An Unwilling Suspect by Jo A. Hiestand - Book Tour - Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Jo A. Hiestand and her new book, “An Unwilling Suspect”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!  Also, come back daily to interact with Jo and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

An Unwilling Suspect

by Jo A. Hiestand

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: British Mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

McLaren’s fiancée tragically died one month ago. Trying to heal emotionally from her death, McLaren settles into a rented farmhouse in the woods near picturesque Lake Windermere, in Cumbria. But he’s barely had a chance to rest when Helen, the woman in the neighboring cottage, is killed…and is discovered near his front door.

Because McLaren had spent much of the previous day with her, and his snowy footprints lead to and from her house, he becomes the prime murder suspect in what the police label a frustrated romantic advance.

Motives for Helen’s murder are as chilling as the outdoor temperature. There’s the hands-on garage mechanic who’d like to put his hands all over her, the affluent fishing guide, and Helen’s former boyfriend who wanted to renew the relationship.


Can McLaren find the killer before the police jail him for murder?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT TWO:

The acrid smell of smoke woke him. He lay in bed, trying to understand what was happening. As the significance of the odor occurred to him, he threw back the duvet and got up quickly.

He forgot that he’d looked up a few things last night. He must have fallen asleep without putting away the laptop, for it flipped off the top of the bed and crashed onto the floor. “Damn.” He bent over and picked it up. The top dangled, gripping the keyboard by its left edge. McLaren punched the power button but nothing happened. The screen stayed black. He tossed the laptop onto the bed and quickly slipped into his jeans and shoes as the odor intensified.

He ran into the front room. Fingers of light gray smoke threaded through the air and he coughed, but he saw no other sign of fire. He checked the back room, kitchen and second bedroom, but encountered nothing more than smoke. As he dashed back into the front, he glanced outside. The land was on fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REVIEW:

This book was such a great read!  I really enjoyed it and found myself totally engaged in the storyline.

This book has excellent details that allow for the reader to easily picture the scenes and events.

This book is about main character, McLaren, an English investigator on leave.  After McLaren’s fiancée tragically dies, he decides he needs to get away and rents out a farmhouse in Cumbria near Lake Windermere.

While at the farmhouse, he meets his new neighbor, Helen.  She quickly reaches out to him for some handy work around her cottage, being the gentleman that he is, he agrees to help her out.  A new platonic friendship seems to emerge, but it isn’t long before Helen is found murdered and all the clues point to McLaren being the killer.

McLaren is shocked to be questioned let alone be considered the prime suspect.  Although, not in the best state of mind, McLaren knows he must pull himself together and find the real killer before he, himself is locked up.

In McLaren’s investigation, many suspects surface in Helen’s murder – including the grabby mechanic, the affluent fishing guide, and the aggressive ex-boyfriend.  McLaren is in a race against time to find the killer and evidence to put him in jail – but not only is McLaren trying to beat the cops to his own arrest, the real killer is out there watching McLaren closely.  Will McLaren find the real killer before it’s too late?

I really enjoyed reading this story!  I LOVE a good mystery and this book definitely delivered!

This book has fantastic writing that is thoroughly constructed and well detailed.

The storyline flows and is evenly paced.

I liked the main character, McLaren!  He was sweet, but lost and confused and heartbroken.  Obviously, that’s to be expected after his tragic loss.  Which I totally felt bad for him, because he just wanted to get away, have some peace and quiet, and recover.  Unfortunately, he finds himself thrown into an investigation, the prime suspect, and in the dangerous tracks of the killer – not really much time to grieve lol.  However, there are some serious scenes and it’s clear that McLaren is damaged and in need of healing.

This book has a lot to offer and touches on so many topics.  Everything from mystery, suspense, intrigue, grief, heartache, misery, sadness, healing, love, loss, and so much more!

I liked that this book hit so many chords and was respectively written in regard to each circumstance.

It is clear that Ms. Hiedstand knows the mystery, crime solving scene as she writes with such elegant and professional detail.

There were some exciting twists and turns that you might not see coming!  And also, a big final surprise that will most likely shock you!

This book is book seven of the McLaren Mysteries Book Series.  I had not read the other books prior to reading this one.  This book can easily be read on its own without any confusion.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it!  I think all mystery and crime thriller fans will like this book too!  So add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R1CGRC6FGWFOTY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO:

A month-long trip to England during her college years introduced Jo to the joys of Things British.  Since then, she has been lured back nearly a dozen times, and lived there during her professional folk singing stint.  This intimate knowledge of Britain forms the backbone of both the Taylor & Graham mysteries and the McLaren cold case mystery series.

 Jo’s insistence for accuracy, from police methods and location layout to the general feel of the area, has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire for research.  These explorations and conferences with police friends provide the detail filling the books.

In 1999 Jo returned to Webster University to major in English.  She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.

Her cat Tennyson shares her St. Louis home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH JO:

Website:

https://www.johiestand.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jo-Hiestand-Mystery-Author/203133803128

YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MysteryAuthorinSTL

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/635131.Jo_A_Hiestand

Goodreads Book Page #1:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35436864-an-unwilling-suspect

Goodreads Book Page #2:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35143415-an-unwilling-suspect

Amazon US Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2u4HvRr

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

http://amzn.to/2u4sy1M

Amazon Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2tAK2is

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-unwilling-suspect-ms-jo-a-hiestand/1126392045

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Jo will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.