The Ladies Guide to Death and Deception By Katherine Cowley @KathyCowley, @TulePublishing, @Austenprose

Title: The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception: The Secret Life of Mary Bennet  

Series: The Secret Life of Mary Bennett

Author: Katherine Cowley

 Genre: Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Austenesque

 Publisher: ‎Tule Publishing Group, LLC (September 6, 2022)

 Length: (368) pages

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

What is a spy willing to do when both her heart and her country are at risk?

Life changes once again for British spy Miss Mary Bennet when Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from the Isle of Elba. Mary quickly departs England for Brussels, the city where the Allied forces prepare for war against the French. But shortly after her arrival, one of the Duke of Wellington's best officers is murdered, an event which threatens to break the delicate alliance between the Allies.

Investigating the murder forces Mary into precarious levels of espionage, role-playing, and deception with her new partner, Mr. Withrow-the nephew and heir of her prominent sponsor, and the spy with whom she's often at odds. Together, they court danger and discovery as they play dual roles gathering intelligence for the British. But soon Mary realizes that her growing feelings towards Mr. Withrow put her heart in as much danger as her life. And then there's another murder.

Mary will need to unmask the murderer before more people are killed, but can she do so and remain hidden in the background?

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Cowley manages to turn a little-liked, ignored, and stilted girl into one of my favorites of Austen's characters...This third novel of the series is her best. I laughed and I cried and cheered for Mary to succeed in her endeavors and hopefully find love at last.”— Carol Pratt Bradley, author of The Light of the Candle

“5 STARS. Just a delight!”— Wren, The Zebra Reader

“I really enjoyed this book. It is a great addition to the series. I loved that Mary is finding love in a logical way that fits her character…Highly recommend.”— Mariana, Goodreads

“I absolutely love Katherine Cowley's Mary Bennet series, and I think [The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception] may be the best book in the series.”— Madison, Goodreads

MY REVIEW:

As a Jane Austen fan, there is nothing more thrilling to me than see a favorite character, Mary Bennett reimagined as a spy gathering intelligence, during the time when Napoleon escapes. The writing was suspenseful and really hard to put down. Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception is the third book in this trilogy, and the stories just keep getting better and better.

I love how Cowley incorporates a well plotted mystery, sprinkle in a well deserved romance for Mary, and seeing sisters Lydia and Kitty make an appearance here. The series is quite the read that I highly recommend - it was intriguing, fast paced, and a thrilling historical fiction at its finest. Well don’t Kathy Cowley for on incredible series.

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AUTHOR BIO

Katherine Cowley read Pride and Prejudice for the first time when she was ten years old, which started a lifelong obsession with Jane Austen. Her debut novel, The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her Mary Bennet spy series continues with the novels The True Confessions of a London Spy and The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception. Katherine loves history, chocolate, traveling, and playing the piano, and she has taught writing classes at Western Michigan University. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband and three daughters.

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EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 

·         Read an in-depth interview with author Katherine Cowley revealing insights into her new historical mystery novel, The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception.

 

2/22/2022 Jane and the Year Without a Summer (Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book 14) @AUSTENPROSE @sbarronauthor

 

· Title: Jane and the Year Without a Summer

· Series: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 14)

· Author: Stephanie Barron

· Genre: Historical Mystery, Austenesque

· Publisher: Soho Press (February 8, 2022)

· Length: (336) pages

· Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

· ISBN: 978-1641292474

· Tour Dates: February 7-20, 2022

"If you have a Jane Austen-would-have-been-my-best-friend complex, look no further . . . [Barron] has painstakingly sifted through the famed author's letters and writings, as well as extensive biographical information, to create a finely detailed portrait of Austen's life—with a dash of fictional murder . . . Some of the most enjoyable, well-written fanfic ever created."—O Magazine

May 1816: Jane Austen is feeling unwell, with an uneasy stomach, constant fatigue, rashes, fevers and aches. She attributes her poor condition to the stress of family burdens, which even the drafting of her latest manuscript—about a baronet's daughter nursing a broken heart for a daring naval captain—cannot alleviate. Her apothecary recommends a trial of the curative waters at Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire. Jane decides to use some of the profits earned from her last novel, Emma, and treat herself to a period of rest and reflection at the spa, in the company of her sister, Cassandra.

Cheltenham Spa hardly turns out to be the relaxing sojourn Jane and Cassandra envisaged, however. It is immediately obvious that other boarders at the guest house where the Misses Austen are staying have come to Cheltenham with stresses of their own—some of them deadly. But perhaps with Jane’s interference a terrible crime might be prevented. Set during the Year without a Summer, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in the South Pacific caused a volcanic winter that shrouded the entire planet for sixteen months, this fourteenth installment in Stephanie Barron’s critically acclaimed series brings a forgotten moment of Regency history to life.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Outstanding...Barron fans will hope Jane, who died in 1817, will be back for one more mystery.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“No one conjures Austen's voice like Stephanie Barron, and Jane and the Year Without a Summer is utterly pitch-perfect.”— Deanna Raybourn, bestselling author of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries

“…a page-turning story, imbued with fascinating historical detail, a cast of beautifully realized characters, a pitch-perfect Jane Austen, and an intriguing mystery. Highly recommended.”— Syrie James, bestselling author of The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen

“Jane and the Year Without a Summer is absolute perfection. Stephanie Barron expertly weaves fact and fiction, crafting a story that is authentically Austen in its elegance, charm, and wit. The characters and setting will enchant you, and the mystery will keep you guessing to the last page. This Regency-set gem is truly a diamond of the first water.”— Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Siren of Sussex



PURCHASE LINKS

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MY REVIEW:

JATYWS is the fourteenth installment in the Jane Austen Mystery Series written by Stephanie Barron. Set during the Sumer of 1816 when Jane’s sudden onset ailments leads to seeking an apothecary’s advice - so off to Chaltenham Spa Jane goes for its curative waters with her sister Cassandra. While there m, the sisters are faced with some difficult boarders who may have a taste for murder.

I really enjoyed the superlative writing and extensive research without distracting and overwhelming the story. As a nurse, I really appreciated the medical historical facts sprinkled throughout the novel - including history about vaccines and also the determination of some physicians blaming the uterus for much of female maladies and discomforts.

Overall, an enjoyable quick read perfect for fans of Jane Austen, who will devour this Historical Regency Murder Mystery read.

Thank you Austen Prose for having me in the tour.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

Francine Mathews was born in Binghamton, New York, the last of six girls. She attended Princeton and Stanford Universities, where she studied history, before going on to work as an intelligence analyst at the CIA. She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Since then, she has written twenty-five books, including five novels in the Merry Folger series (Death in the Off-Season, Death in Rough Water, Death in a Mood Indigo, Death in a Cold Hard Light, and Death on Nantucket) as well as the nationally bestselling Being a Jane Austen mystery series, which she writes under the penname, Stephanie Barron. She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

 

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9/11/2021 The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart: Proper Romance Victorian Author: Nancy Campbell Allen

 

The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart: Proper Romance Victorian

· Author: Nancy Campbell Allen

· Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Mystery/Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

· Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (September 7, 2021)

· Length: (336) pages

· Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook

BOOK DESCRIPTION

London, 1885

 

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple's blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe―a grieving widower and a member of Amelie's book club.

 

Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

 

When a woman's body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman's husband―Harold Radcliffe―of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.

 

They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.

ADVANCE PRAISE

 

"Allen pairs a matchmaker and a detective in this charming Victorian romance. Allen expertly combines mystery and romance into a fast-paced tale complete with plenty of surprises and a central relationship founded on mutual admiration and respect. Readers are sure to appreciate the strong, well-shaded heroine and twisty plot." —Publishers Weekly

 

"Allen's chaste tale of Victorian romantic suspense will also appeal to historical mystery readers, and it would be great for mother-and-daughter reads. This has great appeal for teens who like historical fiction laced with mystery and romance." —Booklist

 

“I was immediately drawn into the characters’ lives and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of the romance.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine

 

REVIEW:

This Victorian Era read is everything I loved - it had romance, mystery and adventure. I was gripped from the very first page. I love the grit and the characters in this story. The historical mystery was a fun read for me as well as the police procedural and the romance was a bonus. 

The writing really transported me to the Victorian time period, with rich detail that gave this mystery a wonderful atmospheric read.

I enjoyed Amelie as a character and all the other secondary characters as well. I enjoyed how we slowly uncovered the mystery and the well plotted story line. 

I found this book to be engaging and entertaining tor read. Fun historical mystery with a splash of romance. 

AUTHOR BIO

Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of fifteen published novels and numerous novellas, which span genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction.  In 2005, her work won the Utah Best of State award, and she received a Whitney Award for My Fair Gentleman. She has presented at numerous writing conferences and events since her first book was released in 1999. Nancy received a BS in Elementary Education from Weber State University. She loves to read, write, travel, and research and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She is married and the mother of three children.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

 

 

 

 

TOUR SCHEDULE

 

                 

Sept 06         Timeless Novels (Review)

Sept 07         The Book Diva Reads (Excerpt)

Sept 07         Wishful Endings (Review)

Sept 08         Robin Loves Reading (Review)

Sept 08         A Darn Good Read (Review)

Sept 08         Storeybook Reviews (Spotlight)

Sept 08         Austenesque Reviews (Review)

Sept 09         Bookfoolery (Review)

Sept 09         The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)

Sept 10         The Bluestocking (Review)

Sept 10         Bookworm Lisa (Review)

Sept 10         The Silver Petticoat Review (Review)

Sept 11         Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review)

Sept 11         My Bookish Bliss (Review)

Sept 11         Nurse Bookie (Review)

Sept 12         The Bibliophile Files (Review)

Sept 12         My Jane Austen Book Club (Spotlight)

Sept 13         Heidi Reads (Excerpt)

Sept 13         Reading with Emily (Review)

Sept 13         Our Book Confessions (Review)

Sept 14         Rosanne E. Lortz (Review)

Sept 14         Laura's Reviews (Review)

Sept 14         Beauty in the Binding (Spotlight)

Sept 15         All-of-a-Kind Mom (Review)

Sept 15         Gwendalyn's Books (Review)

Sept 15         Life of Literature (Review)

Sept 16         From Pemberley to Milton (Review)

Sept 16         Probably at the Library (Spotlight)

Sept 17         Greenish Bookshelf (Review)

Sept 17         Relz Reviewz (Review)

Sept 18         Novel Kicks (Review)

Sept 19         Historical Fiction with Spirit (Excerpt)

                    

                    

 

PURCHASE LINKS

 

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP

| GOODREADS

 

 

 

 

 

08.26.2021 The Merchant and the Rogue @SarahMEden, @ShadowMountn

The Merchant and the Rogue: Proper Romance Victorian

Sarah M. Eden

·         Series: Book 3 in The Dread Penny Society

·         Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Mystery/Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

·         Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (August 17, 2021)

·         Length: (368) pages

·         Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1629728513

·         Audiobook ASIN: B0921TS4TF

·         eBook ASIN:  B098TVLLM7

·         Previous Books in the Series: The Lady and the Highwayman (2019) & The Gentleman and the Thief (2020)

·         Tour Dates: August 16 – 29, 2021

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

London, 1865

 

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often-mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she's come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

 

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he's built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn't entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

 

Brogan and Vera's paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they've both grown to love. But that means they'll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

 

MY REVIEW:

The Merchant and the Rogue is book three of The Dread Penny Society series by Sarah M Eden.

Though this is my first book by Eden and the only book I have read in the series, I still enjoyed this book as a stand-alone.

The main story revolves around Vera Sorokina who works in a book and print shop with her father, and Brogan Donnelly who is an Irish immigrant, a penny dreadful writer, and a vigilante fighting for the children in the streets of London. These characters are a delight to read with their banter, and a mini romance brewing. The addition of the mystery element of figuring out the terror affecting the merchants was a wonderful addition to the story.

I really enjoyed the writing and the main characters with depth and history - I especially enjoyed reading about a strong female character, who was an immigrant from Russia that is set during a time when the class system viewed foreigners as inferiors.

Overall I was so pleased to finally read a wonderful historical fiction in the Penny dreadful series.

AUTHOR BIO

Sarah M. Eden is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning Proper Romance series novels including The Lady and the Highwayman and Ashes on the Moor. Combining her passion for history and an affinity for love stories, Sarah crafts smart, witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about.

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SPECIAL OFFER

 

Please help Sarah M. Eden get her latest novel, THE MERCHANT AND THE ROGUE, to hit the New York Times best-seller list by purchasing a copy between August 15-22, 2021.

Everyone who submits a copy of their receipt and fills out the form during the week of August 15-22 will receive The Merchant and the Rogue - Swag Bundle. Supplies are limited, so act today. Please visit the Swag Bundle webpage for details.