by Marilyn, Lorie and Jesus

We have a bonus this week with a trio of reviews by three different Kings River Life Magazine contributors as well as a chance to win a copy of one of these fun books! Two of the authors reviewed, Patricia Canterbury and L.F. Crawford, also granted interviews recently. The third author is Cindy Sample whose novel, Dying for a Date, will be given to a lucky KRL reader — contest details below.

The title refers to the fact that every Thursday Nancy Noire visits her lover, Jack, in his apartment for a romantic evening which usually begins with a wonderful dinner. The book begins with Nancy going to Jack’s apartment and instead of finding him waiting with open arms, she finds a dead man.

The murder victim turns out to be the man who lived across the hall, a chef, who was finishing up Jack’s dinner preparations. Of course, Jack becomes the primary suspect. His alibi as to his whereabouts during the time of the murder can’t be proved and it seems that Nancy is the only one who believes him.

Nancy is a lawyer and involved in a big case, but she knows that she needs to help Jack and the only way to do that is try to solve the murder herself. While she’s on the trail, she encounters a lecherous police detective who becomes a stalker.

The plot has plenty of complications and danger along the way, along with more than one villain, and plenty of romance. This a mystery lover’s delight.

Marilyn Meredith is a Springville, CA mystery author and an ongoing contributor to our Local Literary section. Be sure to visit her website; fictionforyou.com

Bad Moon Rising is the third novel in L.F. Crawford’s Beverly Hills supernatural detective series. Art Murry is a police detective with a gift that gives him an extra leg up in fighting crime — he has visions that involve the crime. His partner is a young detective, Billy Kidman. After solving a disturbing serial killer case, they are talked into going on a cruise with Art’s twin, Lance, who happens to be an opera star and nothing at all like his brother.

However, what is supposed to be an escape turns deadly when a girl that Billy went off ship with to explore New Orleans, turns up dead and he becomes the prime suspect. New Orleans Detective Jean Gallant begins to investigate with Art sticking his nose into the case, determined to prove Billy’s innocence.

Things get even crazier as Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau begins speaking to Art, shape shifters become involved in the case and Billy goes missing.

This is a fun book with just the perfect mix of a great mystery and the supernatural. The relationship between the brothers and their soon-to-remarry mother is fun and realistic, and all of the characters are unique and a delight to get to know. I look forward to going back and reading the two previous books in the series, Beverly Hills Voodoo and Fortune Cookie Karma. You can learn more about L.F. Crawford and her books on her website.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds.

I read a lot and, by a lot, I mean I read a new book every other week. However, my reading habits tend toward the urban fantasy and sci-fi genres. Those are the proper terms for books about vampires, magic and/or other supernatural beings. Therefore, when I was asked to read and review the romantic mystery Dying For A Date, I thought, “well, I’m going to hate this book.” To my surprise, I very much enjoyed reading it. What I liked about the book is Cindy Sample’s style of writing; for some reason, it just appealed to me and, from there, I was able to enjoy the book as a whole.

The story and the main character are very well written and realistic. The main character is Laurel McKay, a recently divorced mother of two who joins the dating scene once again. The only problem is, after she goes on her first date, he ends up dead the next day. Then, when her second date just disappears on her during their date, she becomes the subject of a police investigation. Laurel herself doesn’t know whether she’s a possible victim or someone just doesn’t want her to date. To save her job and her reputation, Laurel and her hilarious mother set out to find who is responsible before it’s too late.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Is this my new favorite book? No, it’s a little out of genre and a little too tame for me. Half the time, I was a expecting a vampire to pop out or the main character to suddenly inherit a magical legacy. Did I hate this book? Absolutely not, I enjoyed it and, as an introduction into the romantic mystery genre, it was great.

Those who are avid readers of this genre will love this book and people just starting out in this genre will enjoy it as a very fun read. So, if you find yourself in need of a good read, check this book out no matter what genre you usually read — you won’t be disappointed.

Jesus Ibarra is 18 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.