 to Dispatch,” I radioed again.

“Dispatch, go ahead.”

“It looks like this house is abandoned. I think the 911 hang up might have been some crossed telephone wires. Clear me from the call with no report.”

“10-4.”

I began driving back down the gravel lane when another wave of chills shot through me. I hit my brakes and glanced in my rearview mirror. My brake lights flooded the house in red, and for a split moment I thought I saw someone standing in the window watching me leave. I blinked, and the figure vanished. My intuition had kept me alive this far, but I knew Chief Fox would rip me a new one if I tried to enter that house based on my intuition and faintly seeing shadows. I took a deep breath and convinced my foot to ease off of the brake and back on the gas.

Available on Amazon

Click the link below to win a Kindle download of Patch Lane!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

December 2^nd

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Horror Tree (Guest Post) https://www.horrortree.com

I’m All About Books (Review) https://imallaboutbooks.com/

Kim Knight (Review) http://kimknightauthor.wordpress.com

December 3^rd

B is for Book Review (Guest Post) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Just 4 My Books (Spotlight) http://www.just4mybooks.wordpress.com

Scarlett Readz & Runz (Review) https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/

December 4^th

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Interview) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

Reading Nook (Spotlight) http://readingnook84.wordpress.com

J Bronder Book Reviews (Review) https://jbronderbookreviews.com/

December 5^th

Cup of Books Blog (Review) https://cupofbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Read and Rated (Review) https://readandrated.com/

My Comic Relief (Review) https://mycomicrelief.wordpress.com/

December 6^th

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Spotlight) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

About the Author

S.F. Barkley is a former police officer who uses her law enforcement knowledge and experience along with her love for all things creepy to create short stories and novels. She had several eerie experiences as a cop, including having discovered secret underground tunnels and responding to 911 hang up calls to an abandoned industrial building. She has published short horror stories in various anthologies and is publishing her debut mystery novel, Patch Lane, in October 2019. She was raised in Western Pennsylvania and currently resides in Maryland with her husband and their rescue pup.

S.F. Barkley | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon

Blog Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Blogging at The Writer’s Workout!

They say to write what you know. So, here’s my first guest post at The Writer’s Workout.

I’m not big on the whole marketing spiel that we authors need to promote our stories, but I can recommend blog tours!

This is my experience with Magic O’Clock last year.

https://www.writersworkout.net/single-post/2019/11/30/All-About-Book-Tours

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – The Perfect Fit (Love in the Dales #2)

The Perfect Fit

‘A wonderful book with a great story and a sparky, unusual voice. I loved it!’ KATIE FFORDE

Escape to the frost-sparkling Yorkshire Dales for some festive fun under the mistletoe! A saucy comedy-romance with more than a sprinkle of Christmas spice – this will lift your spirits and your excitement level!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for costume shop owner Becky Finn. Leaving London to move back home to the twinkly rural village of Egglethwaite, she plans to build a new life for herself with fiancé, Cole.

Keen to raise funds for the struggling village hall she loved as a child, Becky finds herself at the head of a colourful group aiming to revive the Egglethwaite Christmas pantomime. But when that festive feeling sets in, she discovers there’s more to panto than innuendo and slapped thighs.

Falling in love was not in the script! But as opening night grows closer, she starts to wonder if the panto will ever make it to the stage and, with handsome co-star Marcus on the scene, if she has chosen her right leading man…

The perfect stocking-filler gift!

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FTSPQGC/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FTSPQGC/

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-perfect-fit/id1440983553

Author Bio

Mary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she’s still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them. More information can be found about Mary Jayne on her website at http://www.maryjaynebaker.co.uk

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryJayneWrites/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/maryjaynebaker

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryjaynebaker/

Oh, yes it is!

Giveaway to Win signed copies of both books in the Love in the Dales series (Open to UK Only)

• A Bicycle Made for Two and The Perfect Fit

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

RAFFLECOPTER LINK

 

My Review

4/5 stars

Why is a panto called a panto?

Because they arrrrrr!

(Readers of the story will get this, otherwise … read on. I’m not as crazy (or grammatically inept) as it might appear 😉 I’m channelling my inner six-year-old!)

From page one, the panto theme is alive and kicking, and when 6 year old Pip and her Aunty Becky attend the Christmas panto, Pip takes a particular liking to the joke:

Why are pirates called pirates? – Because they arrrrr!

So much does she love this, that she tells everyone, but not without changing it to suit her own purposes. (See now? 😉 as I said, my inner Pip!) The groan effect is huge, and Becky has a lot of explaining to do to the befuddled adults on the receiving end of Pip’s hilarity.

Having returned to her childhood home, Egglethwaite, after a stint in London, Becky Finn immerses herself into village life while waiting for her fiancé, Cole, to join her ‘up North’. As an artist, his life has been in London, but he so wants Becky to be happy that he is prepared to make the move. Unfortunately, it’s taking some time to get the job he wants, and so Becky is encouraged by her family and old friends to get involved in the community.

When it seems that the old hall – The Temperance Hall – is threatened by closure due to a lack of funding, Becky is determined to help raise money to keep it open. She has fond memories of the Hall, and especially of the pantomimes.

Why not rekindle the panto? she asks everyone at a local meeting. They don’t exactly rush to agree with her, but eventually she wins them over and plans are made to recruit others to help out behind the scenes and in the panto itself.

Of course, it doesn’t go swimmingly, but Becky gets stuck in, writing the script with Marcus and organising the costumes. It keeps her mind off missing Cole, and she’s enjoying being back with family and friends. She looks on longingly as her brother and his husband now have young Pip to raise, her best friend Lana and hubby, Stew, are also hoping to expand their family by adopting. Everyone seems to be moving on, and Becky cannot wait to be in their position.

Cole does eventually get the job and makes the move. Everything is falling into place for Becky. Or is it? The panto is taking over her life, and Cole is not at all interested. But, once it’s over, everything will be fine. Won’t it?

The characters, in true panto style, are larger than life yet still seem very realistic. They each get a chance to shine, telling their own stories. It feels like a proper community. Everyone looking out for each other, and at the same time coping with their own issues. There are plenty of laughs, lots of groans (bad panto jokes and innuendo galore) and even some tears.

This is the second book of the “A Love in the Dales’ Story” series but can be read as a standalone. Personally, I haven’t read the first book and didn’t feel there was anything missing or unexplained. It’s a fun read, totally reminiscent of the pantomimes of my own childhood. Behind the scenes, there’s drama, upsets, tantrums, and even costume envy. The author balances the enthusiasm and over-the-top quality of pantomime with believable relationships and interactions. It’s very British in its colloquialisms and pantomime traditions, all of which makes it a great fun read at this time of year.

I received a copy via Rachel’s Random Resources and have given this review voluntarily.

For more news and reviews, take a look at these blogs:

As always,

 

 

 

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Death Makes No Distinction

Death Makes No Distinction: A Dan Foster Mystery

Two women at opposite ends of the social scale, both brutally murdered.

Principal Officer Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners is surprised when his old rival John Townsend requests his help to investigate the murder of Louise Parmeter, a beautiful writer who once shared the bed of the Prince of Wales. Her jewellery is missing, savagely torn from her body. Her memoirs, which threaten to expose the indiscretions of the great and the good, are also missing.

Frustrated by the chief magistrate’s demand that he drop the investigation into the death of the unknown beggar woman, found savagely raped and beaten and left to die in the outhouse of a Holborn tavern, Dan is determined to get to the bottom of both murders. But as his enquiries take him into both the richest and the foulest places in London, and Townsend’s real reason for requesting his help gradually becomes clear, Dan is forced to face a shocking new reality when the people he loves are targeted by a shadowy and merciless adversary.

The investigation has suddenly got personal.

Purchase Links

Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/Death-Makes-No-Distinction-Lucienne-Boyce/9781781328835?ref=grid-view&qid=1566655590217&sr=1-3
Wordery https://wordery.com/death-makes-no-distinction-lucienne-boyce-9781781328835?cTrk=MTYwMDMwMzgwfDVkNjE0NDg5MmE2NDk6MTo1OjVkNjE0NDgzODI2YjM5LjMyOTk5NDA2OjBhZWYwZjQz
Foyles Bookshop https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/death-makes-no-distinction,lucienne-boyce-9781781328835
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Makes-No-Distinction-Mystery/dp/1781328838
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Death-Makes-No-Distinction-Mystery/dp/1781328838

Author Bio

Lucienne Boyce writes historical fiction, non-fiction and biography. After gaining an MA in English Literature (with Distinction) with the Open University in 2007, specialising in eighteenth-century fiction, she published her first historical novel, To The Fair Land, in 2012, an eighteenth-century thriller set in Bristol and the South Seas.

Her second novel, Bloodie Bones: A Dan Foster Mystery (2015) is the first of the Dan Foster Mysteries and follows the fortunes of a Bow Street Runner who is also an amateur pugilist. Bloodie Bones was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016, and was also a semi-finalist for the M M Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction 2016. The second Dan Foster Mystery, The Butcher’s Block, was published in 2017 and was awarded an IndieBrag Medallion in 2018. The third in the series, Death Makes No Distinction, was published in 2019. In 2017 an e-book Dan Foster novella, The Fatal Coin, was trade published by SBooks.

In 2013, Lucienne published The Bristol Suffragettes, a history of the suffragette movement in Bristol and the west country. In 2017 she published a collection of short essays, The Road to Representation: Essays on the Women’s Suffrage Campaign.

Contributions to other publications include:-

‘Not So Militant Browne’ in Suffrage Stories: Tales from Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth (Stevenage Museum, 2019)

‘Victoria Lidiard’ in The Women Who Built Bristol, Jane Duffus (Tangent Books, 2018)

‘Tramgirls, Tommies and the Vote’ in Bristol and the First World War: The Great Reading Adventure 2014 (Bristol Cultural Development Partnership/Bristol Festival of Ideas, 2014)

Articles, interviews and reviews in various publications including Bristol Times, Clifton Life, The Local Historian, Historical Novels Review (Historical Novel Society), Nonesuch, Bristol 24/7, Bristol History Podcast, etc.

Lucienne has appeared on television and radio in connection with her fiction and non-fiction work. She regularly gives talks and leads walks about the women’s suffrage movement. She also gives talks and runs workshops on historical fiction for literary festivals, Women’s Institutes, local history societies, and other organisations. She has been a radio presenter on BCfm, and a course tutor.

In 2018 she was instrumental in devising and delivering Votes for Women 100, a programme of commemorative events by the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network in partnership with Bristol M Shed and others. She also campaigned and raised funds for a Blue Plaque for the Bristol and West of England Women’s Suffrage Society.

She is on the steering committee of the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network, and is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Society of Authors, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She is currently working on the fourth full-length Dan Foster Mystery, and a biography of suffrage campaigner Millicent Browne.

Lucienne was born in Wolverhampton and now lives in Bristol.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @LucienneWrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucienneWriter

Blog: https://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437832.Lucienne_Boyce

My Review

4/5 stars

Dan Foster, a former fighter, is now a newly-appointed officer at Bow Street, and is thankful to finally have a case he can deal with on his own – the rape and murder of a young woman in a pub’s shed. Unfortunately, he has barely made any headway in the case when he is instructed to work alongside a former rival of his, John Townsend, on the murder of Louise Parmeter, a high society woman, former actress and lover of Prince George.

Right from the start there is friction between the two men, and Dan is bewildered at Townsend’s request to work with him. There has to be a catch, right?

Townsend is hasty in deciding who the murderer is, and doesn’t even listen to Dan’s suggestions. When Townsend is called away, Dan continues with the investigation his way and gets Townsend’s prime suspect released.

Uh oh! Someone was not going to be happy. If Townsend knew Dan was still investigating the first murder too – against his express instructions – there’d be hell to pay.

As Dan gets closer to finding out who Parmeter’s killer is, he has to deal with the snobbish elite who think they can avoid the law, as well as being dragged against his will into a fight to be held before Prince George. He hates being put in that position, although his wife is elated at the thought of royalty being involved.

The story also gives great insight into Dan’s home life, and his relationships with his wife and friends. When his family is drawn into yet another crime, Dan’s mind is elsewhere. Things have suddenly become very personal, and he has to put his family first. And, of course, he does, with everyone pulling together to help.

His mind may have been elsewhere for a while, but when back on the case, and much to Townsend’s dismay, Dan’s investigations lead him to believe the murderer of Louise Parmeter is someone within her circle of acquaintances. Proving his case, though, is never going to be easy, but his dogged determination to pursue the truth is constant.

The story reveals a grimy underbelly of crime in London’s back streets. Slavery, poverty and abuse contrast with the glamour and opulence of High Society. The details are so well-defined, it’s like being drawn into a film set and watching the scenes unfold as an uninvited observer.

This is a well-written story, beautifully told in glorious detail. A great murder-mystery, or rather, two for the price of one featuring both sides of the track. I’d be more than happy to read to more of Dan Foster’s cases as a Bow Street Runner.

I received a copy of this book via Rachel’s Random Resources. This review is based on my thoughts, and mine alone.

For other news and reviews, check out these amazing blogs:

As always,

Book Birthday Blitz – Children of Fire

Children of Fire

Can Josiah solve the puzzle before more people die, or is he out of his depth?

In 1841, at the height of the industrial revolution in the North West of England, Josiah Ainscough returns from his travels and surprises everyone by joining the Stockport Police Force, rather than following his adopted father’s footsteps into the Methodist ministry.

While Josiah was abroad, five men died in an explosion at the Furness Vale Powder Mill. Was this an accident or did the Children of Fire, a local religious community, have a hand in it. As Josiah struggles to find his vocation, his investigation into the Children of Fire begins. But his enquiries are derailed by the horrific crucifixion of the community’s leader.

Now Josiah must race against time to solve the puzzle of the violence loose in the Furness Vale before more people die. This is complicated by his affections for Rachael, a leading member of the Children of Fire, and the vivacious Aideen Hayes, a visitor from Ireland.

Can Josiah put together the pieces of the puzzle, or is he out of his depth? Children of Fire won the Writing Magazine’s Best Novel Prize for 2017

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1912083469/

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1912083469/

Author Bio 

Paul CW Beatty is an unusual combination of a novelist and a research scientist. Having worked for many years in medical research in the UK NHS and Universities, a few years ago he took an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University emerging with a distinction.

His latest novel, Children of Fire, is a Victorian murder mystery set in 1841 at the height of the industrial revolution. It won the Writing Magazine’s Best Novel Award in November 2017 and is published by The Book Guild Ltd. 

Paul lives near Manchester in the northwest of England. Children of Fire is set against the hills of the Peak District as well as the canals and other industrial infrastructure of the Cottonopolis know as the City of Manchester.

Social Media Links – Twitter @cw_beatty

My Review

4/5 stars

An interesting and original story. As with many historical fiction novels, the story is heavy on details in regards to the setting and the procedures involved in making the explosives. Alongside that information runs a fascinating – if not a little gory – murder mystery, and it is Constable Josiah Ainscough’s job to find the killer of the leader of the Children of Fire. Eager to make a name for himself, Josiah is thoughtful. considerate and attentive in carrying out his duty.

The members of the Children of Fire community welcome him (initially undercover as a traveller), but when their leader, Elijah, is found brutally murdered, they are suspicious of him – and more so when he reveals his true identity as a police constable. Had it not been for Sister Rachael and the hinted-at romance between them, I doubt Josiah would have succeeded at Long Clough, and the openness they share brings another layer of intrigue to the story.

Not content with just the one “love interest”, Josiah is captivated by Aideen Hayes, whom he meets at a social gathering where he is sussing out some of the business owners in the area. His attempts to question them creates friction, but he gets the chance to visit the mines and forges which gives him new leads on the killer. Aideen is on to watch – a determined young woman on a mission. Josiah is on her radar, but is she on his? Should she be?

When it seems the investigation is getting nowhere, a twist in the tale rekindles his hopes and within no time he is on the hunt for the killer, needing to stop his escape and further disasters. The pace picks up considerably at this point, resulting in a compelling chase along the canal banks and a watery encounter at the locks.

The ending presents yet another twist, and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.
While the story is strong, the book could most definitely do with another pass with a proofreader or editor since there are numerous issues throughout that often made me re-read parts for clarity.

A great combination of history and mystery. Never was the Industrial Revolution so intriguing 😉

As always,

Audiobook Blog Tour ‘n’ Review – Past & Present

Author: Judy Penz Sheluk

Narrator: Kelli Lindsay

Series: Marketville Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Judy Penz Sheluk

Released: Apr. 8, 2019

Genre: Mystery

Sometimes the past reaches out to the present. It’s been 13 months since Calamity (Callie) Barnstable inherited a house in Marketville under the condition that she search for the person who murdered her mother 30 years earlier. She solves the mystery, but what’s next? Unemployment? Another nine-to-five job in Toronto?

Callie decides to set down roots in Marketville, take the skills and knowledge she acquired over the past year, and start her own business: Past & Present Investigations.

It’s not long before Callie and her new business partner, best friend Chantelle Marchand, get their first client: a woman who wants to find out everything she can about her grandmother, Anneliese Prei, and how she came to a “bad end” in 1956. It sounds like a perfect first assignment. Except for one thing: Anneliese’s past winds its way into Callie’s present, and not in a manner anyone – least of all Callie – could have predicted.

Judy Penz Sheluk is the Amazon international bestselling author of the Glass Dolphin Mystery and Marketville Mystery series. Her short stories can be found in several collections, including Live Free or Tri and The Best Laid Plans, which she edited. Judy is also a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors. Find her at http://www.judypenzsheluk.com.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

Kelli Lindsay’s versatile style and years of experience with commercial, corporate and e-learning projects have created a dream career for her. She has lent her talents to TV, radio, video games, and various other fantastic projects, but she proudly admits that her true passion is narrating audiobooks. Her professional training has taught her how to put herself into the script or audiobook and deliver an incredible performance. With her professionalism and love for what she does, Kelli ensures that her clients and listeners get to hear exactly what they’re looking for!

Website⎮Facebook

 

Another great mystery featuring Callie Barnstable, now running her own investigations business – Past & Present.
Picking up with Callie a year or so after she was left the family home in Marketville by her father on the condition she find out who killed her mother, Callie is selling up and moving to a new location to run her business with her friend, Chantal, a genealogist.
With Misty – the psychic from book one – also on board, the team set up a website to attract business, and indeed it is Misty’s tarot card reading together with a recommendation from another friend that gets them their first case: to find out more about Annaliese Pree who was murdered in 1956 and her husband Horst was imprisoned as her killer.
it seems straightforward enough, until connections to Callie’s own family – her mother’s estranged grandparents – adds an extra touch of spice, intrigue and mystery.
The story flows at a gentle pace, the research carried out by the team is well-explained, and outside of the investigation Callie’s personal life is boosted by developments in her relationship with former Snapdragon Drive neighbour, Royce.
The truth about Annaliese’s murderer provides a nice twist, although it seems quite obvious early on who the killer is. Despite that, it is interesting to see how Callie gets to that conclusion herself.
The ending provides scope for another case, one I’ll be sure to check out.
Having listened to both audiobooks in the Marketville Mystery series, I did prefer the narrator of the first book as I felt she better portrayed the different characters with a greater clarity. Overall I’d give this 4.5 stars, rounded up based on the quality of the story.

Giveaway: 5 Judy Penz Sheluk Audiobooks

Marketville Mysteries Giveaway: 5 Judy Penz Sheluk Audiobooks
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