Awesome Book! The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

 If you want to read a great book that has mystery, ghosts, a witch, great characters and a story that will keep you reading, pick up "The Tale of Halcyon Crane," by Wendy Webb. In the same genre of paranormal thrillers as Darcy Coates (whom I also love), this book was so, so hard to put down. I read it in line at the grocery store, at the gas pump, in the car (I wasn't driving)- it is THAT GOOD. **BONUS- a link to a short interview with the author about how she came to write the book. My thanks to Kristin for sending it to me. You need to read it!  Today's blog gives a book summary and a link to the short author interview. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Searching A young woman travels alone to a remote island to uncover a past she never knew was hers in this thrilling modern ghost story

When a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James's mailbox, her life is upended. Hallie was raised by her loving father, having been told her mother died in a fire decades earlier. But it turns out that her mother, Madlyn, was alive until very recently. Why would Hallie's father have taken her away from Madlyn? What really happened to her family thirty years ago?

In search of answers, Hallie travels to the place where her mother lived, a remote island in the middle of the Great Lakes. The stiff islanders fix her first with icy stares and then unabashed amazement as they recognize why she looks so familiar, and Hallie quickly realizes her family's dark secrets are enmeshed in the history of this strange place. But not everyone greets her with such a chilly reception―a coffee-shop owner and the family's lawyer both warm to Hallie, and the possibility of romance blooms. And then there's the grand Victorian house bequeathed to her―maybe it's the eerie atmosphere or maybe it's the prim, elderly maid who used to work for her mother, but Hallie just can't shake the feeling that strange things are starting to happen . . .

In The Tale of Halcyon Crane, Wendy Webb has created a haunting story full of delicious thrills, vibrant characters, and family secrets. 

 SHORT AUTHOR INTERVIEW:  Hear author Wendy Webb talk about her novel The Tale of Halcyon Crane. In this modern ghost story, a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James's mailbox, and her life is upended. What really happened to her family thirty years ago? LISTEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_QK0N-yADo

Fantastic Mystery Play Dead by David Rosenfelt (5 of 5 Stars)

The second mystery book I read by David Rosenfelt was equally as amazing and gripping as the first.
   I recently finished and totally enjoyed "Play Dead" which came out in 2007, but is as fresh as today. - David Rosenfelt writes about an attorney with a team who investigates cases he's handling - and there are always DOGS in them, and twists and turns to keep you reading a lot!   I don't want to give anything away, but the dog helped a lot in freeing his dog dad from a life prison sentence. 
    FIVE of FIVE STARS! You need to read this!!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Few can rival attorney Andy Carpenter's affection for golden retrievers, especially his own beloved Tara. After he astonishes a New Jersey courtroom by successfully appealing another golden's death sentence, Andy discovers that this gentle dog is a key witness to a murder that took place five years before. Andy pushes the boundaries of the law even further as he struggles to free an innocent man by convincing an incredulous jury to take canine testimony seriously. It will take all the tricks Andy's fertile mind can conceive to get to the bottom of a remarkable chain of impersonations and murder, and save a dog's life--and his own--in the process.

Book Review: A Fun, Cozy Mystery with Great Characters!

I just finished reading and enjoying a fun "cozy mystery" with some very likeable characters in a great mystery. "Roses
and Daisies and Death, Oh My!" by Penny Cover Petersen is well-worth reading!  I met Penny at a book expo (I was one of the other authors there who was fortunate enough to sit next to her). I could tell that Penny was inspired by the small, historic downtown area of the city we live in. She really paints a great picture of little shops in a small downtown area and the personalities and relationship between two adult sisters that own a shop and adopt a dog they name Malcolm.  It's very easy to visualize the entire story.
   Penny is a great writer and I highly recommend this enjoyable cozy mystery. It left me wanting to know more about the next adventure that Daisy and Rose get involved in!  I hope that Penny writes a sequel soon. - Rob


BOOK SUMMARY: Nothing ruins a peaceful morning walk like finding a blood-spattered body. And Daisy Greene and Rose Forrest, sisters and co-owners of Champagne Taste, really need a peaceful morning walk. They have enough on their minds already. Christmas is right around the corner, business is brisk, and their little antiques district of Old Towne is being plagued with petty thievery and vandalism. Murder is just not in the game plan.
   And if finding bodies lying around walking trails isn't enough to destroy a perfectly good day, Daisy's ex-husband, state trooper Bill Greene, shows up to investigate the murder. Nosy by nature anyway, Daisy takes Bill’s presence as a challenge to find the murderer.
   When Daisy and Rose start asking questions things get hairier. Someone begins stalking them. Daisy receives threatening letters and is brutally attacked.
   Their determination grows when clues lead to a missing priceless diamond and the man Daisy is dating becomes the next victim. With the help of their eccentric mother, Angela, and their hormonally-exuberant dog, Malcolm, they follow the clues to catch a killer.
For more information see: www.pennypetersen.com and http://pennycloverpetersen.blogspot.com 
The book is available in paperback and E-book on Amazon.com
 

A Fun "Haunted Guesthouse Mystery" book!

When a book combines a murder mystery and a woman who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts to help her solve the crime, I have high hopes for liking it, and I wasn't disappointed when I read "Chance of a Ghost" by E.J. Copperman.  
   What a FUN read!  Great characters and an interesting mystery that will keep you reading to the last chapter. It's light-hearted and the characters are realistic (well, some of them if you don't believe in ghosts - which I assure you are real).  I Recommend this for anyone interested in ghosts and mysteries!  Can't wait to get another book in this series! - Rob

BOOK SUMMARY: Even with a blizzard bearing down on New Jersey, Alison can count on at least two guests—Paul and Maxie, the stubborn ghosts who share her shore town inn. Then there’s her widowed mother, who hasn’t just been seeing ghosts, she’s been secretly dating one: Alison’s father. But when he stands her up three times in a row, something’s wrong. Is he a lost soul…or a missing apparition?
   Their only lead is an overdramatic spirit—stage name Lawrence Laurentz—who doesn’t take direction well and won’t talk until they find his killer. Alison will reluctantly play the part of PI, but when the clues take a sinister turn, the writing is on the wall: If Alison can’t keep a level head, this will be her father’s final act—and maybe her own.