Publication Date: 03/03/2015
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425279243
ISBN-13: 978-0425279243
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes
Christy Fifield on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Haunted Souvenir Shop
1. Murder Buys a T-shirt
2. Murder Hooks a Mermaid
3. Murder Sends a Postcard
4. Murder Ties the Knot
Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series
Excerpt from Murder Ties the Knot, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature
Synopsis:
A Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery from the author of Murder Sends a Postcard--featuring Down-Home Dinner Menus.
It’s winter in Keyhole Bay, Florida, and while the tourist trade is slow, souvenir shop owner Glory Martine is busy with her best friend’s wedding. But between managing preparations, the bride’s in-laws, and a haunted parrot named Bluebeard, Glory makes plans to catch a killer.
As her friends Karen and Riley approach their wedding day, Glory could use a break from the nuptial madness. She takes a peaceful drive to Alabama’s piney woods to pick up the wedding quilt she ordered from a supplier. But the supplier, Beth, has disappeared along with the quilt and her husband, Everett.
Glory learns that two men were found murdered near Beth and Everett’s home and that the couple is wanted for questioning. Believing they are innocent, Glory convinces them to cooperate with authorities. But when they’re thrown in jail, Glory vows to catch the real killer before one happy couple walks down the aisle and another gets sent up the river.
Thoughts:
Christy Fifield returns to Keyhole Bay, Florida and Glory Martine's souvenir shop, in the latest Haunted Souvenir Shop mystery, Murder Ties the Knot. Fans of the series will love Karen and Riley's wedding, while keeping their fingers crossed that Beth and Everett stay out of jail in this one. Fifield's strength in this series is her zany cast of characters. Readers looking for a series that has both mystery and personality will love it!
Southern Treasures is a quaint little shop in Florida, but it's winter time and business is slow, the perfect time for not only a wedding, but a murder mystery. Fifield has given her heroine, Glory Martine a bit of a break from murder, but it isn't long before she's back in business. I liked the fact that Fifield doesn't have Glory investigating one murder right after the other, sometimes in cozy writing you have to wonder how many murders are going to occur in one small town. Fifield seems to have a good grasp on just how far she can take that aspect of her writing without going overboard.
Readers of the series have been waiting for Karen and Riley's wedding and they won't be disappointed. Glory has some interesting friends and family and it's always fun to check in with them and see what's going on. I liked all the wedding plans and details and Karen wouldn't be Karen without a little reporting on the side. I liked the fact that even though she was super busy, she still had time to help Glory investigate.
With a double murder on her plate, you'd think Glory would be up to eyeballs in clues alone, but there is a lot more going on in Glory's life than just investigating. She's trying to buy out her lowly cousin Peter's part of her shop, she is trying to find the money to expand, all while trying to keep two innocent people out of jail. The personal aspects of the story are a real plus in this novel. It isn't all about the murder, it's about the lives of these characters as well. Always a good point in a cozy.
The mystery part of the book was stellar. I liked how all the puzzle pieces fit together, even if you had to do a bit of searching and twisting to make them fit. Fifield always treats her readers to a well thought out mystery that will keep them guessing throughout. Just enough red herrings to keep them off the track and when you look back at the end you'll wonder why in the world you didn't see it!
Bottom Line:
Another great cozy offering from Christy Fifield. This an author with a bright future in the genre. She knows what readers want to know about. Not only the details of the crime, but the life of the heroine and those she interacts with. It's a great balance of mystery and personality that readers won't want to miss.
Murder Ties the Knot is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Murder Ties the Knot by Christy Fifield.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 31st.
1. Please leave a comment. Tell me about something you've bought in a souvenir shop over the years and what it means to you.
2. Fill out the FORM.
24 comments:
I'm not entering because I actually just won this at another blog, and am looking forward to it!
I brought my hubby home a Sea World nail clipper from a trip. It has brought years of laughter to us as the dorkiest souvenir ever!
About 20 years ago, I bought a Shamu plush at Disney World for my niece, and she still has it!
skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net
I like to buy postcards in souvenir shops, to remember the trip by.
i have not bought any souvenir as i can remember in the recent years or for many years.
For others, I buy t-shirts. For myself, I like to buy the official guide books sold at souvenir or museum shops about the areas or sites I have visited. It is a great way to relive your trip.
When I was younger I used to buy t-shirts as souvenirs, but now I don't buy anything for myself when we travel.
I bought a pine straw Indian doll at Silver Springs in Florida. I have had it for 50 years.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
I bought a jade ring at a shop in Alaska when I was a teen---that was 50 years ago and I still wear it. It reminds me of the good times when I lived there for a couple years.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I collected spoons for 30+ years, many bought at souvenir shops. Family and friends would surprise me with spoons from their travels all over the world!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
I collect spoons and have a huge collection. I found some beautiful ones when I went to Australia to visit my relatives.
I love souvenir shops, I find some unique things in them, of course I've bought the usual t-shirts and sweatshirts, I still have a coffee mug from my honeymoon, and a lighthouse made out of sand to name a few things.
momzillasteel@gmail.com
I like souvenir shops! I bought a Seminole Indian doll when I was young, a set of nesting dolls at the World's Fair in Montreal, a train whistle at a large train museum in St. Louis, Missouri, then I started buying tee shirts at each place because I needed them. I have lots of souvenirs mostly small on my bookshelves.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
As a child when my family and I would go on vacation, I loved the dollar grab bags that were offered. It probably was something that didn't move but to me it was a thing of wonder and a reminder of where we were. If only we could experience this wonderful feeling as an adult.
Debbie, thank you so much for the great review! I am always thrilled when someone likes my books, and your review made my day *G*
And the comments - wow!! I think I should be taking note for future books, and titles. Though I'm not sure how I'll work "nail clipper" into the next title.
Thanks again for the great review and for bringing Murder Ties the Knot to the attention of your readers. Much appreciated!
Best wishes,
Christy
When in Spokane WA. visiting cousins, I bought a ceramic mouse made out of Mt. St. Helens ash.
My favorite souvenir shop purchases are always magnets. I love looking at my fridge and remembering fun places we have been. This series sounds really good.
brookeb811 at gmail dot com
don't really buy anything
I buy paintings, prints or sketches, and frame & hang them in my bedroom - I love waking to reminders of my travels!
It's not really from a souvenir shop but we always went to the Del Mar Fair every year when my son was small. He loved rocks and they had this thing where you would get a spoonful plus one for like a dollar of polished rocks. He would always get those and we still have them. He is 31 now. He also would pick rocks to cut at the geode station. Some were not so good but some were beautiful. We still have them as well. His wife uses them in her reptile tanks.
I collect lapel pins. Hubby seems to think I collect shot glasses. My favorite souvenir was purchased fifty years ago in New Orleans. It is a glass with a turtle design.
My sister and I went to New Orleans, I bought a t shirt to tell the world I had been there. Somewhere along the trip home we had cleaned out the van and we throw it away by mistake.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
The only thing that I have bought in a souvenir shop was some shells. I bought them about twenty years ago, and no longer have them. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
I buy magnets to put on my fridge. That way I have a memento of places I've been without a lot of clutter.
I bought lots of souvenirs when I used to travel, such as t-shirts and magnets. I bought a potholder in Cincinnati but it says Kentucky on it and has a horse on it and probably bluegrass.
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