Month: March 2016

Will PRH be cancelling your favorite cozy mystery series?

~ Erika K ~ 15 Comments

For my cozy mystery readers who may not be aware….

There has been a merger between Random House and the Penguin Group, and  Random House has now decided not to renew several cozy mystery series. I won’t pretend to understand the reasoning behind this, but it does include cozies published by Berkley Prime Crime and NAL Obsidian lines. It sounds like they will be cutting the number of these books that are published drastically. I do not have a comprehensive list of series that will not be continued, but Avery Aames Cheese Shop Mysteries (one of my favorites!) and Molly McRae’s Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries are among the casualties.

For those who are so inclined, please take a minute to visit Penguin Random House’s contact form (click the logo, scroll to the Send Us a Note drop-down near the bottom, and select General Feedback) and ask them (in a polite and respectful manner, of course! 🙂 ) not to discontinue their cozy mystery series.

Penguin Random House

A Facebook group called Save Our Cozies has been created for those who would like to stay informed – please visit them for an up-to-date list of series that have and haven’t been renewed. Please feel free to use the sharing links below to tweet or to share this post on Facebook.

AS ALWAYS – the best way to keep your favorite series alive is to buy the books, or ask your library to buy them so you can check them out, and of course READ the books, and review them! 🙂

 

The Skeleton Garden – WAYRW

~ Erika K ~ 6 Comments

whatareyoureadingwed

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by It’s A Reading Thing. To participate, open the book you are currently reading to page 34 (or 34% in your ebook) and answer these three questions.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a complete sentence. (or two!)

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Now for my answers this week…

1. The Skeleton Garden (Potting Shed Mysteries #4) by Marty Wingate
The Skeleton Garden (Potting Shed Mystery #4)

2. “I remember the first time I saw you kitted out in that Land Girl uniform, your hair all tied up in that way you have so all your curls just fairly burst to get out. I saw you smile at me and i knew you were the one.” ~Letter from Ratley Airfield

3. This is the story of Pru, a Texas-born gardener who has relocated to a beautiful estate in the English countryside. I think I’d be quite happy in her surroundings. 🙂

What are you reading now?

 

Note: I’m a Random House Monthly Mystery Chatterbox, and received this ebook free in exchange for my honest review – coming soon!

 

Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR

~ Erika K ~ 29 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday they post a new Top Ten list prompt. This week’s prompt is… Ten Books on my Spring TBR pile.  I’m constantly adding books, so it would be easy to go way over this week, but here are 10 I’m planning to read soon. I’ve been doing a lot of cozy mystery blog tours, so the list is full of those this week! Be sure to leave me a link to your own post or just mention the books you’re looking forward to reading this Spring in the comments below.

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The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum – Review / Giveaway (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 9 Comments

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The Perfectly Proper Paranormal MuseumGoodreads Description:

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

Genre : Cozy Paranormal Mystery
My Rating: **** (4 stars)

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Shards of Murder by Cheryl Hollon – Review / Giveaway (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 8 Comments

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SHARDS OF MURDER Description:

When a glass-making competition turns deadly, glass shop owner Savannah Webb must search for a window into a criminal’s mind…

As the new proprietor of Webb’s Glass Shop, Savannah has been appointed to fill her late father’s shoes as a judge for the Spinnaker Arts Festival, held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With her innovative glass works, the clear winner is Megan Loyola, a student of Savannah’s former mentor.

But when Megan doesn’t show up to accept her $25,000 award, rumors start flying. And when Savannah discovers the woman’s dead body on festival grounds, the police immediately suspect her of murder. To keep from appearing before a judge herself, Savannah sorts through the broken pieces of glass scattered around the victim for clues as to who took this killer competition too far…

Webb’s Glass Shop #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Review – The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

~ Erika K ~ 10 Comments

The Library at Mount Char
by Scott Hawkins

The Library at Mount Char Goodreads Description:

Carolyn’s not so different from the other human beings around her. She’s sure of it. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. She even remembers what clothes are for.

After all, she was a normal American herself, once.

That was a long time ago, of course—before the time she calls “adoption day,” when she and a dozen other children found themselves being raised by a man they learned to call Father.

Father could do strange things. He could call light from darkness. Sometimes he raised the dead. And when he was disobeyed, the consequences were terrible.

In the years since Father took her in, Carolyn hasn’t gotten out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father’s ancient Pelapi customs. They’ve studied the books in his library and learned some of the secrets behind his equally ancient power.  (read more)

Genre: Dark Fantasy / Horror
My Rating: **** (4 stars)

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Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray – #WAYRW

~ Erika K ~ 13 Comments

whatareyoureadingwed

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by It’s A Reading Thing. To participate, open the book you are currently reading to page 34 (or 34% in your ebook) and answer these three questions.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a complete sentence. (or two!)

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Now for my answers this week…

2. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray – Book #2 of the Diviners series
I’m listening to the audiobook, and January LaVoy is narrating again – yay! (See my review of the audiobook edition of The Diviners if you don’t know why I’m so happy about that.)
Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2)

2. Well, it’s an audiobook, so it’s hard to find page 34! 🙂 Here are a few random quotes instead….

For dreams, too, are ghosts, desires chased in sleep, gone by morning.

It was funny how one afternoon with a best friend could set a girl right.

This is how it is now. There is strength in acceptance, Ling. Your legs have been taken from you. But how you choose to live with that has not.

3. The story takes place in the 1920’s in New York City. I’d love a peek, but I wouldn’t want to stay. Couldn’t do without all of my more modern conveniences, or my right to vote!!

What’s everyone else reading this week?