Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum

I received my copy of Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum via CLP Blog Tours. I was really excited for this tour because I had heard of the Lacey Smithsonian mystery series but had never had the chance to read one of the books. Byerrum and her books are super popular and have such a loyal fan base. Some of her novels were even adapted to film by the Lifetime Movie Network! So, needless to say, I was thrilled to have the chance to work with such an accomplished author.

Diving in the book, I was immediately wanting to be friends with Lacey, fashion reporter living in Washington DC. She moved there from the rugged little town of Sagebrush, Colorado, where she never wanted to return. But with her former boyfriend accused of murdering three women, Lacey is hot on the case. She knows Cole Tucker would never harm another woman, much less murder them. Until he abducts her right from the courthouse. Is Lacey in danger with Cole? Or is there a bigger ploy going on in the small town of Sagebrush?

This was such a fun story! I love a good mystery, and this book featured so many possible suspects. I loved the touch that Lacey was a reporter trying to track down a murderer, but could always be counted on for her fashion forward thinking as well. This was the definition of a chick lit murder mystery. If you haven’t yet picked up a Lacey Smithsonian novel, I suggest you do!

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So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts

So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts is the third installment in the Lucky O’Toole series. I have read and reviewed both Wanna Get Lucky? and Lucky Stiff, and I’ve been having a fun time with these characters. I love the Vegas setting and all the background information on the city, and I also love reading a good mystery. In this book, Lucky is dealing with a group of magicians that may be intent on murder, her mother drops a bombshell, and her live-in lover is off touring the world with a gorgeous pop star. Lucky is trying to hold down the fort at The Babylon and keep a handle on her personal life. The interest of two other men isn’t helping matters either – former co-worker Paxton Dane is still waiting for his chance, and now the French chef is also trying to wine and dine Lucky. Always the one to fix the problems, Lucky wonders if she will be able to fix her own…

I enjoyed this Lucky book, but I don’t think it was my favorite of the three. That still belongs to Lucky Stiff, but I did like the story. The books are all thick but fast-paced and outrageous. I love a good chick lit mystery novel, and that would be how I classify these books from Coonts. I was a little disappointed to see who Lucky ended up with at the end of the novel. No spoilers, but after reading the previous two books about her, I really didn’t see coming who she had chosen. The supporting cast are all back and being their usual selves, and I think they really add a lot of depth to the plot. I hope there is a fourth Lucky book so I can see her end up with the man who I think she belongs with! I definitely recommend this series.

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More Lucky Reviews:

Wanna Get Lucky?

Lucky Stiff

Blog Tour Sign Up: Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum

Ellen will be on tour in March with her chick lit mystery novel Death on Heels. This will be a print book tour, available for US/Canada residents only. Please use the form below if you would like to be included. Ellen will also be available for a guest post or interview. I will contact everyone chosen to participate. Thank you!

D.C. style scribe Lacey Smithsonian swore she’d never return to Sagebrush, Colorado, the scruffy hard-luck boom town where she earned her reporter’s spurs. Yet when rancher Cole Tucker is accused of murdering three women—all left barefoot on lonely country roads—Lacey grabs her cowboy boots and heads West to prove her former boyfriend’s innocence. And possibly to resolve old feelings. However, this doesn’t sit well with her current beau, private investigator Vic Donovan, who has his own agenda in Sagebrush.

A Parfait Murder by Wendy Lyn Watson

When Wendy Lyn Watson asked on Facebook who wanted to review her latest mystery, A Parfait Murder, I signed myself right up. After reading the first, I Scream, You Scream, and thoroughly enjoying the delectable mystery, I knew I wanted to follow the series. I did miss the second book, Scoop To Kill, but I have that on my list to read. For the third book in the Mystery A La Mode series, Tally’s cousin Bree gets an unexpected visit when her ex-husband appears back in town. Sonny shot off seventeen years prior, after Bree got pregnant with her daughter Alice. After never making child support payments, Sonny shows up with a flashy business proposition for the town- and a stunning female on his arm. Sonny hires Kristen Ver Steeg as his lawyer, but she winds up dead- and Bree is holding the gum. Tally knows her cousin is innocent, but with all the evidence and motives pointing straight at Bree, Tally knows she doesn’t have long to clear her cousins name. Meanwhile, Tally is trying to successfully date Finn Harper, a childhood friend and sweetheart who got away, but when a complicated family secret gets revealed, Tally and Finn’s relationship is forever changed.

Once again, I had a great time diving in to this fun mystery series. And seriously- who doesn’t love these covers? They grab my attention right away. Watson brings back heartfelt characters with a lot of personality, and I really enjoyed getting to know Alice. The ending with the family secret simply shocked me, I really can’t say I saw that one coming. There were a few other plot twists that caught me off guard as well, which I love. The suspense was up there, and I think readers will have a great time reading A Parfait Murder. Be sure to check out the rest in the series as well!

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Hotel No Tell by Daphne Uviller

Hotel No Tell is the second book from Daphne Uviller that features Zephyr Zuckerman, after Super in the City. I always worry when I don’t read the first book, as in this case, but it was fairly easy to pick up on the story. Zephyr is working as a junior detective with the New York City Special Investigations Commission, and finally has a great case handed to her- where she gets to go undercover. Working as a hotel concierge at the Greenwich Village Hotel, trying to crack a money laundering investigation, Zephyr finds herself a mystery inside the mystery- why was the guest in room 502 found near death? Was it suicide, or an attempted murder? What does the sweet older guest have to do with it, and could her friend Lucy be involved? Zephyr sets out to solve all the mysteries, but the toughest mystery of all is her love life. Though she is madly in love with her boyfriend, she doesn’t want kids-ever- and he does. Should she compromise for love? And how will she solve her work mysteries and finally be taken seriously as a detective?

Like I said, it was easy to fall into the character’s lives. I really enjoyed Zephyr’s friends and their problems. I thought Lucy was hilarious with her suburban mom crisis, and though Macy was a bit out there, her stories were intriguing to read about. This book is very fast-paced, almost a bit too fast for me in the beginning. I couldn’t really keep up with who was who and where they came into the story and where this plot point was taking me, etc. Maybe that has a bit to do with me not reading the first book? It through me off for awhile, but as I kept at it, I thought the book slowed to a pace that could keep my interest. Uviller has some great comedic moments throughout the story, and the descriptions of New York were a lot of fun to read about. Once the actual mystery stuff got underway, I was really into the story and trying to figure out who did what and how everyone was connected. Overall, funny and interesting read that I would recommend to chick lit fans, but not a favorite of mine.

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When You Dare by Lori Foster

I don’t usually go for the romance novels, but something about When You Dare by Lori Foster made me say yes to reviewing it. Maybe it was the hunkalicious piece of man meat on the cover- who knows. But I decided to take a chance, and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed this suspenseful romance that has just that filling the pages- a whole lot of suspense and a whole lot of steamy romance. The main characters are Dare Macintosh and Molly Alexander, and the story begins with professional mercenary Dare rescuing Molly from Tijuana and a human trafficking setup. Molly, a best-selling author of scandalous romance novels, fears she was no ordinary kidnapping. Someone planned to take her- and that someone could possibly be her father. Or her ex-boyfriend. Or a disgruntled fan that was not happy with the way she redeemed a character in her latest book. With her life in danger, Dare decides to become Molly’s bodyguard, protecting her until they can figure out who would want Molly dead. But in the process of trying to keep herself alive, Molly starts to see Dare in a very different light. A very sexy light. And Dare is trying to keep his feelings for Molly shoved below the surface so he can keep her protected. But the more they try to ignore their feelings, the more the want builds between the two.

I thought When You Dare was excellent! Molly’s character was strong, a fairly independent chick who was ready to track down her kidnappers. And Dare was scorching the pages! You could sense his sex appeal from miles away. I thought the suspense was great, I really wasn’t positive who the culprit was until closer to the end. There were a few oddities about the story that caught my attention, like in the beginning where Molly didn’t seem at all frightened when it came to Dare, nor didn’t ask him many questions about why or how he rescued her. There were a few instances like that which I picked up on, but I still really got into the story and the characters. There were a lot times where I didn’t want to put this book down! The plot was fast paced with enough twists to keep my attention firmly on the story. Even if you aren’t usually a romance/suspense reader, I would give Lori Foster a chance. She won me over!

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Snake Skin by CJ Lyons

Even though I love chick lit and all things girly, I am also a fan of mysteries and thrillers. When I reviewed my first book from CJ Lyons, Blind Faith, I was blown away by the creative story lines, the intense drama, and breathtaking speed at which I flew the story. When CJ approached me and offered to send me a copy of Snake Skin, of course I said yes!

Snake Skin follows Lucy Guardino, or Supervisory Special Agent Guardino when she is on the job. Lucy is an average mom, in love with her husband, and trying to find a common bond with her teenage daughter. But she also carries a forty-caliber Glock and goes undercover to find criminals for the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. Lucy works to take down criminals who abduct and abuse children, and often puts her life on the line to save the innocent. But when her current case starts hitting too close to home and may be at the hands of an insider, Lucy must work quickly to save a young girl- and possibly her own daughter.

Lyons uses her own experiences from working as a pediatric ER doctor to help the scenarios and characters come to life. Again, I flew through this novel, trying to connect the dots and find the killer along with Lucy. Snake Skin isn’t just from Lucy’s point of view, readers will be able to get into the minds of other FBI workers, as well as the abducted girl and her abductor. This is another great read from CJ Lyons, and I think women will enjoy that kick ass hero portrayed by Lucy.

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Author Profile: Heather Gudenkauf

Author Name: Heather Gudenkauf

Website: http://www.heathergudenkauf.com/index.html

Bio: Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At one month of age, her family returned to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota where her father was employed as a guidance counselor and her mother as a school nurse. At the age of three, her family moved to Iowa, where she grew up. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing impairment (there were many evenings when Heather and her father made a trip to the bus barn to look around the school bus for her hearing aids that she often conveniently would forget on the seat beside her), Heather tended to use books as a retreat, would climb into the toy box that her father’s students from Rosebud made for the family with a pillow, blanket, and flashlight, close the lid, and escape the world around her. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted.

Heather Gudenkauf graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages and is currently a Literacy Coach, an educator who provides curricular and professional development support to teachers.

Currently: Heather lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband, three children, and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Maxine. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and running. She is currently working on her third novel.

Christmas Titles: The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden

See my review of These Things Hidden

Bio Retrieved from heathergudenkauf.com

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf gave me chills throughout the entire story. It begins with Allison Glenn, a 21 year old Iowa native who is serving time in prison for a crime that is not immediately known. Allison is about to be released, and will finish out her sentence at a halfway house in her hometown. Once the golden girl of her family, excellent grades, good at sports, a college future in mind, Allison’s family has now shunned her very existence. But the one person Allison is desperate to talk to is her little sister Brynn. Brynn was there that night, she is the only other person who knows what really happened. And when Allison unexpectedly finds a missing puzzle piece from that horrendous night, she needs Brynn more than ever.

This story is deliciously thrilling, covering Allison’s point of view, Brynn’s, and even more characters that add to the mystery. The characters haunted me when I had to stop reading, making this book absolutely impossible to put down for long periods of time. Halfway through the story I thought I had it all figured out, and then another twist would be thrown in, completely catching me off guard. It wasn’t until the very last chapter that the entire mystery is laid out for you, and Gudenkauf did a magnificent job at weaving in so many plot points and keeping the suspense at a high level throughout. These Things Hidden is a mystery, a thriller, but also a beautifully touching story on family, innocence, and the bond of sisters.

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Blind Faith by CJ Lyons

Sarah Durandt is still living a nightmare. Two years ago, her husband and young son were murdered, but their bodies were never recovered. Now, as the man who confessed to killing her family awaits his execution, Sarah begs to know where the bodies were buried. She just wants her closure, but the killer won’t give that to her. She returns home with her lawyer and special friend, Alan, but the memories of Josh and Sam continue to haunt her. She is determined to find her husband and son, but never imagines what the search could lead her to. A tangle of deceit, multiple identities, and surprising foes await to be unearthed as Sarah begins the complicated unraveling of her families murders.

Oh boy. Blind Faith by CJ Lyons had five stars written all over it from the moment I started reading.  Lyons has an obvious talent for creating her “thrillers of the heart” and wastes no times hooking the readers to Sarah, the main character. The complicated twists and turns in the story didn’t deter me or frustrate me at all, instead they pulled me in further, keeping up with the characters and action as it all unfolded. This is a fantastic mystery, and the writing flows along so smoothly that I often times felt I was the detective trying to piece all the clues together. There were even a few scenes where I felt my heart beating faster, as I was anxious to where the plot would take me. Not a lot of mysteries can cause that intense reaction from me! This is a great novel, and I would definitely recommend CJ Lyons and her thrillers to readers.

Rating: 5/5

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