To Read, or Not To Read

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

0 Review: Son of Set

Title: Son of Set (Descendants of Isis #2)

Author: Kelsey Ketch

Published: May 2, 2014

ISBN13: 9781499137149

Paperback, 304 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Bought

Summary:

Seth O'keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discover discover Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see his son dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters off Isis for help, hoping they would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.

My Thoughts:

Kelsey Ketch has delivered a great continuation in the second book of the Descendants of Isis series. Quick paced, edge of your seat, hit the ground running are a few adjectives that can be used to describe this book.

Seth O'keefe, the dreamy bad guy turned hero who could charm any girl with his touch, until he met Natti. The attraction was strong and baffled him as to why. Natti, felt the attraction. It frightened her and lured her toward him at the same time.

Now they are running for their lives from his father, the Hem-netzer of the house of Set, and his former friends, Q and Ka. An epic chase ensues to find secret name of Ra and to solve an ancient puzzle.

These characters are strong and vibrant, with twists and turns galore. There is never a dull moment. I cannot wait for the third installment of this trilogy.

My Rating:

2 Review: A Question of Death

Title: A Question of Death: An Illustrated Phryne Fisher Treasury
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Publisher: Poison Ink Press
Published: December 2, 2014
Paperback, 254 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4642-0362-6
Genre: Mystery
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary:
The Honorable Phryne Fisher--she of the Lulu bob, green eyes, cupid's bow lips, and diamante garters--is the 1920's most elegant sleuth. This sparkling collection of Phryne short stories and other Phryne miscellany is lavishly illustrated with divine color illustrations by Beth Norling.

My Thoughts:

I was first introduced to Phryne Fisher through Netflix. I stumbled across a series, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and fell immediately in love. Phyrne is a lady detective in the 1920's living in Australia. She's a very modern, sassy, sexy kind of woman. So imagine my excitement when I learned that the series is based off a book series by Kerry Greenwood.

A Question of Death is a collection of thirteen short stories starring the fantastic Phryne Fisher. I love and hate short stories because they are never long enough to suit my tastes. Plus in mysteries, there is not a lot of setup and buildup before the case is solved. But despite that this book was still good. For me, it was the perfect book to read just before bed.

In addition to the short stories, this book also has illustrations strewn throughout. They give the book a quaint touch. At the end of each story a recipe is included for either food or drink. I didn't try any of the recipes yet, but I will in the future. Overall I enjoyed this book. There was, however, a concern with the first few stories. They had an excessive amount of typos and missing words. I sincerely hope that this is just an oversight of the publisher and they've since corrected the error. I would like to give this book a higher rating, but because of the typos I'll give it three willies.

My Rating:

0 Make More "Me Time" With a Few Books and a Cocktail

After a day filled with deadlines, traffic, and demands at the office and at home, you need to find ways to unwind. Whether your method of choice is a warm bubble bath, listening to your favorite music or sipping a hot cup of tea, studies show nothing relaxes you faster and or longer than reading a novel. And what could be more soothing than getting sucked into a story of blooming love, with charismatic characters that make you forget all your troubles?

With more than 800 romance books hitting the shelves each month, no one writes more prescriptions for relaxation than Harlequin.

· NEVER TRUST A COWBOY by Kathleen Eagle – The New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 romance novels gives us the sweet-talking, rugged cowboy we’ve been craving in her latest Midwestern romance.

· SNOWED IN WITH HER EX by Andrea Laurence – The award-winning author mixes the magic of a blizzard, remote mountain cabin and a charming ex to create the perfect forbidden romance cocktail.

· FONSECA’S FURY by Abby Green – The USA Today bestselling author introduces us to a former bad boy billionaire boss whose fury toward an employee who once got him arrested turns into something more fiery.

A fiery romance novel deserves a flaming cocktail to accompany it and USA Today bestselling author Abby Green’s new tale, FONSECA’S FURY, is no exception. The book has the perfect ingredients for a steamy love story—a Brazilian stud who happens to be a billionaire, a sweet and charitable heroine and a passionate anger that ignites them both. This cocktail is FONSECA’S FURY in liquid form.

The Flaming Fonseca

1 oz. Dark Rum

2 oz. Pineapple Juice

2 oz. Apple Juice

½ oz. Bacardi 151

Gold Cocktail Rim Sugar

Lime

Run a lime along the rim of a highball glass and dip into gold cocktail rim sugar to coat. Pour dark rum, pineapple juice and apple juice into the glass and float Bacardi 151 on top and carefully light the top layer using a long match.

0 Beware of the 13th Sign

Title: Zodiac (Zodiac #1)
Author: Romina Russell
Publisher: Razor Bill
Published: December 9, 2014
Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59514-740-0
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary:
Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

My Thoughts:

I was completely taken in after reading the summary of this book. I'm sure I'm like many other people in the world who are fascinated by horoscopes. I don't believe in it, but just the idea that the location of the planets and stars can make or break you is interesting.

As the title suggests, this book is about the zodiac. There are twelve planets all named after different zodiac signs.They all have different rulers and have different abilities. Such as Cancer, where Rho is from, has the ability or strength of nurturing. For many, many years the planets have all lived in harmony but also separately--guarding their secrets. However tragedy strikes when a disaster hits House Cancer, leaving Rho as a Guardian. Which is like being president. Rho soon discovers that there is a sinister plan afoot to bring down all the houses. She must convince the other houses to stand together of fall separately.

At first this book moved at a slow pace for me. While I found the setting up of worlds and societies interesting, it was kind of mind boggling trying to keep it all straight. From the very beginning I was sucked into the world that Romina Russell created. Once I got started, I didn't want to put down the book. I liked the main character, Rho. She's thrust into a leadership position before she's even finished with school. She has to grow up rather quickly. She has help from her adviser, Mathias, and a mysterious boy, Hysan. As you can probably guess there is a love triangle here. I didn't mind it so much, but others may.

The ending was kind of surprising and it left me wanting to read the next book immediately. Unfortunately I have no idea when it will be released. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone who likes science fiction and fantasy.

My Rating:

0 Double Cover reveal for Molly McAdams’ TRUSTING LIAM and CHANGING EVERYTHING.

TRUSTING LIAM by Molly McAdams

On-sale 6/4/2015

When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor-the intriguing man she hasn’t been able to forget. Somehow Liam managed to get Kennedy to let down her guard for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to befriend his boss’s nieces. But what starts out as a reluctant favor ends up leading Liam to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning-a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

When a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

CHANGING EVERYTHING by Molly McAdams

On-sale 3/3/2015

Paisley Morro has been in love with Eli since they were thirteen-years-old. But after twelve years of only being his best friend and wingman, the heartache that comes from watching him with countless other women becomes too much, and Paisley decides its time to lay all her feelings on the table.

Eli Jenkins has a life most guys would kill for: Dream job, countless women, and his best friend, Paisley, to be the girl he can always count on for everything else. But one conversation not only changes everything between them, it threatens to make him lose the only girl who has ever meant anything to him.

When tragedy strikes his family and Eli is forced to reevaluate his life, he realizes a life without Paisley isn’t a life at all. Only now, he may be too late.

0 Review: The Thursday Night Club

Title: The Thursday Night Club: A Tale of Christmas Spirit
Author: Steven Manchester
Publisher: The Story Plant
Published: November 18, 2014
ebook
Genre: Fiction
Source: Author

Goodreads Summary:
Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off.

As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers.

My Thoughts:

I know that the title suggests that this is a Christmas book, but it's really a book that you could read any time of the year. Because the message of the book transcends beyond Christmas. It's a story about hope, generosity, and serving others who are in need.

The story is about a group of college friends. They meet every Thursday night to play cards and talk about life. It had been a tradition of their's for years. However after one of their friends is tragically killed, the group decides they need to do something to honor their friend's memory. So they make a wager to see who can pull off the kindest deed. They have until Christmas night to complete their task.

Anyone that has ever lost anyone tragically knows the emotions that follow. Especially when someone who is so young dies. Often the question of "Why?" is asked. It's the same for the characters in this book. They feel lost after their friend dies, but instead of wallowing in self pity, they decide to do something about it. This is a heart-warming story that will have you examining your own heart.

My Rating:

0 And here's some news about Jeanine Frost . . .

In anticipation of Frost's latest book, BOUND BY FLAMES, HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE(Night Huntress #1) and ONCE BURNED (Night Prince #1) are both on sale in e-book for $1.99 for a limited time! Experience Cat and Bones and Vlad and Leila’s first meetings all over again!

About BOUND BY FLAMES

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin...

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does...for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him-and his protectiveness drives Leila away-Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both...

About Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost is the internationally bestselling author of the award-winning Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series and the Night Huntress World novels. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to nineteen different countries. She lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her.

Jeaniene’s got two events for BOUND BY FLAMES, one at Malaprops on 1/28 at 7 p.m. (55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801) and she is a Featured Author at KissCon Sarasota on 1/31! (Find details here http://avonromance.hc.com/kisscon/).

What would you do if you lived through the apocalypse? The real fight to survive comes after everyone else is gone.

A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. Among the living is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a dangerous faction, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors. They’re led by a mysterious young man who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection.

Autumn in the City of Angels is the first novel in a series, followed by Autumn in the Dark Meadows and Autumn in the City of Lights.

1. What would you do if you lived through the apocalypse?

Well, first off, we’d take a cue from the bad guys in our book and go to bulk warehouse stores and stock up on non-perishables and fluids. Then, we’d probably hole up in a library. What better place to keep yourself entertained through the end of the world? Besides, the idea of bringing snacks into the library, where it’s never allowed, is just too tempting not to do.

Clearly, we’re rebels.

2. You've gotten a lot of positive reviews that mention how realistic your characters seem. What is it about your characters that people really connect with?

We love that readers are connecting with our characters! It's really tough to get into a story if you don't connect or relate to the characters. Our main character, Autumn, is mildly unrealistic because she's the daughter of an A-list movie star (and lives all the perks that goes with it), but she doesn't act like it. She's unspoiled and the opposite of what people might expect. This makes her accessible to readers. Autumn also says and does what she thinks is right and while this is sometimes admirable, she doesn't always think things through all the way and this impulsive and stubborn nature gets her into a lot of trouble sometimes. How often do we, as real people, do and say everything we think? We know we don't! Reading a character who follows through on this impulse can be fascinating.

3. There's a lot of books about post-apocalypse/end of the world scenario. Why should readers read your series?

Autumn in the City of Angels takes place in present day and, unlike other post-apocalyptic books, begins before the typewriter ink hits the fan (so to speak). The reader gets to witness the world falling apart. It's a terrifying thing to experience not having enough food, the water not working, the texts from your friends ceasing, and waiting for your parents to come home with a sinking feeling that your vigil might be in vain.

The Autumn Series also delves into the hard sciences, such as physics and astronomy. We make it accessible to unlike-minded readers by making Autumn the constant learner. So the reader is educated about what’s going on in the world through Autumn.

4. How did you come up with the pen name Kirby Howell?

It's a mashup of our maiden names! Jessica "Kirby" Alexander and Dana "Howell" Melton.

5. When does the next book in the series come out, and can you give us any spoiler-free details?

Our standby answer to this is, “As soon as we can finish it!” But that’s not very specific, is it? It’d definitely coming out this year, hopefully in the early part of 2015. We’ve already completed a rough draft and are in the middle of re-writes. So soon!

As for a spoiler, what we can say is that while the first book was set in Los Angeles, and the second book opened us up to a good portion of the Southwestern United States, the third book will be on a more global scale, so we’ll finally get a sense of how this plague affected the rest of world, and not just one small portion of the States. We’re really excited about that.

Check out more from these authors by visiting:

Website: http://kirbyhowell.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7057418.Kirby_Howell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirbyHowell.Writer

SYNOPSIS

Nearly a decade ago, accountant Kari Parker shed 220 pounds of dead weight — her hulking, abusive college boyfriend. The last thing she wants in her life is another man — especially one as tall as a Windy City high rise. Yet when her best friend enters her in Romance TV’s “Get a Love Life” contest, another man is exactly what she gets. As much as she'd love to just say no, she can't turn down the prize money that will allow her to help her parents save
the restaurant they've run all her life. Sparks fly between Kari and her bogus groom, and as she and Damien share close quarters, intimate meals and—gulp—his bed, Kari doesn’t stand a chance of resisting his considerable charms. Even worse? She might not want to. But building a real future out of their sham marriage will be tougher than baking a wedding cake from scratch … with no
flour … in a broken oven.

PURCHASE
BLIND DATE BRIDE

THE AUTHOR

Arlene’s website / Twitter / Facebook

Arlene Hittle is a Midwestern transplant who now makes her home in northern Arizona. She suffers from the well-documented Hittle family curse of being a Cubs fan but will root for the Diamondbacks until they run up against the Cubs. Longtime friends are amazed she writes books with sports in them, since she's about as coordinated as a newborn giraffe and used to say marching
band required more exertion than golf.

Follow the entire Blind Date Bride tour HERE

Hosted by Worldwind Virtual Book Tours

2 Have you seen . . .

So far this year, I have been addicted to two shows which are essentially the same show. Gracepoint aired on Fox in the fall of 2014. It's a ten episode mini-series based on the UK show Broadchurch. If you're not familiar with either show let me summarize what it's about: Two detectives investigate a murder of a boy in a small town. I mostly wanted to watch this because of David Tennant. Though I liked both series, I prefer David Tennant with his Scottish accent.

If you've not had an opportunity to watch Gracepoint, it's available on Hulu. It took watching a few episodes before I was able to get invested in the series. It's also a little difficult to watch. After all it's about the murder of a young boy. I have a hard time watching/reading anything where children are harmed in any way. With each episode, secrets are uncovered and neighbors are suspected. I was completely surprised when the murderer was revealed. Unfortunately because of low ratings, Gracepoint will not be returning for a second season. Which is kinda bad because the ending left some unanswered questions.

A week or so ago I found out Broadchurch is now available on Netflix. Even though I had recently watched Gracepoint, I was still interested in checking out the British version of Gracepoint. While both shows have the same plot, there are some differences. For starters Broadchurch is only eight episodes long, so it's more condensed than Gracepoint. The ending is also slightly different. Broadchurch will be coming back for a second season. In fact, it's already airing in the UK. Lucky them!

I think both are worth watching. The acting and story line are both excellent (in both). I will warn you that there are some scenes that are really emotional and some scenes that are disturbing.

0 Anna Staniszewski gives advice to aspiring authors Guest Post and Giveaway

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I get this question a lot, and while I’d like to say I have a one-sentence answer that would sum it all up, the truth is that becoming an author takes a lot of steps. Here are the five main things that I believe writers need to do if they’d like to be published one day.

1. Read.

Imagine if you wanted to play for the NFL but you’d never seen a football game, or you wanted to be a movie star but you’d never watched a movie. It wouldn’t work very well, would it? The same is true for books. In order to know the field you’re getting into, you have to read widely and often.

2. Keep asking “What if?”

You never know where inspiration will come from. With my Dirt Diary series, for example, the idea for the first book came from a story I heard on the radio about a girl who had to clean houses with her mom. I wondered: “What if you had to scrub the toilets of the most popular kids in school?” That single “what if?” inspired a whole trilogy.

3. Make writing a habit.

Just like school, work, and brushing your teeth are your responsibilities, writing should also be something you think of as a part of your day. If authors only wrote when they felt like it, chances are, they’d never actually finish anything. That’s why you have to set writing goals and be tough with yourself about achieving them.

4. Revise, revise, revise!

I used to think that once I’d written something, it was good enough. Why did I have to keep working on it? But eventually I realized that if you’re serious about being a writer, your work can’t be “good enough.” It has to be as close to perfect as you can make it. That’s because editors are looking for stories to fall in love with; you don’t want to give them any reason to say no.

5. Never give up.

Here’s a secret: The first book I wrote was never published. Neither was the second or third. It wasn’t until my fourth book that I got a publishing contract. That’s not to say that my unpublished books were terrible, but I was still learning how to be the best writer I could be, and I was still learning to revise and make writing a habit. Only when I started to really take writing seriously and make sure I was making my work as strong as possible, did I finally have the chance to see my work in print. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I didn’t give up!

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and eating far too much chocolate. She is the author of the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series, the Dirt Diary series, and the forthcoming Switched at First Kiss series, all published by Sourcebooks. Visit her at www.annastan.com.

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The Gossip File by Anna Staniszewski

January 6th, 2015; ISBN: 9781492607854; $6.99; Trade Paper

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky– Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues

Ages 10-14, Grades 4-8

The Gossip File:

•Chandra lets little kids pee in the pool.

•Melody stole $ from the café register.

•Ava isn’t who she says she is…

Ava is cool. Ava is confident. Ava is really Rachel Lee who is lying her butt off.

Rachel is visiting her dad at a resort in sunny Florida and is ready for two weeks of relaxing poolside, trips to Disney World – and NOT scrubbing toilets. Until her dad’s new girlfriend, Ellie, begs Rachel to help out at her short-staffed café. That’s when Rachel kinda sorta adopts a new identity to impress the cool, older girls who work there. Ava is everything Rachel wishes she could be. But when the girls ask “Ava” to help add juicy resort gossip to their file, Rachel’s not sure what to do...especially when one of the entries is a secret about Ellie.

Anna Staniszewski lives outside of Boston with her husband and an adorably crazy dog. She was named the Boston Public Library's 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Discovery Award. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and not cleaning her house. Visit her at www.annastan.com.

Buy Links:

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Apple

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BAM

Chapters

Indiebound

Kobo

2 Review and Giveaway: Death Of A Dishonorable Gentleman

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Minotaur Books

Formats: eBook, Hardcover

Genre: Historical Mystery

Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months, and with scrupulous care. Pulling together the food, flowers and a thousand other details for one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility. But when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it’s more than the ball that is ruined. In fact, Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.

Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the women that vanished the night of the murder, and clear her son’s name. As the two women search for a runaway housemaid and a headstrong young woman, they unearth the hidden lives of Lady Montfort’s close friends, servants and family and discover the identity of a murderer hiding in plain sight.

In this enchanting debut sure to appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, Tessa Arlen draws readers into a world exclusively enjoyed by the rich, privileged classes and suffered by the men and women who serve them. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is an elegant mystery filled with intriguing characters and fascinating descriptions of Edwardian life—a superb treat for those who love British novels.

A Party for Winston, the second book in the series to be released in January 2016.

My Thoughts:

Death Of a Dishonorable Gentleman is the debut novel by Tessa Arlen. It's a new mystery series in the style of Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs. Lady Montfort is the star of this novel. After spending an inordinate amount of time planning her summer costume ball, her world comes to a screeching halt when one of the guests is found murdered the morning after the ball. She fears the murderer might be someone she is very close to, so she enlists the help of her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to help her solve the mystery.

Mrs. Jackson, however, is not as keen. She feels by helping and confiding in her mistress, she is breaking the class barriers. But eager to solve the mystery of the murder, she accepts. Not to mention a house guest and a maid have gone missing which adds to the drama. Both women--one upstairs, one downstairs--begin to unravel the mystery and put together the pieces.

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman will keep you guessing as to who the murderer is until the last page. Arlen has written fantastic characters in a fantastic setting. Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson work well together. They could be the next Sherlock and Watson. Although for the sake of justice the killer needed to be found, I thought the killer should have been rewarded. Mostly because every fact that came out about the victim--if you can call him a victim--was heinous. The murderer did the world a favor.

I think readers will enjoy this new mystery series, even if you're not a fan of Downton Abbey. This book will keep you on your toes looking for clues. I'm looking forward to the next book in 2016.

Praise for Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman

“Tessa Arlen has a worthy debut with Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman. With a deliciously gruesome murder and an unlikely pair of sleuths, this is a treat for fans of Downton Abbey who will want to devour it with a nice steaming pot of Earl Grey.” —New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn

“In her debut novel, Tessa Arlen weaves an evocative tale of the passions, loyalties and ambitions that divide and unite two classes, upstairs and downstairs, in a stately home. She instantly transports the reader to Edwardian England.”—Christine Trent, author of Stolen Remains

“A dash of noblesse oblige sparkles between the upstairs/downstairs world of Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, as they work together to unmask the identity of a killer at large on the Montfort’s country estate. As sharp as a Nancy Mitford novel, Tessa Arlen’s sophisticated Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman deserves its place among the Great and the Good of classic mystery.”—Lyndsy Spence, founder of The Mitford Society and author of The Mitford Girls’ Guide to Life.

“Thoroughly enchanting. Arlen’s debut will appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, with its vivid descriptions, firm grip on the intricacies of the time period, and skilled portrayal of the often complicated relationship between upstairs and downstairs.” —Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby mystery series

Buy the Book

Amazon (Kindle)

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Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

About the Author

TESSA ARLEN, the daughter of a British diplomat, had lived in or visited her parents in Singapore, Cairo, Berlin, the Persian Gulf, Beijing, Delhi and Warsaw by the time she was sixteen. She came to the U.S. in 1980 and worked as an H.R. recruiter for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Olympic Games, where she interviewed her future husband for a job. DEATH OF A DISHONORABLE GENTLEMAN is Tessa’s first novel. She lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

For more information please visit Tessa Arlen’s website. Read Tessa Arlen’s blog at Redoubtable Edwardians. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Subscribe to Tessa Arlen’s Newsletter.

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