Mistress of Lies (Mistress of Fortune #2) by Holly West Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by my leg of the Mistress of Lies Blog Tour! Take a look at the review below and to check out the other stops on this tour, click the banner above. Don't forget to enter the giveaway as well below!

Author: Holly West

Release Date: Sept, 29 2014

Publisher: Carina Press

Source: Me, My Shelf and I Tours

London, 1679 Isabel, Lady Wilde, mistress of King Charles II, has made a good living disguised as fortune teller Mistress Ruby, counseling London's elite. But after the murder of one of her customers, business has taken a downturn, and Isabel is on the verge of accepting the king's offer to move into the palace. Isabel's plans are interrupted when a beggar girl named Susanna shows up at her home, claiming to be her niece. Isabel always believed that her older brother, Adam, died alone during the plague. When Susanna reveals that Adam was actually murdered, Isabel is compelled to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother's death, twelve years after it happened. Isabel's investigation leads her through the gamut of London society, from bear-baiting matches and brothels to the realm of wealthy bankers. But as she uncovers her brother's dark secrets, Isabel begins to wonder whether the past is better left buried, especially when uncovering the truth could lead to her own funeral.

“Life is for the living, Isabel. Let the dead rest.”

If only Isabel could. Mistress of Lies finds Isabel searching for the truth and possibly even her brother this time around. After a beggar girl named Susanna Barber approaches her and announces that she is the twelve year old daughter of Isabel’s brother Adam, Isabel isn’t sure what to believe. Especially since she thought he died of the plague several years beforehand.  Making things even more complicated, Susanna claims that her father didn’t die of the plague, but was murdered. Curiosity ends up getting the best of her and she attempts to dig deeper into Adam’s past.  But the more she looks into things, the more questions she begins to have and it doesn’t take long for trouble to find her...

I enjoyed learning more about Isabel’s family. She is still as strong and determined as ever. Even after surviving an attack a few months earlier and trying to stay afloat when her business is dwindling, she refuses to give up.  There aren’t  a lot of women who would attempt to make it on their own she like has done.  

I thought Mistress of Lies was a great continuation in the Mistress of Fortune series. There is a good amount of background and history of goldsmiths and banking during that time period, which was interesting to discover. I found the story moved quickly and there was always something going on.  This series is great for lovers of historical fiction mysteries.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

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About The Author

Holly West is a crime fiction writer based in Los Angeles. Her short stories appear in several anthologies and her debut historical mystery, MISTRESS OF FORTUNE, will be published by Carina Press in 2014.

WEBSITE

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Mistress of Fortune (Mistress of Fortune #1) by Holly West

Publication: February 3, 2014

Publisher: Carina Press

Source: Bought

London, 1678 Isabel, Lady Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortune-teller who caters to London's elite. It's a dangerous life among the charlatans, rogues and swindlers who lurk in the city's dark corners, but to Isabel, the risk is worth the reward. Until magistrate Sir Edmund Godfrey seeks Mistress Ruby's counsel and reveals his unwitting involvement in a plot to kill the king. When Isabel's diary containing dangerous details of his confession is stolen, she knows she must find it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. Especially after Sir Edmund's corpse is discovered a few days later... Isabel is sure that whoever stole her diary is Sir Edmund's killer--and could be part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. But as she delves deeper into the mystery, not even the king himself may be able to save her.

The synopsis pretty much tells you the main parts of the story, so I am going to try and do this review without reiterating it.

“I’ve unwittingly become involved in the discovery of a plot to murder a person of great import. Now I fear the very men who would so wickedly kill him have turned their attention to me.”

What begins as a seemingly innocent visit to try her services, turns into something much more dangerous for Isabel. After a statement like that, I knew I was in for an entertaining adventure. I thought the story started off well. My attention was held from the first chapter.

I really liked Isabel. She is a strong woman and I admired her skills and knowledge. Not to mention she is an expert with disguises. She puts those skills to good use as she searches for her stolen diary.

The pace of the story was good. There wasn’t one time that I felt feel bored or thought that the story was lacking something. I was never on the edge of my seat with anticipation for what was to happen next, but I found it to be a really fun read and I easily became interested in Isabel and the murder mystery she got involved in. Even though I don’t read as much of it as I would like, I love historical fiction and I am always up for a good murder mystery, so Mistress of Lies was my kind of book.  

RATING: 4 out of 5.

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Book Blast: Mistress of Fortune by Holly West

I am happy to participate in this Book Blast hosted by Book Nerd Tours!

I was interested in this book as soon as I heard about it. Mistress of Fortune has mystery, intrigue, romance, and it’s an historical fiction. It’s a fun book to explore on the weekend or any day of the week for that matter. Check it out! J

Publication: February 3, 2014

Publisher: Carina Press

London, 1678 Isabel, Lady Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortune-teller who caters to London’s elite. It’s a dangerous life among the charlatans, rogues and swindlers who lurk in the city’s dark corners, but to Isabel, the risk is worth the reward. Until magistrate Sir Edmund Godfrey seeks Mistress Ruby’s counsel and reveals his unwitting involvement in a plot to kill the king. When Isabel’s diary containing dangerous details of his confession is stolen, she knows she must find it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. Especially after Sir Edmund’s corpse is discovered a few days later… Isabel is sure that whoever stole her diary is Sir Edmund’s killer–and could be part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. But as she delves deeper into the mystery, not even the king himself may be able to save her.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Holly West writes the Mistress of Fortune series, featuring amateur sleuth Isabel Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II who secretly makes her living as a fortuneteller. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mick, and dog, Stella. More info at hollywest.com.

GIVEAWAY!!

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Jeannie Ruesch's Cloaked in Danger Facebook Launch Party!

We hope you can join us on January 27th from 3:00 - 7:00pm PST a bookish good time!  We have some fabulous things lined up for the party.  Jeannie will be giving away some really cool prizes, there will be guest authors also dropping by to host giveaways of their books and swag, readers can post questions for Jeannie Ruesch, we've got some trivia to throw at you, and much more!

What: Jeannie Ruesch's Facebook Launch Party for Cloaked in Danger

Where: https://www.facebook.com/events/479465215499279

 When:  Monday, January 27th at 3:00 - 7:00pm PST

Publication Date: January 27, 2014
Publisher: Carina Press
eBook
ASIN: B00F93X7ZI

Aria Whitney has little in common with the delicate ladies of London society. Her famous father made his fortune hunting archaeological treasures, and her rustic upbringing has left her ill prepared for a life of parties and frippery. But when Gideon Whitney goes missing in Egypt, Aria must embrace the unknown. Armed with only the short list of highborn men who’d backed her father’s venture, she poses as a woman looking for a husband. She doesn’t intend to find one. Adam Willoughby, Earl of Merewood, finds London’s strangest new debutante fascinating, but when he catches her investigating his family’s secrets, he threatens to ruin her reputation. He doesn’t intend to enjoy it so much. When their lustful indiscretion is discovered, Adam finds that he regrets nothing. But now, as Aria’s father’s enemy draws near, Adam must convince his betrothed that she can trust him with her own secrets…before it’s too late.

About Jeannie Ruesch

Jeannie Ruesch wrote her first story at the age of the six, prompting her to give up an illustrious, hours-long ambition of becoming a Dallas Cowboy
Cheerleader and declare that writing was her destiny. That journey to destiny took a few detours along the way, including a career in marketing and
design.

Her first novel, a fairy-tale like historical romance, was published in 2009, but the darker side of life had always captivated her. So after a dinner
conversation with friends about the best way to hide a dead body, she knew she had to find a way to incorporate suspense into her writing. (The legal
outlet for her fascination.) Today, she continues writing what she loves to read – stories of history, romance and suspense. She lives in Northern
California with her husband, their son and an 80 pound lapdog lab named Cooper. She is also the creator of the WIP Notebook, a writer’s tool to help stay organized while you write, which you can find at her website. 

You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.