Author: The Lit Bitch

Books, Giveaway, Reading

Giveaway: Murder at the Mill (An Iris Grey Mystery #1) by M.B. Shaw

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Giveaway: Murder at the Mill (An Iris Grey Mystery #1) by M.B. Shaw

Are you looking for a new cozy series to get lost in? Do you like Agatha Christie? So you like the holidays? Sandals? Secrets? Lies? Oh and murder mysteries? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you don’t want to miss this first book in a new cozy series. And now you have a chance to win a free copy!

As featured in the Sunday Times, the first festive mystery in a new crime series from bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe – a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie’s Marple and Midsomer Murders.

A picture hides a thousand lies . . . And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth

Iris Grey arrives at Mill Cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage. She is drawn to the neighbouring Wetherby family, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer.

At the Wetherby’s Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow – but so too are tensions and rivalries among the guests. On Christmas Day, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime?

With the snow falling, Iris enters a world of village gossip, romantic intrigue, buried secrets and murder.

As featured in the Sunday Times, the first mystery in a new crime series from bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe – a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie’s Marple and Midsomer Murders (summary from Goodreads).

Giveaway runs 12/7/18-12/14/18

A winner will be announced 12/15/18

(how to enter)

On this blog you must leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway.  Your comment MUST include your email so I can contact you….if you do not enter an email in the comments your entry will be void. Winners will be notified by email the day after the giveaway closes and have five days to respond, it not another winner will be chosen. 

(GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY AND NO PO BOX)

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Murder at the Mill (An Iris Grey Mystery #1) by M.B. Shaw

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Murder at the Mill (An Iris Grey Mystery #1) by M.B. Shaw

I love discovering new mystery series and new to me authors. M. B. Shaw is not a new author, but she is new to me and I was eager to check out a book that sounded like an Agatha Christie mystery.

An quirky protagonist solves crime at a country house party…..at the holidays? Yes and double yes! I was so excited to read this one, especially during the holiday season!

A picture hides a thousand lies . . . And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth

Iris Grey arrives at Mill Cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage. She is drawn to the neighbouring Wetherby family, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer.

At the Wetherby’s Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow – but so too are tensions and rivalries among the guests. On Christmas Day, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime? Continue reading “Review: Murder at the Mill (An Iris Grey Mystery #1) by M.B. Shaw” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Judah’s Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees (The Silent Years #2) by Angela Elwell Hunt

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Judah’s Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees (The Silent Years #2) by Angela Elwell Hunt

I happened to see one of this author’s books up for giveaway on Goodreads and I was intrigued by the sound of her ‘signature style’ which seems to be women in the Bible. I didn’t win the giveaway but I did pick up one of her books the next time I was at my library.

This book stood out because of the beautiful cover and I know next to nothing about the Maccabee rebellion so I thought—-why not?

Seeking peace and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she can rest easily. But the land is ruled by Antiochus IV, descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and when he issues a decree that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws upon pain of death, devout Jews risk everything to follow the law of Moses. Continue reading “Review: Judah’s Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees (The Silent Years #2) by Angela Elwell Hunt” →

Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell

The Monastery Murders
by E.M. Powell

Publication Date: September 27, 2018
Thomas & Mercer
Paperback & eBook; 288 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1503903241

Series: Stanton and Barling #2
Genre: Historical Mystery

 

 

Their lives are ones of quiet contemplation—and brutal murder.

Christmas Eve, 1176. Brother Maurice, monk of Fairmore Abbey, awaits the night prayer bell. But there is only silence. Cursing his fellow brother Cuthbert’s idleness, he seeks him out—and in the darkness, finds him brutally murdered.

Summoned from London to the isolated monastery on the Yorkshire Moors, Aelred Barling, clerk to the King’s justices, and his messenger Hugo Stanton, set about investigating the horrific crime. They quickly discover that this is far from a quiet monastic house. Instead, it seethes with bitter feuds, rivalries and resentments. But no sooner do they arrive than the killer strikes again—and again.

When Barling discovers a pattern to these atrocities, it becomes apparent that the murderer’s rampage is far from over. With everyone, including the investigators, now fearing for their lives, can Barling and Stanton unmask the culprit before more blood is spilled?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Chapters | IndieBound

Continue reading “Special Feature: The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

I’ve only read a couple of Nancy Bilyeau’s novels, which was a good read but for some reason I didn’t get back to any of her other novels. I saw this one floating around various book sites and was intrigued.

I was interesting in this book because I thought it was going to be about china and porcelain and somehow circle back and become a historical thriller. In sort, that’s exactly what I got with this one—-porcelain and a little bit of suspense.

In eighteenth century London, porcelain is the most seductive of commodities; fortunes are made and lost upon it. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.

For Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, porcelain holds far less allure; she wants to be an artist, a painter of international repute, but nobody takes the idea of a female artist seriously in London. If only she could reach Venice. Continue reading “Review: The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau” →