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Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin

I was provided a copy of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin by CLP Blog Tours.

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin is the first mystery novel in the Rose Strickland series and it is a perfect combination of mystery and chick lit. Rose, our main character is a waitress (hence the book title) and is also working her way through school as a part time student. Her best friend and closest confident in the world Axton goes missing one day and what ensues is a mysterious ride. When he doesn’t show up after quite some time, Rose caves and puts herself on the case. Just when she thinks she might have it cracked it turns out that she is being watched by the bad guy, who also happens to be super sexy. Bad and sexy? Not a great combination yet Rose finds herself quite intrigued.

I had so much fun reading this book and am so glad that Terri gave me the opportunity to do so. I loved watching Rose become a sleuth and dive deep into the mysterious disappearance of her best friend. I flipped through the pages quickly in order to find out what would happen next and I must say, I was NOT disappointed. This book is fantastic and I absolutely loved the plot twist – I most definitely did not see that one coming. I cannot wait until the sequel. Overall, a really great mystery/chick-lit that is quite the joyous ride!

[Rating: 4.5/5]

In My Mailbox: Week of September 16

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Diners, Dives and Dead Ends

Author: Terri L Austin

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and a pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you’ll probably like them all! Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is the first book in the Rose Strickland humorous mystery series. Bonus: Includes book club discussion questions.

Title: Death Turns a Trick

Author: Julie Smith

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis:
Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of Course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor?

Handsome Parker Phillips, Rebecca’s new beau and the most attractive man she’s met in ages, is arrested for the murder. (Worse, she suspects he might actually have done it.)

On the plus side, another very attractive man is following the case–reporter Rob Burns of the San Francisco Chronicle, a possible ally. And there are other possibilities.

Fans of Janet Evanovich, Joan Hess, and Elizabeth Peters will get a kick out of this one.

Title: The Saint’s Devilish Deal

Author: Kristina Knight

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of hotellier jobs, she’s coming home to run the villa.

Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance leaves him with a joint interest in the villa – along with her niece Esmerelda.

Esme isn’t thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the the youngest Cruz brother – especially as the Cruz family has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she’s been away and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall – all over again.
In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife

Author: Patricia Harman

Received By: Heidi @ Harper Collins

Synopsis: Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need—and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust—but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.

Honest, moving, and beautifully detailed, Patricia Harman’s The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise hard world.

Title: What the Heart Remembers

Author: Debra Ginsberg

Received By: Erin @ Penguin Group

Synopsis: Whispers of the past…

When young Eden Harrison receives a heart transplant from an unknown donor, her seemingly charmed life falls apart. Haunted by dreams of people and places she doesn’t recognize, Eden is convinced that her new heart carries the memories of its original owner. Eden leaves her old life behind as she is mysteriously drawn to the city of San Diego.

Whispers of the mind…

There, Eden becomes fast friends with Darcy, a young woman recently widowed by Peter, her wealthy, much older husband. But Darcy is unsettled by her inability to mourn, and more unsettled by recurring thoughts of Adam, a young musician she was having an affair with–who has suddenly vanished.

Whispers of the heart…

Yet, the more Eden learns about Darcy, the more she realizes that all is not as it seems, and she begins to suspect foul play behind Peter’s and Adam’s fates. As the tension around them escalates, Eden’s mysterious dreams become more and more frequent. Can Eden listen to what her heart is trying to tell her before it is silenced forever?