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Monday, November 6, 2017

Halloween is Murder by Carolyn Arnold - Book Tour - Book Sale - Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hey lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Carolyn Arnold and her new book, “Halloween is Murder”!  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 $15 PayPal Cash!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Carolyn and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Halloween is Murder -
McKinley Mysteries, Book 11
by Carolyn Arnold

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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BLURB:

Beware of all that goes bump in the night…

Sean and Sara McKinley are excited about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to take on the investigation through their PI firm.

But this case is not without its challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinleys to get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.

As they troll for leads and work through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even be time for a little trick-or-treating.

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EXCERPT THREE:

Chapter 5

GRIM REAPER CLAIMS A VICTIM

“THERE SURE IS A LOT of secrecy surrounding Chloe’s death,” Sara said. “And they’ve all been ordered to keep quiet?” She looked over at Sean, who was behind the wheel, and arched an eyebrow. “That seems suspicious to me.”

“The station could be protecting their image. She could have had a drug overdose, something else…” he pointed out as he took a left turn, as directed by the GPS.

She wished she could run with that theory, but given their background as homicide detectives, her mind had to rule out murder first. “No, Sean, I don’t think so.”

“Well, before we get carried away, let’s talk to Jackson.” Sean steered the car into an apartment building parking lot.

She’d been working to quiet the voices in her head speculating about how Chloe had died, but speaking with Allison had only ratcheted up their chatter. She needed answers to quell her mind. She also felt a personal obligation to ensure justice was found, probably because she’d known Chloe—even if only for a brief time. Of course, that was assuming she’d been killed.

“And that poor man discovering his coworker,” Sara began. “I wonder where he found her and if he knows how she died.”

“Hopefully we’ll find out.” Sean got out of the car, came around, and opened her door. He held out a hand to her. “Keep in mind that Jackson might not be too happy to see us.”

“I know,” she said, taking his hand. “But if nothing else comes of this, maybe we’ll find out what happened to our segment.”

“Yeah, but will you be satisfied if that’s the only question we get answered?” He looked over at her as he held the front door of the building open for her. The glint in his eyes told her he doubted she’d let the matter of Chloe’s death go until she had all the boxes checkmarked and found out what had happened.

“I’d be lying if I said otherwise, and you know it. But please—” she took his hand “—just keep an open mind.”

Sean nodded. Sara often ran with her feelings, her hunches, her higher knowing, and did so on a whim. In contrast, Sean was compelled by reason, logic, and solid evidence.

They walked up to Jackson’s apartment on the third floor and knocked. Sean was about to knock again when footsteps padded toward the door. Then all went quiet for a bit. She imagined Jackson looking at them through the peephole.

“Jackson?” Sara called out. “It’s the McKinleys.” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “From the haunted house.” Maybe he needed a little more of a reminder.

Sean was shaking his head, and if she was reading his mind properly, he was thinking their coming here had been a bad idea.

“We’d like to talk to you about Chloe,” she said, certain to articulate in such way that he’d sense concern, not suspicion.

The chain rattled as it was being undone, and the handle turned. The door opened slowly.

Jackson was standing there in tattered jeans and a T-shirt. His eyes looked weary, and they were wet with unshed tears. Based on his complexion, she guessed that they had interrupted him crying.

“She’s dead.” He spat out the words in a cool manner, as if trying to separate reality from emotion, but it only made his pain that much more tangible.

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REVIEW:


I really enjoyed reading this book!

Another successful book from Carolyn Arnold!

I love fun, cozy, mystery books and this book totally fits the bill!

I had so much fun playing along, trying to solve the crime with the McKinley’s!

This book revolves around Sara and Sean McKinley, their PI Firm, and their team of investigators.  Sara and Sean are interviewed by reporter Chloe Parsons about the haunted house they set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser.  While the whole crew is at home waiting to watch their interview on TV it is announced that Chloe, the reported who interviewed them has died and their interview is not aired.  Everyone is in complete shock, especially Sara who wants to go investigate Chloe’s death.  However, Sean is resistant and thinks they should wait and see what the police turn up.  Unfortunately, the police and medical examiner seem to be leaning towards Chloe dying of natural causes!  Sara is outraged and is dead set on proving it was murder!  Sara is finally able to convince Sean to partake in the search to prove Chloe was murdered and to find her killer.  This is not an easy feat and Sara and Sean encounter many obstacles along the way.  But the McKinley’s and their team are on the case and they’re going to find the truth and bring Chloe justice.

I really liked the main characters – Sean and Sara McKinley!  They were well developed, likable, and genuine.  They had great chemistry and really played well off each other.  They pushed and pulled each other’s buttons, but also helped and supported each other – like a real married couple!

I enjoyed the supporting cast for the most part – the PI firm team.  I think if I had read the other books in this series I might have had a better, stronger connection or relationship with them.  Don’t get me wrong they were fine – but easily forgettable characters.

The pace of this book is fast to steady.  It keeps you fully engaged and entertained to the last page!

I felt that some of the passages were a bit wordy, which detracted from the story and the pace.  But overall it was an excellent read!

This book is book eleven in the McKinley Mysteries Book Series.  I had not read any of the books in this series before reading this book and I had no problems following this story and did not get lost or confused.  So, this book can absolutely be read as a standalone book.

Although this book has a strong seasonal Halloween background it can absolutely be enjoyed year-round!  I happened to have read it around Halloween, but I could totally see myself enjoying it in February as well!

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy a fun, exciting, cozy, mystery book!

Carolyn Arnold has become one of my favorite authors for her ability to write accurate and authentic police procedural scenes while still keeping her creative flair of adding mystery, intrigue, and suspense to every page!

**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/R2IO405Q5GR0XE

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AUTHOR BIO:


CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

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CONNECT WITH CAROLYN:

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter:

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**Halloween is Murder is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Apple iBooks:

Google Play:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Carolyn will be awarding a $15 PayPal Cash to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**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.

14 comments:

  1. Carolyn ~ It is great to have you here AGAIN! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! I REALLY enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)

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  2. congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win

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  3. I was wondering what you are working on next?

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  4. What's your writing process/routine like?

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  5. Thank you for your honest review, it's much appreciated!

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  6. What do you do when you get writer's block?

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  7. Thank you for reading and reviewing HALLOWEEN IS MURDER. If you haven’t already, can you post your review to your favorite retailers. Again, thank you for your support.

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  8. What's your ultimate career/writing goal?

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  9. Is halloween your favorite holiday? What are your halloween traditions?

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  10. Last day! Thank you for everything and I wanted to wish you much success and luck with your writing future!

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