Review + GIVEAWAY: Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan

About the Book

Book: Murder in the City of Liberty  
Author: Rachel McMillan  
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical  
Release Date: May 21, 2019

Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren have a new case—and this one brings the war in Europe dangerously close to home. 

Determined to make a life for herself, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca. 

Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he’s afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes that seem to link Boston to Hamish’s hometown of Toronto. 

When an act of violence hits too close to home, Hamish is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.  

Click here to purchase your copy.  

My thoughts

Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan is a wonderfully atmospheric novel filled with romance, historical detail, witty dialogue, and adventure. There’s a freshness to McMillan’s writing that I like, and I’ve never seen lead characters quite like Hamish and Reggie. In fact, it’s only in reflecting back that I realize how complex this story really is.

First, there’s the setting, Boston of 1940. My favorite historical era is the American Revolution, and Boston reflects much of our country’s fight for independence to this day. In McMillan’s hands, Boston comes alive so much so that it literally becomes a major character. But there’s also a realism as she shows its darker side, such as the criminal underworld. And some themes are just as prevalent today as they were then – racial tensions, corruption, and antisemitism.

Another strength is the characters of Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren – who, when it comes to historical mysteries, are in a class all by themselves. In spite of her high society background, or maybe because of it, the determined Reggie is striving for independence and making it on her own, yet is still drawn to certain elements of the society world. Hamish is an incredible, but flawed, leading man. How often does a hero wear glasses? Or suffer from mental illness? With Hamish, it’s panic attacks caused by an anxiety disorder – realistically portrayed because this is something with which McMillan has first-hand experience. What I like most is that Hamish is not defined by his disability, rather turning his weaknesses into strengths. I also loved the chemistry between Hamish and Reggie as their romance takes a step forward beyond the friend and coworker stage.

Two extremely strong secondary characters really stand out. Nate, Hamish’s best friend, is a patient encourager who I liked and want to see more of. And then there’s Hamish’s cousin, Luca Valari. Is he good or bad, or maybe a little of both? I don’t know yet, but I’m intrigued. “Much of Luca’s life existed behind a kind of filter where shapes were blurred and lines were fuzzy and nothing ever quite added up.”

Murder in the City of Liberty is the second book in this series, and while the author provides some background, I felt lost at times. Mob characters were difficult to keep up with. I highly recommend reading Murder at the Flamingo first, as I believe that would have given me a much better understanding. Another little thing is that I found the opening scene where Reggie almost drowned a little confusing when it came to location, where she and Hamish actually were in the building, how they got to one another, etc. However, I attribute that to the fact that I was reading an ARC.

There’s lots to enjoy in Murder in the City of Liberty and I look forward to much more from Rachel McMillan.

I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

About the Author

Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. 

Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.  

Read the excerpt

Boston 
April 1940 

      There really never was a good time to drown. But this particular April had been unseasonably cold and promised spring long in coming. The slosh of the Charles River warmed by ribbons of June sun would have been preferable to the crusted sludge of leftover ice rimming the harbor, or so thought Reggie Van Buren as she bobbed up and down like a buoy. 
      A New Haven Van Buren ought to have perished an old, wealthy woman, tendrils of snow-white hair falling around a satin pillow, comforted in the knowledge that she would be interred in the family plot, her soul destined for paradise—not with water up to her nose, choking as it lapped in and out like a tide over her chattering teeth. But a New Haven Van Buren also might have had the propriety to insist upon the use of her given name and not the “Reggie” she so preferred. The Reggie she was just hearing now in a rather frantic yet familiar voice. 
      “Reggie!” Hamish DeLuca’s panicked voice reached into the hollow dome of her cement cave. “Reggie!” 
      “I was st-stupid. I s-slipped.” 
      She treaded poorly, her arms feeling like gelatin, her form rather lacking the swimming skills she had learned informally alongside her family’s schooner on Regatta Day. Reggie strained to rise above the lapping water. She took turns treading and raising herself as high up on her toes as she could. Rotating and wondering why she failed to complete the ballet classes her parents enrolled her in as a child. Standing on tiptoe might have added inches to her height and allowed her to clear her mouth of the water. As it was, her calf muscles strained. She said something that came out in a series of bubbles before glugging, rising upward, and noticing for the first time how the fog from her icy breath rippled over the water. If she couldn’t understand herself, how would he? 
      “S-slipped,” she said again, trying to make him out in shadow. “H-Hamish.” She tried again. Funny, usually he was the one with the stutter. Hamish DeLuca with the stutter and the bit of a handshake and that one pesky dimple and those big blue eyes. Her own eyes fluttered. Maybe she would never see him again. She would just slip under the water and rest her heavy eyelids. She blinked until a stream of torchlight buttered the dark walls, crystallizing the percolating water drips around her, and then the figure of her rescuer, whose blue eyes looked even more brilliant than usual in the eerie glow of the flashlight. 
      Hamish dropped to his knees. “Take my hand.” 
      “This didn’t turn out as I expected,” she chattered. 
      “Reggie, we don’t have much time.” His voice rippled as he looked frantically at her and then over to the grille she had stared at since she got into the mess, watching the water level rise and fall and rise and fall until it made her dizzy. She clung to his hand a moment. “We should have gone with plan B.”  
      Hamish growled. “We didn’t even have a plan A.” 
      “You’re my hero, Hamish.” She patted his hand with her icy one. “It was so nice of you to come.” 
      “Reggie, just take my hand.” 
      “I’m stuck!” 
      “What?” 
      “M-my shoe.” Hamish said something she was altogether certain she had imagined in her half-frozen and very soggy state. And then, of course, he recklessly jumped in to get her.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize of both book in the series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/e513/murder-in-the-city-of-liberty-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, June 11

Simple Harvest Reads, June 11

The Power of Words, June 12

amandainpa, June 12

As He Leads is Joy, June 13

Fiction Aficionado, June 13

Through the Fire Blogs, June 14

Carpe Diem, June 14

Moments, June 15

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 16

Have A Wonderful Day, June 16

Cordially Barbara, June 17

Rebekah’s Quill, June 17

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 18

Hallie Reads, June 18

Bigreadersite, June 19

Connect in Fiction, June 19

Blogging With Carol, June 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 20

For Him and My Family, June 21

Remembrancy, June 21

Pause for Tales, June 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 22

Godly Book Reviews, June 23

Texas Book-aholic, June 23

janicesbookreviews, June 24

A Reader’s Brain, June 24

Inklings and notions, June 24

Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: A Dream of Death by Connie Berry

A Dream of Death
By Connie Berry
Kate Hamilton Mysteries #1
Crooked Lane Books, 2019


Summary

On a remote Scottish island, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton wrestles with her own past while sleuthing a brutal killing, staged to recreate a two-hundred-year-old unsolved murder.

Autumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high. A recently published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.

Amazon    Barnes & Noble  Indiebound


My thoughts

It’s been a while since reading a mystery that I could hardly put down, but that’s the case with A Dream of Death by debut author Connie Berry. I simply can’t say enough about this traditional mystery! Spellbinding, atmospheric, captivating … A Dream of Death is quite exquisite. Definitely a 5-star, best-of-the-best read for me. Connie Berry is an author to watch.

I was initially drawn to this book because of a love for British fiction, and Scotland is the icing on the cake. The isolated setting – Glenroth, a fictional island in the Inner Hebrides – becomes a major character. The descriptions are so vivid and easy to follow that I could visualize each scene in my mind, even sensing the rush of the wind and the pulse of the sea. The prose is exquisite, with a gentle touch of humor. And you won’t find any fluffy descriptions of food or clothing; rather, every word is important and propels the storyline along.

Three years ago I’d been Kate – wife, mother, daughter,

friend. I’d known my lines by heart. Then the curtain fell,

and when it rose again, I’d found myself in a new play,

without script or cues. No choice but to stumble along.

- Kate

The characters themselves are vividly drawn and appealing. Kate - with her natural curiosity, passion for history, and heartbreaking past - is a fascinating protagonist. There’s nothing paranormal or psychic, but on a rare occasion while observing an antique, she had experienced “an impression, of joy or sadness, or longing, as if the emotional atmosphere in which an object existed had seeped into the joints and crevices along with the dust and grime.” Romance doesn’t play a major part, but there’s a hint of it in Kate’s relationship with Tom, a detective inspector visiting from Suffolk, England, who I liked very much.

There’s a poignancy to the mystery plot itself. The murder victim was the sister of Kate’s deceased husband, Bill. Tension existed between these three in the past, for there seemed to be an unbreakable bond between brother and sister that came ahead of the marriage relationship. When the story opens, Kate is traveling to Glenroth in order to make good on a promise to Bill that she would look after his sister. Elenor is a complex character, and Kate soon discovers that the “reasons to dislike Elenor were as plentiful as cold germs in January.” And then there’s Bo, who seems to be the most likely suspect. A life-long friend of Bill’s, Bo has a cognitive disability, but is high functioning. I loved this character so much and appreciated that he was portrayed realistically.

A Dream of Death is a wonderfully engrossing story of great depth that leaves me wanting so much more from this author. And to top it off, this story is clean – no profanity or explicit scenes. Thank you, Connie Berry, for showing that an excellent novel has no need of these elements.

Book #2, A Legacy of Murder, releases in October 2019 – and I can’t wait! It looks like future stories will be set in England, but I hope for an eventual return to Scotland.

Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Like her main character, Connie Berry was raised by charmingly eccentric antique collectors who opened a shop, not because they wanted to sell antiques but because they needed a plausible excuse to keep buying them.

Connie adores history, off-season foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Millie.

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Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: Cry Wolf by Annette Dashofy

Cry Wolf
By Annette Dashofy
Zoe Chambers Series #7
Henery Press, 2018


Summary

Rural Pennsylvania’s Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams is down an officer and has been dealing with extra shifts as well as a pair of bickering neighbors, one of whom owns a machete and isn’t afraid to use it.

Golden Oaks Assisted Living is outside Pete’s jurisdiction, but a murder in the facility his Alzheimer’s-afflicted father calls home makes the case personal.

Paramedic and Deputy Coroner Zoe Chambers has been itching for an opportunity to take the lead in a death investigation. She gets her chance when her boss is hospitalized and not only assigns her to the Golden Oaks homicide but puts her in charge of the county coroner’s office.

As if she doesn’t have enough to handle, a long-lost, over-protective, older half-brother walks into her life threatening to drive a wedge between her and the man she loves.

A second dead body leads them to realize the case may have dark ties to a distant past…and if Zoe doesn’t untangle the web of lies, Pete will be the one to pay the ultimate price.

Amazon │ B&N │ Kobo


My thoughts

Cry Wolf is an impressive murder mystery, well written and downright hard to put down. It quickly engages the emotions and makes readers care about the characters. Complexity comes from great character depth that is developed throughout the series and multiple storylines, seemingly with no connection at first, but that are creatively woven and intertwined into the fabric of the narrative.

The rural Pennsylvania setting is beautifully integrated into this story, even as the first joint incident Zoe and Pete are called to involves a man throwing toxic grass clippings into his neighbor’s horse paddock, and an ensuing machete attack. Readers are often asked to suspend reality or belief in a work of fiction, but what I like most about this story is that it feels so very real – everything from Pete’s caring concern about an officer’s struggle over killing someone, to following Zoe on her paramedic calls and work in the coroner’s office, to the continuing storyline with Pete’s father residing at Golden Oaks Assisted Living – incidentally, where the first murder occurs.

The relationship between Zoe and Pete continues to develop and they have a sweet chemistry between them. And even more richness comes from the sudden, unexpected appearance of Zoe’s half-brother, met with acceptance and questions from Zoe and Pete respectively. As the mystery develops, I loved how past events come into play and how everything is cleverly woven together.

The only negative for me is the frequent use of mild profanity, which is completely unnecessary. If you could take a black marker and cross out these words, Cry Wolf would be outstanding. As a murder mystery, however, Cry Wolf is a favorite (as is the whole series) and I highly recommend it, but with that caveat.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. 

CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE  was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2014 and BRIDGES BURNED was nominated for the 2015 Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel.

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Review + FREE COPY on Kindle: Swell Time for a Swing Dance by Cindy Vincent

Swell Time for a Swing Dance
By Cindy Vincent
Tracy Truworth Series #2
Whodunit Press 2018


Summary

December 31, 1941. Young Houston socialite Tracy Truworth, Apprentice P.I., can’t imagine a better way to send off the old year and ring in the new than by dancing through the night with her fella, Pete Stalwart. But a swell evening soon takes a terrible turn when a fellow dancer with moves like Fred Astaire ends up dead on the dance floor. And before the hands on the clock can point to midnight, a finger is pointed at Pete, accusing him of murdering the young man.

Then after Pete is hauled away in handcuffs, the night goes from bad to worse . . . and Tracy’s sweet grandmother is accused of stealing an ancient artifact from the museum. Now Tracy must team up with her boss and mentor, Sammy Falcone, in order to find the stolen statuette, unmask the real murderer, and restore the reputations of those she loves the most.

Yet as America becomes embroiled in another world war, the risks and sacrifices intensify—even on the homefront. And Tracy soon finds her own home invaded by a near parade of questionable characters, while unsavory suspects lurk in the shadows, and a ruthless reporter makes her life miserable. With time ticking against her, Tracy must be willing to swing past the setbacks and hop through the hazards if she hopes to solve a mystery that involves a lot of dancing . . . and a lot more danger.

Paperback edition | Kindle edition | Goodreads page


My thoughts

Swell Time for a Swing Dance has a different feel from most mysteries that I read, and I enjoyed it very much. The action begins in Houston on New Year’s Eve of 1941 and has somewhat of a Nancy Drew/Judy Bolton feel to it. I merely mention Nancy Drew because most readers will immediately connect with her, but the authors of these two popular series were contemporaries, and Judy Bolton was by far my favorite. Judy investigated crime, along with her boyfriend Peter, which reminds me of Vincent’s lead characters. While not a YA story, this is a clean story all ages can enjoy.

One strength of this story is the World War II setting. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that Cindy Vincent had experienced it personally, because it’s that realistic. From books, to movies and big bands, the culture of that era is vivid. I loved the opening scene of swing dancing at a gala museum event, and even looked up this dance online to get a better feel for Tracy’s harrowing experience while dancing with Freddy. Wow!

After being inundated with today’s high-tech methods of crime solving on TV, it’s fun to read about a time where intuition, detecting skills, and questioning of suspects play such a big part – and where a detective like Sammy can even pocket some evidence from the murder scene! It was also easy to connect with Tracy, a socialite with conscience, caring, and intuitiveness. Tracy’s grandmother, boyfriend, and boss are great secondary characters.

The historical aspect is fascinating, even chilling as Nazi infiltration into America comes to light with things I didn’t know or had forgotten. Solving Freddy’s murder seems pretty routine at first, until things like missing church artifacts and a veil with mysterious healing powers comes to light. I also loved that the story is written from a biblical worldview, with subtle spiritual gems woven throughout.

Peter and Tracy’s romance takes a major step forward, but with much more to come as Peter leaves for war. I enjoyed Swell Time for a Swing Dance and am eager to see where Vincent takes these characters next.

Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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CINDY VINCENT, M.A. Ed., was born in Calgary, Alberta, and has lived all around the US and Canada. She is the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls. She is also the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper novels and the Daisy Diamond Detective series.

She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines.

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Click on the image above for a free e-copy of Swell Time for a Swing Dance.

Review (+ Tour GIVEAWAY): Uneasy Prey by Annette Dashofy

Uneasy Prey
By Annette Dashofy
Zoe Chambers Series #6
Henery Press, 2018


Summary

On the way to the emergency room, an elderly woman regains consciousness long enough to inform paramedic Zoe Chambers that her fall down the basement steps was no accident. Before she can say more, she succumbs to her injuries, launching Zoe and Police Chief Pete Adams into the investigation of a burglary ring targeting the area’s vulnerable senior citizens.

Zoe—in spite of Pete’s objections—takes it upon herself to act as protection detail after the con men, disguised as water company employees, set their sights on Zoe’s beloved former landlady. It’s a decision that eventually puts Zoe in harm’s way.

With Zoe already recovering from one close call, Pete must race against time to stop the crime ring—and a dangerous killer—before they strike again.

Amazon  B&N  Kobo


My thoughts

A poignant, complex story with lots of heart … I read a lot of good mysteries, but every now and then I come across a gem, and that describes Uneasy Prey by Annette Dashofy. This is a moving, touching story that not only entertains, but engages the emotions. Previous events are alluded to, but this book easily stands alone.

Pete, Chief of Police, and Zoe, a paramedic, are strong, appealing characters. They have grown closer and this story focuses on several senior adults in their lives and community. And in that vein, the storyline focuses on something that makes me see red – a scamming scheme targeting the elderly. Other relevant issues come into play, such as bullying, independence, and single parenting.

The tightly-woven mystery itself is exceptional, but it’s the character depth and relationships that make this story so rich. The people and situations are so real that it hardly felt like fiction at times. Dashofy writes in a conversational, effortless style with gentle humor, and there’s no rehashing of thoughts to slow the narrative down.

Uneasy Prey has a satisfying, surprising conclusion with storylines resolved, yet there are some ongoing threads to be developed in future stories – such as Kimberly and Zoe’s mother/daughter relationship, the rundown Engle farm that she deeded over to Zoe, and a certain reporter who grew on me. I look forward to many more stories in this series and plan to read the previous books as well.

Highly recommended.

Note: The only negative for me was the unnecessary use of profanity.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township.

CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2014 and BRIDGES BURNED was nominated for the 2015 Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel. 

UNEASY PREY , the sixth in the series, is set for release on March 27.

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