Review and Giveaway of MURDER TAKES TIME

DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS THREE E-BOOK GIVEAWAY.

MY REVIEW WILL TELL YOU WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE CHANCE TO WIN!!!  

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES AND ENTRY FORM ARE BELOW MY REVIEW:

Could childhood pranks carried into adulthood be purposely staged clues for solving murder investigations?  Murders were taking place in New York, and clues were being left behind that implicated individuals who definitely had not been at the scene and clues that were too close for comfort.

The chapters are organized by flashbacks to the childhood of Tony, Frankie, Nicky, and Paulie as well as present day and other years in between.  Their childhood friendship and the bond they had was difficult to overlook even though three of them were not upstanding citizens and one was a policeman.  They were the best of buddies during childhood and had nicknames that stayed with them into adulthood.  Their childhood antics and schemes were unbelievable and creative, but did this creativity and early start get them into things they shouldn't be in as adults....all except Frankie who turned out to be a policeman?  Would his being a policeman be a detriment and make him a scapegoat for some of the murders?

The title is a perfect description of the contents of this book, but the book is also about family, friends, food, ordinary people, organized crime, and of course murder.  If you are Italian, the sauce, meatballs, and nicknaming should be very familiar to you.  I learned a new ingredient for my spaghetti sauce in this book and also some things I really didn't want to learn.  There is a lot of brutality and profanity, but for the most part, the book is superbly written and flows very well.  The way the book was laid out and how the plot played out was very unique for a first-time author....brilliant and creative on his part. The characters are authentic, the descriptions of the scenes are vivid, and as the end nears, you will have your heart pounding along with the detectives as they race to arrest the murderer before he kills again.

Highly recommended....I loved the Italian names and descriptions of the families and sadly the funerals. One thing that was confusing, though, was keeping track of who was talking....I thought it was being narrated by one character and then it turned out to be another.  Other than that, it is an amazing, outstanding, and gripping first novel for Mr. Giammatteo.   5/5

This book was given to me free of charge for an honest review. 

                                                                                          

Make note of these comments please - Giveaway Form below this:

 AUTHOR IS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO COMMENTS ON THE DAY OF SCHEDULED POSTING

For anyone who buys a digital book during this tour and mentions the tour, I will offer a money-back guarantee, with these conditions:

1. Understand that this book contains several chapters with graphic violence. 

2. Understand that it contains rough, street language

3. Understand that there are two chapters with sexual scenes

4. Understand that the story is told in multiple Point of Views. 

If for any reason, other than those stated above, you do not like the book or aren't happy with it, just write me an email and tell me why. Email me a proof of purchase receipt, and I'll refund your money. This applies only to the digital books. I can't do it with print editions. 

  
                                                                                                              

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

1.  You can be a resident of the USA or International. 

2.  Please be NEW or Old Follower of my blog.

3.  Please complete the entry form here.

BEST OF LUCK to everyone.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

To be sixteen, to witness a murder, and to keep it a secret your entire life?  When would Laurel find out the "real" reason for the murder.  After fifty years, she needed to ask, but could she really find the answer? She had to.  Time was running out.

Set in England and moving from the 1930's to 2011, you will follow Laurel as she continues to keep this secret and attempts to find out why her mother stabbed a visitor on her brother's birthday.  Did the baby see or remember anything?  Could that be possible? What if he did remember?  Laurel, her father, and her mother were the only ones that were supposed to know, but were they?

The storyline is intriguing and the descriptions are amazing as you go back and forth in time to see what Laurel's mother's life was like as a  child and also as a young adult and what life was like for Laurel, her sisters, and her brother as they grew up on a quaint farm in a loving family.  Dorothy, Laurel's mother, lead a very significant life and had interesting people in her life that shaped her and her decisions.

The book seamlessly moves between time periods giving creative details of each era in the characters' lives and has you wanting to know more.  An amazing storyline that keeps you guessing about the real reason for the murder and one that makes you want to be a part of the story in order to be part of the life the characters lead in each decade of their lives.  

Finding out about her mother's motives and life before she was married was a goal Laurel was determined to solve before her mother died, and her mother is the only one who could give the answers to many questions, but could their dying mother tell all?   Once clues about Dorothy's past begin to surface, you will be as anxious as Laurel was to find out other secrets her mother kept to herself all her life and secrets that caused her mother to commit murder.

This book was marvelous and captivating as all of Kate Morton's books, and the ending is absolutely SUPERB.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk through Laurel's life and the flashbacks to her mother's life.   Don't miss this book or any book Kate Morton has written...you will be taken away with her exceptional writing and fantastic storytelling skills as she weaves lives and situations together into incredible books.  5/5 

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.

 

Last Day for the Giveaway of THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF

Contest has ended and the winner chosen at random.org is:

#16 

Sally

CONGRATS...I will send Sally an e-mail.

Thanks to all 37 of you who entered.
 


Today is the last day for my giveaway of THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF.  My review is here.

I will choose the winner tonight, and I will post the winner here.

Here are the guidelines for the giveaway.

There are currently 37 entries.

                                                              

Giveaway Guidelines:

1.  Please a new or old follower of my blog.  

To become a NEW FOLLOWER, please don't forget to click the JOIN THIS SITE BUTTON down the right-hand side.

I think some folks are saying they are a NEW FOLLOWER but are forgetting to press that button.  :)

2.  Please be a citizen of the USA.

3.  Please complete this form.

Good Luck to all entrants.   

CROSSED by C. J. Graves

 

A murder on church grounds.  Two young people in the congregation involved...one dead and one the accused.  Could Eric really have murdered his girlfriend?  All evidence pointed to him, but his parents knew it wasn't so, and they hired a private detective.

Jayden, an army veteran, was the one hired to solve the case and to free Eric's name.  She had been asked by her sister to investigate and to try to find the real killer. And boy was Jayden ruthless...if you had her on your tail, you were not going to get away with anything. :)

CROSSED is a little slow at first, but don't give up.  The characters get interesting and are perfect for the storyline.  Jayden definitely was different in her own way and Miss Mildred will warm your heart.  Ms. Graves did a splendid job with description....you will feel like you were right there on the scene with her detailed and wonderful images.   Some of the characters from Light the Way church were odd and a bit out of character for church members, but all in all the story flowed nicely. Finding out who the real murderer was turned out well even though at one point it became obvious.  :)

The ending was gripping and a page turner as you feared for Jayden in the clutches of the murderers....yes plural...more than one. 

If you can see yourself through some of the scenes, this book is a great mystery with a good storyline, clever plot, humor, and a few twists. 4/5

This e-book was given to me free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Anne Morrow the quiet, unassuming daughter.  Anne Morrow the shy sister of Elisabeth Morrow who hid in Elisabeth's shadow.  Anne Morrow the woman no one thought would marry before her beautiful sister, Elisabeth married.  Anne Morrow.....who did marry and who married a famous man....Charles Lindbergh, behind whom she continued to be a shadow.

Anne's life was beautifully detailed by Ms. Benjamin in terms of Anne's feelings and personality especially during the kidnapping. The era was nicely portrayed as well.  It covered how women from wealthy families went to prestigious schools and never used their education, but were expected to be the perfect wife and mother.  Ms. Benjamin will definitely get you involved in the story through her outstanding, exceptional, in-depth writing style.

I enjoyed reading about the era and about Anne Morrow and Charles Lindbergh.  I would not have wanted to live Anne's life, though...she had no life of her own per say.  She had to follow Charles on his adventures, be his wife, be in the public eye, and heartbreakingly leave her children.  Despite all of this, she willingly allowed him to control her and willingly backed him no matter what. Anne did come out of the shadows as she aged and was actually a very strong woman.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but don't think a man would enjoy it simply because of the domestic factors and the details of Anne Morrow's family and all of their lives.  It is more geared toward women and the feelings and beliefs we as women share and that we like to know about other women's lives....especially famous ones.  Anne, Charles, and the Morrow family led very interesting lives. I, as I am sure you will do, found myself looking up information on the life of the Morrows and Lindberghs just as the author said we would.  :)  ENJOY!!!  5/5 

I won this book in a giveaway on LibraryThing with no compensation and simply a request for an honest review.

BLOG TOUR The Twelfth Child by Bette Lee Crosby

VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR - PRESENTED BY READING ADDICTION BLOG TOURS

Literary/Southern Women’s Fiction

Title: THE TWELFTH CHILD

Author: Bette Lee Crosby

Date Published: May 2012

 

Abigail Lannigan was the twin daughter of Will and Livonia Lannigan.  Will ignored his daughter to the point of abuse, but he adored and lavished attention on her brother.  Even though Abigail loved her twin brother Will and they got along marvelously, her father ruined her life emotionally and Will's in a certain way.

The book's content and storyline is intriguing and one that follows Abigail through her childhood which was made up of hard work and no appreciation and also follows her through decisions she made on her own with her biggest decision being getting away from her father.

The book moves back and forth from her childhood to when she is an older woman.  Good and bad decisions made her regret a few of her choices, but she made it through just as her mother always told her she would.  You will fall in love with Abigail and feel her pain and her fears, and you will wish you could be there with her when she is alone.

These lines from Page 122 of the e-book sum up Abigail's character perfectly and give a thoughtful piece of advice to all of us:

"All my life, I'd pinched and saved, always worrying about the future, then before I knew it, I was an old woman with not much future left to worry about and pitifully little to show for all the scrimping.  If I had it to do over again, I'd live my life the way Destiny does.  She's one person who won't end up with a bunch of regrets about things she didn't do."

That quote is just a sampling of the wonderful lessons and wonderful story inside THE TWELFTH CHILD.  The entire book was filled with everyday happenings and also gave the reader a look at how the human race can be cruel as well as kind.  All of these "lessons" were told in a lovely, fast-moving fashion that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you do some introspection.

I can't praise this book and the author enough...Ms. Crosby is amazing.  Her writing is smooth, detailed, interesting, and it pulls you right into the story with believable characters and a wonderful flowing storyline.  I couldn't put this book down and was sad when it ended.

And.......the ending has a splendid lesson in itself.  I truly enjoyed this incredible book.  5/5

This e-book was given to me free of charge in return for an honest review.