A Simple Favor - Blog Tour Mystery Review

About A Simple Favor

• Hardcover: 304 pages • Publisher: Harper (March 21, 2017)

"Riveting and brilliantly structured, A Simple Favor is an edge-of-your seat domestic thriller about a missing wife and mother that relies on a rotating cast of unreliable narrators to ingeniously examine the cost of competitive mom-friends, the toll of ordinary marital discontent and the fallacy of the picture-perfect, suburban family."—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author

She’s your best friend. She knows all your secrets. That’s why she’s so dangerous. A single mother's life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together—just like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time. But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong—Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily’s husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It’s the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over. Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems. A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense—a clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.

My Review:

Whew!  These were some seriously messed up people and this was a book I could absolutely not put down!  I don't want to say too much about the plot itself because this is definitely a case of the less you know the better but pretty much right from the start it roped me in and kept me reading.  I just had to see how everything was going to spin out.  This is defintiely a plot driven thriller and not one of the characters is likable.  Stephanie's use of the word "moms" set my teeth on edge and I spent quite a lot of time just wanting to shake her but this dislike made the book an even more compelling read as I couldn't wait to see what kind of secret was revealed next.  I wouldn't say this is the most original read.  If you read a lot of unreliable narrators or books with the Gone Girl comparison you might even find this predictable.  For me it was a quick read with lots of twists and turns and thoroughly enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to seeing more from Darcey Bell!  Rating: Very Good

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Darcey Bell

Darcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. A Simple Favor is her first novel. Follow Darcey on Twitter.

This Week in Reading - April 9

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander - I really love this cozy mystery series set in a cafe in Ashland, Oregon.  There are a few subplots where I really can't wait to see what happens next.  This is a series that needs to be read on a full stomach or you'll be wanting to make a bakery run.  The food descriptions are crazy good!  (NetGalley)

One Week to the Wedding by Olivia Miles - I have definitely caught the wedding connected book bug and I couldn't resist this new women's fiction from Olivia Miles who wrote the Briar Creek series which I really enjoyed.  This one involves sisters and friendships and people trying to face their demons.  Definitely sounds like my kind of read! (Publisher)

Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern - This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series and I cannot wait to get reading!  Plus it has a very Clue feel!  (NetGalley)

The Hidden Thread by Liz Trenow - The Forgotten Seamstress was one of my absolute favorite books of 2014 and I'm really looking forward to this new book by Trenow involving silk merchants, orphans, and potentially unsuitable suitors.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading: The Decorator Who Knew Too Much by Diane Vallere, Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie and Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

Listening:  At Home by Bill Bryson which I'm almost done with.  It's been a really good listen even though there's an enormous amount of information.  Next up is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Watching:  I discovered the Investigation Discovery App which happens to have all 100 episodes of Disappeared and I've been obsessing.  Needless to say I haven't watched much of anything else!

Off the Blog:

This week was all about best laid plans and the like.  I had a full week of appointments and necessary stuff laid out.  Then Sunday night the Tornado starting complaining about not feeling well and sure enough he had a temperature just shy of 100.  So he missed Monday and then Wednesday the governor declared a state of emergency because of the threat of tornadoes and other bad weather so no school Wednesday either.  Thankfully no tornadoes or even particularly nasty storms though we do have some branches down from high winds.

This weekend we're out of town visiting Emma and going to the A Day football game at her college.  I've never been to one so it should be interesting.  It's essentially a scrimmage but the have all kinds of family friendly activities so I think the Tornado should enjoy it too.  It's not super easy to find things for a 7 year old in a college town!

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Reviews from the Children's Section - Serafina and the Black Cloak
Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday - My Bookish Shopping List
Wednesday;  Somebody's Baby - Contemporary Romance Review
Thurday: Mrs. Pargeter's Public Relations - Mystery Review
Friday:  Link Ups with Evil Under the Sun
Saturday: Occult and Battery - Blog Tour Cozy Mystery + Giveaway

What's Coming Up:

Monday: A Simple Favor - Mystery Blog Tour Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Unique Books

Wednesday:  Gone Without a Trace - Mystery Review

Thursday: Stars Through Difficulties - Fiction Review

Friday:  Friday Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: Road Food - Foodie Review

Have a great week and happy reading!

Occult and Battery - Blog Tour Cozy Mystery Review + Giveaway

Occult and Battery by Lena Gregory

Occult and Battery (A Bay Island Psychic Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Berkley (April 4, 2017) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425282762 E-Book ASIN: B01J2STXD0

Synopsis

A murder mystery weekend becomes a little too real in the latest Bay Island Psychic Mystery from the author of Death at First Sight—

Cass Donovan uses her skills as a former psychiatrist to get away with pretending to be psychic, but she’s not about to let anyone get away with murder...

The outlook is not so good for Cass’s psychic shop, Mystical Musings. With winter winds discouraging tourists from riding the ferry from Long Island to Bay Island, Cass hopes to draw in more customers by hosting a murder mystery weekend, complete with a séance, in a supposedly haunted mansion.

But Cass begins to lose her spirit when her ex-husband shows up, along with his fiancée—Cass’s ex-best friend. Then, after one of the guests is found dead, a blizzard blows in, trapping everyone inside with a murderer. Now Cass must divine who did the deed before her reputation and her livelihood fade away.

My Review:

This series just became an auto-buy for me which is pretty impressive considering it's the first book I've read by Lena Gregory.  It was an absolute delight.  I pretty much want to go hang out with Cass, Bee (especially Bee), and Stephanie and play with Cass's enormous dog Beast.  Though perhaps I might wait to hang out with them when they're not falling over dead bodies.  The characters were so likable and interesting.  I loved that they're such great friends and that Cass is really aware of how special their relationships are.  I really enjoyed getting to know Cass herself which isn't always the case with the primary character as in cozy mysteries they tend to be incredibly nosy.  Cass is nosy but I wanted to know the answers just as much as she did so I had no problem there.  As well her interactions with her ex-husband and ex-best friend were perfectly low angsty.  She didn't dismiss her feelings but at the same time didn't dwell on them.  It felt very realistic and mature.

But I'll take a break from gushing about how much I loved the characters to talk about how much enjoyed the mystery.  It was solid and interesting with lots of hidden secrets and just a little touch of paranormal.  Just the way I like them!  The reveal was surprising, entertaining and thoroughly satisfying.  If you're new to Bay Island and Cass's world don't worry about jumping in here.  This was the first book I'd read and I knew who was who and what was what pretty quick.  Plus, now I can go back and read the first book while I wait for Lena Gregory to write book #3!  Rating: Very Good

About The Author

Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children.

When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.

Author Links: Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lena.Gregory.Author/?fref=ts
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03 
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/?etslf=2219&eq=lena%20gregory 
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory 
Purchase Links Amazon B&N Penguin/ Random House Kobo Books-a-Million Target

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

April 4 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 5 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
April 5 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
April 6 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 6 – StoreyBook Reviews - GUEST POST, SPOTLIGHT
April 7 – Bookworm Mom – REVIEW, GUEST POST 
April 7 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 8 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW
April 9 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW, SPOTLIGHT
April 10 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW 
April 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
April 11 – A Holland Reads - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 12 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW 
April 13 – Brooke Blogs - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, GUEST POST
April 15 – Readeropolis - REVIEW
April 15 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews - CHARACTER GUEST POST, SPOTLIGHT
 April 16 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
 April 16 – Author Annette Drake's blog – INTERVIEW
 April 17 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – REVIEW
  Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Friday Linkups: Evil Under the Sun

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

My Answer:
This was an easy one!  Hands down no question it'd be Agatha Christie.  Not only is she the author of my favorite books (and coincidentally the book I'm featuring today) but she is a fascinating woman with her wartime experience, her archaeology, and her mysterious disappearance early in her career.  Topics of conversation are endless.

This week's book is an old favorite - Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie.  I love seeing Hercule Poirot completely out of his element and I"m not sure he's more out of his element than when he is at the beach.  Shiny shoes, perfect symmetry, and beautifully waxed and maintained mustaches don't fare well among the sand and salt.  Plus, his general confusion and why the English are always so busy trying to fling themselves into freezing water or lie roasting on the sand is pretty funny too.  It doesn't hurt that this is also a very good mystery.

The Beginning:
When Captain Roger Angmering built himself a house in the 1782 on the island off Leathercombe Bay, it was thought the height of eccentricity on his part.  A man of good family such as he was should have had a decorous mansion set in wide meadows with, perhaps, a running stream and good pasture.


My Thoughts:
It always seems like particularly grand buildings or something in an especially gorgeous setting starts off with an eccentric creator.  Not the most captivating of intros but I do love the idea of Captain Angmering doing what he wants despite what convention says.

The 56:
Hercule Poirot replied to the Chief Constable's greeting in a suitable manner.  He murmured: "Ah, yes, many years have passed since that affair at St. Loo."

My Thoughts:
This is about the only mention of the fact that Poirot has appeared in other earlier books.  While it is technically a series it's only linked through Poirot himself and the publishing time line isn't even chronological.  If you've been wanting to try Poirot but haven't don't be scared to jump in anywhere!

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

Mrs. Pargeter's Public Relations - Mystery Review

Mrs. Pargeter's Public Relations by Simon Brett

Rating: Good
Source: NetGalley

Description:  It is her characteristic generosity rather than her love of animals that finds Mrs Pargeter supporting her friend, Jasmine Angold, at a charity reception for PhiliPussies, whose worthy aim is to rehabilitate stray cats from the Greek island of Atmos into caring English homes. But the evening is to have unexpected consequences. At the event, Mrs P is taken aback to meet a woman who claims to be the sister of her late husband, the much-missed Mr Pargeter.

This surprising encounter leads to unwelcome digging into past secrets, the discovery of a body in Epping Forest, an eventful trip to Greece - and unexpected danger for Mrs Pargeter. In the course of her investigations, she learns the true nature of charity and the dubious skills by which Public Relations can make evil look good.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've seen Simon Brett's name around for awhile and wanted to give this series a try.

My Impression: It's always interesting to go into a book completely blind.  I had read the blurb but I really knew nothing about the series or the character at all. This reminded me a bit of the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman.  Just by looking at her Mrs. Pargeter seems like a respectable wealthy widow but in reality she is the widow of a kind of crime boss who had many resources and connections - all of whom are more than happy to provide assistance to his widow.

The mystery itself was intriguing.  Right from the start Mrs. Pargeter feels that something is more than a little bit fishy with the cat charity and it was easy to follow her reasoning.  As well when the supposed sister of her late husband shows up and not only will none of his usually incredibly helpful associates shed light on just who this sister is but an important item goes missing I was quite curious to see how it all worked out.  I had a few guesses as to what was going to happen.  This doesn't read like a big reveal mystery but more like you're along for the ride getting the clues just as Mrs. Pargeter gets them.

The story itself had a somewhat old fashioned feel.  Mrs. Pargeter is a perfectly proper reluctant society lady and Truffles and some of her other friends have a seriously vintage old school gangster with a heart of gold vibe.  It wasn't the fastest paced mystery I've read but it was a very fun one.  Mrs. Pargeter is a character I enjoyed getting to know and her world is one I'd like to revisit.  This is a long running series and this is a later book.  However, I had no problem jumping in right here.  Enough was explained that I had no trouble understanding who was who and what was what but nothing was over explained or cumbersome.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  My library has a number of books by this author and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  If you enjoy a mystery and need a break from the thrillers but don't want to stray into cutesy this is a good choice.

Somebody's Baby - Contemporary Romance Review

Somebody's Baby (Darling Vermont #3) by Donna Alward

Rating: Loved it!
Source: Publisher

Description: Veterinarian Rory Gallagher chose a different path from his brothers, both of whom became first responders in the lovely little town of Darling, Vermont. Rory's always had an affinity for animals--and the ladies. Known for his impressive track record in breaking hearts, Rory never meant to hurt anyone; he's just never been in a hurry to settle down. It's not as if he needs to pay a visit to the town's famed Kissing Bridge to magically find love. He'll know The One when he sees her. . .right?
Oaklee Collier is the kid sister of Rory's best friend--and, even now that she's all grown up, remains immune to the pet-doctor's charms. When she shows up at Rory's clinic late one night--devastated after hitting a stray dog with her car--Rory's so-called -bedroom eyes- are the last thing on her mind. Still, his care and kindness toward the dog, and his concern for her feelings, catches Oaklee by surprise. . .and soon the two (and rescued dog makes three!) begin to share a deep connection that neither could have ever imagined. Could it be that love has been waiting for them by the bridge all along?

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book: I'm a big fan of Donna Alward and I've loved the frist two in this series.  I couldn't wait to learn Rory and Oaklee's story.

My Impression: Oh I loved this one!  I really liked the first book, Somebody Like You, and while I had a few quibbles I also enjoyed the second book Someone to Love but something about this one just really clicked with me.

I loved Oaklee.  In the previous books she had come off as a little shallow and always put together but we quickly see there's a lot more going on below the surface.  Oaklee has some baggage that is affecting her life in ways that even she doesn't fully understand.   She's struggling to find her footing as an independent adult and is starting to realize that things aren't the way she wants them.  She's resistant to the idea of a relationship of any kind but just as I would start to get annoyed with her stubbornness she'd have some kind of break through realization or give herself a talking too and I found myself rooting for her even more.  Rory was a little harder to click with. I liked him - pretty much everyone likes him but I never felt like I really knew him.  I did love how kind he was to animals and how he did really seem to care for Oaklee I just wanted a little more heart from him.

It was really fun to visit Darling again.  I loved checking in with the Gallagher family and the town of Darling as a whole.  Every character I meet I find myself wanting to learn their back story.  I especially enjoyed that it's not painted as perfect.  There are times when Oaklee mentions that it feels claustrophobic having everyone know everything about her and there is some talk about businesses having to struggle or work extra hard - especially during non-tourist time.

While this can be read as a stand alone I think you should probably read at least Someone to Love first.  There is some overlap in the two books and we seen scenes from the 2nd book in the 3rd but told from Rory and Oaklee's perspective.

I really love this series and every book has been enjoyable.  I'm hoping we will get another visit to Darling, VT soon or at least another Gallagher story!  If you enjoy a contemporary romance along the lines of Emily March or RaeAnne Thayne with a little more spice than this is a series you shouldn't miss!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  It feels like a visit to old friends!

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Definitely!  If you enjoy a good contemporary romance this is one not to miss!

Top Ten Tuesday - My Bookish Shopping List

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is a fandom freebie.  I'm terrible at fandoms and I've been flailing around with topics for quite some time so I've decided that I'm broadening my focus, joining the general bookish fandom and these are the things I want to buy!

1.  Nancy Drew Tote Bag from Out of Print - Because Nancy Drew is the best and all my tote bags seem to have disappeared.  Obviously I need this Nancy Drew bag.

2.  The Body in the Library t-shirt from Out of Print - I love all things Agatha Christie and I love Out of Print t-shirts so this one is a must!  And because shipping is free for orders over $60 I'll probably throw in this Jane Eyre tee

3.  The Great British Bake Off Coloring Book - This way I can decorate all those glorious show stoppers without having to worry about having something fall apart or come out wrong.  All I need is Sue Perkins and Mary Berry to hang out with and it'll be a pretty good night!

4.  Literary Candles from Uncommon Goods - I'm thinking 221 B Baker Street (Black Currant Tea and Leather Books but Thornfield Garden (Roses and Rain Water) from Jane Eyre sound pretty good too.

5.  Pride and Peppermint Noveltea Tin - I so adore this idea.  While Pride and Prejudice isn't my favorite book (but I'm not sure I'm want any Agatha Christie inspired tea.  I guess it'd be almond flavored?)  but the tea sounds amazing and the tin is amazing!

6.  Library Card Mug from Out of Print - Since I"m making bookish tea I need a good bookish mug and this one matches my phone case so wins all around!

7.  This Bookish Blanket from Cafe Press - Now that I have tea I need a blanket to snuggle down with!  If I'm sitting for any length of time I get cold and I must have a blanket!  I love this bookish blanket!

8.  5 Year Journal - I saw an idea on Modern Mrs. Darcy about using a 5 year journal as a reading journal and I love the idea.   I've kept a reading journal for years but it's more of a date started, book title, date finished type thing.  This would be just the title of my primary book and maybe a short thought so it wouldn't get overwhelming and I think it'd be fun.

9.  Nancy Drew bookmark - I love the old Nancy Drew covers and these bookmarks from Somekindahwonderful over on Etsy are amazing!  I don't read all that many books in print but can you ever have too many bookmarks?

10. Lots and lots of reading time!  - This one can't be bought but it's probably the thing I want most!

What do you have on your bookish shopping list?