by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an EBOOK copy of Perilous Poetry, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Turning thirty is a milestone in anyone’s life, and for Charli Rae Warren it brings with it a new career, home, and mended relationship with her hometown. She never thought that after running away from home at the age of seventeen that she would return to Hazel Rock to run the Book Barn Princess with the father she once demonized. Now, as a result of connections through Charli’s cousin Jamal, bestselling writer Lucy Barton has chosen their bookstore for a promotional book signing. It’s all because of the Book Seekers app created by Jamal and Lucy’s daughter, with the app having players chasing down clues to “catch” books available for sale at Charli’s store. It’s a brilliant sales marketing tool; too bad someone uses it to lead participants to corpses laid out in scenes depicted in Lucy’s novels.

As suspicion falls on Jamal, tourists and gamers descend upon the tiny Texas town of 2,095 to follow clues of both the Book Seekers app and the very real murders. Hazel Rock community leaders are torn between those wanting to shut the app down and others who are prospering from the influx of business, and Charli herself isn’t sure which side to take. Her beloved Aunt Violet, the sister of Charli’s late mother and a former police officer, is firmly on the side of Jamal, but threats to the bookstore and family outweigh concerns profit and success. Investigating murder would be complicated enough without it getting so tangled up in Charli’s love life, and with mayor Cade Calloway and Sheriff Mateo Espinosa each vying for a place in her heart, it’s no wonder that sometimes she only wants to curl up with the pink albino armadillo who shares the Princess nickname.

Anyone who succumbed to the Pokémon Go craze is aware of how all-consuming it can become; more than one player has been reported to have walked off of a trail or into a road in pursuit of a character. The combination of using this app with actual book reading is outstanding, even if brings along with it the same hazards of being distracted by mobile devices. Setting this series apart as well is its unique presentation of a bi-racial heroine, who co-exists with her multi-racial family. Race is never an issue for their love for one another, making it an enviable model for today. By combining the classic scenario of a fictional murder coming to life with modern-day app gaming, the author updates and crafts a thoroughly fun and engaging new mystery. The entertaining small Texas town, realistically quirky characters, and a young woman’s path to adulthood are all skillfully highlighted in this witty, fun, very suspenseful novel.

To enter to win an EBOOK copy of Perilous Poetry, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “poetry,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 2, 2018. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address. DELIVERY OF THE BOOK TO THE WINNER MAY BE DELAYED DUE TO THE CLOSING OF THE PUBLISHER’S OFFICES FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section.

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.