Review: Stillwater

Stillwater by Nicole Helget

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0547898207
ISBN-13: 978-0547898209

(Received for an honest review from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Nicole Helget on the WEB: blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Excerpt from, Stillwater, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Clement and Angel are fraternal twins separated at birth; they grow up in the same small, frontier logging town of Stillwater, Minnesota. Clement was left at the orphanage. Angel was adopted by the town’s richest couple, but is marked and threatened by her mother’s mental illness. They rarely meet, but Clement knows if he is truly in need, Angel will come to save him.

Stillwater, near the Mississippi River and Canada, becomes an important stop on the Underground Railroad. As Clement and Angel grow up and the country marches to war, their lives are changed by many battles for freedom and by losses in the struggle for independence, large and small.

Stillwater reveals the hardscrabble lives of pioneers, nuns, squaws, fur trappers, loggers, runaway slaves and freedmen, outlaws and people of conscience, all seeking a better, freer, more prosperous future. It is a novel about mothers, about siblings, about the ways in which we must take care of one another and let go of one another. And it’s brought to us in Nicole Helget’s winning, gorgeous prose.

Thoughts:

Stillwater is the latest novel from author Nicole Helget. Set in the Northwoods of Minnesota this is a novel that reads like a poem with spectacular prose and clarity that is rare in this type of novel. Readers who are looking to experience a book, as much as read it, will fall in love with this novel. There are two distinct themes in this book, motherhood in all of it's various forms, good and evil and freedom which ultimately comes in the same shapes. A wonderful tale set during a traumatic time in our nations history. Helget has written a novel that requires heart, soul and imagination!

What I liked:

Wow! What didn't I like? Being a fan of historical fiction I was excited to read this story from Nicole Helget. I was fortunate to have read her novel, The Turtle Catcher, so I knew to expect the beautiful wording and style in that is unique to the author. She is truly a wordsmith. Sometimes an author has this uncommon talent for knowing which words fit together to form not only good sentences but beautiful ones as well and Helget is one of those rare few. 

I also enjoyed the fact that Helget stays true to herself and her heritage by continuing to write stories set in her home state of Minnesota. I first became enamored with the Northwoods of Minnesota by reading Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I thought a lot about how both writers described the area and how things were done during these two very different time periods. I loved the setting and thought Helget did a fantastic job with it. 

The town of Stillwater takes on the characteristics of an actual character in the story, so strong is it's connection to the entire book. There are many things going on in this town during this seething and changing time in American history. Helget writes with passion about the Underground Railroad, the Native American influences, as well as, that of the trappers and the missionaries. So many different kinds of forces all culminating in this one little logging town. What an incredible story!

This book is about freedom. But not just freedom from slavery but freedom from many things and Helget is ever conscious of this in her writing. The theme of motherhood also resonates throughout the book, as the author traces the many 'mothers' that both Angel and Clement have during their lifetime. And how each mother impacted their lives. Freedom and motherhood may not ring in the readers mind as synonymous until they've read this book, but after they will be reminded of how the two fit together forever.

What I didn't like: 

I loved how Helget was also able to use humor with the character of Beaver Jean. It hard not to chuckle at his antics and how he impacted the story. But there were a few characters that may leave the reader hanging, because there is no resolution as to why they were in the book or what happens to them in the end. The book focuses on the journey of self discovery for Angel and Clement and skims a bit over the secondary characters. But that's almost forgivable when you look at how good the rest of the story is. 

Bottom Line:

If you are remotely interested in historical fiction, read this book. If you are from Minnesota, read this book. If you want to read a lyrical, rhythmic tale of freedom at any cost, read this book. Get the point.... READ THIS BOOK!

Stillwater is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Born in 1976, NICOLE LEA HELGET grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, a childhood and place she drew on in the writing of her memoir, The Summer of Ordinary Ways. She received her BA and an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Based on the novel’s first chapter, NPR’s Scott Simon awarded The Turtle Catcher the Tamarack Prize from Minnesota Monthly.

Blog Tour Stop: Poison at the PTA by Laura Alden

Please join me in welcoming Laura Alden to Debbie's Book Bag today! Laura is here promoting her book, Poison at the PTA. Enjoy Laura's guest post about how long it took to write this book. The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Poison at the PTA by Laura Alden, see details at the end of the post.

It Took You HOW Long To Write This Book?

Fourteen years.

Okay, not really, but yeah, sort of. A more accurate title for this post would probably be “It Took You HOW Long to Get That Great Idea You Heard at a Conference Into a Published Novel?!” with an alternate title of “It Took You HOW Long to Name a Book?”

To fully explain, I’ll have to go back, well, about fourteen years. In the fall of 2000 gasoline cost under $2 a gallon, Bill Clinton was president, the internet was just getting big, and most importantly to yours truly, I’d just finished writing my first mystery. Hooray for me!

I was eager to jump into the world of writers and editors and agents and the whole complicated business of publishing. I wanted to learn everything…but how? And where? And from whom? Ahk!

Happily, Magna cum Murder, at that time held in Muncie, Indiana, was recommended to me as a wonderful conference. Perfect, I thought. This will be where I meet other writers. This will be where I meet people with connections. Where I meet the people who speak the same language that I do, the language of books. So I made my reservations, packed my bags, and headed off to my first ever mystery crime writing festival.

Since it was fourteen years ago, many of the memories have faded, but I remember hearing talks by Parnell Hall, by Carolyn Hart, and by Luci Zahray, known throughout the mystery community as the Poison Lady. Luci is a pharmacist has an amazingly deep knowledge of poisons, something that is often of great interest to mystery fans and writers. Luci can talk for hours about plant poisons, poisons in household cleaning products, and – wait for it – over the counter medications. In this particular case, acetaminophen.

Luci said that while acetaminophen isn’t the most toxic thing people usually have in their homes, it can be the most dangerous. Why? Because although people consider it a “safe” medication, it doesn’t take a large amount to cause serious harm or even death. Plus, it’s a hidden ingredient in many other medications so there’s a cumulative effect.

Hmm, my writer’s brain thought as I scribbled note after note. I’ll have to put that in a book someday.

Fast forward ten years. My first mystery, MURDER AT THE PTA has just been released. No acetaminophen in the story at all. I’m starting to write the second book, and my editor is asking me for title ideas. “How about POISON AT THE PTA? Wouldn’t it be fun to use that title?”

Sure, but there was no poison anywhere in the story. The poor victim had died by strangulation, no acetaminophen in sight.

My editor sighed, and the book was eventually titled FOUL PLAY AT THE PTA.

The third book in the series featured two deaths, one years earlier from drowning, the second from insect stings. “That’s kind of like poison, isn’t it?” my editor asked. Kind of, but not really. That one became PLOTTING AT THE PTA.

Book four’s death was via gunshot. My editor didn’t even try with that one.

Book five? Yes! Book five does, in fact, have a poor woman who dies from acetaminophen poisoning. Fourteen years after hearing Luci’s talk, and after four years of editor naming efforts, POISON AT THE PTA was scheduled to be released on February 4, 2014.


So. How long did it take me to write this book? You be the judge!

Poison at the PTA (Beth Kennedy - Book 5) by Laura Alden

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0451415078
ISBN-13: 978-0451415073

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Poison at the PTA on the WEB: website, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Murder at the PTA (2010), Foul Play at the PTA (2011), Plotting at the PTA (2012), Curse of the PTA (2013), Poison at the PTA (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Poison at the PTA, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

As the Tarver Elementary School PTA president, Beth Kennedy is always on the go—especially when someone puts murder on the agenda.
 
Beth has been running nonstop to be the best PTA president, bookstore owner, and single parent ever, which is why her friend Marina is staging an intervention. Beth needs to take a break—and that means letting someone else organize the PTA’s upcoming eightieth-anniversary event.
 
But when Cookie Van Doorne, one of the event speakers, dies of suspicious causes, Beth decides to make an intervention of her own to find out what happened. When she discovers that Cookie was poisoned, the next order of business is catching a killer whose break is almost over.

Thoughts:

Laura Alden brings readers the fifth book in her Beth Kennedy series featuring the mother of all school organizations... the PTA. Poison at the PTA features the 80'th anniversary of the PTA and a murder, via Tylenol? Well maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. Alden has a way with characters that is rare in cozy fiction. She is able to make the reader see into the heart of her characters by showing them in their everyday life, at their best and worst. Readers who are looking for a book that celebrates not only sleuthing but what it means to be a single mom, a business owner and way too curious will appreciate Poison at the PTA.

What I liked:

Popped any Tylenol lately? Who knew that Acetaminophen could be so dangerous. Obviously Laura Alden did! And cozy readers are going to be glad. Poison is one of those things that readers who read cozies tend to see a lot. There are certainly some exotic ways to die floating around the cozy genre. Death by avalanche or something like that might sound more interesting than death by poison by not necessarily. Poison is such a subtle thing, very unassuming. It's death from a far, a whole lot less personal any just about anybody could do it. I thought it was a great way to go in this book and Alden did a great job with it, even if it took her 14 years to use it! (wink).

Beth is my hero! She is great character for so many reasons. Like me, she's a single mom. She has two kids in middle school, a full time job, plus she takes the time to be very involved in her children's school by being PTA president. That is not something that is easy to pull off. No wonder she needed a break, and it's not surprising she got sucked right back in... such is the life of a mom! I have always liked the fact that Alden choose to make Beth the kind of person she is. Driven to be the best she can be. She's also too curious for her own good, not unlike most amateur sleuths. Just an all around great character.

In this one Beth is full up to her eyeballs with kids, work, and the PTA. The 80th anniversary of the Parent Teacher Association is coming up and Beth wants everything to go just right. However, when one of the speakers ends up dead, it becomes more important to figure out whodunit. The mystery in this one was probably my favorite of the series so far, very well developed and full of surprises. As I said before I loved the death by Acetaminophen theme, and trying to figure out who would or could pull it off was an adventure. I'm not afraid to admit that this one had me bum-fuzzled. 

What I didn't like:

I was a little perplexed by the intervention of sorts that Beth's friends concocted in order to get her to take some much needed time off. They made a big deal out of it and did Beth really rest? Nope, not a chance. I guess I thought that part was a little unnecessary. Not that it took anything away from the book, it just didn't really add anything either.

Bottom Line:

This one has a great theme. The characters as usual are realistic and believable. Beth is a super-mom and a great PTA pres! Give this one a try I think you'll be very glad you did...

Poison at the PTA is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Laura Alden's debut novel, Murder at the PTA, was an Agatha Award finalist for Best First Novel. She continued the series with Foul Play at the PTA, Plotting at the PTA, and Poison at the PTA.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Poison at the PTA by Laura Alden.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, February 18th.

1. Please leave a comment describing your adventures with the PTA.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly

Please join me in welcoming Sheila Connolly to Debbie's Book Bag today. Sheila is here promoting her book, Scandal in Skibbereen. I hope you enjoy Sheila's guest post about how she feel in love with Ireland, the setting of this novel. The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly, see details at the end of the post.

I fell in love with Ireland the second day I was there.

Not the first day. When my husband and I took our daughter to England and Wales, we tacked on Ireland.  After all, my father’s parents both came from there, and it was so close, how could we not? 

We stepped off a plane and headed for the place my grandmother was born—and of course we got lost.  Like most Americans we didn’t realize that driving in Ireland consisted mainly of following winding two-lane roads (on the wrong side) and avoiding the occasional sheep in the road.  Signs are few and far between, and if you ask for instructions you’re usually told something like “turn left at the sixth lane, and if you go past the creamery you’ve gone too far.” While we did finally find the tiny townland we were looking for, it was not a promising start.

Then we set off again for the village of Leap, a tiny place in West Cork overlooking Glandore Harbor on the south coast, a few miles from where my father’s father was born.  By the time we arrived it was getting dark, and it had started raining—hard.  We stopped at the hotel (the only one in town) and all eight of its rooms were booked by fishermen, but they sent us around the corner to a family who had a couple of rooms available. Then we went back to the hotel for dinner, which was everything we’d ever heard about Irish food: grey meat, mashed potatoes and carrots, all swimming in murky liquid. It kept raining.

Tired and damp and discouraged, after dinner we retreated to our room and went to bed. The next morning I was the first to wake up, and I slid out of bed and pulled back the curtains to find a view of sunshine and sparkling water with gliding swans, and cows grazing on the hill, and I almost cried.  That’s when I fell in love with Ireland.

And if that wasn’t enough, I discovered that the pub across the street was called Connolly’s. That’s the place that became Sullivan’s pub, the heart of Buried in a Bog.

But it took ten years to get that book published.  I hadn’t even started writing when first saw the pub,  but the village made a lasting impression on me, and I used the setting for the second book I ever wrote a couple of years later, with the pub at its center (the less said about that first book, the better).  That book never sold, but I refused to give up on it: I rewrote it and changed the major characters not once but twice, but never the setting.  Third time’s the charm, it seems: Buried in a Bog was published in 2013 and became a best seller.

Why do I write about Ireland? I write cozy mysteries, which is what I’ve always loved to read. Most cozies are set in small towns, but American cozy writers hadn’t really ventured abroad with their stories. But since most of Ireland (with the exception of the biggest cities) is one small town, where everybody knows everyone else, and their entire family history, I thought it was perfect for cozies.  
I once told someone that visiting Ireland was putting on an old shoe: it’s like slipping into something that just fits right, like it’s been yours forever and knows your foot. Ireland felt like home, even though I’d never seen it before. And I keep going back.

My main character, Maura Donovan, was born in Boston and raised by her widowed Irish-born grandmother.  She has no interest in Ireland, having seen her share of down-and-out immigrants in Boston. But her grandmother insists that Maura visit Ireland, as her last wish, so Maura goes reluctantly, and there she finds a home and relatives she never knew she had and friends—in short, more than she ever expected. In fact, there’s one point in Buried in a Bog when Maura is overwhelmed by events and is reduced to rare tears, and she demands, “why is everybody being so nice to me?” She’s angry and confused, and unable to handle simple kindness and others looking out for her, a near-stranger. But that’s the way it is in Ireland, particularly if you have any Irish in you.

By the second book, Scandal in Skibbereen, Maura has begun to settle in. The book opens with the arrival of pushy New Yorker Althea Melville, who’s searching for a lost painting, and she can’t understand why everybody isn’t jumping to help her, and she thinks she has to deceive them to get what she wants. It falls to Maura to explain that things don’t work like that in Ireland; people are more than willing to help you, but you have to ask, not demand. By the end of the book even Althea has come around to that point of view.

There’s only one problem with writing murder mysteries set in Ireland:  few murders take place there (except in Dublin). I met with a sergeant at the local police (garda) station, who told me that they’d had all of three murders in their district in the past decade, and in each of those cases they’d known who did it.  I apologized to him for inflating their crime rate, at least on paper.

What I enjoy most about writing this series is exploring the contrast between insider and outsider, the past and the present, the old and the new. You find all of these side by side in Ireland, and sometimes I have to shake myself and wonder, what decade am I in? The townland where my grandmother was born is still using the mail box installed during Queen Victoria’s reign, and the church holiday bazaar is still raffling off a truckload of firewood. Time seems slower there. The nights are darker and quieter.  It’s beautiful and peaceful, and, yes, there are plenty of rainbows. 


I’m still in love with the place. I hope I can let readers see what I see there.

Book Details: 

Scandal in Skibbereen (County Cork Mystery - Book 2) by Sheila Connolly

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425252507
ISBN-13: 978-0425252505

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Sheila Connolly on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Buried in a Bog (2013), Scandal in Skibbereen (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Scandal in Skibbereen, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

As the new owner of Sullivan’s Pub in County Cork, Ireland, Maura Donovan gets an earful of all the village gossip. But uncovering the truth about some local rumors may close her down for good…

Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home, just in time for summer tourist season to bring fresh business to her pub. But the first traveler to arrive is thirsty for more than just a pint of Guinness. Althea Melville is hot on the trail of a long-lost Van Dyck painting.

Maura agrees to help Althea meet with the residents at the local manor house, the most likely location of the missing art. But when the manor’s gardener is found murdered, Maura wonders what Althea’s real motives are. Now, to solve the secret of the lost portrait and catch a killer, Maura will have to practice her Irish gift of gab and hunt down some local history—before someone else is out of the picture…

Thoughts:

Sheila Connolly takes readers back to Ireland in her second book in the County Cork mystery series, Scandal in Skibbereen. Readers are treated to a tale of mystery and fine art in the Irish countryside. Connolly's love for all things Irish is apparent throughout the book and is shown in her in depth research and beautiful descriptions of both the landscape and the people. This book will appeal not only to the cozy fan but also art enthusiasts and readers who are just looking for a good whodunit. Another great book, my this talented author.

What I liked:

Sheila Connolly has a knack for writing mysteries that readers want to read. She picks interesting subjects and themes and knows how to draw a reader in quickly and keep them reading. Her books are always very well researched and entertaining. I know when I pick one up that I'm going to enjoy it. Scandal in Skibbereen was no different. It had a fantastic Irish setting and characters that felt like old friends. I hope cozies set in other countries will become a popular trend. I think it will create a lot of much needed diversity in the sub-genre and lots of new mysteries to explore.

One of my favorite parts of Scandal in Skibbereen was of course the Irish countryside setting. The people, the pubs, and the generally slower pace of life all made this a great read. It will be obvious to any reader that Connolly has a love for Ireland and has made her mission to write about it well. She describes the small town of Leap in such a way that even though it probably rains 6 out of 7 days a week readers will still want to visit. Characters like Maura Donovan come to life under her pen. A great setting from an author with a talent for description. 

The mystery aspects of the story were well plotted an executed. I really enjoyed all of the behind the scenes information about the art world that comes out in this book. Because, Althea, one of main suspects is searching for a rare missing Van Dyck painting readers are treated to a lot of interesting facts about art that they may not have been exposed to before. The reader will enjoy being educated, as well as entertained.

Maura is a great main character. She is a transplanted Boston girl in middle of County Cork. I love the fact that she feel so in love with the area that she decided to stay. She adds a flavor all her own to the community of Leap because she is so different from most of the inhabitants. It also shows in the way she goes about sleuthing. She has a perspective that is very unique in her setting and her deductive reasoning is always to interesting to read as the story unfolds.

What I didn't like:

I can't say there was too much I didn't like about this one. Connolly is well seasoned author with a lot of experience. She knows how to write what a reader wants to read. A great trait in the publishing business!

Bottom Line:

This was an excellent book, from the interesting fine art angle to the readers return to the town of Leap. As always I adored the Irish setting and thought Connolly's characters were spot on and true to the Irish spirit and demeanor. A must read for fans of cozies set in other countries and for readers who are looking for a change from the normal cozy read.

Scandal in Skibbereen is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Sheila Connolly is a New York Times bestselling author and the Anthony and Agatha Award–nominated author of three cozy mystery series. Her Museum Mysteries, set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, includes Monument to the Dead, Fire Engine Dead, Let's Play Dead, and Fundraising the Dead. Her bestselling Orchard Mysteries, set in small town Massachusetts and filled with delicious apple recipes, includes Golden Malicious, Sour Apples, Bitter Harvest, A Killer Crop, Red Delicious Death, Rotten to the Core, and One Bad Apple. Scandal in Skibbereen is the second in her Ireland-based County Cork Mysteries, following Buried in a Bog.

Sheila has taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several nonprofit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company, providing genealogical research services. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loves restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling. Now a full-time writer, she thinks writing mysteries is a lot more fun than any of her previous occupations.

She is married and has one daughter and two cats.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, February 18th.

1. Please leave a comment describing your impressions of Ireland. Let us know if you've traveled there or want to and why.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: A Tough Nut to Kill by Elizabeth Lee

Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Lee to Debbie's Book Bag today! Elizabeth is here promoting her book, A Tough Nut to Kill. This guest post is about her inspiration and ideas for the book. Enjoy! The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of A Tough Nut to Kill by Elizabeth Lee, see details at the end of the post.

A TOUGH NUT TO KILL   by Elizabeth Lee

When I started writing A Tough Nut to Kill I knew my main character was a good person.  I knew Lindy studied at Texas A&M to become a botanist so she could help her family, the Blanchards, and the others in the town of Riverville, Texas, where a lot of pecan ranchers lived.  
Pecan trees can have real bad years.  The trees get diseased or hit by drought.  Some families go under, ranches and homes go to the highest bidder.  Lots of broken hearts and broken lives.  Lindy’s grown up with that fear in her and wants to help change things in Riverville.   Now she’s on the verge of developing a drought resistant and disease proof pecan tree that will change things for the better among the ranchers of Riverville.
Until the day she stumbles over her Uncle Amos’s body on the cement floor of her greenhouse and the quiet town of Riverville is turned on its head, secrets coming out, neighbor telling on neighbor and, because Uncle Amos was the black sheep of the family, everybody eventually settling on the killer as one of the Blanchard’s themselves. 
Soon Lindy and her meemaw, Miss Amelia, 77, the matriarch of the family, the woman who runs The Nut House in town, a store filled with every imaginable pecan goodie from Miss Amelia’s prize winning pecan pie to her Outhouse Moon Cookies, are after a killer or killers who strike out at anything to protect their secrets.
Granddaughter and grandmother are drawn into worlds they’d never been part of before.  Soon Miss Amelia is sedately line dancing with the best of’em at the Barking Coyote Saloon in Riverville; seeking help from two gun toting octogenarian sisters; tracking down a private detective with information in Columbus, Texas; then on to Houston to meet a mysterious woman named Virginia.

The one thing about southern women—young and old—is they always get their man.  Even if it’s with a big bat of the eyelashes in a saloon or an insincere “Why, bless yer heart . . .” while setting a trap to catch a ruthless killer. 

Book Details:

A Tough Nut to Kill (Nut House Mystery - Book 1) by Elizabeth Lee

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425261409
ISBN-13: 978-0425261408

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Excerpt from, A Tough Nut to Kill, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Lindy Blanchard has devoted five years of her life to saving the pecan trees on her family’s farm—but someone is going to deadly lengths to see that she fails… 

Riverville, Texas, is pecan country, and the Blanchard family farm is famous for its acres of tall pecan trees and the delicious pies and cookies sold at the Nut House, the aptly named family store. Miss Amelia, Lindy’s feisty grandmother, makes the best pecan pies for several counties and the farm is attracting visitors from far and wide to sample the wares.

Until the day Lindy walks into the greenhouse to find her uncle Amos murdered and her new stock of trees destroyed, with the best of the bunch stolen. Who is out to ruin the Blanchard family? And who wanted Uncle Amos dead? With the sheriff stumped, it’s up to Lindy and Miss Amelia to save the ranch and tree a killer.

Thoughts:

A Tough Nut to Kill is the first book in the comically named, Nut House Mystery series by author Elizabeth Lee. Readers will get more than one chuckle in with this book. Lee shows her talent and humor with every turn of the page. With some interesting characters like Miss Amelia and the Chauncey twins, Lee is sure to readers wanting to come back to Riverville, Texas on a normal basis. A great first book in a new series!

What I liked:

First of all I really like it when an author surprises me and Elizabeth Lee certainly did. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a book with nut in the title, LOL, but it was a very comical and endearing read. I loved the fact that Lee used a lot of humor and comic relief to lighten the theme of murder in this novel. Most of the laughter comes in the form of the antics of the Chauncey twins. I really enjoyed them and hope that they will be a continual part of this new series. 

I also thought the long standing feud between Lindy's family and Uncle Amos was interesting and the fact that Lindy's brother is accused of the murder tied in well. I like it when a mystery has enough plausibility to make it possible in real life and this was one of those that felt realistic. Lee gives Lindy a reason to investigate and the means to accomplish it with her friend on the police force. It didn't feel like Lindy was looking for trouble, only trying to get someone else out of it. 

I liked all of the information that Lee adds to the book about Pecans and how they are raised and what it means to the farmers and people around them when they have a bad year. I had no idea it could be that devastating to have a bad crop. I was raised on a working farm but I suppose we had several different crops to count on instead of just one. It was a very entertaining and interesting aspect of the story.

What I didn't like:

There were a few moments in the story where I was very close to figuring it out early on. Sometimes that is a good thing and then the reader can just sit back and enjoy the ride. But I think that most of us want to lead along with bread crumbs until the end.

Bottom Line:

There were a lot of things I liked about this one. I definitely think there is a lot of potential for a very good series here. Lee's first book does have a few earmarks of a first in a series book, but nothing too far out of the ordinary. Looking forward to seeing where Lee takes us from here.

A Tough Nut to Kill will be available from booksellers on February 4th. Pre-order is available now.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Elizabeth Lee's A Tough Nut to Kill is the first book in the Nut House Mystery series

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of A Tough Nut to Kill by Elizabeth Lee.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, February 17th.

1. Please leave a comment describing a recipe you love featuring pecans.
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Blog Tour Stop: Town in a Strawberry Swirl by B.B. Haywood

Please join me in welcoming B.B. Haywood (author duo, Beth and Robert Freeman) to Debbie's Book Bag today! B.B. is here promoting her boo, Town in a Strawberry Swirl. This guest post focuses on the town of Cape Willington and the stories behind it. Enjoy! The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Town in a Strawberry Swirl, see details at the end of the post.

The True Stories Behind Cape Willington, Maine

by B.B. Haywood, author of Town in a Strawberry Swirl

Welcome to the coastal village of Cape Willington, Maine, founded in 1737. Take a stroll down Main Street. Stop in at the Main Street Diner for a bite to eat, and catch up on the local news. Further along the street, you can visit the Black Forest Bakery for authentic German pastries. Then head down Ocean Avenue to see the historic Pruitt Opera House, the Lightkeeper’s Inn, and Town Park. Later, you can drive along the Coastal Loop for beautiful ocean views and a breath of fresh, salty sea air. And don’t forget to spend some time at the English Point Lighthouse and Cape Willington Historical Museum.

Through the course of five novels in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery Series, including the upcoming Town in a Strawberry Swirl (available everywhere on Feb. 4th), Cape Willington has served as the setting and background for the series, and often as a character itself. And although it’s a fictional village, it has come alive in many ways, for it is based on real places, and many of its citizens and activities are drawn from actual people and events.

Writing under the pen name B.B. Haywood, we’re the series’ creators, Rob and Beth. In 2004, we decided to work together to write a cozy mystery set in a small village in Maine. Beth had grown up in New England, and both of us had lived in several small towns in New England for more than 20 years. As we began to develop the first novel, Town in a Blueberry Jam, we drew on events from real life and mixed them with fictional characters and events. Beth even used the names of towns we’d lived in to create the name “Cape Willington,” which is a combination Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where we lived at the time; Williamstown, Mass., where Beth grew up; and Hopkinton, N.H., where we lived before moving to Maine. 

The village of Cape Willington had its beginnings on scraps of notebook paper stuck between the front seats of our family car. As we drove around Maine and the other New England states, we began to make up the town and the main characters. Beth recently spent some time looking through those scraps of paper, which say things like “Candy Holliday-Halloween,” “sidekick” (who became Maggie Tremont), “baker” (who became Herr Georg), “general store like the one we love in Vermont,” and “Candy selling her blueberry goods to make extra money for the farm.” Portions of Cape Willington resemble such real-life Maine villages as Blue Hill, Boothbay Harbor, and Bar Harbor. We also created long lists of possible titles.

The name “Holliday” came from some pre-made address labels that arrived in the mail one day. After settling on the name Candy Holliday for our protagonist, the other characters fell into place. Henry “Doc” Holliday is loosely based on a wonderful historian Beth met while working at the Portland Head Light museum in Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland. Herr Georg and the Black Forest Bakery are based on a bakery in a small Alpine village-like shopping center we used to visit in New Hampshire. Once, when we visited Acadia National Park in Maine, someone actually did fall off the cliff trail into the ocean. We were on the beach when the rescue team came and cleared the area. Jock Larson took that same fall in the prologue to Town in a Blueberry Jam.

We had chickens at the time, hence Candy’s “girls.” Beth once saw a woman flossing her teeth while driving! That was the inspiration for Elsie Lingholt, now of hula hooping fame. While looking at homes to buy in New Hampshire, we really did encounter a woman with a bottle collection like Wilma Mae Wendell’s (from Town in a Lobster Stew). And when Beth came upon a local snow plow rodeo, she at first had no idea what it was. As she watched the plows drive a twisty course between orange cones topped with tennis balls and other obstacles, she thought it was more fun than the State Fair.  And Wanda Boyle! For now, we’ll say no more about her, except that she is certainly a fun character to write.

So that’s how the people and events we encountered while driving around New England for many years with our family turned into the growing fictional town of Cape Willington, filled with characters we love to write about. We hope our readers love them too, as they follow Candy, Doc, Maggie, Herr Georg, and the other residents of Cape Willington, Maine, from book to book. 

Book Details:

Town in a Strawberry Swirl (Candy Holliday Mystery - Book 5) by B.B. Haywood 

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0425252469
ISBN-13: 978-0425252468

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

B.B. Haywood on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Town in a Blueberry Jam (2009), Town in a Lobster Stew (2011), Town in a Wild Moose Chase (2012), Town in a Pumpkin Bash (2013), Town in a Strawberry Swirl (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Town in a Strawberry Swirl, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

In the quaint seaside village of Cape Willington, Maine, Candy Holliday has a mostly idyllic life, tending to the Blueberry Acres farm she runs with her father and occasionally stepping in to solve a murder or two…

Summer has arrived! But as the community gears up for another festive strawberry-picking season, the villagers are shocked when local berry farmer Miles Crawford is found dead in a hoophouse near his strawberry fields. Rumors have been swirling around about a secret real estate deal between Miles and Lydia St. Graves. And now Lydia is missing after she was seen fleeing the scene of the crime…

When Henry “Doc” Holliday becomes involved in the mystery, his daughter Candy finds herself caught in the jam as well. But things turn very sticky when Lydia suddenly reappears and asks for Candy’s help in finding the true murderer…

Thoughts:

B.B. Haywood delivers readers another story in Candy Holliday series. Town in a Strawberry Swirl is the fifth book in the series and finds the town of Cape Willington once again preparing for a festival. This time it's the Strawberry festival and readers are treated to some scrumptious recipes to go along with their clues. Haywood's knack for writing small town hi-jinx is one of the charms of this series and her engaging characters will soon seem like old friends to new readers, and neighbors to the rest of us. A great addition to a wonderful series!

What I liked:

I have really enjoyed the themes and festivals that B.B. Haywood comes up with for this series from the git go. Being a  Type 1 Diabetic, I eat a lot of fruits that have natural sugars and strawberries are among my favorites. So the theme of this books festival was right up my alley. I liked the fact that recipes are also included in the back of the book. Let me just say you've got to try the Pasta with Strawberry, Leeks and Fennel, very tasty. 

This is the fifth book in this series and Haywood is starting to have quite a following. Her characters are so well written that fans of the series often consider each book like a visit from old friends or neighbors. I think readers feel that way because the author has a way with characterization. Each character whether it be a lead or a secondary character has an integral part in the story. If they are in there, it isn't for show, they have a part to play. Haywood creates a lot of backstory for each character and that makes a reader feel like they know these people and care what happens to them.

I also think a really strong point for each of the books in this series is the town of Cape Willington itself. I want to live in a town where there is a festival or celebration just about every season or perhaps every month. I think that would be great fun. Haywood instills camaraderie and community spirit into the townsfolk, and the small town charm is simply overflowing.

Town in a Strawberry Swirl is among my favorites of the series. The mystery itself was very entertaining and held my interest well. It is a clue based mystery and Haywood leads readers on a merry chase to be sure. Though there are hints about who the real killer is throughout the book, it does't become abundantly clear until near the end. I didn't get stumped on this one and the end is very satisfying.

What I didn't like: 

Lydia kind of grated on my nerves a bit as a suspect. I could see why the author would want to have her involved, and how that added to the overall plot of the novel, but the scenes with her in them were a bit too dominated by her character. Probably just a pet peeve, so don't take my word for it. Read the book!

Bottom Line:

This was a great addition to the series. I look forward to each one of the titles in this series coming out and the preview of Town in a Sweet Pickle only whetted my appetite for all things B.B. Haywood. Town in a Strawberry Swirl features another interesting festival and all of the great characters readers have come to love. Can't wait to read more from Candy, Doc and the rest of the gang!

Town in a Strawberry Swirl will be available from booksellers on February 4th. Pre-order is available now.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

B.B. Haywood is the author of the

national bestselling Candy Holliday murder mystery series, including Town in a Wild Moose Chase, Town in a Pumpkin Bash, Town in a Lobster Stew, and Town in a Blueberry Jam.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Town in a Strawberry Swirl by B.B. Haywood.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, February 17th.

1. Please leave a comment describing your favorite recipe featuring strawberries.
2. Please fill out the FORM.