About the Book
Release Date: February 24
Approximately 250 pages
Synopsis
The right business hook is the most important criteria for success, and Kate McKenzie thinks she’s found a perfect one. As an organizational expert, Kate knows Americans are running out of space and money, and renting more storage units is usually not the best solution. Starting an organizational business, Stacked in Your Favor, in her new hometown of Hazelton, Vermont seems like an answer to her family’s budget problems and an answer to southern Vermonters’ prayers. Business looks good when she snags collector, Amelia Nethercutt, as her first client, signing on to organize the wealthy woman’s eccentrically-filled mansion. But things take a turn beyond chaos when Amelia is murdered and Kate’s fingerprints are found on the poison that killed her.
My Review
Kate McKenzie and her husband, Keith, along with their twin six year old daughters, move to his small hometown in Vermont. Keith’s hockey career has come to an end, but he’s starting over as a sports anchor for a small radio station. Kate has her own career to take care of and she has come up with the perfect business idea. She’s a pro at organization, so she puts her skills to good use by forming a new company, Stacked in Your Favor.
Starting a new business isn’t easy, but she manages to get a wealthy client, Amelia Nethercutt, and things start looking up. Then, the rest of the Nethercutt family interfere and Kate isn’t so sure she wants to continue with this job. Talk about a dysfunctional family, the Nethercutts are that and much more.
As it turns out, the decision is out of Kate’s hands when Amelia is found dead. To make matters worse, Kate’s fingerprints are all over the crime scene making her the main suspect. Not only does Kate want to save her company, but she wants to save herself from a life in prison. With the help of a new friend, Meg, they begin their own investigation and are continually surprised to find out what’s going on in the Nethercutt mansion.
This is an entertaining new series with a unique theme – organizing. I love organizational tips (even though I very rarely follow them), so I really enjoyed the ones that were mixed in throughout the book. There was one chapter, though, which I thought delved into the organizational information a bit too much, but overall I thought it was quite informative. Almost like getting a cozy mystery and an organizer in one book.
The characters are well developed and I thought Kate handled investigating in a methodical way, which fit her character perfectly. Her friend, Meg, is a great sidekick for her. These two kept getting themselves into all kinds of crazy situations and I hope to see more of that in future books.
As for the storyline, I was totally on the wrong track of who the killer was. I kept changing my mind as I tried to follow along with Kate’s investigating skills. I thought this was a fun book to read and a great start to the series.
For reading challenges:
2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
2014 ARC Reading Challenge
2014 E-Book Reading Challenge
Where are you reading? challenge (Vermont)
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Ritter Ames lives in a small town in the middle of America, but spends each day globe trotting the art world from her laptop, with her cat riding shotgun and Pandora blasting from the speakers. COUNTERFEIT CONSPIRACIES is her first full-length fiction. A second cozy mystery series, starting with ORGANIZED FOR MURDER will be released by Gemma Halliday Publishing in January 2014. She tries to blog regularly at http://ritterames.wordpress.com/ and uses her Pinterest boards at http://www.pinterest.com/ritterames/ to capture great places and ideas she wants to use in both series. Follow her blog and boards to learn more about Ritter and her upcoming books.
Author Links
Web page: http://ritterames.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ritter.ames
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RitterAmes
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ritterames/
BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!
Thanks to author Ritter Ames we have two fun giveaways going on. One is through this blog for one e-book of one of Ritter's books, either Organized For Murder or Counterfeit Conspiracies - winner's choice!
Just a few simple rules...
1) You must fill out the rafflecopter form below.
2) Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
3) US Residents Only
4) For one extra entry: Tweet about this giveaway.
5) For one extra entry: Leave a comment for the author.
6) For one extra entry: Follow this blog...old followers, too! Just let us know how you follow and under what name.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
The giveaway begins on April 13th (midnight est) and ends on April 20th (midnight est).
The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter. The winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. I will announce the winner here on my blog.
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The other giveaway is a tour-wide giveaway sponsored by the author!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Participants
March 31 – Chloe Gets A Clue - Interview
April 1 – A Year of Jubilee Reviews - Review
April 2 – i blog 4 books – Review
April 3 – Book Club Librarian – Review
April 5 – Mysteries Etc – Review
April 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview
April 7 – Bea’s Book Nook – Review
April 7 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Guest Post
April 8 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Guest Post
April 9 – Thoughts in Progress – Review, Interview
April 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post
April 11- I’d Rather Be At The Beach – Review
April 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review
April 13 – Socrates’ Book Review Blog – Review
I liked your review. I would love to read Organized murder
ReplyDeleteYes, Rhonda, wasn't the review terrific? I love reading Yvonne's reviews anyway, and appreciate that she liked my book enough to give it four lovely kitties :) Good luck in the drawing!
DeleteLooks great...I hope I get a chance to read it :)
ReplyDeleteLisa, good luck in the drawing. Today's the last day of the tour, so I'm glad you had the chance to enter :)
DeleteReplyDelete
Aside from the fact that I LOVE me some cozy mysteries, I need to read this book for the organization tips alone! (I am organizationally challenged ... or is that organizationally differently abled?)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I think either applies, LuAnn. Good luck in the drawing, and thanks for stopping by today!
DeleteThank you for the chance to win. I'd love a copy od ORGANIZED FOR MURDER!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to offer the prizes, Lisa. Good luck in the drawing!
DeleteI am obsessed with organization! Doesn't always work but I can't stay away from a tip, a book, a list, a box of index cards . . . I think this series is just for me.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we have to try a couple of ideas before we see the right way to change our methods :) Thanks so much for stopping by today, and good luck in the drawing!
DeleteI enjoyed this book and you're right, Ames really kept me guessing as to who the murderer was. I'm looking forward to more in the series.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Bea. And I really appreciated you giving me the "stop" on this blog tour. Thank you :)
DeleteThanks so much for featuring my book here today on the blog tour, Yvonne. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and review Organized for Murder. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOrganizations is a good thing! Murder --maybe not so good!! ronnalord (at) msn ( dot) com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vicki! That's just the nicest thing to hear as this blog tour comes to it's final day. I appreciated you making room for the book on your blog, too. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI'll try again to tell you how much I need to get some organization around our house---there are way to many piles of things laying around that need some type of organization.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Enjoyed the book. The tips are motivating. I would like to win the CC book bobbipad@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteDefinitely on my list to read....
ReplyDeleteEither book would be a good addition to my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteI would love to add either book to my pile
ReplyDeleteGreat review about a new to me series and author! Congrats to Ritter on the new release and Vermont sounds like a great setting!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read this! It sounds really good! I wish I were more organized. I try but it's hard sometimes.
ReplyDeletesounds like a series I would so enjoy!!
ReplyDeletethank you!!