The Missing Heir: Review and Giveaway

This mystery begins with a bang!  Published in 2014, The Missing Heir is the third book in the Amelia Moore Detective Series by author Linda Weaver Clarke.  I've read many books by this author over the past few years, and so I was excited about the prospect of reading her newest cozy mystery.

The Missing Heir starts with emotion and impact, as twenty-something siblings Jenny and Robert Walker burst into Amelia Moore's detective office.  Jenny is especially upset, because she fears that the orphanage that her uncle, Dell Murphy, started about twenty years ago, the Orfanato de Tio Dell, will be closed down, leaving the children without a place to live. Uncle Dell has recently passed away, and has willed most of his fortune to his nephew, Neal Woods, who will take care of the orphanage, since Dell and his deceased wife didn't have children.  But Neal has gone missing!

Since Amelia specializes in missing persons, Jenny and Robert implore her to find their missing cousin, Neal, who they've been searching for over the past two months.  Amelia agrees to take on this touching case, and hopes to find Neal before the fortune is turned over to Dell's brother and sister.  In order to save the orphanage, she must find Neal before the reading of the will, or he'll forfeit his inheritance.  But how do you find a missing person in Mexico, particularly when time is of the essence?  I've mentioned before that cozy mysteries often feature intelligent women protagonists.  Is Amelia savvy enough to find Neal, the missing heir, with the help of her handsome partner, Rick Bonito? 

Author Linda Weaver Clarke is on a roll with this mystery series, which features spunky Amelia and dashing Rick, who work together.  There are unmistakable sparks between them, as well as a few passionate kisses, although Amelia attempts to resist Rick's charms.  (We readers think they're perfect for each other, naturally.)  I enjoyed this romantic cozy mystery a lot!  The writing is lovely and lively, and I felt as if I were experiencing the action myself.  Linda was inspired to write this book because of the darling children she met in orphanages in Mexico.  Although I've never visited a Mexican orphanage, I've been to Mexico many times, and her descriptions--of the land and the buildings and the food--are just about perfect.  This story flows well, and I read happily and eagerly (I thought that things would work out well in the end, although I wasn't able to figure out exactly how that would happen).  This is another positive, feel-good cozy mystery.  My copy was well edited, and I didn't realize it was a proof until I came to the very end of the book.

The Missing Heir is a wonderful addition to the Amelia Moore Detective Series.  I recommend all of the books in this series that I've read so far, without hesitation, to young adults and adults. 

If this new, cozy mystery sounds appealing to you, you're in luck. The author is generously offering an international giveaway for the ebook edition of The Missing Heir.  It works well as a stand-alone book, so don't be deterred if you haven't read the earlier books in this series. 

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, leave a comment about the last cozy mystery you read.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, December 1.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, December 2.  Good luck!

Many thanks to talented story-teller Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me a complimentary copy of The Missing Heir.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series, The Mysterious Doll.

As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

The Bali Mystery: Review and Giveaway

Most of you already know what a cozy mystery or "cozy" is, but for those who require a bit of help, it's a mystery that's not too gory or violent.  According to author Linda Weaver Clarke, a cozy mystery "focuses on the plot and characters, and the main character is usually an intelligent woman".  Published in 2014, The Bali Mystery by Linda Weaver Clarke is the first book in the Amelia Moore Detective series, a new cozy mystery series by this author.

The author's explanation reinforces the idea that the protagonist in a cozy is usually an intelligent woman.  Additionally, while investigating cozy mysteries as a genre online, I read that many cozy mystery readers are intelligent women, who enjoy trying to solve the crimes in these books (a detective or any person who tries to solve a mystery does need to be sharp).  Cozies appeal to readers (female or male) who like to be actively entertained and engaged, who like to figure things out, and who, perhaps, like me, think that cozy is a rather cute term.  ;)

In The Bali Mystery, Amelia Moore is a private investigator with her own detective agency, which specializes in missing persons.  In the book, a distraught Mrs. Brody asks Amelia  to find her younger brother, William Flint, who's been missing for two months.  Amelia is eager to take the case, but uneasy about it as well, because William's cousin has told her to drop the case, and also because of two "men in black", who seem to be lurking about.  Amelia asks her handsome and flirtatious friend, Rick Bonito, for help with the case.  Before she meets with Rick, Amelia gathers as much information as she can.  She interviews William's co-worker, Bud, and learns that William had traveled to Pakistan about four months earlier, and that he's quit his job.  From a friend, she finds out that he flew to Bali, Indonesia more recently.  Amelia and Rick are perplexed. Why would William quit his job, put his home up for sale, and fly to Bali without telling anyone? They decide to take a trip together, to "the most romantic and exotic island in the world", Bali.

Over the past few years, I've enjoyed many books by Linda Weaver Clarke, and this one was no exception.  The beautiful, tropical setting of Bali in the book feels authentic, and the turquoise Bali Sea, old temples, jungle, and much more, are described with finesse.  At their hotel in Kuta, there's a desk clerk named Budi, and I had to smile, because many years ago, I met a young man named Budi from Indonesia who became a friend.  The setting was portrayed so vividly that I asked Linda if she'd actually traveled to Bali (she hadn't, but she did her research). 

Linda Weaver Clarke is a talented storyteller, and her writing brings her characters to life.  Amelia is a terrific main character.  Single and in her thirties, she's a confident, strong, and likable character.  I'm not sure if Amelia is "smart enough to work at Google", but she's certainly one smart cookie.  Rick thinks she's "beautiful and stubborn", flirts with her throughout the story, and teases her about a polka-dot bikini.  As the story progresses, there's a bit of "old-fashioned" romance in the mystery which is lovely, and which sets the stage for future books in the series.

The Bali Mystery is a quick read that's suitable for young adults and adults.  This book drew me in right away, and my attention never wavered while I was reading it.  I look forward to reading the next book in this mystery series, The Shamrock Case.

The author is generously offering an international giveaway for an ebook edition of The Bali Mystery. If this cozy sounds like your cup of tea, please take a few moments to enter the giveaway.

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, leave a comment about why you enjoy reading cozy mysteries. 

Enter by 5 PM PDT on Monday, May 12.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, May 13.  Best of luck, and thanks for reading!

Special thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me her new book, and for graciously offering this giveaway to my readers.

The Friday 56: Coulrophobia, and the Monk Book Winner

Are you afraid of clowns?  Do you believe that their garish faces and outlandish costumes hide evil interiors?  It's difficult to say exactly how common this phobia is, or if it's prevalence is exaggerated.  But it's no mystery that Adrian Monk's list of one hundred major phobias includes coulrophobia.

" 'Hazard pay?'  Stottlemeyer snorted.  'For one thing, you're a homicide consultant, so it's always hazardous.  That's the job.
And . . . it's a clown, for God's sake.  A clown!'
'Don't say that!'  Monk shuddered and sank away."
 ~ Mr. Monk Helps Himself, Hy Conrad

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice.  If you want to play along, the rules are simple:

• Grab a book, any book.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find a sentence, or a few, to share in a post. 
• Add your post's link to the linky.

I'm also ready to announce the winner of the giveaway for Mr. Monk Helps Himself by Hy Conrad, a book I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing recently for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours.  Please help me to congratulate the lucky winner, Carol M.  Congratulations, Carol!  I think you'll enjoy reading this marvelous mystery.  If you didn't win this novel, why not take a look at the other giveaways listed in my blog's right sidebar?  You might discover another book that you'd like to win.

Thanks for reading!  Your comments are welcomed, as always.
Joseph Grimaldi clown picture courtesy of Wikipedia.