A Talent For Murder by Andrew Wilson Blog Tour!

Publication: July 11, 2017

Publisher: Atria Books

Source: Publisher

Discover the real-life mystery centered on the queen of crime herself: Agatha Christie. In this tantalizing new novel, Christie’s mysterious ten-day disappearance serves as the starting point for a gripping novel, in which Christie herself is pulled into a case of blackmail and murder. “I wouldn’t scream if I were you. Unless you want the whole world to learn about your husband and his mistress.” Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, is boarding a train, preoccupied with the devastating knowledge that her husband is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events—for her rescuer is no guardian angel, rather he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind. “You, Mrs. Christie, are going to commit a murder. But, before then, you are going to disappear.” Writing about murder is a far cry from committing a crime, and Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her expertise and knowledge about the act of murder to kill on his behalf. In A Talent for Murder, Andrew Wilson ingeniously explores Agatha Christie’s odd ten-day disappearance in 1926 and weaves an utterly compelling and convincing story around this still unsolved mystery involving the world’s bestselling novelist.

The Facts

Agatha Christie never spoke of her ten-day disappearance in the winter of 1926, and it has remained one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern times. She eventually turned up in a seaside hotel, registered under the name of her husband's mistress.

The official statement released by the family was that Christie suffered a sudden episode of amnesia as the result of a car crash. She rarely talked about the experience, and omitted its mention entirely from her autobiography.

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Agatha Christie has always seemed to have a great talent for developing entertaining whodunits with unsuspecting culprits. But for 11 days...and even longer after that, she becomes the story that everyone is talking about…

It’s 1926, Agatha Christie is at the top of her writing game; her sixth novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, was very popular. But unfortunately her life outside of her writing only looked good to outsiders. Having to deal with her husband is having an affair and the passing of her mother is a lot for Mrs. Christie to deal with. Then one day, she decides to go for a drive and "The Queen of Mystery" soon becomes a mystery herself.

Andrew Wilson, a great fan of Agatha Christie manages to create an intriguing story in the same vein as Christie’s mysteries. The author does extensive research into Christie's life and uses that to create his own spin on what he believes occurred during those missing days that no one really can account for except Agatha Christie herself.  A Talent for Murder, is a good story if you enjoy a cozy mystery or the works of Agatha Christie, like myself.

RATING: 3 out of 5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrew Wilson is the highly-acclaimed author of biographies of Patricia Highsmith, Sylvia Plath, Alexander McQueen, as well as Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. His first novel, The Lying Tongue, was published by Atria in 2007. His journalism has appeared inThe Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, and The Washington Post.

Find Andrew Wilson Online

Website: https://www.andrewwilsonauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @andrewwilsonaw

A TALENT FOR MURDER: A Novel by Andrew Wilson

Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781501145063 | On sale: July 11, 2017 | 320 pages | $26.00

eBook: Atria | ISBN: 9781501145087 | On sale: July 11, 2017 | 320 pages | $13.99

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Lost in Me (Here & Now #1) by Lexi Ryan

Publication: April 6, 2014

Publisher: Ever After, LLC.

Lost in Me is the first book in the Here and Now series, a spin-off of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Hope series. This sexy amnesia love triangle is intended for mature readers. The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost...perfect.  But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don't remember dating, attempting to run a business I don't remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a facade propped up by secrets I don't even know I have? I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself. Lost in Me is not a standalone novel, as the story continues in Here and Now book two, Fall to You, releasing in June.

I’ve always been intrigued when it came to stories of women losing their memories and then suddenly finding themselves in a difficult situation. Which is why this particular story got my interest.

Hanna wakes up in the hospital bruised and battered from a supposed fall down the stairs with an engagement ring on her finger from fiancé Max. The guy she has longed for since she was a teenager. As if having an accident wasn’t enough, she wakes up with no memory of the past 11 months.

Hanna is a great character. She is sweet, loyal, would want others to feel better before herself, and someone I would want to know in real life. But she is also insecure about her weight…which she lost a lot of over the last few months, and she’s insecure about her relationship with Max. It’s tough trying to move forward in relationship when you can’t remember any of it even occurring. But Hanna is determined to make the best of the situation.

“I feel like the universe wants me to see everything, to not take it for granted. The doctor said my memory will probably be back soon, so maybe this is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me. How many of us get to step back from our lives and see how perfect they really are?” “No one’s life is perfect, Hanna.” “You know what I mean.” “I do know, and it worries me. You’ve got stars in your eyes about your life, and in a couple of days you’re going to start living it again. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it isn’t everything it seems.”

To make matters further complicated, there is a mysterious and sexy rocker that she shares a connection with…one she can’t stop thinking about. Plus her mom is very determined to make this wedding between her and Max take place very quickly. But she is equally determined to remember.

There is an air of mystery to this story as we get to see flashbacks of Hanna’s life months before her accident and try to fill in the blanks of what happened. I really enjoyed the story-line. More than I thought I would. The ending surprised me with something I in no way saw coming. At. All. So if you are a reader who can’t stand cliff hanger books, then at least hold off until the second book comes out in June.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

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Book Review: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter



Synopsis:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

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After enjoying Heist Society so much, I was eager to begin the second book in the series. Uncommon Criminals is just as much fun as the first book. I was happy to discover that because sometimes the second book is not as good as the first.

This time Kat finds herself as a Robin Hood of sorts. Stealing precious artifacts and returning them to their rightful owners. She is contacted by an older woman named Constance Miller, who requests the assistance of Kat and hew crew in retrieving a supposedly cursed Emerald that several thieves have tried and failed to steal. All the characters are back this time around. Though this time they have a smaller, but just as valuable role in the book.

If you are looking for a fun and light contemporary read then I would recommend Uncommon Criminals. It isn’t completely necessary to read Heist Society first, but you would definitely understand Uncommon Criminals more if you did.  This story had a couple of surprises and twists that made the story more enjoyable. It was easy to get sucked into Kat’s world and I loved every second of it.

Rating: 4½ out of 5.

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Blog Tour: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Title: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Release date: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 

Purchase: Amazon

 

Today I am participating in “The Rules for Disappearing Blog Tour hosted by Shane at Itching for Books!

Synopsis:

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

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I had been hearing a lot of good things regarding this book from other readers, so I was excited to finally be able to read it. I have always been interested in what it might be like for people who have to leave the things they cherish, like home, family, friends, tangible items, and move somewhere unknown. It sounds completely frustrating and scary.

The Rules for Disappearing revolves around a family who are currently in the Witness Protection Program. Now under the new names of Meagan who is 17 years old and Mary who is 11 years old, the two sisters along with their parents leave once again their old identity and set out for Louisiana.

At this point Meg is beyond angry and frustrated with how things are unfolding. Her sister, Mary is speaking less and less, with each new identity and move, and their mom only makes matters worse by her drinking. She begins to question her father about why they are in the WPP. Her father is unwilling to give her the answers she needs, so she decides to take matters into her own hands.  And she does this with the aid of a cute local boy named Ethan.

I thought that The Rules for Disappearing was a fun summer type read. It kept me entertained the entire time I was reading it. One of my favorite parts in the book was the rules she listed at the beginning of the chapters.

Here is one of my favorites:

“Live on the fringe of society. You don’t want to be in a nice neighborhood because those people are all in your business and want to know everything about you. And you don’t want to be in a bad one, well…because it’s bad. If you go to all this trouble to hide from bad guys, it’d suck to get shot just because you live in a crappy area.”
-Ashley Elston, The Rules for Disappearing

All in all, I enjoyed this story. Meg and Mary grabbed my heart from the first chapter. Readers who enjoy a light mystery and a little bit of romance involving teens should consider this book.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf Disney-Hyperion in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

About the Author

Ashley Elston lives in North Louisiana with her husband, three sons and two cats. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a licensed Landscape Horticulturist and helps her husband run a commercial lawn and landscaping business. They also custom harvest pecans and have cows. Yes, cows.

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A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

Synopsis:

For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion. Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and—if the plague doesn't kill the suspect first—public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened. Unless, that is, she can uncover the truth herself.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer.

In her debut novel Murder at Rosamund's Gate, Susanna Calkins seamlessly blends historical detail, romance, and mystery in a moving and highly entertaining tale.

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Lucy Campion is a chambermaid for the Magistrate in London. She becomes a bit of an amateur sleuth when her brother Will is falsely accused of a servant’s murder. Or when her brother is falsely accused of a murder, she becomes a bit of an amateur sleuth. One of the things I enjoy about reading historical fiction is the history in the story. The author, Susanna Calkins, does a nice job of painting a virtual picture of London in the 17^th century and the constant struggle of women and station/class.

Trying to legally free someone of a crime without any prior law experience is one thing, but doing so as a young woman and especially as a servant, made Lucy very brave and ambitious in my eyes.

I loved her strong spirit and determination. Though for all her smarts, she tended to have some moments where her choices were questionable and not all that smart. With a killer on the loose murdering women, I thought she could have been a little more careful than she was.

All in all, A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate was an entertaining story with a mystery that wasn’t very obvious to solve and a little romance thrown in to make things a little more interesting. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a light mystery should check this book out.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

**I received this book from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books in exchange for nothing, but my honest review.**

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