The Case of the Hidden Flame by Alison Golden

Alison Golden is a prolific writer and very generous with the number of novellas she offers free - The Case of the Hidden Flame was free for Kindle (you can receive more free novellas by e-mail after signing up on her web page).
I liked this story which has been compared to Hercule Poirot in many reviews and it takes place on the island of Jersey (off the coast of France) which is a lovely setting. Maybe I missed something but I'm not sure why is was called the Case of the Hidden Flame.

Detective Inspector David Graham has just arrived on the island of Jersey, taking over a rag tag team of questionable commitment and skill at the Gorey Constabulary, a team that he is supposed to lead and develop into a cohesive investigative unit.

Within minutes, his first challenge presents itself when ex-soldier, Colonel Graves, finds a dead body on the beach. As the military man kneels down, he discovers it is his soon-to-be fiancé half buried in the sand… 

In a small resort like Gorey, this event is monumental, and almost unheard of. The rumors swirl yet it is the new Detective Inspector’s job, with a bag still packed and travel dust on his shoes, to ferret out the clues and solve the case…while bringing his team along to assist. 

Note: The plot wasn't original, as noted on one of the reviews, and was used in a Death in Paradise episode - a great Caribbean series for cozy mystery lovers.

Chef Maurice - A Rather Fishy Tale by J.A. Lang

This is the first I've read by J.A. Lang and this novella doesn't disappoint. You can download a free copy from her web site.
Of course any stories set in the Cotswolds are bound to have an English village feel to them and this is no different, although part of the story is set on the coast.
A short story is a great way for an introduction to a new author and I'll definitely look out for more of her series.
You can find a list of her books here

Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

Before Downton Abbey and the Crawleys, there was Daisy Dalrymple. Although Carola Dunn is a prolific writer, I have only recently discovered her mysteries. Death at Wentwater Court is the first in the Daisy Dalrymple series. There are a lot of characters in this novel and I did have trouble remembering who was who, but the story is both well written and enticing.
If you're having Downton Abbey withdrawals and want a peek into some 1920s aristocratic homes, pick up one of these mysteries.

From the cover:
As scream after scream shredded the peaceful morning. Daisy raced along the lakeside path towards the bridge. Stepping down cautiously from the bank onto the ice, she was under the stone arch before she saw what had stopped James and Fenella in their tracks. In the shadow of the bridge, the ice was shattered, and in the inky water floated a man, face down.

New Cozy Mystery - Trouble at the Manor

I know many of you have been waiting for the next cozy mystery in the Lowenna series and Trouble at the Manor is now available for Kindle ($2.99) and in print on Amazon. For other formats check Smashwords.com.

I'm working on a blog tour for the beginning of  March.

Lowenna is a quiet village on the west coast of England. Quiet that is until a dog leads the local P.C. toward the beach where he finds a body covered in foam. Gia is the first to identify the victim – someone from the hamlet surrounding the manor house which is up for sale. Is there a connection between the murder and battle to buy the manor estate? But along with her investigating, Gia is also fighting something even more personal, something that may unhinge her marriage. 

Cozy Mysteries by Ann Summerville:
Lowenna Series
A Graceful Death
High Tide
Gwinnel Gardens
Trouble at the Manor

Pecan Valley Series
Grandmother's Flower Garden (coming in 2013)

The Berton Hotel
Storms and Secrets

Author Page here

A Graceful Death - Book Giveaway

A Graceful Death (Kindle Edition) is available free from December 26 for five days (ends December 30, 2012). 

Hop on over to my author page and order the first book in the Lowenna cozy mystery series. 

If you don't have a Kindle you can download Kindle for PC here

Ann Summerville's Author Page here

Giovanna Matthews has an acceptable life in London with her own flat, a good job, and recent engagement to the son of a Scottish landowner.  But not long after her engagement to Alan, news of Aunt Grace’s death hits Giovanna like a red double decker bus. Ignoring Alan’s pleas to stay, she bundles her dog and suitcase into a rusty Volkswagen and drives to Aunt Grace’s cottage on the Cornish coast where Giovanna had spent childhood summers with her cousin. Putting her aunt’s affairs in order is further complicated when Giovanna discovers the local constabulary has its own view on Aunt Grace’s demise.  A view that Giovanna vows to challenge.  Unless she can discover how her aunt died and find her missing cousin quickly, she stands to lose both her inheritance and Alan.   

Bring out the tea pot and butter a scone, you're in for a heck of a ride as the little Cornish town of Lowenna gives up its secrets.  British author, Ann Summerville writes with pacing, authenticity, and wit, and A Graceful Death is a page turner you won't want to put down...not even for more marmalade. 

Bonnie Pemberton, author of The Cat Master  

Gwinnel Gardens by Ann Summerville and Giveaway

Gwinnel Gardens, the third cozy mystery in the Lowenna series is now available on Amazon.


It wasn’t unusual for retirees in Lowenna to succumb to death during the winter months in Lowenna, but while Gia and her friend, Holly, worked on restoring the overgrown Gwinnel Gardens, they noticed there were an increasing number of services at the crematorium in the valley. After hearing the President of Gwinnel Gardens had died unexpectedly, Gia dug in her heels and decided to investigate. After all, this was a great way to avoid plans for her upcoming wedding in which everyone seemed to have an idea of what she should wear. But unless she found out quickly who was behind the sudden deaths would someone close to Gia be the next victim?

Lowenna Series for Kindle
(other versions available on Smashwords.com or in print)
A Graceful Death
High Tide
Gwinnel Gardens

Book Giveaway -
A Graceful Death, the first in the Lowenna series, is available free for Kindle until June 5

A Wonderful Visit With Old Friends May 23, 2012

By S. Owen - Simply Creating

Opening to the first page of Gwinnel Gardens is like sitting down to tea with old friends you'd missed seeing for a while.

Set in the charming Cornish village of Lowenna, Ann Summerville's latest book in the Lowenna Series, reintroduces our favorite characters--Gia, Holly, Susan and Rose--whom we first met in Storms and Secrets and High Tide.

This time, Gia is busy planning her upcoming wedding, but becomes increasingly concerned by the number of local retirees who are dying and being transported to the local crematorium. Soon she is once again investigating what she perceives as criminal activity and this time focuses on some of the very people one would expect to protect rather than endanger the lives of the villagers.

For anyone new to this series, let me recommend Ann Summerville as one of the most talented and creative writers of cozy mysteries. 

Death of a Chimney Sweep

I'm working through my TBR pile, which seems to grow on it's own, and came across Death of a Chimney Sweep. I was fortunate to win this as a giveaway on the Mason Canyon site Thoughts in Progress.

M.C. Beaton is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers and although I prefer the Agatha Raisin series, Death of a Chimney Sweep was a good read.

From the cover: In the south of Scotland, residents get their chimneys vacuum cleaned. But in the isolated villages in the very north of Scotland, the villagers rely on the services of the itinerant sweep, Pete Ray, and his old-fashioned brushes. Pete is always able to find work in the Scottish highlands . . . until the day Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices blood dripping on to the floor of a villager's fireplace and a dead body stuffed inside the chimney.

High Tide - Book Blog Tour

A big thank you to all the fellow bloggers who are posting an interview/review for me this month (see links below). Stop by and say hello. These are all great sites that you may want to peruse and perhaps follow.

On Sale

E-Reader downloads for all three of my novels, A Graceful Death (first book in the Lowenna series), Storms and Secrets, and High Tide (second book in the Lowenna series) are on sale this month (April) and each can be purchased for $2.99 at the Kindle store (link on the sidebar) or Smashwords.Com.



Giveaway(U.S. Only)
I'll also be giving away three books (Storms and Secrets). Leave a comment, become a follower and don't forget to leave an e-mail address where I can contact you. The winners will be picked April 30 using Random Number Generator.

Note: Read Chapter 1 here

Blog links- (I'll be adding to these when reviews are posted)
Straight from Hel - Interview

Straight from Hel - Review
Love Affair with Books
Books Bags and Bon Jovi
Knits Reads and Reviews
Jodi Webb News
Minding Spot
Thoughts in Progress
The Tote Trove
World of Books
The Book Connection
Thoughts in Progress - Review
Loves 2 Read
A Crazed Mind - Review
A Cozy Reader's Corner - Storms and Secrets review

High Tide by Ann Summerville

High Tide is now available on Amazon. If you love cozy mysteries, stop by and take a look.

Giovanna Matthews settles happily into the English west country village of Lowenna, but a storm is about to rock her world. Distressing the ladies from the knitting circle, a body drifts in with a high tide. Unconvinced the death is an accident, Gia leaves no pebble unturned while sleuthing her way around the village. Her delving further disrupts village life much to the distress of many villagers who want every rock to stay firmly in place. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, David, has an unwelcome visitor who threatens to unravel the bonds that tie him and Gia. Can Gia solve the mystery and encourage the visitor to leave before her anchor in the village is uprooted and she too is cast out to sea?

 

Smashwords 49% off coupon for e-readers. Use code ZS63C (good until March 11)