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Book Blast: Murder Is Academic & Murder Is Pathological by P.M. Carlson

Murder Is Academic & Murder Is Pathological

by P.M. Carlson

Book Blast on August 15, 2017

Murder Is Academic

​A finalist for the Anthony Award

​Vietnam, assassinations and riots. In the spring semester of 1968, a series of brutal attacks draws campus women together to study self-defense and the psychology of rape. Graduate student Mary Beth Nelson struggles to keep the Lords of Death at bay by immersing herself in researching Mayan languages. Her new housemate, Maggie Ryan, has her own secrets. When murder strikes close to home, Maggie investigates with a little help from her friends.

"MURDER IS ACADEMIC treats violation of truth in tandem with assault and rape true violations of person, mind, and body–– and presents a cogent caesar for the inviolability both of persons and truth."–– The Armchair Detective

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery

Published by: The Mystery Company / Crum Creek Press

Publication Date: October 2012

Number of Pages: 194

ISBN: 1932325239 (ISBN13: 9781932325232)

Series: Maggie Ryan and Nick O'Connor #2

Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Smashwords  | Goodreads 

"Murder is Academic" by P.M. Carlson The Maggie Ryan Series #2

Read an excerpt:

Near an upstate New York university, June 1968.

She was dead now, no more threat. The murderer pushed aside the long dark hair and, very carefully, cut the triangle into the young cheek. Done. Now, walk to the car calmly, get in. Back to the highway, driving coolly, back in control again.

* * *

The Christian conquerors teach that days don’t begin until midnight. The Maya know that it takes longer to hand over the burdens of time, and that the influence of the incoming god may begin at sunset. The day known as Monday, June 17, to those who count by the Gregorian calendar was pleasantly breezy, as befitted the Ixil 9 Iiq; but shortly after sunset it became one of the most tragic of Mary Beth’s life. A Mayan traditionalist might have attributed the change to the coming of that doubly unlucky day, 10 Aqbal.

But it had all begun quite cheerfully.

Maggie had borrowed Sue’s backpack in case Nick needed one for the picnic, and had packed her own and Mary Beth’s with the camp stove and the food. She hummed lightheartedly as she worked.

“You’re happy to see him, aren’t you?” Mary Beth had said, tightening the top of the salad dressing jar.

“Yes, but that’s only part of it,” Maggie had confessed. “It’s just good to know that’s behind me. It was a very bad time, and Nick was there. But I can see him now and just enjoy the friendship. The bad memories are there, way in the background, but the good ones are too. It doesn’t hurt anymore. It hurt quite a lot for a while.”

* * *

Excerpt from Murder Is Academic by P.M. Carlson. Copyright © 2017 by P.M. Carlson. Reproduced with permission from P.M. Carlson. All rights reserved.

Murder Is Pathological

​It’s 1969, in a brain research lab. The exploding wastebasket is a prank, but slaughtered lab rats have graduate students Maggie Ryan, Monica Bauer and the rest of the lab on edge. Then the custodian is murdered. Maggie’s friend, actor Nick O'Connor, goes undercover to investigate, help that Maggie does not appreciate– or does she? While Nick and Maggie search for the killer, Monica struggles to connect with a Vietnam veteran with a brain injury.

"P.M. Carlson's energetic and insightful novels are back in print — hallelujah!"–– Sara Paretsky

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery

Published by: The Mystery Company / Crum Creek Press

Publication Date: May 28th 2013

Number of Pages: 212

ISBN: 9781932325270

Series: Maggie Ryan and Nick O'Connor #3

Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Smashwords  | Goodreads 

"Murder is Pathological" by P.M. Carlson Maggie Ryan 1969 #3

Read an excerpt:

Neurology grad student Monica Bauer helps out at nursing home, 1969.

She waited. He could not summon words at will, except for the overpractised early ones–– hello, good-bye, okay. They both waited for the disconnected words to drift through his mind, waited for him to recognize the right one as it happened by.

After a while he said, "Buzzing. In, in, what is it? Not nose, not eyes."

"Buzzing in your ears?"

"Ears. Okay. In my ears."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, except . . ." Long pause. "Sometimes."

"Sometimes your head hurts."

"Yes, sometimes. Always . . . buzzing." He leaned back, tired.

"Shall we sing a little?"

"Okay."

He couldn't remember words, but melodies were still easy for him. She had learned to sing "la-la-la" instead of trying to teach him to catch the elusive words. Now they sang together, her alto and his baritone blending pleasantly. It made him happy.

Finally Monica said good-bye, signed out, drove away. Mary and Jock, Bibbsy and Ted never would. Four friends, trapped by their own broken brains. Especially Ted, who still struggled courageously to fuse the bits of his shattered world into coherence. Who still remembered that things had once been different, that he had once been whole.

Maybe she would never discover anything that could help them. But with Dr. Weisen’s help, she meant to give it a damn good try.

Back in Laconia, she parked in front of her square brick house, then paused to wait for Maggie, who was at the corner mailing a letter. “Trying to send a message to the outside world?” called Monica.

“Yeah. My friend Nick.” Maggie, exuberant, sprinted from the corner, ending with a cartwheel. Then she pulled herself up with dignity and asked, “How were your friends today?”

“Soaking up sun.”

“Good for them. Listen, we’re going to the concert tonight. Can you come?”

“No, I’ve got to get back to the lab right after dinner. Have to check on those baby rats I delivered today.”

And so Monica was second on the scene. She unlocked the main door of the lab, and at the sound of her steps Norman erupted from the door of the animal quarters, gaping in terror.

“Miz Bauer! Come quick!” he pleaded. “Something terrible happened!”

Monica ran after him into one of Dr. Weisen’s animal rooms. She said, “Oh, Christ!”

In the center of the room lay a heap of slaughtered rats, their backs broken and mangled, their skulls smashed.

* * *

Excerpt from Murder Is Pathological by P.M. Carlson. Copyright © 2017 by P.M. Carlson. Reproduced with permission from P.M. Carlson. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

P.M. Carlson taught psychology and statistics at Cornell University before deciding that mystery writing was more fun. She has published twelve mystery novels and over a dozen short stories. Her novels have been nominated for an Edgar Award, a Macavity Award, and twice for Anthony Awards. Two short stories were finalists for Agatha Awards. She edited the Mystery Writers Annual for Mystery Writers of America for several years, and served as president of Sisters in Crime.

Catch Up With Our Author On:
Website , Goodreads , Smashwords, & Twitter !

Tour Participants:

Visit these amazing hosts & learn more about Murder Is Academic & Murder Is Pathological by P.M. Carlson!

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for P.M. Carlson. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on August 15 and runs through August 22, 2017.

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Sunday/Monday Posts - August 13th and 14th

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, it is now a Facebook group.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme with a new host!  It's now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. This is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm also linking to  Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.

Review: Beach House for Rent by Mary Alice Monroe (Beach House, #4)

Genre:
Women’s Fiction, Romance

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Gallery Books

Release Date:
June 20,. 2017

Blog Tour: Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron by R. L. Syme (Review/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron
by R. L. Syme

This book is not yet up on Amazon or GoodReads
Release Date is set for August 1.
Approx - 380 pages

Small towns and gossip go together like flaky crust and sweet pastry cream. Between the police scanners, social media, and the senior center, it's like a zombie apocalypse where the undead consume people's secrets instead of living flesh.

But Vangie Vale wants nothing more than to stay under the radar...especially the police radar.

So when her new bakery becomes linked to a murder investigation, nothing will stop the gossip mill from connecting her to the dead body. Can't have that.

Forced into the role of investigator, this new-in-town bakery owner has to become the very thing she hates--a nosy, small-town gossip--in order to clear her good name, and keep her face off the front page. But when a dating debacle brings her face-to-face with the Sheriff, Vangie can't ignore the fact that one of her macarons was involved in a murder. She has to find the who-dun-it.

Book One in a cozy culinary mystery series from USA Today Bestselling Author, R.L. Syme.

My Review

A brand new small town cozy mystery series begins. I love getting in on the ground floor with these books.

Vangie Vale is an interesting character. She leaves scandal behind in North Carolina and heads to Saint Agnes, Montana. Not only does she open a new bakery, but she also is a part time Pastor. She must remain on her best behavior in Saint Agnes or she will not be allowed to be a Pastor any longer. So, what happens? She immediately gets tossed in a murder mystery.

The local gossips are convinced she’s part of the murder investigation which is making Vangie’s boss anxious and ready to fire her. She is desperate to prove her innocence and gets right to investigating for herself. The local Sheriff warns her to stay away, but Vangie’s livelihood is on the line and she’s not about to walk away.

R.L. Syme creates the perfect setting for a cozy mystery - a small town with many gossipy neighbors. I had some ideas who the murderer was, but I didn’t guess correctly and I didn’t put all the pieces together. I was quite surprised at all the various twists, turns, and red herrings there were in this book.

The author hooks you in right from the start. I couldn’t put it down until I knew who and what was behind the murder. Great start to a new series. I’ll definitely be looking for the next one.



For reading challenges:
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2017
Foodies Read Reading Challenge 2017
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2017

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Rebecca Syme writes small town romance as Becca Boyd and cozy mystery as R.L. Syme. She is a long-time foodie and loves fancy cheese. Becca calls the mountains of Montana her home and draws inspiration from the beautiful vistas and heartwarming people. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Line of Fire series of sweet romances and part of the Chick Tales series set in Somewhere, TX. You can find her on Twitter talking #fancycheese or #Chopped, and on Facebook with her fans in Becca Nation.

• Webpage http://rlsyme.com/
• Blog: same
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bighopesbigheroes/
• Becca Nation Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BeccaNation/
• Twitter @beck_a_tron
• GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6878258.R_L_Syme
• Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2ptfwtp

PURCHASE LINK

http://amzn.to/2gPzdIo

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Tour Participants

August 1 - Blogger Nicole Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 - Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

August 2 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW

August 2 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – Bibliophile Reviews -  REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 3 – Varietats2010 – REVIEW

August 4 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

August 5 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW  

August 5 – My Funny View of Life – REVIEW

August 6 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

August 6 – Valerie's Musings - REVIEW, INTERVIEW

August 7 – Sleuth Cafe - CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 8 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Teresa Trent Author Site – INTERVIEW

August 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 9 – The Power of Words - SPOTLIGHT

August 9 – A Blue Million Books - INTERVIEW

August 10 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, INTERVIEW

August 11 – Book Babble – REVIEW

August 12 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

August 12 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

August 13 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

August 13 – Girl with Book Lungs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 14 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

August 14 – Jane Reads - REVIEW, GUEST POST

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