Murder in the Mix (A Gina Morrison Mystery)by Carolyn Eichhorn
About Murder in the Mix:
Murder in the Mix (A Gina Morrison Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Settings - Baltimore, Savannah, NYC
Publisher : Grounds for Suspicion
Publication date : October 21, 2025
Print length : 272 pages
PaperbackISBN-13 : 979-8218825447
ASIN : B0FX3C84PV
DigitalISBN-13 : 979-8218825485
ASIN : B0FX6SYZN2
When Gina Morrison agrees to pen the memoir of celebrity chef Marisol St James, she expects high-pressure deadlines, diva behavior, and decadent dishes-not murder. But when Marisol is found dead in her restaurant's kitchen, Gina's literary aspirations take a back seat to her survival. Between a cutthroat industry, simmering secrets, and the demands of Marisol's unfinished manuscript, Gina becomes entangled in a web of lies, rivalries, and danger. Worse still, Marisol's killer may be keeping tabs on Gina to ensure she doesn't write too much.
About Carolyn Eichhorn:
Carolyn Eichhorn is a mystery novelist and former Disney Imagineer whose work blends suspense, humor, and heart. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has published short mystery fiction and essays. Based in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she draws inspiration from small towns, big secrets, and the stories people tell to survive.
Shopping for a Highlander’s Baby Julia Kent (Shopping for a Highlander, #4) Publication date: March 30th 2026 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary Romance, RomCom
The best early strike o’ ma life wasna on the pitch. It was in bed with Amy on our honeymoon.
Dinna ken how we turned our elopement, honeymoon, and conception into a hat trick, but there ye go.
One minute we’re swimming in champagne and red satin sheets, the next we’re staring at a due date that lands right when I’m supposed ta start my big sportscasting gig in London.
Amy’s glowing. She’s also got that fire in her — the kind that makes her tell my billionaire uncle exactly where ta shove his branding campaign, quit her job at eight months pregnant, and rearrange our entire life plan on a Tuesday.
The grandmums are suspiciously quiet, which is more terrifying than when they’re at each other’s throats.
Then it happens. The wee one decides ta make an entrance four weeks early — while I’m three thousand miles away, live on air, with a producer who willna let me leave.
So I do what any McCormick would do.
I coach ma wife through labor in one ear, commentate the match in the other, and let a billion people watch me choose my family over my career on live television.
I find that out when my toes turn into icicles as I stand holding a plastic wand that says PREGNANT, like the world’s bossiest fortune cookie.
PREGNANT
The condo holds the aroma of last night’s roasted garlic pizza, which felt like a good option at nine p.m. Now? Not so much. A breath of ocean air wafts in through the cracked-open window.
Boston hums outside.
Inside, I am a statue with messy sex hair and a pee stick screaming my future and… oh, my God.
The word grandmonsters rings through my head like Quasimodo clanging the Notre Dame cathedral bell. Our mothers ruined our wedding, crashed our elopement, and now here we stand, five weeks later, married and—
PREGNANT
I breathe in, out, forgetting the rhythm as my distracted brain tries to fill a whiteboard. An Airtable. Every Kanban board. All the Excel spreadsheets, every last one of them.
Hamish wraps around me from behind, lifting me before my feet realize it. He is warm and tall and smells like soap and sleep, and his forearms around my ribcage are so solid, so sure of where they belong, that my body gives up its panic and leans back into him before my brain can file an objection.
Beware the boundless optimism of a man who once insisted a vibrating bed should be on our wedding gift registry.
And that guests should throw quarters instead of rice.
“I canna believe it,” he says into my ear, voice hushed. “We’re havin’ a wee bairn.”
“Hi,” I say to my husband of five weeks, who hit the bullseye with the first married shot, dammit. “Yes. Apparently.”
Years ago, back when I hated him, I called Hamish “sex on a stick.”
Now I’m holding the sex stick, all right. I just never thought it would be white plastic and determine my fate.
Hamish lets go, walks away, and comes back into the bathroom carrying a chilled bottle of Champagne. It’s the bottle we brought back from our honeymoon in Love You, Maine, from the heart-shaped-everything suite. He holds it up, eyes shining.
“Breakfast o’ champions?”
“No, love.” I put my hand on his. “I can’t drink that now.”
A microsecond of confusion crosses his face, then he executes a pivot that would impress his old coach.
“Aye. Well then, coffee it is.” His auburn brows drop. “Unless ye canna have coffee?”
“I will always have coffee.”
Meet the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.
From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
She’s not getting hitched. He’s just here for the ride.
About the Book:
Whitney’s life is not going to plan. Her romantic comedy novel isn’t selling, her career feels stuck, and by the time she realises she’s in love with her best friend and roommate, Andy, he’s back from his work trip with a fiancée - and a wedding date that is alarmingly soon.
Enter Jake: a cowboy with his own problems, including a country estate he’s desperate to buy and an owner who doesn’t trust developers - or men without roots. When a viral moment throws Whitney and Jake together, they strike a deal. Whitney gets the real-life love story publishers want. Jake gets to look like a committed, family-minded man who belongs at Rosewood. All they have to do is pretend they’re in love.
As Andy’s wedding approaches, Whitney uncovers a plot twist that could change everything for him - but the romcom she’s acting out with Jake is starting to feel dangerously real.
Falling for your best friend is complicated, but riding off into the sunset with a cowboy is pure fiction… Right?
My Review:
Wed or Alive is a fantastic romcom featuring falling for your best friend, a cowboy, fake dating. This novel is wonderful. I loved meeting Whitney, Andy, Jack, and JJ and getting to know them.
I enjoyed the author's writing style. The author created wonderful characters, a vivid world, and an engaging story. I was pleasantly surprised at how this story began, developed, and ended. Wed or Alive is fast-paced, easy to follow, and to get lost in from the very start. I was engaged in the story and loved every page.
I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Portia MacIntosh is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 40 romantic comedy novels. Whether it’s southern Italy or the French alps, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages. Formerly a journalist, Portia lives with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.
A revolutionary medical breakthrough. A technology, so advanced, people will kill to prevent its discovery. Dr. Taylor Abrahms, rising above his troubled past, is an expert in the burgeoning field of Medical Virtual Reality. A gifted researcher, he's created an experimental fusion of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and microsurgery that will revolutionize the way surgery is performed. With the Virtual Heart Project (VHP), Taylor can enter a virtual recreation of his patient's beating heart and perform critical, life-saving surgery entirely within the realm of virtual reality. But in the political war zone of San Francisco University Medical Center, not everyone is thrilled.
With a health care crisis threatening to bankrupt the nation, advanced biotechnology is a flashpoint in health care reform. Taylor's research is scapegoated and he finds himself caught between warring factions in medicine and politics that will do anything to shut his project down, a battle that rages all the way to an upcoming Presidential election. Soon, Taylor finds himself the target of nonstop attacks: the destruction of his career, scientific sabotage, and murder, as those associated with the Virtual Heart Project are killed, one by one.
Fighting for his medical career and eventually his life, Deadly Vision tells the tale of Taylor's battle against overwhelming odds, political machinations, sabotage and murder, to bring this modern technology to reality and save the life of someone he loves.
Praise for Deadly Vision:
"Severin’s debut novel follows a doctor whose cutting-edge research gets him entangled in a conspiracy involving artificial intelligence, an upcoming presidential election, and the use of virtual reality... the greatest strength of the book is in the author’s deep character development. Abrahms isn’t merely a cardboard hero with unbreakable ideals—his traumatic childhood, during which he dealt with his mother’s death from heart disease, an alcoholic and abusive father, and his younger brother’s suicide, make him a character that readers will understand, identify with, and root for. The book’s subtle political commentary as it tackles timely issues is a clear plus, as well. An up-to-the-minute thriller that entertains and enlightens." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"Deadly Vision is a gripping novel of suspense ingeniously plotted. Dr. Severin writes with an expert’s hand in virtual reality and medicine, creating a unique, intriguing and intelligent medical/techno thriller that blew me away from its opening page." ~ Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Jury Master and The Tracy Crosswhite Series.
"Deadly Vision is a unique and fast-paced read where political intrigue combines with compelling family drama, techno-thriller vibes, and a smattering of medical fiction. This is an unparalleled reading experience." ~ Independent Book Review
"If you have the Michael Crichton itch, T. D. Severin is your new favorite author." ~ Terrance Layhew, author and host of the Suit Up! Podcast
"Half fast-paced action adventure, half thoughtful look at the world we live in, Deadly Vision reviews the complex ethical, financial, and political considerations that impact the medical community and the advancement of medicine through the lens of a taut thriller. The focus of the novel remains clear throughout, despite taking the reader down many different paths. A highly recommended read for any fan of a good thriller with plenty of added bonuses for those with interests in medicine, technology, and political intrigue." ~ Best Sellers World
Watch the DEADLY VISION Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Medical Thriller, Cyber Thriller, Psychological Thriller
Published by: Penmore Press LLC
Publication Date: March 6, 2025
Number of Pages: 466 pbk
ISBN: 9781957851945 (ISBN10: 1957851945)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Penmore Press
Read an Excerpt:
Prologue
Thursday, October 12 4:59 p.m.
Robert Chan froze in place, staring at the shadows in his hallway.
From the bedroom where he stood, Chan couldn’t see the shadows’ origin, just the elliptical darkness, spreading across the walls, creeping down the hall. As the sun descended beyond the distant Golden Gate Bridge, a chill seized the air, but Chan didn't feel it. His eyes were fixed on the hallway, studying the growing shadows, searching for signs of movement, or a flicker.
A sign they came from something alive.
Shadows had always terrified Chan. As a child, long after his parents had gone to sleep, he’d lie motionless in bed, his face half-hidden by the blankets, staring at the ceiling. Moonlight, filtering through the branches scratching outside his window, cast a dance of light and darkness above him. Lurking within this specter of shadows, he’d see the spirits of his grandmother’s tales, the kuei-shen -- the phantoms of the deceased trapped between the world of the living and the dead. Too frightened to move, he’d lay immobilized, watching as the shape-shifting kuei transformed, taking the forms of lions and dragons. He’d see the kuei-shen as they descended upon him, feel them as they entered his flesh, melting into his soul. The chill of their deathly presence within.
He’d carried those visions throughout his adult life.
Still, no number of childhood nightmares could prepare him for what he faced now.
Chan’s eyes shot from the hallway to the suitcase lying upon his bed, lid propped half-open, socks and underwear dangling over the edge. He rushed to the case, stuffed in two pairs of grey slacks, then dashed back to the closet. Glancing at the rows of cotton shirts, he shoved the stripes aside and grabbed the white Oxfords. Less eye catching, he thought, more anonymous.
Anonymity had never been one of Chan’s concerns before. As a young and hungry engineer in the Medical Applications Division of CyberTech Systems, he’d done everything in his power to avoid it. In the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley, anonymity in the corporate workplace was the high-tech kiss of death. In order to advance to the high-paying executive levels, Chan had to stand out, be noticed. And he did. Clocking in a string of over fifty consecutive 80-hour weeks, his work habits routinely drew the notice of the upper levels of CTS management. His ascent through the ranks of engineers was unprecedented.
But that was before he found the files.
Now, all he hoped for was to get out alive.
Shoving the Oxfords into the suitcase, Chan glared at the manila envelope on his bed. His stomach tightened. The envelope looked so mundane, so ordinary, like it contained any number of IKEA catalogs or Publisher’s Clearing House winner entries. There were no outward clues as to what it contained. The deception. The hidden discovery that was causing his once carved-in-granite life to crumble around his ears.
He wanted to grab that envelope and rip it to pieces, shred it; pretend he’d never found the files; get back to his life of deadlines and coding assignments, his twice daily visit to Starbucks with Elizabeth, his routine afternoon stop at the Porsche dealer where he’d been eyeing the new Boxster, dreaming of himself behind the wheel.
But it was too late for that. He’d been working on AI programing for a team of researchers at San Francisco University Medical Center, a special project assigned to him by the CEO himself, Reginald Erickson. All the engineers knew he was working on this assignment. His cyber-trail through the CTS database easily traceable. Every keystroke monitored and replicated. Each step readily apparent to someone who knew where to look.
The ringing of the phone snapped Chan to attention. He jerked from the bed, his eyes darting to the receiver then beyond to the digital clock on the far wall.
It was 5:00 P.M.
Panic seized him. No one should be trying to reach him at this hour. Not here. Normally, he'd still be at CyberTech logging in another eighteen-hour day pounding out code. No one should know he was home.
The phone rang again. Chan winced. His eyes shot to the envelope. He had to get out of there. Get the files to the Federal Building; get the evidence into the hands of the Justice Department or the FBI or whoever, get filtered into the witness protection program and hope to start a new life as an elementary school teacher in Wichita or Amarillo or someplace else he'd never heard of. Let the Attorney General, the world, see what he’d discovered before it was too late. Maybe they could put a stop to this.
But how do you stop a Presidential election?
The phone rang a third time. Chan ignored it, shoved the folder deep into the suitcase, covered it with a sweatshirt and slammed the lid closed. Yanking the suitcase off the bed, he rushed to the front door.
At the doorway, he paused, for just a second, turning to take one last glance at his apartment, his home for the last six years. The delicate Chinese watercolors, the bonsai he’d trimmed each morning, the wooden crucifix above his bed for his daily prayer. It all seemed like such a waste of time now. His plans to become a chief engineer, create his own start-up, propose to Elizabeth next Valentine’s Day were worthless. Vanished like rain drops that never reached the ground.
He swallowed hard and ran into the hall.
He didn't get more than two steps before the first shot rocked him. The force of the gunfire lifted him off the ground and sent him hurling backwards through the open doorway. He collapsed onto his back, his vision dimming, descending into a miasma of swirling reds and greys. Pain, like fire, ripped across his belly. A metallic smell filled his nostrils followed by the coppery taste of his own blood.
Chan tried to swallow the blood bubbling into his mouth, but couldn’t. He became vaguely aware of the gaping hole that now occupied his lower abdomen. Warmth flooded down his flank, collecting at the small of his back. Pools of blood gathered on the white carpet. His eyes half-focused, Chan watched, as each crimson pool began to morph into vague shapes, like clouds taking patterns. In the blood, he saw the faces of his mother and his father, both dead for years. He saw the face of a long-lost uncle, and his childhood friend, Wong, who’d died in a car accident. He saw Elizabeth.
The pain sank deeper into his belly. He fought for breath. With the last of his strength, he craned his head towards the door where he could just make out the silhouette of a lone figure, a bald man, standing over him. He concentrated hard, trying to cement the image, and slowly, a vision came into form. His eyes locked on the muzzle of the silenced 40 caliber H&K pistol now aimed at his chest.
Chan sighed and allowed his head to fall back. Around him, the bloody pools gathered into new shapes, like the shadows of his youth, forming lions and dragons.
Despite himself, Chan smiled. He closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to seep into his veins, bringing with it a quiet peace, the realization that he wouldn't have to run anymore.
The kuei-shen had arrived.
***
Excerpt from Deadly Vision by T.D. Severin. Copyright 2025 by T.D. Severin. Reproduced with permission from T.D. Severin. All rights reserved.
Meet the Author:
T.D. SEVERIN. MD., is a physician/surgeon and the author of the award-winning medical thriller, DEADLY VISON.
T.D. Severin, is an internationally renowned professor of medicine, who has been publishing both fiction and non-fiction since 1994. His writing has appeared in national and regional magazines/journals around the world, while his first novel, Deadly Vision, was the winner of the 2025 American Fiction Award, and The 2025 International Impact Book Award, and is a Finalist for the Clive Cussler Adventure Writers Award, the 2025 Global Book Award for Fiction, and was an award winner at the SEAK National Medical Fiction Writing Competition.
T.D. Severin has been named one of the Nation’s Best Ophthalmologists by Newsweek Magazine, and has been honored to receive the prestigious Telly Award, the Oscars of public access television, for his work on medical television programming.
T.D. has trekked across Tibet, scaled Mt. Everest, scuba dove the Great Barrier reef, white water rafted through the Australian Rain Forest, and delved into the mysterious ancient history of Malta, Istanbul, and the lost kingdom of Siam, all of which makes it's way into his writing.
T.D. lives with his wife and two pups in the San Francisco Bay Area and Florida, where he is currently at work on his next medical thriller. A former radio disc jockey, he also runs the heavy rock record label Ripple Music: www.ripple-music.com.
Fifteen years ago, one desperate act tore
sisters Bex and Briony apart.👭💕✨
About the Book:
Growing up side by side against the backdrop
of a feckless father and a hardworking mum, they were inseparable—until
Briony’s attempt to save Bex from a disastrous engagement shattered their bond.
Now Bex has the life she dreamed of: a loving
family, a new glamping site on the family farm, and roots she’s proud of.
Briony, living under the online alias “Holly Day,” drifts from place to place
in her van, watching her sister’s happiness from afar.
When their beloved mum falls seriously ill,
Bex must track down the sister she hasn’t seen in over a decade. But finding
Briony brings more than old wounds—it brings unexpected closeness, new
beginnings, and the realisation that some bonds never truly break.
As secrets unravel and hearts tentatively
open, Bex and Briony must decide whether they can finally forgive, heal, and
find their way back to each other—and to the family they both desperately need.
My Review:
Back Where We Belong is a fantastic book about estranged sisters who have been estranged but a over a decade. When Bex finds Briony in a compromising position with Bex's fiance, she leaves and doesn't look back. Over the years, Bex has found happiness in Matt and her three children. When their mother becomes ill, Bex now has to try and locate Briony. With Briony comes the events of the past along with a second chance to rekindle their close, sisterly bond.
I really enjoyed Back Where We Belong. Estranged sisters who reunite over a decade since they last saw one another. The possibility of second chances. Secrets revealed. This heartwarming tale has so much in it that draws the reader in and won't let go until the very last page.
I loved the characters and the setting. The author wrote this story with realism. I was drawn in by the synopsis and kept engaged by the wonderful writing, fantastic characters, and vivid imagery.
I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not
affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own.
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over
nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day
jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her
family and three dogs on the Kent coast.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: @JoBartlettAuthor
Twitter: @J_B_Writer
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