Thursday, October 17, 2024

#Review ~ Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery, Book 1) by Daryl Wood Gerber ~ #CozyMystery #BookReviewer #Blogger #MurderonthePage #NetGalley

 

Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

About Murder on the Page:


Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Setting - North Carolina

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (October 22, 2024)

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496748174 

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496748171

Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTDKHJ4G

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Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

My Review:

Murder on the Page is the first book in the new Literary Dining Mystery series. 

Allie Catt is a caterer, personal chef, and keep local bakeries stock with her baked goods. Her latest catering gig is for her bestie Teagan's aunt Marigold. When Marigold is found dead in her book shop the date of the catering event. Teagan has become the sole heir, shooting her to the very top of the suspect list. Allie knows Teagan didn't murder her aunt, and puts on her amateur sleuthing cap to prove it before anyone else gets hurt or wrongly convicted a crime they didn't commit.

I really enjoyed the first book in this new series. Most of the characters in Murder on the Page are fun and exciting. Allie and Teagan are wonderful and well-written. There is always one character that causes drama, and boy does she in this book. The author delivers several suspects, not just Teagan, with means and motive, and figuring out who committed the crime was difficult. There are twists and turns and red herrings, and while I may have suspected who committed the crime, I never was really sure until the end.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Review:

About Daryl Wood Gerber:

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

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The Nephilim’s Fate (War of the Nephilim Series) Eliza Hampstead ~ Fantasy Romance ~ #bewitchingbooktours @bewitchingbooktours



The Nephilim’s Fate
War of the Nephilim Series
Eliza Hampstead

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Date of Publication: 16. August 2022
ISBN: 979-8837459108
ASIN: B0B72G3H1T
Number of pages: 307
Word Count: 87K
Cover Artist: Rio B Nugroho

Tagline: She will find a way, even if it leads to a war between Heaven and Hell.

About the Book:

In the heart of London, Alissia's ordinary life takes a thrilling turn when she is attacked by bloodthirsty vampires. When Nate, the man she dreamed about for years, swoops in to save her, her reality shatters as she discovers a shocking truth: she's a witch, and he's a Nephilim. But their love is cursed, forbidden by ancient laws that threaten to tear their world apart.

As old rivalries resurface and dark secrets come to light, Alissia and Nate must confront their deepest fears and fight for their love, even if it means igniting a war between Heaven and Hell.

With unforgettable characters, steamy romance, and gripping plot twists, this captivating new fantasy series by award-winning author Eliza Hampstead delves into a world of angels and demons, forbidden love, and the inexorable power of fate. 

Purchase from Amazon

Read Excerpt 1:

Wielding magic for the first time

Letting the magic come to me in the same way it had begun in the park, I smelled pine needles and mushrooms. At that moment, I wanted to push to get it deeper, but I forced myself to stay relaxed and let it flow through me while I told the plant how terrific it would be outside.

Sun, water, and CO2 for photosynthesis, all were waiting for her if she would come out of the soil, and that my magic would help her grow faster, that she doesn’t have to wait any longer. The feeling of earth magic got stronger, and the inner picture before me was bathed in green. I said the words of the spell. After that, I focused again on the plant, imagining how the seed germinated, how the sprouting fought its way to the surface, how the seed leaves opened, sheeting the seed coat, and how the first leaves developed and opened.

Suddenly, I heard clapping. Losing my concentration, I opened my eyes. Umbra stood before me, a broad smile on her face.

“You did it!”

I frowned for a second before I looked down. The seedling stood before me, the seed coat next to it on the soil. Exactly how I had imagined it. I put my hand in front of my mouth, tears welling in my eyes.

“I did it. I did it!” I jumped up and down, clapping my hands. I was a real witch! I could do magic, after all! Full of joy, I embraced Umbra and circled her around while we both laughed.


About the Author:

Award winning author Eliza Hampstead, a scientist by training, lives with her family in the UK. When she's not writing, she spends her time as a geek. Playing all sorts of games (board games, video games, RPGs) and being a big fan of medieval history are only a few of the many hobbies she has. Passionate about fantasy, she's always planning her next adventure.
Sign up for Eliza’s newsletter to get exclusive updates on new releases, behind-the-scenes author news, and exciting extras like character interviews, maps, playlists, and bonus chapters that bring the books even more to life!









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Haunted Halloween Spooktacular: Cookie Recipe ~ Spooky Cookies ~ Immortal Wounds (Immortal Wounds Series, Book One) by Angie Barton ~ Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Magical Realism ~ #bewitchingbooktours @bewitchingbooktours ~ ThereisAGive@way



SPOOKY COOKIES 

I LOVE baking, especially around the holidays! 

Every October I make these amazing double chocolate  chip cookies and it’s easy to say that they are a hit  with both children and adults! They are soft and chewy  with just the right amount of chocolate, but it’s the candy eyeballs that are the star of the show!
 


INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• optional: black food coloring
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
• Candy Eyeballs for topping the cookies

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars. You can add black food coloring at this time to get a deeper shade of black in the cookies. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, scrape down the bowl if needed.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixer on low speed just until mixed. Mix in the milk on the lowest speed and fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Top cookies with candy eyeballs. 

Place cookie sheet in freezer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!


Immortal Wounds
Immortal Wounds Series
Book One
Angie Barton

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Magical Realism
Publisher: Angie Barton 
Date of Publication: April 22, 2022
ISBN: 979-8990647206
ASIN: BOD9XTF25K
Number of pages: 392
Word Count: 93,000
Cover Artist: Donnell McKenzie

Tagline: Did Isobel make an error in landing in the wrong time, or was it part of her destiny?

About the Book: 

After witnessing the brutal deaths of her mother and husband, Isobel overhears a confession from one of the murderers, a ruthless vampire who claims to be her father. For fear that she and her unborn daughter’s death could come next, Isobel uses the only magic she possesses and summons a portal to take her two hundred years in the past to revisit an ancestor in Scotland who she believes may know the truth of her parentage. However, in her haste, Isobel lands in the wrong century. Before she realizes her mistake, she stumbles upon a family: a ferocious Highland warrior and his two sisters.

Isobel could not have prepared herself for what she discovers during her stay: the vampire who claimed to be her father, alive three hundred years in the past! With the help of Meg, the youngest sister, and Mariam, both women’s ancestor, Isobel finds herself belonging in a world she never dreamed of—one entangled with vampires and webbed with revenge, curses, and a prophecy that has dictated all of their lives for the last four hundred years. 

Did Isobel make an error landing in the wrong time, or was it part of her destiny?

Purchase from Amazon



About the Author: 

Award winning author, Angie Barton, published her first novel, Immortal Wounds, in 2022. Angie’s love for writing centers around the fantasy genre, but she also enjoys writing thriller and romance. Her passion for reading, which led to her love of writing, began in elementary school with the Scholastic Book program. Her parents, who are life-long avid readers, have been a huge influence on her reading. Therefore anything and everything Angie could get her hands on she read.

Angie has been an early childhood educator since 1986 and hold a B.S. in Child Development. Her love for literacy has continued throughout her career, not only for herself, but also with the children she has cared for and taught. What Angie is most passionate about is helping others discover the excitement that reading brings. Her greatest desire in writing is to create and bring joy and entertainment to everyone she touches.

Currently, if Angie isn't reading at least three books at a time or working on a rough draft for her next book, she can be found outdoors gardening, woodworking, or relaxing by her pond. She shares that she's a Capricorn, tried and true, drinks way too much tea, and that her "to be read" pile of books can spike at any time.










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