Review ~ 10th Anniversary by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club)
Author ~ James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
Publisher ~ Little, Brown & Co.
Publication date ~ May 2, 2011

About the book ~ 

For every secret
Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals--but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.

For every lie

At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life--a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?

There's a different way to die

Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family. With James Patterson's white-hot speed and unquenchable action, 10th Anniversary is the most deliciously chilling Women's Murder Club book ever.

My thoughts ~

The time has finally come. Lindsay is marrying Joe Molinari, the love of her life. After taking some time off after the wedding she is a little hesitant about her return to work. Changes are all-around, including a new lieutenant to answer to, Jackson Brady. Her first case back is that of Avis Richardson. A 15-year-old girl found collapsed in the middle of the road, bleeding out. It appears that she has just given birth, but apparently has no recollection of what happened since the delivery, how she got where she is, or what happened to her baby. Lindsay isn’t so sure how honest Avis is being with her. She will have to push her hard in order to find out the truth. And hopefully find her baby alive.

Yuki has a make or break case on her hands. Dr. Candace Martin is charged with shooting her husband in cold blood. It appears to be an open and shut case, a sure, must-have win for Yuki. That is until Lindsay finds herself drawn into the case and starts poking around. Maybe things aren’t as perfect as they appear to be.  And Yuki’s slam-dunk case may now be in jeopardy.

Cindy is basking in the glow of being head-over-heels in love with Rich, who just happens to be Lindsay’s partner. Working as the crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. She knows in this day and age - with internet news and bloggers - that she doesn’t have 100% job security. She needs to find that one big story that will make her stand out, and hopefully hold onto her job.  She gets the inside scoop on reports of several women being found passed out near their  homes, with no memory of the past several hours.  Cindy uses her investigative skills and tracks down a lead that will put her in a very precarious position.

While each of the Murder Club women works her own case they offer their own brand of expertise to each other. They each have their own worries, both professional and personal. But they are always there to help and support each other. They are each others best friends.

My issues with 10^th Anniversary are relatively minor. Lindsay, Yuki, and Cindy each have strong, independent stories, but we get only glimpse of Claire. Yes, she had a baby not too long ago, and may be shying away from trouble for now, but I wish we had seen more of her. I also found it confusing that there was a second, albeit minor character, named Cyndi. Granted the spelling is different, but it can be confusing to the reader. I think with any character in a book, we develop a picture in our minds of what we think each character looks like. With the Women’s Murder Club having been a TV show, the images of Angie Harmon as Lindsay have stuck in my mind.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Angie Harmon, but now she is the only face I see. And she wasn’t necessarily what I pictured Lindsay to look like originally.  This isn’t the authors doing, obviously, but those of you who watched the show may have a similar issue.

10^th Anniversary is typical James Patterson ~ short chapters, fast-paced storylines, familiar characters and cases that aren’t easily solved. He realizes that, at this point, everyone is probably familiar with the women of the Murder Club and doesn’t bother the reader with too much repetitive info on their pasts. James Patterson & Maxine Paetro do a great job of combining mystery, intensity, love, friendship, and suspense in this latest edition of the Murder Club series. While most may look at this book as a typical James Patterson mystery, I see beyond that, to what to me is the core of this story. The deep, unrelenting friendship that these four women share. A friendship that has survived death, kidnapping, dating your BFF’s boss, and whatever else gets thrown at them. Looking forward to when they celebrate their 20^th anniversary. 

About the authors ~ 

James Patterson has had more New York Times
bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 205 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.
 

 Maxine Paetro is the author of three novels, two works of nonfiction, and the coauthor of seven books with James Patterson. She lives in New York with her husband.







Other books in the Women's Murder Club Series ~

FTC Full Disclosure ~ I received this book from the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

AMAZING ARC Giveaway Box

It's an AmAzInG ArC BoX Giveaway

The box will be filled with all of the books below for one lucky winner to claim.

 

 Beachcombers: A Novel by Nancy Thayer

Velocity (Karen Vail) by Alan Jacobson

Reckless: A Novel by Andrew Gross

Without Mercy by Lisa Jackson

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt

Chosen To Die by Lisa Jackson

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline

Mister X by John Lutz

Senseless by Mary Burton

Merciless by Mary Burton

GIVEAWAY - Rules for entering: 

• This contest is open to USA residents only! 
• You MUST complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count! 
• The contest will end on January 13, 2011 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winner will be selected and contacted thereafter. 
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail or another winner will be selected.  Make sure you check your spam filters.
•  Book will be shipped directly from me (via UPS). 
•   No PO Boxes - UPS will not deliver to PO Box 

Review ~ Prayers & Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons

Prayers and Lies
Author ~ Sherri Wood Emmons
Publisher ~ Kensington
Publication date ~ February 1, 2011

When seven-year-old Bethany meets her six-year-old cousin Reana Mae, it's the beginning of a kinship of misfits that saves both from a bone-deep loneliness. Every summer, Bethany and her family leave Indianapolis for West Virginia's Coal River Valley. For Bethany's mother, the trips are a reminder of the coalmines and grinding poverty of her childhood, of a place she'd hoped to escape. But her loving relatives, and Bethany's friendship with Reana Mae, keep them coming back. 

But as Bethany grows older, she realizes that life in this small, close-knit community is not as simple as she once thought. . .that the riverside cabins that hold so much of her family's history also teem with scandalous whispers. . .and that those closest to her harbor unimaginable secrets. Amid the dense woods and quiet beauty of the valley, these secrets are coming to light at last, with a force devastating enough to shatter lives, faith, and the bond that Bethany once thought would last forever. 

Spanning four decades, Sherri Wood Emmons' debut is a haunting, captivating novel about the unexpected, sometimes shocking events that thrust us into adulthood--and the connections that keep us tethered, always, to our pasts.

My thoughts  ~

Bethany, a seven year old girl from Indianapolis begins to spend her summers with her parents, sisters, and extended family at the Coal River in West Virginia. While the life here is much different from what she is used to, she quickly feels both at peace and at home here, and  forms a tight, sisterly bond with her six year old cousin, Reana Mae. There is a simpleness here on the River that Bethy finds comforting.  Though they may not have the "riches" that Bethy  has at home, they have the "riches" of love, family, and a place to always call home.

As the years go on, things begin to change. People begin to change. And just maybe, things on the Coal River aren't nearly as perfect as Bethy thinks. The sweet innocence of their summers begin to take on a dark, impossible-to-fathom identity that will rock this town and this extended family to its core. It will bring to the surface memories that this family would rather leave buried in the past.  It will shatter lives in a way that no one could ever imagine. But a larger question remains - will it bring Bethy and Reana Mae closer than they've ever been, or will it turn them into bitter enemies with no hope of ever finding that deep, close friendship they shared when they were  younger?

From page one, you will become entrenched in the lives of  Bethy, Reana Mae and the rest of their family. Your heart will ache for their past sufferings, and your mind will scream at them for the situations they now find themselves in. Can this current generation overcome the sins of those that came before them? Or are they destined to repeat those same mistakes? Will  lies continue to be told? Will the prayers finally be answered?  If you only read one book in 2011, make sure it is Prayers and Lies.  The raw emotion, the angst of the teenage years, the desire to be wanted, needed, and loved, the hatred, the lies, the secrets, the pain, the joy and the yearnings of Bethany and her cousin Reana Mae will take hold of your heart from the very first page and never let go. An amazing story of love, friendship, and the test of time that will stay will you long after you turn the last page.

FTC Full Disclosure ~ I received this book from the publisher in the hopes that I would review it.

Giveaway - Tick Tock by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge ARC

Tick Tock (Michael Bennett)
Author - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Publisher - Little, Brown & Co.
Publication date - January 24, 2011

NYC's #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem--the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified!

Tick--a killer's countdown begins
A rash of horrifying crimes tears through the city, throwing it into complete chaos and terrorizing everyone living there. Immediately, it becomes clear that they are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind.

Tick--Michael Bennett is on the chase

The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children, his grandfather, and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine. Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack.

Tock--your time is up

Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker. As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn. All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan. From the creator of the #1 New York detective series comes the most volatile and most explosive Michael Bennett novel ever.  

GIVEAWAY  Rules for entering:

• This contest is open to residents of USA  residents only!
• Please complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count.
• The contest will end on December 16, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen (make sure to check your spam filters!).
• Book will be shipped directly from me.

Book Giveaway ~ Love You More by Lisa Gardner (ARC)

Love You More: A Novel (D. D. Warren)

The crime appears open-and-shut:  Pushed to the brink by an abusive husband, state police trooper Tessa Leoni finally snapped and shot him in self-defense.  But Tessa isn’t talking–not about her dead husband, her battered face, or her missing six-year old daughter.  Now, Detective D.D. Warren will have to race against the clock to unearth family secrets, solve a murder and save a child.

I'll be giving away one (1) copy of this book.  

GIVEAWAY  Rules for entering:

• This contest is open to residents of USA  residents only!
• Please complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count.
• The contest will end on November 26, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen (make sure to check your spam filters!).
• Book will be shipped directly from me.

Book Giveaway ~ Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (ARC)

Sing You Home: A Novel
Author ~ Jodi Picoult
Publisher ~ Atria
Publication date ~ March 1, 2011


Zoe Baxter has spent ten years trying to get pregnant, and after multiple miscarriages and infertility issues, it looks like her dream is about to come true – she is seven months pregnant. But a terrible turn of events leads to a nightmare – one that takes away the baby she has already fallen for; and breaks apart her marriage to Max. In the aftermath, she throws herself into her career as a music therapist – using music clinically to soothe burn victims in a hospital; to help Alzheimer’s patients connect with the present; to provide solace for hospice patients. When Vanessa – a guidance counselor -- asks her to work with a suicidal teen, their relationship moves from business to friendship and then, to Zoe’s surprise, blossoms into love. When Zoe allows herself to start thinking of having a family, again, she remembers that there are still frozen embryos that were never used by herself and Max.

Meanwhile, Max has found peace at the bottom of a bottle – until he is redeemed by an evangelical church, whose charismatic pastor – Clive Lincoln – has vowed to fight the “homosexual agenda” that has threatened traditional family values in America. But this mission becomes personal for Max, when Zoe and her same-sex partner say they want permission to raise his unborn child.

SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today’s world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system. Are embryos people or property? What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption? What happens when religion and sexual orientation – two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind – enter the courtroom? And most importantly, what constitutes a “traditional family” in today’s day and age?

Also – in a very unique move – readers will get to literally hear Zoe Baxter’s voice. I am collaborating with Ellen Wilber, a dear friend who is also a very talented musician, to create a CD of original songs, which will correspond to each of the chapters. This CD will be packaged with each hardcover book. So – literally – stay tuned!

 I will be giving away one (1) copy of this book

GIVEAWAY  Rules for entering:

• This contest is open to residents of USA  residents only!
• Please complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count.
• The contest will end on November 19, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winner will be selected and contacted thereafter.
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen (make sure to check your spam filters!).
• Book will be shipped directly from the me. 

Book Giveaway ~ Left Neglected by Lisa Genova (ARC)

Left NeglectedLeft Neglected
Author ~ Lisa Genova
Publisher ~ Gallery
Publication Date ~ January 4, 2011

Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus.

Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son’s teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it’s a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

 A self-confessed balloon about to burst, Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt.  

A traumatic brain injury completely erases the left side of her world, and for once, Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, including her formerly absent mother. Without the ability to even floss her own teeth, she struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future.

Now, as she wills herself to regain her independence and heal, Sarah must learn that her real destiny—her new, true life—may in fact lie far from the world of conference calls and spreadsheets. And that a happiness and peace greater than all the success in the world is close within reach, if only she slows down long enough to notice.

GIVEAWAY  Rules for entering:

• This contest is open to residents of USA residents only!
• Please complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count.
• The contest will end on October 26, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen (make sure to check your spam filters!).
• Book will be shipped directly from me.

Mister X by John Lutz (ARC)

Mister X
Author ~ John Lutz
Publisher ~ Pinnacle
Publication date ~ October 1, 2010

He mutilates his victims. Slices their throats. And carves an X into their flesh. Five years ago, he claimed the lives of six women. Then the killings abruptly stopped - no one knows why. Ex-homicide detective Frank Quinn remembers. Which is why he's shocked to see one of the dead women in his office. Actually, she's the identical twin of the last victim, and she wants Quinn to find her sister's murderer. But when the cold case heats up, it attracts the media spotlight - and suddenly the killings start again...

My thoughts ~ 

Frank Quinn and his partners are back in the newly formed Quinn & Associates Investigations. Pearl Kasner was done working as a security guard at a bank and Larry Fedderman (Feds) wasn’t all that interested in catching fish in Florida anymore. So the three of them have settled back into the life they know and love – detecting. Chrissie Keller, having come into a large sum of money, comes to see Frank to hire him. Five years ago her twin sister Tiffany, along with four other young ladies, was killed by the serial killer known as the Carver (I’ll leave why up to your imagination), but he was never caught, and his killings stopped. Frank and his team have a long history of being able to solve serial killer cases. So it’s no surprise that Chrissie Keller would turn to him. But when the team starts digging into the killings word comes down from Police Chief Harley Renz, who Frank has an interesting relationship with, calls and tells them to back off. Let sleeping dogs lie. Now why would he do that? Are his reasons personal or political? Then Chrissie disappears and it’s a whole new ballgame.

Then the killings start again. Is, after all of this time the Carver back? Or is there a sick copycat killer out there? One who knows way to much about the case not to be connected somehow. At this point Renz knows he has no choice but to bring Frank, Pearl and Feds back onto the force. He gives them badges, two other detectives to work the case and a profiler named Addie Price with a dark past of her own. But as Frank and his team really start digging they realize that things just aren’t adding up. Why are there no pictures of Tiffany in the file given to them by Chrissie? When they finally find a picture of her, why does she look nothing like Chrissie? Who is the mystery woman that seems to be shadowing them? Showing up at every crime scene they do and running away before they can catch her. And just what do the flashback chapters of an abused boy named Jerry Grantland, who sneaks out of his house at night to cross the road and watch Tiffany & Chrissie being abused by their father have to do with anything?

After all this time, the feelings between Frank and Pearl seem to still simmer below the surface. But that soon changes when Pearl meets Yancy Taggart and their whirlwind relationship begins. Can Frank deal with his feelings about this relationship while at the same time hunting a deranged serial killer? And when tragedy befalls one of them, will they all be able to go on? The hunt for the Carver and Chrissie heats up and based on information obtained during the investigation, Frank brings in a family member to help draw both the Carver & Chrissie out. The race to stop the killings leads to a stunning, yet deadly conclusion. One that still leaves them with unanswered questions and will have the reader thinking “Holy …..” John Lutz is a masterful story teller who has written a tense, action packed novel filled with so many twists and turns you’ll think you are on amusement park ride. Mister X is a superb suspense novel that will have you reading well into the night, keeping the lights burning bright, constantly checking to make sure all of the doors and windows are locked tight. X definitely marks this spot!

A Brisket, A Casket by Delia Rosen (ARC)

A Brisket, A Casket: A Deadly Deli Mystery
Author:  Delia Rosen
Publisher:  Kensington Books
Publication date:  October 1, 2010

Gwen (nee Katz) Silver heard the brisket at her uncle-s Jewish deli, Murray the Pastrami Swami-the only one of its kind in Nashville, Tennessee was to die for. But she didn't realize that meant literally.

When Gwen learns she is inherited Murray's, the native New Yorker leaves her chaotic career and messy divorce behind to start over in Nashville. But the venture seems doomed from the start. Murray's taken his recipes and secret list of food suppliers to the grave with him, and ruthless real estate developer Royce Sinclair will stop at nothing to try and sandwich Murray's into his already overstuffed portfolio. Then, on Kosher Karaoke Night, longtime customer Buster Sergeant bites into his brisket-and bites the dust. The coroner says food poisoning, but Gwen is not convinced. Now, with the help of hunky police detective Beau McClintock, Nashville Katz, as Gwen is quickly nicknamed, will find herself adding private investigator to her resume, and a new love to her life.

I'm just about to start this book, so I will be back soon with my review. I figured this was the perfect book to read at the start of Rosh Hashanah.

FTC Full Disclosure ~ I received this book from the publisher in the hopes I would review it. 

Guest Post & GIVEAWAY ~ Laura Alden - Murder At The PTA

After people find out I’m a writer, one of the most common questions I’m asked is; “When did you start writing?”


The most truthful answer would be; “Um…I’m not sure.”


Should I count the play I wrote in second grade? As I vaguely recall, it started as a narrative about the history of my home town but slid ever-so-gently into a murder mystery. Even at age seven I was taking advantage of the privileges of artistic license.


If I don’t count the play, should I count my poetry? In fourth grade I entered a school-wide poetry contest. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember if I won third, second, or first place, but I must have won something, because part of the “prize” was getting up in front of entire student body and read my poem out loud.


Ahk!


I’d still like to know whose bright idea that was. Back in the 70’s, didn’t they know that kids who write poetry almost certainly aren’t the same kind of kids who want to speak in public? I mean, honestly. If the intention was to frighten me from publicly admitting I wrote, it worked like a charm.


Despite that, all through junior high, high school, and sad to say, through college, I continued to write horrible poetry. (Side note: How do I know it’s that bad? Because last year I came across a couple of pieces and, after a long bout of red-faced cringing, I couldn’t decide whether to laugh at my pompousness or cry at my naïveté.)


After college I entered the work world all eager and determined to Make Something of Myself. There were lots of long nights and Saturdays at the office. There was minimal time spent thinking about what I really wanted out of life, and even less time spent writing poetry – for which the world should be grateful.


Fast forward fifteen years. I left the management job for a simpler way of living. No more committee meetings, no more monthly newsletters, no more marketing plans to dream up, no more clients to cajole, no more drop dead deadlines to worry about.


Within a month, I was bored silly. A month after that, I’d started to write fiction. Go figure, eh?


I wrote a romance (it was awful), then a mystery (equally awful). Then another mystery (not quite as bad), then yet another mystery (nearly publishable). After that came a thriller and a mainstream novel set in the White House, and then I wrote the start of a cozy mystery and ended up with….a contract! For three books!! I may be a late bloomer, but at least I’m blooming.


Yes, twelve short years after I started writing in a serious way I’m about to see my debut novel in print. A dream come true? Well…yes!


About the author (short version)

I grew up in Grand Haven, Michigan, where I spent summers picking blueberries and winters falling down on skis.

In the early 80's I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology. While my pursuit of the degree was interesting, a knowledge of how biaxial crystals behave in convergent polarized light has proven completely useless in my various careers. Ah, well.

Except for a year spent in Connecticut, I've lived in Michigan all my life. Currently, I live on a lake with my husband and two cats. Which means I now spend winters and summers falling down on skis.

 Click HERE to visit Laura's website

Find Laura on Facebook HERE

Find Laura on Good Reads HERE

 Email Laura at lauraalden42 AT gmail DOT com 

Laura's DEBUT novel - Murder at the PTA is going to be released on October 5th.  She generously sent me an advanced reader copy to read and review. I'll be starting it today at lunch and I can't wait!  I'll be back with my review as soon as I finish the book!

 

Murder at the PTA (Pta Mysteries) 

  As the owner of a children's bookshop in the quaint town of Rynwood, Wisconsin, and a mother of two, Beth Kennedy has a full plate. So when her best friend, Marina, asks her to become the secretary for Tarver Elementary School's PTA, Beth can think of better ways to occupy what little free time she has. But after some arm-twisting (Marina's favorite activity), Beth agrees to come on board.

The course of PTA meetings never has run smoothly, but when Tarver's unpopular principal turns up dead, Beth realizes that making bake sales wheat-free and funding class trips weren't the only things on the agenda. Then the local gossip blogs, WisconSINS, starts fanning the flames of speculation, and it seems like everyone is a suspect---especially certain members of the PTA. Beth knows she must race to find the killer before he teaches another fatal lesson....

MY THOUGHTS ~ 

Beth Kennedy, mother of Jenna and Oliver, has been divorced for a year now, and her BFF Marina thinks it’s about time she got off her butt and got out some more. It doesn’t seem to matter to Marina that Beth thinks she gets out plenty. Hello - she does own a children’s bookshop in town and has two children – all of which keep her plenty busy. Unfortunately for Beth, that is not what Marina has in mind. She thinks that Beth should run for secretary of the PTA. What Beth doesn’t know is that there are no other “candidates”. She’s it, and she has just volunteered for the position. There go her Wednesday nights alone while the kids are with her ex.


Granted the PTA meetings never go easy, but had Beth known what was about to happen at her very first meeting as secretary, she never would have “volunteered.” Agnes Mephisto, the much despised principal of Travers Elementary School, has decided that, thanks to a very anonymous and very large donation, there will be a new addition to the school. And not only has SHE made this decision, she already had the plans (they were hideous) and the builders are ready to start. Since it was a private donation, there needed to be no discussion about it, as there were no taxpayer dollars involved. WELL….let me tell you, this news did not sit well with the parents. And not to long after the meeting, Agnes ends up dead.


The gossip blog, WisconSINS, starts printing not so nice information about the locals and soon Marina (the not so anonymous author of the blog) starts receiving death threats warning her to back off. With her friend’s life in jeopardy, and having gotten a better understanding of Agnes’s life after speaking with her sister, Beth sets off to track down the killer. With a list of parents/suspects a mile long, it takes some clever sleuthing on Beth’s part to whittle down the list. But will she find the killer before he/she finds her or Marina? Is it a parent hoping to put a stop to the ugly addition or someone that has nothing to do with the school itself? Or just maybe it’s the handsome, mysterious man that has reappeared in Beth’s life? A man she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl. While it was fairly easy to figure out who the mysterious donor was, it wasn’t so easy when it came to the killer. There are lots of hints that will have you thinking one thing, only to find out they mean something completely different, and those things having nothing to do with murder and mayhem. Laura Alden’s Murder at the PTA is a fun, fresh, and exciting addition to the cozy genre. It’s great start to a new series by a new author. Just don’t let the teacher catch you not reading it.

 

I'll be giving away my copy of Murder at the PTA (Pta Mysteries) to ONE (1) lucky winner.

GIVEAWAY  Rules for entering:

• This contest is open to residents of USA residents only!
• Please complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count.
• The contest will end on September 16, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.
• Once the winner is contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen (make sure to check your spam filters!).
• Book will be shipped directly from me

 

FTC Full Disclosure ~ the author sent me this book in the hopes that I would review it.