April 1774 – Within the colonial capital of Virginia, Faith Clarke awakes in the middle of the night to discover a man savagely murdered within her tavern. Phineas Bullard was no stranger. Faith’s late husband had borrowed heavily from the man and left Faith to struggle to pay the debt.
With unrest growing in the American Colonies, the British are eager for a quick resolution at the end of a noose, regardless of guilt. Under suspicion for the crime, she must use every resource at her disposal to prove her innocence and protect those she loves. Her allies are Olivia and Titus, slaves left to her by her late husband’s family. Individuals she must find a way to free even as she finds they also have motive.
Faith seeks to uncover the dead man’s secrets even as they draw close to home. Determined to find the truth, she continues headlong into the webs of secrets that hide Tories, Patriots and killers, not stopping even as she fears that no one will hear the cry of the innocent.
Review by Coffee&Ink
Another great historical mystery series! Faith Clark owns a small tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1774. Revolution is brewing up north in Boston and whispers of independence from Britain are catching like wildfire. Faith is a widow, trying to keep body and soul together with the help of an enslaved couple, Titus and Olivia. In everything she does, Faith throws her whole self into it, though she is always running on fumes, it seems. While searching for whoever killed an unpleasant character in her private tavern room, then set it on fire, she is also trying to take care of those she considers family, especially Titus and Oliva. Even within the context of the times, she is uncomfortable with owning human beings and strives to free them. This is a great historical mystery with lots of twists and turns and at times some difficult themes about freedom, and who deserves to be free. Highly recommended to lovers of historical mysteries. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
Thank you Book Sirens for a copy of this book to read and review.
biography
Julie Bates grew up reading little bit of everything, but when she discovered Agatha Christie, she knew she what she wanted to write. Along the way, she has written a weekly column for the Asheboro Courier Tribune (her local newspaper) for two years and published a few articles in magazines such as Spin Off and Carolina Country. She has blogged for Killer Nashville and the educational website Read.Learn.Write. She currently works as a public school teacher for special needs students. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Southeastern Writers of America (SEMWA) and Sisters in Crime. When not busy plotting her next story, she enjoy doing crafts and spending time with her husband and son, as well as a number of dogs and cats who have shown up on her doorstep and never left.
A bone-chilling story of ambition, deceit, and the perils of cosmetic surgery in the Edwardian era.
“Beauty is power,” Dr. Rome told her. “And with enough power, one can achieve anything.”
Straightening noses, trimming eyelids, lifting jowls… In the year 1907, his revolutionary beauty surgery is considered daring, perhaps dangerous. Still, women want what Dr. Rome promises. Neither is his young assistant, Abigail Platford, immune to the beauty doctor’s persuasive charm.
Abigail once dreamed of becoming a doctor, though of a much different sort. That dream ended with her father’s tragic death from a medical error for which she holds herself responsible. But Dr. Rome, who proudly displays his medical degree from Johns Hopkins, seems to believe in her. If he were willing to act as her mentor, might there still be a chance to fulfill her dream of someday becoming a doctor serving New York City’s poor?
But something feels terribly wrong. An insidious evil is closing in. Broken promises, lies, and intrigues abound. The powerful are threatening to destroy the weak, and a doctor’s sacred duty hangs in the balance. Abigail no longer knows who to believe; but with Dr. Rome now her mentor and her lover, she desperately wants to trust him.
Even when she discovers that one of their patients has mysteriously disappeared.
From bestselling author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, “a compelling historical novel steeped in mystery with strong elements of a medical thriller.”
Awards
Finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Award
Review by Coffee&Ink
This is a most excellent historical medical mystery/suspense novel. In 1907, Abigail, the main character, wants to be a doctor, to support herself, to be independent. To be loved. When the ambitious Dr. Rome comes into her life, she gets what she wants in unexpected and eventually, horrifying ways. The author did a wonderful job showing us Abigail’s conflicted heart and soul and her motives for staying with Dr Rome, though sometimes I did want to shout, get out of there, Abigail! It is a medical thriller in all the best ways and had me on the edge of my seat throughout, totally unputdownable. Excellent immersive writing and research into this dark beginning of aesthetic surgery and cosmetic medicine.
Thank you Book Sirens for a copy of this book to read and review.
biography
Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is the author of bestselling historical novels. Her latest release, Sisters of Castle Leod (January 2023), is an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller (Historical Biographical Fiction), winner of the 2023 Maxy Award for Historical and Adventure Fiction, and an Editors’ Choice of the Historical Novel Society. The re-release of her historical mystery-suspense novel, The Beauty Doctor (finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Award) is scheduled for January 2024.
Before becoming a full-time author, Elizabeth enjoyed careers as a touring musician, public relations professional, editor of an international medical journal, video producer, and consultant to the National Cosmetic Network. Elizabeth and her family live outside Phoenix, Arizona.
Portraying the true diversity of the Regency-era and the hidden intrigue of England’s abolitionist movement, this vibrant, inclusive new historical mystery from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley features an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing…
Pressed into a union of convenience, Lady Abigail Worthing knew better than to expect love. Her marriage to an absent lord does at least provide some comforts, including a box at the Drury Lane theater, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Abigail has always found respite at the theater, away from the ton’s judgmental stares and the risks of her own secret work to help the cause of abolition—and her fears that someone from her past wants her permanently silenced. But on one particular June evening everything collides, and the performance takes an unwelcome turn . . .
Onstage, a woman emits a scream of genuine terror. A man has been found dead in the prop room, stabbed through the heart. Abigail’s neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, is also in attendance, and the two rush backstage. The magistrate, keen to avoid bringing more attention to the case and making Lady Worthing more of a target, asks Abigail not to investigate. But she cannot resist, especially when the usually curmudgeonly Henderson offers his assistance.
Abigail soon discovers a tangled drama that rivals anything brought to the stage, involving gambling debts, a beautiful actress with a parade of suitors, and the very future of the Drury Lane theatre. For Abigail the case is complicated still further, for one suspect is a leading advocate for the cause dearest to her heart—the abolition of slavery within the British empire. Uncovering the truth always comes at a price. But this time, it may be far higher than she wishes to pay.
Review by Coffee&Ink
The theater at Drury Lane is one of Abigail’s favorite places in the city. When an ambitious playwright with a terrible past he’s trying to overcome, is murdered there, Abigail is once again compelled to investigate.
This is the second novel in the Lady Worthing series. I read the first one, Murder at Westminster and loved it. This is a great follow up to an intriguing character with an equally intriguing history. I love a Lady Sleuth and Lady Worthing is an exceptional addition to this historical amateur sleuth category. We get a little more information about Abigail Worthing’s seafaring husband—she saved him from the gallows, but we don’t have the full story. I’m hoping this whole episode will be revealed in a future novel. Meanwhile, I’m loving the developing relationship between Abigail and her good-smelling neighbor Stapleton Henderson.
Immersive setting of Regency London and well-developed supporting characters really pushed my buttons for this story. And where the heck is Dinah, Abigail’s sister? I love this sub-sub plot as it’s set me worrying for the next story.
Highly recommended for historical mystery lovers.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for a copy of this book for review.
Newport Summer 1899—yachts, balls, and famed artists eager to paint portraits of Society’s “Queens.”
Western silver heiress Val Mackle DeVere (Mrs. Roderick W.) agrees to “sit” for a portrait for her beloved Roddy, only to stumble on a scene of bloody, grisly homicide at an art gallery.
Like a figure from Pompeii, the dead Newport gallery manager screams in silence, his hands like claws clutching at a gilt frame pulled down over his head and shoulders while blood darkens his cream-colored suit.
Impulsive, Val reaches for the murder weapon and will find herself suspected, shamed, and shunned as she seeks the killer while learning yet again a lesson taught by Cornelius Vanderbilt IV: “No city on earth is as hostile to outsiders as Newport.”
Review by Coffee&Ink
Though this novel is the sixth in the series, I was surprised how well it did as a standalone. A few brief paragraphs about what was pertinent to the story—enough to draw me in but not overwhelm.
Roddy and Val are in Newport for the summer, surrounded by mansions, high society, and the sea. I love Val, the silver heiress from the West, who always feels out of place. Newport does not tolerate newcomers, though Val’s husband is not a newcomer by any means. Everyone seems anxious for her to slip up or to correct her, though she is a very capable and independent woman for the era. When she does make the mistake of picking up a bloody knife at a murder scene, she works hard to investigate the murder and get herself off the suspects list.
The prose is perfection, the immersive experience vivid, and I highly recommend this very well-plotted murder mystery. I’m starting the first book in the series 🙂
biography
A fresh start for every new book, and author Tichi’s zest for America’s Gilded Age and its boldface names draws this seasoned writer to a crime fiction series while uncorking the country’s cocktail cultures on the printed (and ebook) page. Tichi digs deep into the Vanderbilt University research library to mine the late 1800-1900s history and customs of Society’s “Four Hundred,” its drinks, and the ways high-stakes crimes in its midst make for a gripping “Gilded” mystery series that rings true to the tumultuous era. The decades of America’s industrial titans and “Queens” of Society have loomed large in Tichi’s books for several years, and the titles track her recent projects:
Civic Passions: Seven Who Launched Progressive America (and What They Teach Us)
Jack London: A Writer’s Fight for a Better America
What Would Mrs. Astor Do? A Complete Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age Cocktails: History, Lore, and Recipes from the Golden Age
A Gilded Death (crime fiction)
Jazz Age Cocktails: History, Lore, and Recipes from the Roaring Twenties.
You can read more about Cecelia by visiting her website.
Juliette is abandoned shortly after her birth; a nameless babe left to fate’s unpredictable whims. In exchange for a hefty sum, she is left in the care of a destitute country doctor, a man whose stoic resolve guides her transformation from fragile infancy to a beautiful young woman of strength and vitality. Yet, within the walls of their home, resentment simmers like an ever-present storm, as the doctor’s wife and daughter begrudgingly share their lives with the enigmatic orphan.
In a moment of audacious bravery, she rescues a stranger, the enigmatic Francois, from the merciless clutches of a raging river. It is here, amidst the roiling waters, that she discovers her one true love, a love that will reshape the very fabric of her existence. Francois descends upon her quiet town with a mission far grander than the quaint streets and rustic facades suggest. He is Juliette’s tether to a destiny unimagined, a journey to Paris and the chateau of a wealthy old uncle she has never known. Yet, all is not as it seems, for her uncle reveals a harrowing truth about her true mother, a revelation that shatters Juliette’s world and exposes a devastating secret.
Hidden within the shadows of her past lies a sinister legacy of unimaginable proportions, a burden so grievous it compels Juliette to make a heart-wrenching choice. In the face of an agonizing decision, she must forsake her beloved Francois, shielding him from the dangers her secret threatens to unleash.
This is the story of a resolute young woman, thrust into a world as harsh as it is unforgiving, a world that demands she confront her fate with unwavering determination and indomitable will. As Juliette unravels the enigmas encircling her existence, her quest for love and happiness drives her to unearth the darkest truths, to overcome the insurmountable, and to emerge victorious in the face of an all-consuming legacy.
A fascinating re-imagined retelling of the classic novel, Her Dark Inheritance, by E. Burke Collins originally published in 1892
Review by Coffee&Ink
A true gothic novel steeped in secrets, romance, desperation, and dark deeds.
In a small town outside of Paris, France, in 1856, a doctor is awakened in the middle of the night by a man whose wife and infant are in dire need of care. When the woman dies, the stranger pays the man a good amount to raise his child, Juliette. The money serves the family very well, until it stops when Juliette comes of age. After the doctor’s death, his wife and daughter are also left penniless.
I’m reminded of a dark Cinderella story, where there’s only one prince but more than one potential princess. This is a wonderfully labyrinthine story, wrought in beautiful language. I felt like I’d been on a dark voyage by the time I was done reading, and the actual secret legacy of Juliette’s was very well done. Highly recommended for readers of historical, historical mystery, and lovers of gothic tales.
Thank you to the author for providing and ARC of this book.
Sometimes being immortal makes you wish you were dead.
Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents’ grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings attached?
Celeste spends the start of her immortal life being mentored by the Elders of the Hollow Earth. They release her once they feel certain Celeste has honed her supernatural powers. But little do they know, Celeste isn’t wholly committed to granting eternal life to those deserving. Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, Celeste faces a gut-wrenching decision and the possible wrath of the Elders.
Praise for The Immortal Detective:
“…impressive vampiric worldbuilding {with} a fascinating cast.” ~Publishers Weekly
“A new, original, fresh, fascinating and fun take on the Vampire genre. THE IMMORTAL DETECTIVE by D. B. Woodling is a “must read” pick for the legions of vampire fiction fans and an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections. Exceptionally well written…” ~Midwest Book Review
The Immortal Detective Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal, Detective Mystery, Fantasy Hybrid Published by: CamCat Books Publication Date: March 2023 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 9780744308013 (ISBN10: 0744308011) Series: The Immortal Detective, 1 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | CamCat Books
Read an excerpt:
I found Liza McCuskey strung out in an alley between a strip joint and a pawnshop. The report listed her as twenty-two, but she looked every bit of forty-five. The color of her hair reminded me of chili peppers and hung limp against bruised and bony shoulders. Her face wasn’t a ray of sunshine; it forecasted Noah’s flood. I flashed my shield, which convinced the john pressing her against a building to take off. She was hesitant to talk until I showed her a crisp twenty-dollar bill. She reached for it, feigning goodwill the way addicts always do.
“Not so fast, Liza. You tell me what you know about Gunner’s murder and there’s more where that came from.”
She shook her head, so hard her entire body shook with it, then she wrenched her head sideways and puked. A man wearing a T-shirt advertising the club swaggered from the strip club’s rear entrance, whistling as he unzipped his pants and peed a steady stream. I assumed he was the bartender.
“When you’re done there,” I called out, “bring her a club soda–room temperature, no ice.”
He wagged his penis, then zipped up. “I don’t know if you noticed, princess, but we don’t do curb service.”
“You do tonight. Make it fast and the KCPD might even throw you a tip.”
He scurried back inside, and I hoped he planned to return. Liza hitched her short skirt back down over skeletal hips, losing her balance twice. Her fishnet stockings were ripped here, torn there, and could have snagged a small shark. If she had worn panties when she came into the alley, she didn’t have them on now. I pointed to her hand. “What happened there?” It looked like a defensive wound to me. “Did that happen recently?” She hid her hand behind her back. “Maybe around the time somebody stabbed Gunner to death?”
“Like I told those other cops, I got nothing to say.”
“I think you were there, Liza. Witnesses saw you with Gunner an hour before a passerby discovered his body. And that knife wound on your hand isn’t just a coincidence.”
She turned her back and faced the building. The bartender crashed through the rear door. Wearing a scowl and a snippet of actual barbed wire for a nose ring, he pressed a plastic cup in my direction, then exchanged the club soda for a ten-dollar bill and took off.
I bumped Liza with my elbow. “Here, drink this.”
She gulped the entire glass, and I fought the urge to get her something to eat. She belched then swiped a grimy hand across her mouth and headed toward the street.
“Have it your way,” I called after her. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when the next cop you meet arrests you for murder.”
She stopped dead and whipped around to face me. “I didn’t kill him.”
“But if you know who did and you don’t come forward, you’re considered an accessory after the fact. Which means prison time, Liza. That’s one hell of a way to get clean.”
She began to tremble, so violently her knees buckled, and I could hear her teeth chatter. “I talk, I’m dead. That motherfucker is crazy.”
“Then tell me off the record: No written statement. No subpoena to testify.”
Her dull eyes brightened. “I still get the money?”
“That depends on the information. I want a name.”
“I don’t know his name. You gotta believe me,” she whined like a kid advised of bedtime.
“I don’t believe you, Liza. But let’s start with a description.” I’d made two attempts to make sense of the jumbled thoughts inside her head. Reading her mind was a lot like wading through the waste in Chernobyl.
“I didn’t see him real good, okay?”
“But you were in the car?”
She nodded and looked away.
“Then help me understand; if you were in the car, why didn’t you see him?”
“Because I had my face buried in Gunner’s balls.”
“You were performing oral sex?”
She sniggered. “Yeah, if that’s what you want to call it. I give him a blowjob, he gives me crank.”
“And what happened when the killer began stabbing him?” She hid her face in her hands. “Come on, Liza. I’m trying to understand why you didn’t see the person who opened the door, or leaned in the window, and stabbed Gunner to death?”
Tears began to stream down her face. “Blood was squirting everywhere, Gunner making this horrible gurgling sound, and I-I tried to get down, get on the floor. But then. . .the guy with the knife grabbed my hair and yanked me up, and all I could see was that knife. I pushed my hand toward him, you know, like when you tell somebody to stop.”
“And that’s when he stabbed you?”
“Yeah, that’s when he stabbed me,” she murmured.
“How did you get away?”
“A car pulled up across the street. A bunch of guys got out and he grabbed the drugs and the money Gunner had on him and ran. They weren’t after him or anything, he just ran.”
“Where did you run, Liza?”
“Into the bushes until the guys went inside a house and I knew for sure the guy with the knife was gone. Then I went home.”
“Before you answer, remember everything you say is off the record. Most of all, you have to know that the killer didn’t intend to leave any witnesses. He wants you dead, Liza. For all we know, he could be out there right now looking to finish the job. I’d like to find him before he has the opportunity to do that. So tell me his name.”
“I told you. I don’t know it.”
Because she’d returned to working the streets, it was possible Liza didn’t know the killer’s name or he hers. But drug addiction was a powerful motivator. Maybe she was willing to risk her life for her next fix. I dug around in my pocket and withdrew all the cash I had. “Then give me a description,” I said, walking toward her and fanning various denominations. “You must have seen something.”
“Okay, okay,” she said, staring at the cash. “Gunner pushed me off him when the guy started stabbing him, you know, to try to fight him off. Before I made it down to the floor, I saw the back of the guy’s head. He didn’t have any hair, and he was white.”
“What else?”
“He had a tattoo, but I couldn’t see all of it because his jacket covered some of it and his neck was all scrunched up, you know, from leaning in the window.”
“To the best of your knowledge, what did it look like?”
“It was fucking weird. It looked like an up and down line on the top part, a sideways line below that.”
I handed over the money and gave her my card. “In case you remember anything else or decide to clean up your life.”
***
Excerpt from The Immortal Detective by D. B. Woodling. Copyright 2023 by D. B. Woodling. Reproduced with permission from D. B. Woodling. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Acquiring an early appreciation of prose written by Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and the audacious Stephen King, Woodling chose to follow in their intimidating footsteps, evidenced by The Immortal Twin (CamCat Books 2020) and The Immortal Detective, released by CamCat Books, March 2023. She recently completed a supernatural small-town murder mystery and has a Hollywood whodunit in the works, with Book Two of The Immortal Detective series vying for her attention. Woodling is a multi-genre author, and The Immortal Detective is her eighth novel.
A new twist on the 1930s English country house mystery.
Embarking on their most daring time-travel experiment to date, Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and his 21st-century partner-in-crime Olivia Watson travel to the Adirondack Mountains for a Christmas party at one of the legendary Great Camps. Their host, a wealthy New York publisher, has planned a weekend filled with holiday activities, but, as the last guest arrives, temperatures plummet and a blizzard hits. Before long, the area is buried in snow, the roads are impassable, and the publisher is poisoned.
Unwilling to wait until the local police can arrive, the victim’s widow convinces Steven to launch an unofficial investigation. Soon, a family member goes missing and Steven and Olivia discover a second victim. Trapped with a killer, Steven and Olivia race against the clock before the murderer strikes again.
Praise for RSVP to Murder:
“A classic holiday movie and Agatha Christie novel mashup” ~ Shawn Reilly Simmons, author of the Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series
“RSVP to Murder is Agatha Christie with a time-travel twist. Pouliot supplies us with just what we crave in a great locked-room mystery: a blizzard, closed roads, dead phone lines, roaring fires, and lots of suspects and motives—all set in a luxurious Adirondack Great Camp in 1934. Snap on your seatbelt and travel with Steven and Olivia, you’ll be happy you did!” ~ Tina deBellegarde, Author of The Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series.
“A Great Camp in the Adirondacks serves up a sumptuous setting of plump armchairs, roaring fireplaces, and the heady scent of Christmas pines—all begging to be settled into with this thumping good vintage whodunit set in the 1930s. Cleverly plotted with plot-twists aplenty and some time-travel to boot, this immersive mystery is a gem.” ~ Laurie Loewenstein, Author of the Dust Bowl Mystery Series
“Readers are invited to the glamour of the Thirties, where the rich are putting on the Ritz, until there’s a murder to solve. Join time-travelers Blackwell and Watson in a race to the Racines’ Adirondack Great Camp to catch a killer. A clever…and a thoroughly unique must for fans of the paranormal and historical. RSVP today!” ~ Gabriel Valjan, Author of the Shane Cleary Mysteries series
“The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries’ latest installment, RSVP to Murder, combines the thrilling and “timeless” aspects of Jack Finney’s classic TIME AND AGAIN mixed with the wit and charm of a modern, puzzling mystery. Highly recommended for all lovers of time travel, history, romance and wily sleuths.” ~ L.A. Chandlar, Best-selling author of the Art Deco Mystery Series
Book Details:
Genre: Traditional mystery Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: September 2023 Number of Pages: 305 ISBN: 9781685123857 Series: The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, #4 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 1
December 31, 1902 New York City, New York
She was marrying the wrong man.
With a silk-gloved hand, Margery Belleville lifted the bottom of her wedding gown and peeked around the heavy, carved doors into the nave of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Several hundred guests—ladies in expensive finery, wool coats trimmed with ermine and fancy hats with brims reaching out over their shoulders, and tuxedoed men in black silk top hats—awaited the wedding of the decade. St. Patrick’s reminded Margery of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with its Gothic-style pointed arches and rich stained-glass windows set in lacey webs. The soaring, vaulted ceiling, lit by crystal chandeliers suspended on long rope-like cables, rose hundreds of feet in the air. Light from the chandeliers reached into the far corners of the church and mingled with the glow of candles twinkling in wrought-iron stands. Inhaling the scent of balsam fir from the many holiday decorations, Margery gazed down the long center aisle, where she would soon walk with her father.
Margery stepped back into the vestibule, her pure-white gown rustling softly as she moved. She was, at least, happy her parents had allowed her the choice of her wedding dress, if not the groom. Margery and her mother had searched in several shops, nearly deciding to have the dress custom made when they came upon this elegant, sleek gown. The moment Margery laid eyes on it, she knew it was the one. The high neckline draped in soft folds beneath her chin, flattering her face. The form-fitting bodice hugged her curves, yet avoided the dreaded hourglass silhouette, with its yards of smooth satin skirt billowing around her. Margery’s unadorned veil revealed topaz eyes and soft lips, but covered her rich auburn hair and cascaded down her back. This was the gown of a modern, independent woman. If only her life matched the dress.
His conversation with the bishop finished, Anthony Belleville joined his daughter. “Are you ready, my dear?”
The organ began Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” and a rumble echoed throughout the nave as the guests stood and turned toward the back of the cathedral. Trembling, Margery took her father’s arm.
He must have felt her shaking because her father leaned over and, to Margery’s astonishment, whispered, “I know he’s not your first choice. But you will be well cared for and you know Gil adores you. I don’t know which man has captured your heart, but you won’t lack for anything with Gilbert Racine. The publishing empire he’s going to inherit will provide a comfortable, even pampered, life. He’s the best choice to keep you in the style your mother and I have provided. I can’t bear the thought that you would ever lack for anything, my dearest daughter.”
Margery was further shocked when her father wiped a tear from his eye.
It was at that moment when Margery Belleville, soon to be Margery Racine, accepted her fate. She would be a good wife for her successful businessman husband. She would provide him with children and a well-run home. She’d bury her feelings deep inside, lock them away in a cupboard, and throw away the key. She could not marry the man she loved. But she might grow to love the man she married.
Margery forced a smile and reached up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be alright, Papa. Gil will be a good husband.” She patted his hand. Straightening her spine, Margery gave a sharp nod of her head. “I’m ready.”
***
Excerpt from RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot. Copyright 2023 by Carol Pouliot. Reproduced with permission from Carol Pouliot. All rights reserved.
Review by Coffee&Ink
One of my favorite mystery tropes is when the characters are trapped somewhere that becomes inaccessible because of landslides, winter, spring mudslides, or some other calamity.
The original twist on this is the time-traveling duo, Olivia and Steven, both from different times. The house they inhabit in their own lifetimes serves as a portal.
This novel is also a cozy mystery, a fairly quick read but very absorbing.
Olivia and Steven are invited to Great Camp Onontaga for Christmas 1934.
The Racines, the family which owns the beautiful camp lodge in the Adirondack Mountains, are an ambitious lot, fond of each other but with many secrets some might kill to keep in the dark. When a family member is murdered, Olivia and Steven shine the light into the corners where the secrets lie, revealing them one by one.
This is a very well plotted cozy with a twist I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended for cozy mystery lovers.
Author Bio:
A former language teacher and business owner, Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a seemingly impossible relationship between Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors alike.
Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, Co-chair of the Murderous March Mystery Conference, and President of her Sisters in Crime chapter. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.
Coffee And Ink 
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