Review - A Tincture of Murder by Donna Flectcher Crow

Title and Author: A Tincture of Murder by Donna Flectcher Crow

Publisher: Greenbrier Book Company

Publication Date: November 30th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 95

Genre: Mystery

Find it at: Goodreads

Summary:

POOR WOMEN ARE DYING. BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHY.

Lord and Lady Danvers—everyone’s favorite Victorian sleuths— accept an extraordinary new challenge that combines murder, madness, and a famed 19th century murder trial that British and American lawyers still talk about today.
The case begins when several of the destitute women who took refuge at The Magdalen House—an “Asylum for Poor, Degraded Females”—die under mysterious circumstances.
The Magdalen House—located in a notorious slum of the City of York—was established by Frederick Danvers, Lord Charles’s younger brother, who shocked the family by taking Holy Orders, and then by choosing to live near his church in one of the poorest neighborhoods in England.

But the cleric’s saintly works may come to a scandalous end when news of the women’s deaths spreads. The young Danvers is in trouble and Danvers family honor is at stake.
At first, Lord Danvers is reluctant to get involved in a criminal matter that seems so sordid. But when a devastating fire ravages Norwood Park, the Danver’s ancestral home, Charles and Antonia are forced to seek temporary residence elsewhere. Freddie’s plea for assistance includes an invitation to stay at elegant Wandseley Hall. Charles reconsiders—and soon finds himself struggling to answer two overarching questions: Are the unexplained deaths the result of natural causes? Or is an insane poisoner at large in York—perhaps a madman among Charles and Antonia’s own acquaintances?
While Charles investigates, Lady Antonia is drawn into helping feed the impoverished women and children living in the asylum.

And death is closer to home than anyone suspected. Was a servant’s untimely death an accident as first believed? Or something more sinister? And who set the fire that nearly destroyed Norwood Park?

  

Review:

I have received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review and even though I haven’t read the previous books in the series I still enjoyed A Tincture of Murder and wasn’t at all confused.

Frederick has set up a house with the intention of helping pregnant destitute women. Unfortunately, the women start dying mysteriously. Sure something wrong is happening, Frederick asks Lord Danvers to investigate the case. 

I liked the characters in this book and though they were very interesting and complex. The best part of the book for me was the mystery, though.

I always enjoy a good mystery and this book didn’t disappoint in that department. The mystery was entertaining, different and well-written.

Another thing I also enjoyed was the historical setting of the book. I think the author did a great job setting the scene for the development of the story.

All in all, I enjoyed A Tincture of Murder. The mystery was exciting, the action nicely paced and the story well-written.

If you, like me, enjoy mystery books, why not give this one a try?

Rating: Somewhere Between Readable and Worth Your Time (3 ½ Stars)

Cover Reveal - Until I Break by M. Leighton

Cover Reveal - Until I Break by M. Leighton

 

Title: Until I Break (A Twisted Novel)

Author: M. Leighton

Publisher: M. Leighton

Release date: May 14, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

 

Laura Drake is an author. She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts. She is sharp. She is confident. She is in control. And she doesn’t exist. Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists. She is shy. She is insecure. She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego. She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with. Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books. Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare. When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life. Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be. Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes. Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec. And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her. The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason. And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.    

About the Author   

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

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Guest Post + Giveaway - Blood Dent by Nancy Straight

Guest Post + Giveaway - Blood Dent by Nancy Straight

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-debt-nancy-straight/1112345662?ean=9781478111047
Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Debt-Touched-Series-ebook/dp/B008L79YRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358050020&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+debt
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14743629-blood-debt
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/204708

Guest Post - Inspiration for Writing

Carla, thank you so much for hosting today’s stop on the Blood Debt tour!!  I’m excited to be here today, I’m one of your newer stalkers, but LOVE your blog and will be here often!

I’d like to start with what inspired me to write a couple years ago.  It was the combination of two events.  Event one:  I used to work with a lawyer who I had a great deal of respect for.  We were working together one afternoon, he set a pile of papers on the table I had written, looked me square in the eye and said, “Mrs. Straight, you are one of the most compelling writers I’ve ever met.”  Keep in mind, what he was reading was work-related and a full ten on the boring-scale.  His compliment was unexpected and flattering – I filed it away.  The second event was when I finished reading Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Series.  She was able to elicit every major emotion I had ever felt in my life, in just four books.  When I put Breaking Dawn down, I was wholeheartedly inspired and I began writing.

Now that you know how I got my start, let me tell you about what inspires me every day.  Readers and bloggers who go out of their way to tell me they’ve read my novels and loved them.  A post on my Facebook page, a message through Goodreads, a comment on my blog or a tweet takes maybe thirty seconds worth of effort from a reader, but gives me hours (sometimes days) of inspiration.  I want to tell you about my very first fan because no matter how many times we chat, I’ll never let him forget how much he means to me. 

Shortly after I published my first book, Meeting Destiny, I joined Goodreads.  I think I had sold maybe twenty-five books over a six month period.  I was still very new to the site and I was surprised when a friend request came in from Charles Young.  This was followed by a message saying he had read Meeting Destiny and loved it.  Charles was my very first fan and I still message him regularly.  If any of you have ever sent a message like the one I received from Charles to a “Rookie” author, I can guarantee you will never comprehend the lifelong impact your simple act of kindness has made (or will make) in that author’s life!  When a story moves you, let the author know.  Since that day, I’ve met many readers who have gone out of their way to brighten my day – every single message has been an inspiration.  Charles, if you’re reading this blog post, thank you, again.

About the author:

I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I have a stray cat that I feed every night and morning but she’s never let me get closer than within 3 feet of her – I keep thinking eventually I’ll wear her down and she’ll let me pet her. I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore.

Blog: http://authnancystraight.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyStraight

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Straight/243616005687882

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