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https://amzn.to/3231rVC

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/328shyA

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3FES3YJ

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Perils-Paris-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0968LFDWK

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Perils-Paris-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B09P7SSX12

Amazon FR Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.fr/Perils-Paris-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0968LFDWK

Amazon FR Paperback:

https://www.amazon.fr/Perils-Paris-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B09P7SSX12

Amazon UK Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perils-Paris-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0968LFDWK

Amazon UK Paperback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perils-Paris-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B09P7SSX12

Amazon AU Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Perils-Paris-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0968LFDWK

Amazon AU Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Perils-Paris-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B09P7SSX12

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ana will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is 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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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.

Monday, October 4, 2021

The Shady Chateau by Ana T. Drew - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ana T. Drew and her new book, “The Shady Chateau,” here on FAB!! 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 $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ana and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

The Shady Chateau

by Ana T. Drew

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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BLURB:

Beware, dressing up as Napoleon can get you killed!

Provence baker Julie Cavallo and her grandma sign up for a Napoleonic re-enactment at a nearby chateau. The event includes theatricals, war games, and costume balls — all courtesy of the host and pillar of the local community, Baron Gustave Cordes d’Auzon.

What a welcome break from baking and catering...

and from pining for a tall, dark, and unsociable captain of the gendarmerie.

Unlike the captain, the weekend guests at the castle love conversing. Some are so flamboyant they outshine even Julie’s badass grandma Rose!

It’s all fun and cosplay… until the lord of the castle turns up dead.

Three unlikely culprits plead guilty.

Each gives the gendarmes a different motive.

Each insists they did it alone.

Who’s lying? And why?

And who really killed the baron?

If you’re a fan of Murder on the Orient Express and country house mysteries, then you’ll love this book. It will regale you with a dogged amateur sleuth, a puzzling ensemble of suspects, and a tangled web of lies.

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Julie, darling.” Rose says. “How about we save time and jump straight to the part where you stop pretending that you don’t want to go to the chateau?”

“I’m not pretending.”

“Of course you are.”

She heads out of the room.

Lady follows her and I follow Lady.

“Eric is most likely imagining things,” Grandma says. “Who wouldn’t, after the year we’ve had? Even I see soon-to-be-dead people everywhere! Call him about those discounted tickets and then meet me in the office.”

After I call Eric and tell him that Rose and I will be joining him for the reenactment, I dash to the tiny room where Rose has installed her computer and printer.

A paragon of efficiency when she’s motivated, she’s already found a pattern for our Regency dresses and is printing it out.

She picks up the printouts and adopts the Warrior II pose, pointing the pages in her right hand toward an invisible destination somewhere outside the door.

“Forward, march to the sewing machine!” she calls to Lady and me. “And to glory!”

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

This book was such a fun, clever, exciting, entertaining read!!!

This was the second book I have had the pleasure of reading from Ana T. Drew, and it is the fourth book in her Julie Cavallo Investigates Mystery Book Series. This book is equally enjoyable and definitely not one to be missed out on!!!

This particular book focuses on an exciting, but deadly adventure when Julie, her sous chef Eric, and her very entertaining grandma Rose attend a local Napoleonic re-enactment event. Bring out the festive costumes, the heavy smoke, and the loud noise of the war games as you travel back in time and watch the living history come alive!!! But this event isn’t all fun and games, especially when someone gets murdered for real. Thankfully, our favorite French amateur sleuth, and baker, Julie Cavallo, is on the scene and ready to solve the case!!! But when THREE people confess to the murder, solving this case is going to be anything but simple!!!

This book, like the others in this book series, features such a vast array of wonderful characters!!! Ana T. Drew excels at the creation and development of characters!!! They are complex, multidimensional, likable, genuine, and easy to relate to!!!

One of my favorite things about Ana T. Drew’s writing is her unique ability to draw inspiration from the Cozy Mystery Royal Goddesses like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Patricia Wentworth, and Mary Roberts Rinehart. Ana’s exceptionally crafty story telling skills weaves old school cozy mystery practices of intriguing, clever plots with sly and distracting red herrings, and smart and feisty heroines, then she adds her own spin with updated modern settings, easy to relate to and connect with characters, delicious, and often droolworthy, bakery recipes, and a fun, fresh, French accent!!!

This book also reminded me of one of my favorite CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Las Vegas episodes. It was Episode Two of Season 12, titled “Tell-Tale Hearts.” It featured the suspenseful, thrilling themes from “Stranger on a Train,” by Patricia Highsmith, and of course, as the title suggests, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe. In the episode, a family of four is murdered, a grandmother, a husband, a wife, and a young daughter. Over the course of the episode, THREE complete individuals, with no known connection, confess to the quadruple homicide, all providing reasonable motives for their crimes. But what sets these confessions apart, is that each suspect confesses using the exact same phrase, “I did it! I killed the Chambliss family!” Plus, they each have insider details of the crime that were never released. So, like this book, multiple red herrings are present, every clue must be carefully and thoroughly double checked!!! Let the mystery game begin!!!

Julie Cavallo is truly one of my favorite amateur book sleuths!!! Not only is she a smart, witty, crime solving, talented baker – she is also kindhearted, compassionate, honest, trustworthy, enthusiastic, ambitious, and reliable. She is the type of character you could easily relate to and even see yourself being friends with. Although, I’d hope she’d also let me join her team and help her solve cases lol!!!

As I previously mentioned, this book is Book Four in Ana’s latest Book Series. However, even though I have only read Book One, “The Murderous Macaron,” and now Book Four, “The Shady Chateau,” I had no problem following along. Although, I am sure this book series would be even more enjoyed if read entirely and in order, it is not required, as each book seems to be strong enough to be read on its own as a stand-alone.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it – and this book series, too!! I think all cozy mystery readers, mystery fans, and of course, fans of Napoleonic re-enactments (btw very cool story line!!) 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**

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AUTHOR BIO:

>>>Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!<<<

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CONNECT WITH ANA:

Website:

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BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-shady-chateau-a-provence-cozy-mystery-julie-cavallo-investigates-by-ana-t-drew

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19972445.Ana_T_Drew

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58218120-the-shady-chateau

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/3231rVC

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

http://amzn.to/3ozV5sv

Amazon US Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2WHkZz8

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0964BHXM6

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B097X4RC1Z

Amazon FR Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.fr/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0964BHXM6

Amazon FR Paperback:

https://www.amazon.fr/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B097X4RC1Z

Amazon UK Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0964BHXM6

Amazon UK Paperback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B097X4RC1Z

Amazon AU Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0964BHXM6

Amazon AU Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Shady-Chateau-Provence-Cozy-Mystery/dp/B097X4RC1Z

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ana will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

The Sinister Superyacht by Ana T. Drew - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ana T. Drew and her new book, “The Sinister Superyacht”! 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 $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ana and to increase your chances of winning!

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

The Sinister Superyacht

by Ana T. Drew

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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BLURB:

French tycoon Jean-Louis Ponsard is having a bad year.

Unwise investments, canceled orders, deals falling through…

In the thick of it, his yacht becomes the scene of a suspicious death, and his year of misfortune hits the bed of the Mediterranean Sea.

To make matters worse, the victim isn't just anybody.

She's his much-hated mother-in-law.

Onboard, caterer Julie Cavallo and her quirky grandma Rose do some poking around.

But every luxury cabin hides a secret.

Every passenger has an alibi or no reason to want the victim dead.

Discretion rules.

The crew keeps mum.

So do the marble countertops, gem-incrusted walls, and gold sinks.

When the cops take charge, things go to pieces, and not only for the Ponsard family.

Can Julie dive to the murky bottom of the sea, unravel the case, and come back up still breathing?

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AUTHOR BIO:

>>>Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!<<<

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

CONNECT WITH ANA:

Website:

Facebook:

Pinterest:

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19972445.Ana_T_Drew

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55262567-the-sinister-superyacht

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3231rVC

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/327m42A

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Sinister-Superyacht-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0882J3652

Amazon UK Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinister-Superyacht-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0882J3652

Amazon AU Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Sinister-Superyacht-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0882J3652

Amazon FR Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.fr/Sinister-Superyacht-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0882J3652

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ana will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 7, 2020

The Murderous Macaron by Ana T. Drew - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Bonjour, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ana T. Drew and her new book, “The Murderous Macaron”! 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 $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ana and to increase your chances of winning!

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

The Murderous Macaron

by Ana T. Drew

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

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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

BLURB:

Julie has her freedom, a dream job as a pastry chef, and a corpse growing cold on her floor...

Welcome to Beldoc, a small town in the heart of Provence, imbued with lavender and fresh baked bread! You can idle around, or you can puzzle out a murder mystery.

When a man dies on her watch in her pâtisserie, newly divorced chef Julie Cavallo is dismayed. It isn’t that she’s a suspect. The local gendarmerie captain signs off the death as a natural event. A heart attack. But for a reason she won’t discuss, Julie suspects Maurice Sauve was poisoned. What’s a girl to do? She’ll ignore the risk and seek justice for Maurice on her own!

Well, not quite on her own. Julie’s eccentric grandmother, her snarky sister and her geeky sous chef are keen to help. The team’s amateurism is a challenge. But there’s also the pesky matter of no evidence, no clues, and soon, no body. The murder—if it was a murder—was planned and executed flawlessly.

Can a small-town baker solve the perfect crime?

"The Murderous Macaron" is a twisty whodunnit mystery perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich, Alexander McCall Smith, Jana DeLeon and Lilian Jackson Braun.

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EXCERPT ONE:

My grandmother’s doga class—the only doga class in Beldoc and the surrounding area—is as inspiring as it is wacky. Probably more wacky than inspiring, at least to an uninitiated onlooker.

A group of people in yoga outfits are scattered over the deck, facing Rose.

Dressed in comfy yet formfitting yoga pants and a soft cotton top, my nimble grandma leads her troops across their mats to nirvana.

Boy, I hope I look like her when I’m seventy-four!

Pooches of various shapes, colors, and sizes roam from person to person and drool on the mats. Some take part in their parent’s poses. A tiny Yorkshire tries to perform a suspicious sequence involving his lower abdomen, a human shin, and some vigorous rubbing. A couple of lovebirds in the corner sniff each other’s posteriors while wagging their tails. An overweight French bulldog launches into an elaborate snore.

Most of the humans are gray-haired women, well-groomed and refined, but definitely second division compared to Rose. There are a few men in the group. One of them is Rose’s notary, Maître Serge Guichard. A widower in his late sixties with a neat little beard, he handled the purchase of the pâtisserie for me at a reduced rate. Judging by the glances he steals at Rose, I think I know why.

The group also includes a young couple in their late twenties. I had a chat with them last time I showed up before the class was over. Both adore dogs but their place is too small to adopt one. Thanks to Rose’s class, they can spend time with other people’s dogs twice a week.

Under my grandma’s guidance, the yogis and yoginis do the sun salutation while the dogis and doginis do whatever they please.

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BOOK REVIEW:

This book is filled with wickedly wonderful characters, intriguing plot twists, and enjoyable, suspenseful, mystery scenes!!

I love cozy mysteries and this book did not disappoint!!

This book is the perfect easy-going, leisure, effortless read that can be soaked up in just a few, short hours!!

I enjoyed the story line and felt engaged in the story structure and plot points. The writing style was steady and easily flowed. This book falls on the average to longer side at 268 eBook pages. But like I said, I thoroughly adored this book and every scene felt necessary for its success.

I really enjoyed the charming and delightful characters!! It’s clear the author made them a focal part of the story, and for good reason – they entertained!! Whether it was the silly bantering, witty comebacks, or the just the accents – these lovable characters certainly brought their A-game!!

I really liked Julie, the main character, and found an easy, relatable, connection with her. She was likable, realistic, and genuine. Also, of course, I loved Julie’s Grandma, Rose, (she’s hilarious!!), Julie’s Sous Chef, Eric, Julie’s Sister, Flo, Julie’s Twin-Sister, Cat, Capitaine Gabriel Adinian, Pascale, and all the rest of the folks of Beldoc!!

I loved the beautiful European setting!! There were lots of vivid details that made it very easy to picture many of the scenes.

I was hoping for a bit more of a French theme and overtone. Perhaps, this will develop over the course of the book series. Or was limited to not scare anyone away looking for a relaxing, easy read. Having personally taken French all through high school and college, I was looking forward to dusting off the old cobwebs, but then again, that was a few more years ago then I’d like to admit, so maybe I should be glad I didn’t have to worry about stumbling over a language I was once proficient in lol.

I really enjoyed the baking story line!! I love baking – errr, well, trying to lol!! Anywho, I still appreciated the delicious gluten-free delights Julie and Eric made. I think it would have been a nice extra if the author included a couple recipes at the back of the book of some of Julie’s favorite gluten-free delights that would sure to be baked in her adorable shop!!

This book also reminded me a bit of the “Murder She Baked,” Book Series by Joanne Fluke, which also went on to become Hallmark TV Movie successes!!

There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few very unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!

This book is Book One of The Julie Cavallo Investigates Book Series. It can be read as a standalone. It seems the author has already written a total of three books in this series, with the last to be released at the end of this October. Like book one, book two seems well received with readers, as I am sure book three will be as well! I look forward to checking out the other books in this series!

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all cozy mystery fans will like this book too – and this book series! 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/R2ECLIAZV2VKW6

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AUTHOR BIO:

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.

>>>Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!<<<

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CONNECT WITH ANA:

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BookBub Author Page: