Thursday, May 9, 2013

Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown (Review, Guest Post, and BookGiveaway !!!!)



Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
Paperback

Publisher:
Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Release Date:
May 2013





It’s August in Georgia and things are heating up, but not just the weather! Tempers are flaring and the victim is Simon Ambrose who is found with a knife in his back – at his own wedding in his own wedding cake! Who could have done such a thing? Well, most of the town had a reason to want to see this man dead.

Reagan Summerside is desperately trying to make a success out of her consignment shop, The Prissy Fox, but she gets sidetracked when one of her friends, Chantilly Parker is accused of Simon’s murder. Not only is Reagan forced to take Chantilly’s UPS delivery runs so Chantilly doesn’t lose her job, but she throws herself into the investigation.

This is the second book in the “Consignment Shop Mystery” series and it’s as much fun as the first book. Reagan and her adorable auntie KiKi make me laugh. There is even some romance thrown in the mystery as Reagan finds herself more and more attracted to attorney Walker Boone. She just needs to find a way to get past the fact that Walker was her ex-husband’s attorney and helped him get a huge portion of Reagan’s money. Not something that’s easily forgivable.

There’s a huge cast of quirky and eccentric characters to keep readers laughing for hours on end. Basically, this is a story that gave me many hours of fun away from my real life. A true escapism of the best kind and Southern coziness at its finest! A most enjoyable read – mystery fans will love this one. It's the kind of book that makes a bad day good!








For reading challenges:
2013 ARC Reading Challenge
Where are you reading? challenge (Georgia)
Cruisin’ Thru the Cozies




FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.


Guest Blog
Hi Reagan Summerside here to talk weddings. The good, the bad and the deadly
You know that old saying, always the bridesmaid never the bride, well I’ve been both. The bride part didn’t take proven by the fact that I caught Hollis, my husband and the hound of Savannah, doing the horizontal hula with Cupcake right there in his office. That was some staff meeting, all right.

The last wedding I attended I came to deliver a bowtie to the groom as he misplaced his. The good part of that wedding was the cake was delicious. The deadly part was that the groom wound up dead in five tiers of icing and fondant, the ugly part was that my BFF, Chantilly, the groom’s ex got accused of the murder.
Round tables decked out in peach-tone wedding linens with white flower arrangements of roses and forget-me-nots dotted the room and Doreen-the-wedding-planner lay crumbled in a heap on the floor.
“Oh dear Lord!” I starting for Doreen but stopped in my tracks because Simon was there too. He was face down in his very own five-tiered wedding cake with a silver cake knife sticking out of his back.
Chantilly shouldn’t have been at the wedding in the first place of course but she and her UPS truck just sort of wound up there.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said to Chantilly as she swiveled round in the driver’s seat of her UPS van. White icing and cake crumbs smeared her lips and a glob of raspberry filling dripped down her chin. A pink butter cream rose stuck to the front of her brown uniform blouse. “Dear God in heaven! You went and ate the wedding cake!”

“One slice,” she mumbled around a mouthful. “Who’s going to miss one little old slice? The freaking thing is five tiers high. It took three Cakery Bakery employees and the owner Delta Longford herself to lug it in. They even made GracieAnn Harlow stand on a ladder to get the bride and groom thing on top.”

Chantilly held up a chunk of mangled pastry. “This here should be my wedding cake, except for the pink roses. This should be my wedding day, my wedding colors of creamy-peach and blue-morning-rain. Simon is my man. We were engaged! How could he marry someone else!” Chantilly wailed, a tear sliding down her cheek and cutting a path across a white icing smear.

Hopefully none of the weddings you’ve attended were like this one with the groom dead as Lincoln right there in his own cake.
What do you think is the best part of a wedding? The cake? The first dance? The saying I Do?
Let me know and I’ll give away two Killer in Crinoline tote bags from the answers.
Hugs, Reagan
BOOK GIVEAWAY !!!!
Now you can win a copy of this book for your very own. Thanks to Berkley Publishing, I can offer a paperback copy of Killer in Crinolines to one lucky winner. Plus, thanks to author Duffy Brown, I can offer two Killer in Crinolines tote bags to a second and third place winner!

Just a few simple rules...

1) You must fill out the form at my sister blog, Socrates' Book Review Blog (including a valid email address).

2) US residents only.

3) For an extra entry: In the comments section, tell us your favorite part of a wedding.

4) For an extra entry: Follow this blog

5) For an extra entry: Follow me on Twitter

6) For an extra entry: Follow me on Goodreads

7) For an extra 2 entries: Post this giveaway on your blog.

8) For an extra 2 entries: Tweet about this giveaway.

The giveaway begins on May 9th (midnight est) and ends on May 16th (midnight est).

The winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

43 comments:

  1. Ahhh I can't wait to read this one. I loved book one and am so glad to hear there's a little more romance in this one. That was the only thing missing for me in book one since I'm a romance reading girl at heart. And really I just love Boone so I always want more of him ;)

    So glad you enjoyed it Yvonne!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I love the cake at weddings. LOL I know that shouldn't be first pick but I just love seeing what they pick out for them :)

      Delete
    2. So glad you enjoyed Iced Chiffon. Yes, more of Boone in Killer but Reagan isn't ready to leap into another relationship especially after just getting divorced from Hollis and Boone was the one who took her to the cleaners in the divorce...does give a girl pause. :-) It's gonna take a while to get these two together but IMO getting there is fun part.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Hi, Blodeudd
      I wrote romance for 20 years (under Dianne Castell) and made the switch to cozy mystery. Cozies are a lot like romance in that they have a happy ending. I couldn't write something that didn't, There are all sorts of cozies out there from dark and angsty to light and humorous...all are mystery oriented with romance on the side. Killer is this on the lighter side...way on the lighter side with a budding romance. Hope you find a cozy you enjoy

      Delete
  3. The reception is my favorite part...I love the happiness and joy surrounding the new couple as everyone celebrates!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The receptions with everyone happy and celebrating for the newly married couple is always something to remember. Love the father/daughter dance, it always makes me cry.

      Delete
  4. I love this blog! Always amazing and I've gotten to know so many new authors and their books. Thank You!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Duffy! We definitely love our books here!

      Delete
  5. I read this book a few weeks ago and loved it with all it's southern charm, sweet tea. It was a very refreshing cozy story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gigi. So glad you enjoyed Killer. Such a fun book to write with Auntie KiKi and Boone.

      Delete
  6. thanks for this giveaway. My favorite part is the dancing. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The dance is always memorable. Such a loved bride and her dad then her husband. Lovely.

      Delete
  7. Food and friends!!! And the drinks bar;)

    cc_clubbs at yahoo dot com
    ccclubbs.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. My favorite part is the vows.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, and the ones they write themselves are so toughing.

      Delete
  9. I love this title!

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Wendy. Killer in Crinolines is a wedding that none of us want to have but I have to say the groom so deserved to get knocked off.

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. That's what it's all about to be sure, the people who will see them through think and thin.

      Delete
  11. I'm all about the Shmorg... I hardly ever enjoy the food served at the dinner table, even if I get to choose beef, fish or chicken... I am a way better chef then the caterer.

    The shmorg allows me to eat and talk to friends, family and the happy couple.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm all about the Shmorg... I hardly ever enjoy the food served at the dinner table, even if I get to choose beef, fish or chicken... I am a way better chef then the caterer.

    The shmorg allows me to eat and talk to friends, family and the happy couple.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, mix and mingle. And please don't blast me out of my seat with the music. Lordy! It gets soooo loud.

      Delete
  13. My favorite part is the bride walking down the aisle.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And some of those dresses cost the earth. I like the simple ones best. Yes to the dress should be yes to the downpayment on a house. LOL

      Delete
  14. I love it all, especially when they have their first kiss as husband and wife.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A memory to be sure. Young love...is there anything more exciting!

      Delete
  15. My favorite part is the vows, especially if the bride and groom have written them.
    mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the vows they write themselves are so toughing. Really heartfelt. I admire anyone who can do that.

      Delete
  16. My favorite part of the ceremony is at the beginning, when everyone turns to see the bride poised to come down the aisle!

    Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And she is so lovely. I like looking at the groom when he sees her too. That fresh burst of new love...nothing like it.

      Delete
  17. Thank you for the opportunity to win. I love the end of weddings because it signifies new life for the couple as they leave on their honeymoon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and they need that honeymoon after all the excitement of the wedding. A lot of stress there.

      Delete
  18. I love watching the couple leave at the end because they are so happy and ready to start their new life together, so full of hope and excitement. Makes me want to cry with happiness for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the young couple goes off into the world. I true commitment and you wish them all the best. Nothing binds like true love.

      Delete
  19. My favorite part of the wedding is the cutting of the cake. Thank you for the chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing more delish than wedding cake and they are so very lovely. I don't like it when the b & g smash it into each other's mouths. They look so pretty then that. I don't get it.

      Delete
  20. Thanks for the giveaway. My favorite part of a wedding is the throwing of the garter.
    Caryn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh that is so much fun! The guys nearly kill each other to catch the thing. Great photos!

      Delete
  21. I enjoy Southern mysteries and this sounds great, love the title! Fun guest post. I think my fav part of weddings is the dancing and the food.

    ReplyDelete
  22. My favorite part of a wedding is seeing all the creative decorations at the reception.

    ReplyDelete

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